Spike Lee is without a doubt one of the most well known black directors in film. His works commonly deal with issues of race, with the protagonist always being a person of color. The movie Shrek on the other hand is a comical film with the protagonist being an ogre, however when the film is thoroughly analyzed one can see slight factors that when amplified could make it a Spike Lee film, the main factor being that the main character is hated by a white town and attacked, for being physically different. For these reasons when tasked with re-visioning a film in the eyes of a new director, Shrek and Spike Lee seemed like automatic fits.

For the re-creation to be successful the focus on Shrek being “colored”(green) would have to be amplified in this case and those attacking him would be remain white as they are in the film. This is shown in the storyboard by Shrek being quite literally the only colored character. The arms and legs of those in the mob are all white and colorless. Since Spike Lee is also known for limiting the information the audience has about those that aren't the main character, in the storyboard the only face shown is that of Shrek. The mob attacking him is represented solely by their footsteps and weapons, as those are the only things that add importance to them in Shrek’s life. Furthermore there would be the use of diegetic and nondiegetic sounds to represent the two different moods in the storyboard. When the mob is on the screen there is no background music, instead the rumbling of their feet, weapons, and the combined shouts of their voices will create the sounds that represent them. Shrek on the other hand will have an upbeat song playing in the background during his time on the screen, to symbolise the peace and tranquillity he is experiencing. The camera will rarely be still, as common for Spike Lee films, with it shakingly following the mob via dolly while gentle and smoothly following Shrek in his house cooking and eating. All this will be occuring in New York since all Spike Lee films occur in urban settings. Shrek’s house will be located at the bottom of a tree in a park to further solidify he is an outcast from this white society. The storyboard ends with the weapons belonging to the mob moving closer onto Shrek slowly, since Spike Lee commonly uses background music even in slow parts of his film there will be a sad song letting the audience know that Shrek is now at the mercy of the mob. Originally this scene takes place in the beginning of the movie and in this case it will as well, this will allow it to set the mood for the film and show the racial tension in the setting of the film.

My capstone project was to travel to Costa Rica on a field study to research water supply, security, and interactions. Before my trip, I did a lot of research to gather as much information on the topic as possible. I did not want to travel to a new country completely ignorant and blinded. Going into the project and trip, I knew that all of my research would not be feasible. Because most of the research I did were from secondary sources, I knew that I was not collecting the desired information, which made my trip more important. On the trip I was able to collect and gather as much primary sources as I possibly could; just being there and seeing everything for myself was also a primary source. The process was a little challenging since only a few natives spoke english. With the help from guides and a few of my classmates, I was able to understand and gather useful information. A lot of my information also came from observation. Any observation I would make, I asked questions pertaining to it to clarify my understanding. Arriving to Costa Rica, I was stunned by my ignorance and I wasn’t the only one. If a group of people were ignorant of the country’s lifestyle, then it’s for certain that a lot more people are too. Once I returned from the trip, I wanted to not only create a project surrounding water in Costa Rica, but on the small details of the country as well.

Annotated Bibliography

Bower, Kathleen M. “Water Supply and Sanitation of Costa Rica.” SpringerLink, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2 Apr. 2013, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12665-013-2416-x.

When I first opened this source, I thought it would have all the information I would need. It was titled “Water supply and Sanitation of Costa Rica”. This made me think that I would gather, if not all, majority of my information here. Although this source did not hold all of the information I needed, it did help with my process. This source is an article on water supply and sanitation in Costa Rica. It holds informations about environmental care and the sustainability of water resources. I found it by simply researching water systems in Costa Rica. This source supports my capstone by giving me thorough information about my topic. This article provided stats on population and supply of domestic water resources, which helps me get an understanding of how things happen in Costa Rica.

Porras, Nazareth. (2016).The Sixaola River Basin: Costa Rica and Panama. San José, Costa Rica: UICN, 12 pp. https://www.iucn.org/sites/dev/files/content/documents/bridge_sixaola_english.pdf.

When I first found this source I was very impressed with the amount of information it provided. This source is a textbook article on the Sixaola River Basin. The basin is located between Costa Rica and Panama, right by the Yorkín community, which is relatively close to the Bribri community. The Sixaola River extends over 2,848.3 km2 (1099.73 mi2). 19% of the river is located in Panama and 81% in Costa Rica. The river plays a huge role as a watershed for several communities including the Bribri community. I found this information very useful since I will be studying the interactions between the people of the community and the river. Learning the aspects of the river gives me an idea of how it may be used by the community. This also makes me question Costa Rica’s interaction with Panama.

Blanco, Adrián Martinez, and Diana Ubico Durán. “Water Security in the Sixaola River Basin.” Peace and Conflict, Monitor, 30 Apr. 2014, www.monitor.upeace.org/innerpg.cfm?id_article=1043.

I found this source by researching the security of the Sixaola River in Costa Rica. I searched this topic because the security of the river is something to keep track of since the river is shared by many communities and multiple countries. When I found this source, I thought it was pretty useful because it identified challenges within the basin and communities and how security impacted different communities.  This source is an analytical article on the security of the basin, as a whole. Parts of the article focuses on Costa Rica and other parts focuses on Panama. Overall, this article gives me information on how the two countries are dependent on each other.

“The Binational Commission of the Sixaola River Basin Draws Municipalities Together for the Environment.” IUCN, 19 May 2016, www.iucn.org/content/binational-commission-sixaola-river-basin-draws-municipalities-together-environment.

When I found this source I thought that it was a perfect representation of how Costa Rica and Panama works together. I found this source by researching collaborations of Costa Rica and Panama with respect to the Sixaola River. It basically explained what companies and associations are involved and what roles they play in taking care of the basin. It also elaborates on why it is important for the two to do so. This source is very helpful because it allows me to see how certain associations take stances on specific human resources. It also helps me because it answers many of my questions of how the two countries come together.

“POV Call for Entries Broadcast Season 2018.” POV, PBS, 2017, http://cfe.pov.org/POVcfeSubmissionGuidelines.pdf.

When I found this source, I thought it was very helpful for my final product. Initially, I wanted to make a documentary and post it on the SLA homepage. This source is an article and flyer for a documentary competition. I found this source very helpful because for part of my final project I will be creating a documentary. Since this documentary will be on water supply, security, and interactions with the Sixaola River in Costa Rica I want to share my findings with more than just the SLA community. I feel as though more people in the world would be interested in my projects and its findings. This source also benefits me because it helps advertise my project. But overall, I want my documentary to be a learning experience to many.

Stinson, Jim. “Shooting the Journey: A Guide to Vacation Video.” Videomaker, 1 Mar. 1995, www.videomaker.com/article/f2/1404-shooting-the-journey-a-guide-to-vacation-video.

When I found this source, I thought it was very beneficial. Because the basics of this documentary is the journey that I will be on, I wanted to learn how to properly record my trip. Since I have never recorded any type of experience or journey before, I thought it would only be right to research how. This source is very helpful because it teaches me how to keep track of what I record and what things I should record. Rather than just explaining what to put in a documentary, it explains how to acquire certain aspects.

Fisher, Sky. “How to Visit The Largest Indigenous Community in Costa Rica.” Epicure & Culture, 7 June 2017, https://epicureandculture.com/bribri-travel/.

This source is basically someone’s personal experience in the  community themselves. It gives a perspective of the things that happened or that’s going to happen. It’s basically a “what to expect” guide. This guide explains things that someone usually wouldn’t wonder; like, how do you get to the actual community? Well, the community is only accessible by boat. This is very useful information, especially since, I will be journeying their myself. This source gives me an idea of what everything will be like. It also allows me to prepare for the tri and the many encounters within it. This source also provides ways to get involved with community; whether it’s for vacation, touring, or service work.

Fariña, Ana Lucía. “Bribri Women Lead the Way in Community-Based Tourism in Costa Rica.” Cultural Survival, Cultural Survival Quarterly Magazine, Mar. 2012, www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/bribri-women-lead-way-community-based-tourism-costa-rica.

This source is an article story written by a Costa Rican tour guide. In this article they reflect on the indigenous people of the Yorkín and Bribri communities. Since we will be invading a community, I wanted to study the people that’ll be there. I wanted to know their background and history so that I was not completely oblivious and ignorant of their growth. I found this source very helpful because not only did it elaborate on the people, it explained the culture and history behind it. It made me aware of some of their struggles and how they may overcome them. It also points out the diversity in the community; gender, age, and color diversity are uniquely important within Costa Rican communities. This source also points out some future goals that the native people has made.

“Making Documentaries: A Step By Step Guide.” Desktop-Documentaries, www.desktop-documentaries.com/making-documentaries.html.

I found this source by looking up ways to prepare for a documentary. Because I am planning on filming and creating my own documentary, I searched the proper steps in order to do so. I’ve made a documentary before, in the past, so I’m not completely in the dark of how to create one. But since it has been a while since I’ve done so, I didn’t want to miss any components when creating one. When I was looking for this source I thought it was the best one. It basically has the whole thought process and timeline laid out for the planning, filming, and editing process. Not only does it have the process broken down, it also has instructions and examples on how to do it.

Google docs version here!

When a person is growing, there are numerous events that they will go through. Some will bring happy memories that they will love, whilst some will bring sad, terrible, painful memories. Even though these painful memories will be hated because of the pain that is associated with them, they are truly needed. A life lived with only happiness will not reap the same result as that lived with constant pain. This is because, one cannot successfully become stronger without experiencing some form of pain.

Leknes, Siri, and Brock Bastian. "The Benefits of Pain." SpringerLink. Springer Netherlands, 01 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 May 2017.

Taylor, Steve. "Can Suffering Make Us Stronger?" Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, 04 Nov. 2011. Web. 13 May 2017.

"The iron crotch exercise (铁裆功)." Braineggs. N.p., 10 Apr. 2016. Web. 13 May 2017.

The play The Taming of the Shrew unifies ideas of possessions for show. These possessions are not just common objects, but they are also people. Characters of the play, like Katherine and Petruchio, both demonstrate these ideas. The movie, High School Musical: 2, also share these ideas about possession. The rich and talented Sharpay tries her best to exercise her status to trick and win over Troy, another talented student.

For those who are familiar with the High School Musical franchise, it is known how manipulative Sharpay Evans can be. She already has the fortune, but she also wants fame and she will do whatever it takes to get it. Sharpay’s main gist for wanting Troy is to sing with him during the talent show. Because he is very talented, together they will attract many people, making Sharpay famous. In the play, The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio is a fortune hungry bachelor. He wants to marry, but not just any woman. Petruchio wants a wealthy and well known woman that he can show off, and he will make sure he gets just that. Both the play and the movie show ideas of not just material possessions, but personage possessions too. These human possessions are ones that are worth swanking about. They can be shown off and advertised to benefit the braggart. They both the play and movie demonstrate that relationships are more about having a human possession to parade than actual love.

“...if I get your daughter's love, what dowry shall I have with her to wife?” - Petruchio Act 2/Sc. 1/Pg. 83

In this excerpt, Petruchio is asking Baptisia, Katherine’s father, what he may receive if he takes Katherine’s hand in marriage. Petruchio has already shared with Baptista what he can bring to the table; he is legally entitled to his father’s land and goods. Although her love is not enough for Petruchio, Baptista offers him half of his land and twenty thousand crowns as well. This exposes that courtship in this Shakespearean novel is centered around material wealth and what one can offer another, rather than love itself. This idea of courtship is also reflected in the movie High School Musical: 2. This movie takes place in a modern day setting. Sharpay wants to be with Troy for only one reason, his musical talent and she displays acts of interest only to win him over.

In this scene of the movie, Sharpay fairly expresses to Troy how cool her life is. Her father is arriving to a golf course via a helicopter and her parents own the country club he works at. Not only does she let him play golf with her and her parents, she gives him a pay bonus for it too. She is vaguely showing him what she has to offer to him, and by offering him all of these luxuries, she hopes to gain his interest. If he decides to be with her, he will get a fair share of her cool life.

“After my death, the one half of my lands, and, in possession, twenty thousand crowns.” - Baptista Act 2/Sc. 1/Pg. 83

The excerpt from the play also displays parental interference in courtship/dating. Because Baptista chose to respond to Petruchio with a dowry, offering him land and crowns, he has made an interference. He already had an influence of who Katherine gets to marry, but now he also has an influence on her partner as well. Petruchio only gets these treasures if he marries Katherine. This play logic is similar to the movie.

In this scene in the movie, High School Musical; 2, Sharpay invites Troy to dinner with her parents. Without his knowing his parents invites a college basketball player who can hook Troy up with a possible scholarship. After a long night of dinner and talking, Troy is put on the spot when Sharpay asks him to promise to sing with her. He faces the choice of either agreeing to sing with her and get the scholarship or not agreeing and upsetting her parents and throwing away his shot at college. Of course Troy agrees to sing in order to maintain Sharpay’s parents’ happiness, but deep down he actually did not want to do it.

“Say as he says, or we shall never go.”

- Hortensio Act 4/Sc. 5/Pg. 187

In this excerpt from the play, Katherine and Petruchio are arguing over whether the sun or the moon is in the sky. Katherine know it is the sun in the sky, but Petruchio will not agree with her. Hortensio, friend and wingman to Petruchio, insist that Katherine agree with Petruchio or the argument will never drop. Once Katherine gives in and agrees with Petruchio, he then rebuttals his arguments saying the sun is indeed in the sky and Katherine had just lied. Petruchio now sees Katherine as his puppet; he owns her. She will now do or say whatever he wants. At this point in the play Katherine goes along with Petruchio's ideas to avoid conflict with him. This tactic of “giving in” is also used in the movie.

In this scene of the movie, Mr. Fulton, the club manager, promotes Troy to a new position under Sharpay’s orders. This new position offers more money, less labor, and club benefits. Although the job comes with many benefits, Troy can no longer work beside his friends. Mr. Fulton insist that Troy be grateful and appreciate his new position. Troy, once again, goes along with the idea to avoid upsetting Sharpay and her parents. Sharpay now has control and some kind of ownership over Troy. She has the ability to make him agree to anything. The main reason why Troy continues to give in is because his college career is on the line.

Both the play, The Taming of the Shrew, and the movie, High School Musical: 2,  holds true to idea of having a human possession to show off. Although both forms of productions are based in different eras, they still hold many similarities to one another. Usually these kinds of behaviors exercised would not happen in the past if gender roles were switched, like they were in the movie. Society back then was strict and and more sexist than today’s modern era. This goes to show that not only men can obtain human possessions over the opposite sex, but women can too and with the help of parental influences.

Work Cited:

• Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Taming of the Shrew. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Print

• High School Musical: 2, Kenny Ortega, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Disney Channel, August 17, 2007

I was perplexed. There were so many choices, but so many did not seem like enough. Enough for me at least. This was the first day of high school. I was dead center in the middle of the room. There were missing tiles in the ceiling above me. The stage in front of me sat crooked as many new freshies ran across it playing. I could hear the whispers of others. “They are so immature.”, “This is high school.”, “They aren’t going to last long here.”. I turn around to see where these comments were coming from. It was the bougies. They have not yet been labeled, but that’s who they were. What if they were judging me? I was standing alone in the middle of the room. These thoughts roamed around in my head for a while until I was distracted by another group of students. They were sitting in the corner of the room. All chill, seeming like they didn’t have a care in the world to give. Their surroundings did not matter. I corrected my posture and stood tall. I found myself trying to be like one of them. “You’re changing yourself J’Lynn!” I almost thought out loud. This was not good. I shouldn’t have to change myself to fit in. Well, at least not on the first day. I didn’t even know who these people were. I moved on. I realized that there were a few students scattered throughout the room, just sitting in random places. Their hands were holding their faces and their phones were holding their attention. They did not seem to be connected to the world around them. In fact, they were disconnected from the world around them. Unbothered and uninterested in the mild chaos of a new class. Maybe I should take a seat and decide later. My phone was on the verge of dying, so this was not a good idea. I saw the girl I was with not too long ago. The period just before we were dancing to the incredible songs of High School Musical. What else would new freshmen be dancing to on the first day of school? But she. She did not seem to notice that I was all alone. After a couple of jigs, she left me. She left like we’d never even associated with each other. Like we did not just bust out dance moves from a Disney Channel classic. I guess that means I just did not matter.

It seemed like a hack. A hack that I just could not get the hang of. How come everyone else had no difficulty with what I was trying to do? What I was trying to do was fit in. These groups of kids scattered in sections around me seemed like they have know each other for an eternity. And I knew no one and no one knew me. This was when the idea of change came to mind. Thoughts of “if I do this then that will…” or “maybe if I wear this then they will…” flooded my head. It became a constant thing. A custom routine. These thoughts appeared so frequently that I could no longer concentrated on the important things. My thoughts were unimportant. There were better things to be worried about at the time. Like school.

I had coped with the idea of change. The you should never change yourself for others quotes were settling in. I could change myself if it was for me though, and in a way, the change was for me. I wanted to become a better person. To me, becoming a better meant that I was a positive spirited person and made everyone feel appreciated. It also meant that I had an open mind and did nothing to provoke anyone. Even if nobody cared at all, which would most likely be the case, I wanted to do this for myself.

The further into freshman year I got, the more I realized that being a nice person was not the easiest thing to do. Apparently, to some, it was a crime to be nice. No matter what I did there was always someone who took my kindness for granted. They would notice it, take it, and stomp on it. Sometimes in my face, but most times behind my back. Sometimes it was appreciated but more than most times it was not. “You’re too nice,” a few would say in the most bitchy way possible. And others would disagree. “What? J’Lynn’s not nice!”, in the highest voice ever. This all confused me. So was I nice or not? This only made me push harder. I decided that I was going to stick with this tactic of being nice. My goal was still set. I still wanted to be a better person. And I was going to do whatever it took to achieve that goal.

Sophomore year was a lot easier. I actually knew people. I had my share of friends and teachers that I liked. But what I did not have was somebody who knew me. I had my two best friends and an upcoming squad, but these people did not know who I was. I say this because I still did not know who I was. The process of changing yourself was a little disconcerting. I never knew what to expect. I was never certain of where my actions would lead me. It was like that movie Yes Man with Jim Carrey. Living in the affirmative, he was never aware of what he was getting himself into, but he continued to follow through with his conviction. This was me. I was so determined to finish achieving my goal and as a result, I could barely predict my future.

As I was on the journey of becoming a “better” person, there were also a few other thoughts going through my head. I had set my past life aside to start a new one. Was this the best idea? All my accomplishments were going to be buried in the shadows of my new life. So what was I working with? Who was I going to be. At SLA it seemed like giving yourself a new name was a trend. Was I going to be apart of that trend? My name was already good enough, anyway the hassle of getting people to remember that you changed it was too much. What did I want people to know about me? I was not too sure. I was already in the process of putting myself out there, or at least I thought I was. People should know enough, but is enough ever enough? If people want to know something about me then they could ask me. I didn’t feel obligated to tell people about myself, unless they asked. Imagine walking up to someone and telling them what you ate for dinner two nights ago. It’s oddly strange, but that’s how I imagine it would feel like if I were to tell someone about myself without them asking.

The identity crisis didn’t end in freshmen year nor sophomore year. It stuck with me through my journey of high school. It rode with me in the sidecar of my motorcycle. Forever. And we traveled down an endless road. To this day I still consider my actions to be of better quality than they ever were before. I’m pretty satisfied with what I done with my life. If it was not for me wanting to become a better person, I would have never known the people I know today. That includes mentors and, best of all, friends. I never believed the phrase “you can do anything if you put your mind to it” because I took it too literally. But now I understand. I can achieve anything if I put my mind to it and never give up. Even with little motivation, if I want it I can go get it. I feel my goal being achieved, but this isn’t the end. If I could change myself for better over the course of two years then imagine what I could do in three or maybe five years. Time seems endless, until it ends of course, so why not make the most if it?

Television has been around for decades, and when it started there were only a handful of programs to watch. By contrast, cable TV has changed drastically over the last couple of years, with an explosion of offerings. Reruns, new genres and concepts are all what the “magic box” holds. Compared to earlier programming, shows have not only gotten funnier and more adventurous, but they have also become violent and sexualized. Surprisingly, TV shows and movies that have violent or mature content pull in views. This is surprising because it is assumed that people would not appreciate these things being shown. These shows don’t just pull in enough views to keep it going for the season, but views resulting in the start of fandoms and social media advocates. People watch these shows not because they actually think the content is important to the show itself, but because of the surprises that they hold.

Many shows and movies nowadays are rated PG-13 and up due to the nature of its content. As relatable as it is, many people prepare themselves to watch TV. They go around all day reminding others about what’s airing that night. They are usually excited to watch shows like The Walking Dead; a show where a death every episode is not enough. The necessity for such rated showings is a result of curiosity. According to an unsourced TV critic, “Seeing the possibilities of the horrible things man could do to one another. And to some, it lures us in.” People don’t get to witness those sorts of things in person. Of course a zombie apocalypse is not (currently) occurring, but people are fascinated by shows that display what it would be like if there was one. When good actors and directors can pull off realistic looking ideology, deaths, and massacres, it makes people want to see it and believe it.

Reality shows are well known when it comes to violent and mature content, because they helped pioneer the trend. Love and Hip Hop, Bad Girls Club, and whatever’s on MTV all fall under the category of “Reality Violence.” These shows are known for the harsh treatment of others; why else would it be called “Bad Girls Club”? Putting multiple girls in a mansion and watching them crumble is entertaining to many. People watch these shows in anticipation that a fight will break out. It is almost as if violence is an attention magnet. In an episode of Jersey Shore a female cast member was struck in the face by a drunk male stranger. According to an ABC News article, this recorded incident promoted the show and doubled its ratings. The video also went viral online. These millions of views are a result of disbelief. People had to watch the clip because it was unbelievable, and once again curiosity striking the mind.

Online TV networks have expanded this trend. Websites can now be considered as television. Netflix, Hulu, and Vudu are all sites that allow people to watch what they want, when they want to. Each site has a net worth of over 1 million dollars, and hold shows that are dependent on chance. These shows’ content can either make or break it. Sources from Uproxx.com show that the most top rated shows on Netflix are Breaking Bad, the Walking Dead, and Orange is the New Black. Each of these shows express violent and/or mature content in more than one episode per season. Why are they so popular? These shows are like the dependency of television. They have the ability to grab anyone’s attention; they got the guts to take risks, and as a result, they succeed. Making a show that displays the production of drugs, or publicizes LGBT minors, which was taboo for years, are the keys to successful entertainment if done properly.

And then there’s the shows with sexual content. With ratings upwards of 9/10, Game of Thrones is not an underdog in the television business. Sex and nudity, violence and gore, profanity, alcohol, drugs, smoking, and frightening/intense scenes are all what can be expected from this show. Everything figuratively bad is incorporated into this show. The ratings are outstanding though. In America it is taboo to show naked bodies and sex scenes, but it is done anyway. This risky choice in presentation resulted in success for the show. Each episode averaging about 60 minutes or more it keeps people amused. “...the fact that the events are too slow to unfold keeps people curious.”, is what an author had to say about the show. There were many claims that the show was boring, but the only reason that it kept views was because of its complicated and fascinating plot took curiosity to a new level.

When TV finds its old ideas getting stale, they will run out of ideas it will resort to its “plan b”. The plan being to get the audience’s attention by whatever gimmick. However, if the popularity of oversexualized and violent shows continue to grow, then television may be in trouble. If more shows exhibit explicit content, then tomorrow's children may only have destructive things to watch. Curiosity is good in a sense, but if television’s only resort is violence or sexualized content then the future should be a concern. Human curiosity should revolve around more than just guts and nudity.

Work Cited:

• Nussbaum, Emily. "The Westeros Wing." The New Yorker. N.p., 27 June 2016. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Coulson, Justin. "The Problem with Exposing Kids to Sexual and Violent Content." Family Studies. N.p., 14 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Thoman, Elizabeth. "Media Violence: What If We Changed the Question?"Media Literacy. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Miyamoto, Ken. "Why Do Some People Enjoy Watching Gory and Disturbing Films?" Quora. N.p., 1 July 2011. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• VanDerWerff, Todd. "Why Shows like The Following Cheapen Violence and Diminish Its Power." Why Shows like The Following Cheapen Violence and Diminish Its Power · For Our Consideration · The A.V. Club. N.p., 18 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

• Canning, Andrea, and Elizabeth Stuart. "Reality Show Violence Getting Too Real?" ABC News. ABC News Network, 30 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.

• Radwan, M.Farouk, MSc. "Why Is Game of Thrones so Popular." 2 Know Myself. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.

What Comes with Age

Some say that age is nothing but a number, but in some cases it is also a responsibility. Ever imagine someone younger than a person being in charge of them? Not younger by a year or two, but like a decade. It’s like being babysat by a younger sibling. It seems weird. Humans are trained to believe the older you are the more ability you gain, and younger people are trained to respect that. Older people are usually in charge. Whether it’s being in charge of a small group or large country, people who hold the most power tend to be a part of an older age group, even though they may not be the most qualified to be in charge.

People rely on age for a lot of things. Just because people are older than some, they believe that they hold most of the power. In the book, Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a stranded boy, named Ralph, introduces an idea about using a conch shell to present their ideas. This plan also allows them to be able to speak during meetings. Ralph soon then present an idea of having a leader. Jack volunteers to be the leader. “"I ought to be chief," said Jack with simple arrogance, "because I'm chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing C sharp."( Pg. 22). Jack thinks he should have the power because he's always had it. He doesn't have any particular talent for leading. The only thing he has is that he can sing C sharp which is obviously a survival skill. He is just arrogant and confident and that can be good for the group. He is a biggun and feels no doubt that he would not be capable of having the position as the leader.

In the world it seems like leaders are mandatory. Everywhere you go there will always be someone in charge. Realize how these leaders have a greater age than most people or how them seem old enough to know what they are doing. People do not always trust their leader, but if they show any opposition they may end up in trouble. This is quite similar to Lord of the Flies. They chose Ralph to be the “chief” and he was one of the oldest. Even though he was the chosen leader people did not always agree with what he believed in, but they still followed him because he was the most dominant and oldest on the island.

The Constitution is a document that protects our freedom against those with political power.  In Article One of the United States Constitution, it gives congress its powers and limits. It states that “Senators must be at least 30 years old to represent”. Not only do grow up to believe that age provides abilities, this is a forced rule. This shows that age is a requirement when applying for leadership roles. It is just another legalized statement that shows people that age is a significant factor. This is similar to Lord of the Flies because the boys somewhat follow the rule of having the oldest be in charge. Ralph is the oldest on the island and that is one of the main reason why he was chosen to be chief.

In the book, Jack and a few of the littluns did not like what Ralph had to offer to the group. They decided to distant themselves and take control. They began to rebel and taunt the other group. They killed two of the other group’s boys and continued to act inhumane. They sung a vicious song while performing a ferocious ritual. “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” (Pg. 152) The boys are obviously not under control. Having a group consisting of a bunch of littluns resulted in violent activities. When people allow immaturity, and in this case young people, to take charge the result could have dire consequences.

In late April of 2015, riots broke out in the United States. A young man, named Freddie Gray, was allegedly murdered by police officers while in their custody. This resulted in multiple riots in Baltimore, Maryland. Majority of the rioters were young, high school students who left school for a “peaceful” protest. “Initially 75–100 people who appeared to be high school students began throwing bricks and bottles…”. A peaceful protest became an extremely dangerous riot at the hands of young people. These people took over a protest and turning it into something completely opposite than what it was suppose to be. This is just a demonstration of why young people are not the dominant ones in the world.

It somewhat seems amazing the way humans are trained to know their limits when it comes to age. People will think the world is in their hands when they turn 18. They just do not realize that there are restrictions at the ages of 21, 25, 30, and 65. Just because age increases does not mean nobility does too. Not everyone of an older age has the right amount of responsibility. And not everyone of a younger age is irresponsible. Although a lot of people can be categorized into a specific type, there are people cannot be sorted. People are all different, but there are still rules, laws, and restrictions to make sure that serenity is amongst us.

Works Cited

• Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Perigee, 2006

• "U.S. Constitution." LII / Legal Information Institute. Cornell University Law School, n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

• "Older People Are Not the Enemies of the Young – We're in This Together | Letters." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

• Foreman, Tom. "Riots Erupt in Baltimore after Freddie Gray Funeral - The Boston Globe." BostonGlobe.com. Associated Press, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

• Anderson, Ivie. "2015 Baltimore Protests." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

*Singing and dancing* Social Justice 1.2.3. Woo woo!  I wanna be PC. Woo woo!  It’s just the way to be, for me and you. Woo woo!  Awe girl, I love this shooow. It’s the best thing in the frickin world yo. *Whispers* It’s even better than kittens. *Raises right hand* All the truth, nothing but the truth, so help me god it really is. Child, this show is like the internet times 10 plus 11. Watch it! It’s not just awesome, it’s amazingly awesome! This show ain’t got no picks forreal. You really need to watch it. They basically don’t give a fuck. They’ll say and do whatever they want. No lie. The creators got bigger balls than Rick Ross. They’ll come at you no matter what. Yes gurl, they be right at ya situation forreal. The other day they was making fun of Caitlyn Jenner. *Wildly laughing* Exactly, the woman hasn’t even been a woman for a year yet and they already at her neck. But forreal though you got to watch it.

Ha. Stop, you really tried it. It is way, way, waaayyy better than Family Guy. Nothing can compare to this show. It comes on all the time and you barely see reruns.  Every episode is different.*Pause* What you mean how? Because they are different. A baby and a dog don’t go on an adventure every episode. I’m not tryna throw shots though.  I really think you should watch it Terry. *Pause* Because you are my best friend and this show can benefit you. It can benefit all of us! *Begging* This show has been on 18 years and it deserves the attention Terry.

Are you going to watch it? Come on, it’s basically about a group of third graders... I don’t care how old you are. People older than us watch this show. No, a sixteen year old watching a bunch of third graders isn’t weird at all. Shh, just listen dammit. It’s funny because one of them always die. Naw, it’s the same boul. He die like almost every episode and then comes back to life and his friends never remembers it. They was like fuck YOLO, “our characters live a lot”. But wait, shut up I wasn’t done, I gotta tell you more. So there are 4 main characters and one of them hella funny forreal. He disrespectful on a whole new level yo. He be bullying everybody, especially Jews. It’s funny and wrong at the same time. He’s always messing with the other main character who is Jewish. But I don’t feel like explaining it anymore. Can you just watch the show please? Please? I always do things for you Terry. *Pause* Really? Okay, okay, don’t hang up yet. It’s called South Park and it comes on *hangs up* Comedy Central… *rolls eyes* She’s so damn rude.

“Spissific. Speassific. Spas. Ugh, you know what I am trying to say!” I giggled as I yelled. I expressed my irritation with laugher. I hated struggling with “easy” things, especially speech. Talking is the easiest thing anybody could ever do. No skills necessary, just open your mouth and push out a sound. But when it comes to speech everybody expects something more than just a sound.

“No, say it. Slow down and think about what you want to say.” My mom would direct me like a movie. Every time I spoke to my mom she would make sure I knew what I was saying. She would correct me on my grammar and advise me on my slang.

“Spa...” I tried.

“You are concentrating too much on the beginning of the word. SpÉ-cif-ic!” She would say very slow, but enthusiastically. I could not win with her. It seemed like everything had to be perfect with her. I could improve and make everything “perfect” about myself except for my speech.

“SpÉcific.” I made a face of uncertainty. She looked at me as if she wanted me to say it again. “SpÉcific. Specific.” She started to smile. “Thank you.” I whispered to myself. I did not thank her because I was a little frustrated. It was embarrassing, extremely embarrassing. What if I was not with my mom? What if I struggled in front of someone else, like a teacher? Or even worse, like a crush. These type of things would scramble through my head. Banging against my skull and giving me a headache. Awe, how much I hated that feeling. I wanted speech therapy! I always wonder about the kids who took speech in elementary and middle school. And I always wonder why I was not with them. I think I had the “potential” to be in that class, but maybe others did not think I did.

Maybe if I took speech I would feel more confident about words. Maybe if I took speech I would feel more confident about myself! Thinking about it, I can make a list of things that my speech effects. For starters, me not raising my hand in class. I am not afraid to voice my own opinion during a debate. I am afraid of what will come out of my mouth. I always have a lot to say about a topic, but I just keep it in my head. Nicely organized ass if I were to be called on. The words make sense in my head, but once they try to escaped from my mouth, my tongues lassos them back in and twistes them around. Why? Is it my brain or is it my tongue? What should be responsible for this bullshittery? I have no clue.

I try my best to speak, but language has too many factors. “It’s not “yea”, it’s “yes”.” If I had a dollar for every time I was told that, I would be able to afford a medium size Frap from Starbucks and maybe a big chocolate chip cookie. But I do not receive dollars for the corrections of my speech. If it was up to me I would consider my speech to be rather fine than the average. Of course I wish it were better and maybe I do slip up when speaking to adults, but I am only human. I find it hard to speak to adults sometimes. In school you would hear students yelling “Yo Lehmann!” down the hall and you see a smile and a wave in return. Is my principal my best friend? No, he is just a cool adult that cares to have association with his students. Yell the same thing to your boss and I bet they will not be your boss anymore. Adults vary when placed in different communities and environments, and so does speech.

Language is more than a method of communication. It has the ability to make or break someone. I, myself, has been made by language and I too has failed in it.

“Younger people don’t know how to speak. Back in my days…” Venerable people would always voice. I was never interested in their backstories. The past has passed, it is far behind us. There is no reason to talk about it unless we are trying to learn from our mistakes. We should be talking about the future, the place and the time that does not exist yet. Reflecting on the past has no value, benefits or gain for the future. Instead of comparing the past maybe we should be improving the future. Maybe starting with speech.

I am extremely impressed with my You and the World project. To me it seemed like a mini Capstone project. By far this is the best benchmark project I ever had in SLA. I remember when it all started which was in the beginning of the quater. When Ms. Giknis was explaining the benchmark I got really excited. There were so many topics to chose from. Idea after idea ran through my mind and surfaced in my notebook. Bullying and depression were the first few topics that I wanted to choose. That’s until I came up with stereotypes. I thought this topic was great for me because it was not a topic that everyone had already considered. Every time I told someone about my topic they gave me a weird looked and asked more about it.

Grado: 11th

Edad: 17

Estado civil: Solo

Profesión: Estudiante

Leo le encanta su casa. Le gustaria cambiar cosas menores en su casa. Leo tiene muchos cuartos en su casa. Leo tiene 18 o 19 cuartos en su casa, pero quisiera tener menos cuartos. Leo es un hombre de familia. El quiere tener hijos y una esposa.

Diseñado por: Aniya & J’Lynn

In my first Blog Post I introduced my You and the World project. My topic was stereotypes and how they affect youth. I found that stereotypes have the ability to judge a certain group or class of people based of off multiple encounters. When researching my topic I found that stereotypes are issues involving ignorance, racism, and hypocrisy. I was interested in the topic because it wasn’t something that you heard often.

In my second Blog Post I introduced my plan for original research. I decided to make a survey that was school wide. I only wanted responses from students because this project is based on youth. I have gather some incredible information from the survey. I found that 100% of the people that took the survey were aware of stereotypes. I also found that 91.3% of the people that took my survey used stereotypes.

Since the last post, I had a few thoughts about what I wanted to do for the Agent of Change part of the project. My topic is so quirky that every thought I had was not good enough. They had no effect on the purpose of my topic. It took a while for me to come up with a superior idea for my Agent of Change. After a while I just stopped thinking and went to google for some ideas. I had no luck with that either. An idea of a petition came to mind when I was watching an episode of Zoey 101. I decided to create a petition, but a single question got in the way. “A petition for what?” I did not really know what my petition was going to be for. I had to brainstorm a little more. How do you fight the causes of stereotypes? Well if everyone censored what they say it would not be an issue. I remembered a rule from my elementary school. It was for when you wanted to make a joke or say anything not too appropriate. It was called T.H.I.N.K.!

T.H.I.N.K. means to think…

T- is it True?

H- is it Helpful?

I- is it Inspiring?

N- is it Necessary?

K- is it Kind?

By considering these steps not only are people censoring what they say they are also bettering themselves as a person. By signing my petition you are agreeing to T.H.I.N.K. before you speak. After getting the word out about my petition, multiple people asked question about if they could still say what they intended to. I just reply “do what you think is right”. If we all T.H.I.N.K. before we speak the world may become a better (less ignorant) place.

I think that I could have made a better decision on for my Agent of Change. There were only a few choices and I picked the one of best fit. Maybe I could have given a quick presentation about it at TFI like another student did or maybe I should have given a presentation about it during advisory. These thoughts came to mind a little too late. But knowing so much about this topic now, I don’t want to give up on it. I still will be collecting signatures long after this project is over. I am determine to get the word out about stereotypes affecting today’s youth.

Annotated Bibliography

Information I have gathered from my original research indicated that youth are aware of stereotypes and some are bothered by them. When asked “have you ever heard a stereotype?” 100% of people answered “yes”.

For my original research I have conducted a survey. This survey was sent to the 9th and the 11th grade class of SLA. It included a question asking for a personal definition of the word stereotype. More than twenty people took the survey and majority ruled that stereotypes were “false statements that are generalized or expected out of a certain group of people.” Sources from the internet concluded that a stereotype was an “over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people”. I and a few others and definitely agree that these two definitions are pretty similar. The results have also shown that majority of stereotypes witnessed were portrayed in Reality/Public which includes social media. Since my last post, I have also found that 91.3% of the people that took my survey make use of stereotypes.

I think doing a survey was the best choice to do. Doing a survey allowed me to collect a lot of information that helped me understand that majority of youth are aware of stereotypes. Even though 91.3% of people said they make use of stereotypes, 83.4% of people said that they were bothered by them. I believe that people are unaware of their wrong-doing until they are pointed out to them. If you do not want anyone stereotyping you, then you should not stereotype anyone else.

Annotated Bibliography

Have you ever heard someone say a belief and it enables you to respond quickly? Most likely you are responding quickly to the situation because you may have had a similar experience to it before. Stereotypes are generalized beliefs about a particular group or class of people. In my words they are opinionated facts formed from common observations. It seems like all stereotypes are based off opinions referring to a Teen Ink post.

A stereotype has the advantage to judge a certain group or class of people based of off multiple encounters. It has a disadvantage to make people ignore differences between individuals. They allow us to think things about people that may or may not be true; this is called being stereotypical. Most stereotypes tend to reveal a negative impression or message. Positive stereotypes are rare. There is no such thing as a positive stereotype because they are all based judges about a particular group. This is only my opinion. It seems like all issues in the world are formed off of opinions.

I am interested in this topic because it is not a common study. As said in the NY Times stereotypes are issues involving ignorance, racism, and hypocrisy. The main focus here is how stereotypes affect youth. How does one become aware of a stereotype? Do they understand the effects of it? I plan to discover more issues involving this topic. Also, I hope to gather as much information as I can from people willing to share their experiences.

Annotated Bibliography

I am J'Lynn. I like to be called Jay. Pineapple Tupperware is a name that I admire. I was born in 1999. I love animals. I have 3 cats. I feed more outside. If I could have any animal in the world it would be a Tiger. My favorite movies are Shrek and The Spongebob Squarepants Movie. I know every word to those two movies and I can get really annoying when trying to watch them. I am buoyant. I am a happy person. I like to make others happy. I want to make others happy. I like to dance. I think I'm pretty good at it. I love rock music. I love all types of music. I don't actually know what I look for in music. I just hear something nice and want to hear it again. I'm learning to play the electric guitar. I enjoy writing poetry. It helps me to express myself and my emotions. I like to make movies. I want to be a filmmaker when I get older.

I'm a weird person. I just want friends that understand me. Making friends are hard for me because I'm a book and my cover is very influential. People judge me... a lot. I try to change myself, but I shouldn't. People still judge me. I don't know why. I try to stay away from the negativity. I'm not well. I have anxiety, lesser than average. I can be depressed at times. I'm really sick, but I'm safe. People are what make me sick. They are contagious. I dislike a few things. I only hate one thing, bullies. I never hated myself. I try to make a difference in the world. "Be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi. That is a quote that I memorized for a number of years now. It's my inspiration. My question is, how do you become that change if the world is persistent in changes? 

I am an introvert. I am different than others. I don't want to be normal. I believe that I have a  unique intellectual gift. Nothing supernatural, no sorcery or voodoo. I can see the potential in others. I believe that crying is a cycle. Crying is not an emotion. Emotions are what generates tears. Tears are my weakness. My weakness brings me shame. Shame makes me self conscience and this creates tears. But I am strong. I was voted most caring for my 8th grade yearbook. I am a counselor with psychological problems of my own. I'm only 15. I think I've said enough.

Somos Alexa, Eleanor, y J’Lynn. Eleanor y Alexa no nada (no tienen) falso nombres. J’Lynn falso nombre es Pineapple. Somos viva en Filadelfia. Eleanor tiene 14 años. Alexa tiene es 14 años también. J’Lynn tiene 15 años. Somos estudiantes de Science Leadership Academy. Está en Filadelfia. Está cerca de Franklin Institute. SLA es muy divertido y fantástica. Somos trabajamos duro. SLA es tranquilo y extraño también. Hay 5 pisos y casi 500 estudiantes. No tenemos un cuatro piso. Tenemos muchos deportes y grupos. Ofrecemos Ultimate Frisbee, basketball, fútbol, robotics, 4th Floor Magazine y música. Alexa participo en música. Alexa le encanta cantar. J’Lynn no puedo cantar, pero ella le gusta. Eleanor le gusta dibujar, y surfear la red. Ella participó en CIC, y arte club.

Tenemos clases de historia, matemáticas, inglés, español, y bioquímica. Nuestro clases favoritos es inglés, teatro, y español. Los clases es divertidas. En la clase de inglés, necesitamos libros, unos lápices, y nuestra computadoras. Para tener éxito necesitamos tomamos apuntes, y participamos activamente. Nosotros leemos, y platicamos sobre libros. En la clase de teatro, para tener éxito, necesitamos trabajamos duro. Es no materiales que necesitas. Nosotros actuamos. En la clase  de español, hablamos español, cantamos, y tomamos pruebas. Para tener éxito, necesitamos hacemos todo la tarea.

Señorita Manuel enseña Español.  Español es más o menos difícil pero es divertida al mismo tiempo. Tenemos trabajador duro.  Ella es energético. Señorita Giknis enseña inglés.  Inglés es mucho indiferente.  Señorita Giknis hace mucho divertida, interesante, y muy cómica.  Señor Kay enseña teatro y Inglés.  Es difícil es sacar buenas notas en Señor Kay Inglés classa.  El es mucho cómico.

SLA es mucho interesante, algo extraño, y tremendamente divertida. Nos encanta ir a el The Franklin Institute. Es chévere y especial. Es casi siempre entretenido, pero es aburrido a veces. Lo que más nos gusta de SLA es platicamos, y pasamos un rato con amigos.

Yo

¡Hola, soy J’Lynn!

Tengo quince años. Asisto a Science Leadership Academy. Soy de Filadelfia. Mi cumpleaños es veintiocho de septiembre.

El

Su nombre es Ijustice. Tiene el pelo rojo y los ojos verdes. El tiene súper alto y algo cómico. El tiene una mezcla de razas.

Ella

Su nombre es Madison. Ella es deportisa. Ella le gusta practicar deportes. Madison es comica.

Ellos

Estos son mis amigos. Ellos son Laith y Ijustice. Ellos son muy cómicos.

Laith es palestino. Ijustice es desconocido. (jajaja)

Ellas

Ellas son Sam y Java. ¡Sam es un poco loca! ¡Java es bien hermosa!

Ellas son súper cómicas y serias.

Nosotros

Nosotros somos Conor, Madison, Mekhi, Ijustice, y me.  Somos uno grande feliz grupo. Conor es muy molesto. Madison es enérgica. Ijustice es algo extraño.

Outtro

¡Gracias por tu atención!

Why is Net Neutrality important for teens to know about? Net Neutrality is important for teens to know about because it teaches teens the basics of the internet. It teaches them more than what they know or what they think they know. Without net neutrality the internet would basically be a mess. Net neutrality is our internet’s “savior”.

Net neutrality controls ISPs. ISPs are middle mans and without net neutrality they wouldn't be fair and equitable. An ISP is a middle man because it receives the interweb, and then sells it at high prices to the consumers. It also limits the speed and access. You have to pay more money to get faster speeds, and access to more websites.

Also, without net neutrality, ISPs would be able to create new plans to charge customers more for access and services. This affects us because it would be harder for us to interact online. The internet can become similar to the cable television. Gatekeepers control what we can and get to watch. This unproductive use of the internet may destroy its quality.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/net-neutrality_n_4597831.html

http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/11/15/inside-the-net-neutrality-dispute-and-why-its-important-to-apple-users

https://openmedia.ca/saveournet/faq

In this slide, I've included a visual image that appears to be writing the title of my slide. The image bleeds off the side of my slide. The colors in this slide are pretty simple. There are only three different colors included in my slide. They complement one another. The concept of this project is basically summed up in this one slide. By looking at this slide people can see that it is about “Me, Myself, and I” and by looking at the images at the bottom of the slide they can see the activities I enjoy doing.

Hola, me llamo J'Lynn Matthews. Tengo 15 años. Soy de west filadelfia pero vivo en southwest.

Soy algo cómica y muy inteligente. Me gusta andar en patineta y ver la tele. Me encanta comer, cantar/ escuchar música, y dormir. Soy algo perezosa.