Jessica's Project

Nicole's Project

Hector's Project

Adriana's Project

Chantal's Project

Samson's Unit Three

Grace's Project

My life is really happy

I believe in the fact that my life has been the best its ever been.

Since coming to college there have been times where I wanted nothing more then to be alone and just have a negetive idea to everything and everyone. I thought that things were just really hard and I only had a good time on occasion. I felt that life here would be just as tideous as life back home tends to be at times. When I started to balance the new things that college was bring into my life I began to try to figure it all out. I would look at people here who had jobs, friends, and awesome talents in arts and education and they're only freshman. I wanted to be like those freshman that attend Columbia, but I didn't know anyone who were like that, and who would want be my friend.

I think about that time back then when that idea was almost the center of my life here at Columbia. Then over time things changed, college life was going the way that I wanted. I meet people here who have those wonderful qualites mention before and became my close friend that I never want to let go of. I believe that my life is happy mostly because of these close friends acting like close friends to me always. Its very hard for me to be away from my friends here. I feel that when they aren't around or when even one is missing, it becomes hard for us all to really enjoy time together to the highest degree.

I see that my friends helped me enjoy Columbia and making me not ever want to leave this school. There have been so many things that I have done while being at Columbia, and Chicago in general. I was able to these things without being alone.

Hector's Post

This I Believe…

This I believe that dodge ball is the savior to my soul. It captures moments, makes ridiculous memories, and makes grown men feel like grown men. Sweat and tears are poured out to clarify who is better at throwing balls at people. Long months are put to hard to work out to build the strength and strategy to win the next tournament. Nothing beats watching grown men letting their anger out by throwing foam-cushioned balls at little boys that are half their age.

I believe that a Decade of Dominance isn’t fulfilled till the Queens or Team Radd come back for one final tournament in summer of 09’. I also believe that Western Springs isn’t the same as you get older. I believe that the people that always show up to play, are always going to be originals but never O-G’s and that the Western Spring dodge ball generations will only keep building and branching off, and that the legacy it has will never fade. I also believe that Paul’s pizza after tournaments will still be the tradition to follow after winning first second or third place.

I strongly believe that dodge ball brings out the best of people, even if they are a person that has always been quite or shy around new surroundings or even beings, new groups or just even playing for the first time. College frat boys with their bellies full of hanging out, wear the same attire and think of clever perverted team names will always be part of the game that will always annoy me, even when I’m done playing 10 years from now. I believe that dodge ball has kept me energized and in shape, even when I wasn’t but thought I was. This I believe is the blame for my arm being the way it is. That in about 2 more months, I will have officially thrown out my arm and have wasted all the talent that could have been used for playing baseball. Although, I do believe that at one point in my life, it has helped me maintain a strong arm and also gain superb control of my throwing ability.

I believe that dodge ball has made me the person that I am today. If it weren’t for dodge ball, I wouldn’t have been as open minded and free-spirit as I am today. I wouldn’t be as care free as I today, and that the blood sweat and… sweat shed for this dorky was all worth it, and that no matter what, the friends that I have made have become a second family to me and we’ll always be that way.

Zander's Post

"I believe all our pets should be spayed or neutered."

For the past 3 years I’ve been volunteering at the humane society in my hometown. It began when my mother joined the board of directors and then won the position of president of the board. I’ve spent countless hours working with the organization to create videos and help with research for their newsletters and articles. I decided I would compile some of the information I’ve gathered into a short thesis.

It’s estimated that 4 to 6 million cats and dogs are euthanized every year in the United States. Every minute 7 cats or dogs are euthanized because of a lack of homes. There is one major reason for this: each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born while only 10,000 humans are born. That creates a large gap in the pets to humans ratio. All the animals without homes can end up becoming stray, feral, or stuck in a pound or animal shelter. Those that are unlucky enough to be placed in a typical “kill shelter,” the type that will euthanize an animal after a short period of time, will be euthanized if they are not adopted or claimed.

Spaying or neutering your pet has many benefits to the animal itself. Both males and females will have a longer, healthier life. Spay USA says, “altering your canine friend will increase his life an average of 1 to 3 years, felines, 3 to 5 years.” Males are less likely to get prostrate cancer and will not develop testicular cancer. In females, it eliminates the chance of uterine or ovarian cancer and reduces the possibility of breast cancer. Neutered animals are also less likely to roam free and fight with other animals. Spay USA also says, “Sterilizing your cat/dog makes him/her a better pet, reducing his/her urge to roam and decreasing the risk of contracting diseases or getting hurt as they roam. Surveys indicate that as many as 85% of dogs hit by cars are unaltered. Intact male cats living outside have been shown to live on average less than two years. Feline Immunodeficiency Syndrome is spread by bites and intact cats fight a great deal more than altered cats.”

Along with the benefits to your cat or dog, the pet owner will be rewarded. Spayed and neutered pets are more affectionate, loving friends. They also are less likely to spray and mark territory. Some may continue to spray or mark, however, the incredibly foul smell will be eliminated. Spaying females will eliminate their heat cycle. They will not attract unwanted male dogs, have nervous/shy behavior or cry excessively. Unaltered animals tend to be more hostile, they may act out, be more aggressive, and even bite. Neutered males are far less likely to stray away from home.

The surgical procedure to alter a cat or dog is relatively inexpensive, safe for the animal and will create a “better pet”. On a much larger scale it is the first and most powerful step in taming the overpopulation of cats and dogs in America today.

I Believe In Bacon

I know what you’re thinking. Bacon? Seriously? But yes! I have a dangerous obsession with this sodium loaded love of mine. In the morning it’s bacon and eggs, in the afternoon it’s BLT’s, in the evening it’s bacon pizza. I’ll be the first to admit that not only is this addiction extremely unhealthy; it’s also very carnivorous. But I just can’t help myself! Now don’t get offended vegetarians, I am not what you would call a meatatarian, it’s more of a love affair that I have with these thick strips of heaven. I could without a doubt do away with steak and pork chops indefinitely if I chose.

There’s something comforting about the sound of the sizzle when bacon is frying on the stove. The smell is enough to make me weak in the knees. Even the sight of bacon excites me. Instantly my mouth starts salivating at the beauty of those squiggly red and white objects of my affection. It really is the most delicious single thing I have ever consumed. Just think about it, what else is so scrumptious all by itself? Sure, pasta dishes and cereal are great, but they all have partners that make them so tasty. Bacon is completely divine all by it’s lonesome. It has the power of satisfying every taste bud on my tongue while leaving a mouthwatering aftertaste that urges me to eat more.

I believe bacon is at it’s best when it’s very flat and crunchy, don’t give me those soggy greasy strips! Bacon sends a rush of delight all through my body with that first bite. I can’t ever get enough, and it’s not just me! There are millions of people out there with the same infatuation for bacon. There’s even an entire cookbook dedicated to this amazing food! Sometimes I do think about the obvious.. I am eating a little piggy and pigs are inconsiderably cute, but it’s not enough. The insatiable taste of the bacon outweighs the cuteness of these piglets. I may sound disgusting, rude or even heartless but like I said, I just can’t help myself, it’s an addiction. Not eating this delectable food anymore would really cause some major withdrawals, and I need to think about my overall well being right?

I Believe In Autism

Now, I can probably guess at what your first reaction the title "I Believe In Autism", was. Your reaction was probably one of shock and, judging by the demographic who'll read this, one of laughter. I assure you, I state this belief in a way that is completely genuine and far from ignorant.
I live in a family of seven people. I have three brothers and a sister, two of which of my younger brothers, as well as my younger sister, are triplets. I also have an older brother, Collins, who has "severe and profound" autism. Thing is, I don't think I can meet anyone else in my lifetime, who can teach as much about life as Collins. He is not only my brother, he is also my best friend.
There are many aspects of Collins' life that are quite beautiful. He has an incredible passion for trains and maps and things of that sort. He loves nothing more than to go down to the train station and wait for Amtrak to roll through, especially when I'm home because then he gets to go down to the station with me. Collins also loves to cook, which he does on his own youtube cooking show, "Cookin' With Collins". I think we can figure out that his favorite part of the show is when he gets to eat his creations.
It's this absolute sort of innocence that I am fascinated by, and somewhat envious of. Granted, no one wishes to be mentally challenged, but they do wish for innocence to be back into their lives. Wouldn't you like to experience Santa being a reality for your entire life? There won't be a time where Collins doesn't believe in the big guy in the red suit. Also, wouldn't you like to strike a conversation with a stranger, skipping the small talk, almost as if you'd know them your whole life? I'd like to experience that, and genuinely meaning it. There are many beautiful things about Collins' life, and many life lessons to be learned.

Breakfast.

Recently in an attempt to be more healthy I decided to change a few of my eating habits. Before, I would never eat any form of breakfast, and I would usually end up eating all through the night or right before I went to bed. When I started eating breakfast I noticed many changes. The change in diet also came with new found energy. I was waking up earlier and feeling more awake the entire day. I truly was surprised as to how much one bowl of cereal affected my day. I noticed the changed and i liked it. Then I deepened the adjustment a little more. Rather than just switching to cereal I starting eating a balanced breakfast. As expected it gave me even more energy. I believe that breakfast in the morning is a necessity for the active student. Growing up every one says that breakfast is the most important meal. Why did I choose to ignore this? Perhaps not eating breakfast was a way to defy my parents as a kid and the habit just stuck. Regardless of the reasoning I am thankful to be eating a good meal everyday. Currently I am adding on a new phase to my eating intervention. No longer am I eating anything after seven in the evening. This is much harder than simply adding a meal a day as breakfast was. However I have realized how much or society eats just because it is habit and not hunger or health related. Rarely am I actually hungry after seven but I crave the simple fixation of eating food. Eating breakfast also helps to offset late night bingeing. I've discovered the joy o that accompanies a good meal in the morning and will continue to eat a great breakfast everyday. I believe in the power of food both negative and positive and this change has helped me to better appreciate and understand its greatness. I believe in eating breakfast. 

Security Guard Documentary!

SO I really tried to figure out how to get Joe Adriana and I's unit two project on the blog, but I don't know what to do. So as a refresher we did a audio doc that included interviews from students, RAs and security guards. The topics were how each group is perceived by the other and when and where the groups collide. 

-Samson

This I Believe!

There are so many things that I believe in, the first thing that came to mind was dance, but dance is so typical of me since I am a dance major. I want to go outside the box and let others learn about the non-typical things that I believe in. With that said; I believe in Forgiveness. Forgiveness can open a lot of doors in your life that you might not think are willing to open. Forgiveness can lead to success. I believe that when you hold grudges you stay in the past you don’t allow yourself to push forward. You are dwelling on heart ache. Grudges can also become stressful. You continuously think about that person and anger builds up. When you learn to forgive you let go of what happen in the past and you look forward into what may come in the future. Forgiveness can release the negative thoughts that you hold in your mind. Many people have insecurity’s; this insecurity may come from what others have said negatively about you. When you forgive as well as letting that comment go you release your insecurity and branch out. The mind is a powerful weapon and can reflect your outcomes in life. I suppose that if you think negative your outcomes in life will be negative as well.
I have a good friend that I didn’t talk to for about 6 months. This was very awkward because I would talk to her everyday. Good friends are hard to find and losing a good one is horrible. Well I went along and listened to the “he say she says” and stopped talking to her. Her actions as a friend weren’t friendly like neither. Well one day I woke up and thought to myself, I am too old to be hold grudges, I miss my friend. I picked up the phone to call her and found out that the whole story was wrong. It was just a misunderstanding. If I didn’t believe in forgiveness I would still be holding that grudge and missing out on my good friend. I believe that forgiveness can bring love to others. Forgiveness can help decrease the amount of violence in this world. When I forgive someone I feel better about myself. We are not perfect people. I think that we need to let that sink in, we are not perfect people. We hold other people up to these high standards that we can’t even meet. We have to understand who we are and understand that we have to forgive.

Community Video Documentary

This is our "video" post for the Unit 2 imagining communities. Our video documentary was about how Africans conform to a certain community. The location was the Wilson stop off the Red line. This was a diverse town filled with Africans from Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leona. Every African owned a store and it seemed like that was their dream when they came to America. The movie showcased five scenes. The first scene showcased the three of us talking on the corner of Wilson and Broadway. The second scene showcased Chantal' interviewing a young man in an African video store. The third scene showed Nicole interviewing a man in an African restaurant. The fourth scene showed Dereon interviewing an African barber. The last scene showed the African man eating his "yummy" food and telling the viewers what it was.

I Believe in Cuddling

I believe in cuddling. That awesome power that the simple act of throwing your arms around someone can do. I believe in the warmth and the love that generates when you lay down next to someone you care about and letting your personal space vanish. Feet and hands and legs and arms intertwined, with bodies fitting together like perfect pieces of a puzzle. And in this tangled web of limbs there is no discomfort. There is no such thing as too close or going too far. I believe in the things cuddling can achieve. There have been times in everyone’s lives where they are inconsolable. They are heaving, shrieking, and hyperventilating wrecks. Yet somehow, a mother’s embrace or a lover’s arms wrapped snugly around their body and suddenly things start to get calmer. Breath becomes regular and tears stop flowing after so long and an overwhelming feeling of safety and relief washes over them. Cuddling can drastically change someone’s mood, no matter how impossibly upset they are.
Cuddling makes you invincible. I know from time to time I think about death, and the irrelevancy of human life. I dwell on how vast the universe is and how the time that Earth has been around is nothing but an atom of a freckle on the face of time. And even smaller than that is the length of my life. I mean nothing to the rest of the world and probably never will. And one day I will die and I will be cold and alone in a casket. Eventually people will forget about me and it will be like I never even happened. Even worse than this situation is that there is nothing I can do to stop it. When I think about this, a terrible emptiness hollows me out. And I am terrified. It has occurred more than once that when I think about this and that black icy emptiness creeps up inside of me, I have to sit down. I crumple into a ball and throw my arms around myself, desperately hoping that the closeness will erase any feeling in my heart that I am meaningless. It never works. But sometimes, I find myself in the arms of someone I love. And suddenly, the universe doesn’t matter. The galaxy and the solar system and the planet and the countries and my country’s problems and the city and stress and weather and homework and drama and everything else around me dissolve. And I and the one I love are the only things left in the world. Our embrace is steeped in meaning. Every squeeze writes volumes of history. Every caress moves mountains. My heart swells because I feel so important. In the loveliest way, I exist and I mean something so much to at least one person that they are willing to spend hours with me, just wrapped around me. Because of this, I believe in cuddling

I believe in Friendships by Adriana Mendez

I think friendships are important. Everybody needs to have some kind of social life. I am a very sociable person, and I love to be surrounded by people all the time. I think being alone is the worse thing in the world. I realized that I can not be alone for more than 24 hours because I get kind of lonely. You already know I am not from this country, and all of my family and friends are miles away from me in Venezuela. That is where I grew up and where I have most of my good friends. It was after I got here that I realized who my real friends are. I think I am a special person that just loves to be nice to people and be myself, no matter what. Friends, for me, are people that I can trust. This is why I always treat them with respect and this is how I want them to treat me. However, I don’t tolerate hypocrisy. That is the worse thing that can happen in a friendship, and it is also one of the most common reasons they come to an end. I do have really good friends that I can trust in and that made me a better person. Some of them I have known since I was young and others not as long, but this doesn’t really matter. What counts, is the experiences you can have with them. The good and bad memories are always nice to have. In the end, that is how you learn to grow and to be a better person in life. For example my sister is one of my best friends; she is more than that she is my role model. Her name is Daniela and she is always being there for me. When I got in trouble for doing silly stuffs she help me so my parents would not ground me. Daniela is very special for I respect her and I feel she thinks the same way I do. I am her little sister so she has to protect me. After all that is what friends do. This is why I believe in friendships.

The Weed Smoking Community of Columbia (unseen fotage)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ARSPjLiyhg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4KvZYDD-lw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbbb6_ns5yo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fcvv2G9mOi4

This I Believe

For this post please update your This I Believe essay. Check out their website here. It has writing tips and many examples.

This essay must be at least 400 words and you also must comment on one other blog.

DUE Wednesday April 8th.

p.s. I want every group to have some representation of their documentary on the blog so we can vote for which one we want to represent our class at Millefest! Please vote!

It looks like Jessica was voted in for Unit 1! Congratulations!

Lets Document!

Here is the link to our documentary, YouTube only lets you upload 10 minute videos for some odd reason so that's what I had to cut it down to!

Chicago Hip-Hop Artists

By Harter, Jessica, and Ashlee

BLAMO!

Blamo!

fangirls and fanboys breaking the geek mold.



Name: Marcus
Employment: Graham Cracker Comics

How long have you liked comics?
This is just a trick to make me feel old huh? I’d say maybe 14 years

How big is your collection?
I’d say right around nine long boxes.

What is your favorite comic book?
All time favorite comic book ever? My all time favorite comic book ever is Justice League of America volume 3 issue 10. It’s really random and it had nothing to do with the rest of the series, but it was the issue where it was painted inside, and the entire story took place in like, ten feet of space. The whole plotline is like, “hey we’re trapped under this building that is like, underwater.” And the writing was so good that even though the scenery doesn’t change, you felt so much emotional connection to the art and the writing. It was like the perfect story.

What superhero can you most identify with?
I’d say either the Green Lantern or Dr. Strange. Green Lantern, John Stewart, he’s always trying to make a name for himself and not be compared to all the other green lanterns. Like, his whole struggle is, there are four other green lanterns. And he’s just a fallback guy. And he always has to overcome things and always be a little better than the rest. And that’s why I like him. I like Dr. strange just because, well it’s the overcoming thing also. He literally had his hands destroyed in an accident. And forced himself to learn magic in order to continue to help people. Dr. strange was a surgeon and obviously he can’t do surgery after losing his hands so after that he went on to be this superhero and became a huge part of the marvel universe

Ok, now these questions get kind of personal….do you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend?
No. Not right now

Do you find that comic book love gets in the way of finding someone to date?
No. not at all. And I think anyone who would find comic books a turn off, they’re not worth my time anyway. I don’t like you as a person now.

Do you have a superhero costume? Do you ever dress up?
No, not my thing. I’m not really into that

Have you ever been to comic con?
No, but I am going this year.

What would you say is your geekiest comic book moment ever?
Actually I think it was when I was hanging out with that guy (he points to another man in the shop) we went to a party and someone, I have a tattoo of the green lantern, and I can’t remember how the Green Lantern came up, but we were like, “wait you don’t know the Green Lantern?” and then we legitimately drunkenly recited the entire Green Lantern oath and everyone at the party that didn’t join in just all turned around like, whoooooa.

Alright, any last comments?
I would say, don’t get into comics if you just want to collect. We’re kind of a purist group. We’re not into buying comics just because you think it’s going to be worth money. You should actually appreciate them.




Name: Sam
Employment: Graham Cracker Comics

How long have you been into comics?
For a very long time. I used to steal my older brother’s comics. So I guess I was pretty young. I remember the first time I raided his comic books, I think I was in like, the second grade, so I was like 7 or 8.

What’s your favorite comic book?
Comic series? Oh my god, I’m too indecisive to ever pick. Currently, the first thing I would say would be Fables. That’s definitely one of my favorites. If I could look back and decide what single comic book had a huge impact on me, it was Demo by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan. I love the style of writing and how it was this collection of short stories based off of this one idea.

How big is your collection?
Not very big. Just because where I came from there is absolutely no comic book stores. The only kind of comic book store you could go to was a borders and that was at least an hour and a half away.

What comic book character can you most identify with?
I’m such a newbie at this. I always go towards the bigger characters. I’m very drawn to superman. Just because he is like the Boy Scout and no one really goes into depth about how much pressure is put on him. There are so many expectations with this one character. And I always go back to the question of; he isn’t a human so why is he helping us?

Do you have a boyfriend?
No, not at the moment, no.

Has Liking Comics ever been a problem with getting dates?
No. it’s actually kind of funny, if I bring up that I work at a comic book store or I read comics, guys kind of gravitate towards that. So yeah it’s never been an issue.

Do you have a costume? Do you ever dress up?
I’ve dressed up once. There was this tiny titans day at my friend’s comic store, she owns the place. And I dressed up as Raven. Although I do have plans to dress up this year for free comic book day as White Violin from The Umbrella Academy.

Have you ever been to comic con?
No. I really want to go. But it’s a money issue.

Do you have any comic book tattoos?
No. I really want to get a Batgirl one though.

What’s your Geekiest comic nerd moment?
Ok, I have this friend, who, we’re both extremely nerdy. And we were both hanging out really late at night. I was wearing a star wars t-shirt, he was wearing a marvel t-shirt, our whole conversation for about three hours was the difference between Marvel and DC. And then we made out.

Any last parting comments on geekiness and comic books?
Well, I can answer questions too! Why do people always think just because I’m a chick I don’t know about comics. And I hate the question, “Do you actually read comic books or do you just work here?”



Name: Kaitlin
Employment: Chicago Comics

How long have you been into comic books?
Probably since I was eight. Somewhere around there

How big is your collection?
Pretty small right now because I sold a bunch of it but I probably have 7 or 8 long boxes.

What is your favorite comic book?
Oh, that’s tough. Currently running, my favorite comic book is Walking Dead. For all time, I guess I’ll have to say The Max. Just because it was very influential on my desire to make art. As far as comic book art goes.

Do you write comics?
I’ve written one. It’s called The Magical Quest.

Is it published?
It’s published. I’ve sold out of the first run though.

Which comic book character can you most identify with?
Personally, I guess, Batman has always been one of my favorite characters. And although my parents didn’t get gunned down in the street, like I can identify with him, which is kind of weird. I guess it’s because he’s always fighting against crazies and sort of is trapped in crazy-people-land where he himself is also kind of demented, and he is always trying to achieve this unattainable balance of goodness and justice in the world.

Do you have a boyfriend?
I have a boyfriend.

Is he into comics too?
He is into comics, yes.

Has liking comics ever gotten in the way of getting dates?
Oh no. I’ve never had a problem getting dates because of comics. It’s probably a plus for me to like comics to get dates. And all of the people I’ve dated that haven’t liked comics, it got really boring after a while because they couldn’t identify with a huge part of my lifestyle.

Do you ever dress up? Do you have any costumes?
I really am trying to work for a Han Solo costume. I had one before but the buttons were wrong so I’m still trying to put together a better one.

Have you ever been to comic con?
Yes, I dressed up there too.

Do you have any comic book tattoos?
No. I’ve wanted to get the comic code logo or maybe Berserk, but I don’t have one yet

What is your geekiest moment?
I’m not sure if it is my most geeky moment but it’s the most recent, I think. There was this comic book cover with a bunch of characters on it and a friend of mine pointed to this raccoon asking who it was and I knew it was Rocket Raccoon. Like he’s such an obscure character and I knew who he was!

Do you have any parting words on geekiness and comic books?
I think everyone who is into super hero comics should read indie and everyone who is into indie books should read super hero comics. We all need to coincide and get a long, and there’s an unfortunate split in the comic book community.



How long have you liked comic books?
Since I was a kid, I have been reading them. Going on road trips I would read comics. I think since I was 6.

How expansive is your collection?
It’s up there. I like the rare and limited edition comic books and art books.

Do you have a girlfriend?
I actually have a wife. Yes I know its breaking the geek stereotype but I have been with her for quite a while. We enjoy reading books together.

Do you ever dress up? Have you ever been to comic con?
Yes I did. When I was younger I would go to comic con. It is very different from the recent comic cons that are celebrated today. We dressed creepier and now it’s more family related.

Do you have any tattoos?
Yes but they are more art related than comics.

What is the geekiest moment you can think of?
When I would download secret books and comics from the internet I would realize what I was doing after I did it. I felt like such a nerd but I enjoyed it.

by Grace Gimpel and Pablo Ponce

Children are only "children" for a short time

I'm glad this topic was chosen for this weeks blogpost because just recently I have been thinking a lot about helping children, I've been looking into many different programs that outreach to children in under-privledged communities. I came across one called "Chicago Youth Centers."

Chicago Youth Centers is a program that has set up different centers in neighborhoods like North Lawndale, Humboldt Park, South Shore, Bronzeville, etc. CYC offers programs for children from the ages of 3-18. Their programs help children realize their full potential and tries to keep kids from "street life." Some of the programs consist of early-childhood development, after-school programs, teen leadership development, and college and career readiness. CYC also offers classes for parents to come in to learn more parenting skills. They hold special events for the children, teach and play with children, and basically mentor children through what can be a stressful life in Chicago.

I think this is a great program because when one is young, it is a time that can completely mold the rest of their lives. If affected negatively, this could stay with the child and influence their life greatly when they become older. If they are around positive situations, positive people, and positive environments, they are more likely to live a positive life. I have a passion for children and I think this is a great organization for kids in Chicago. This program is great because it offers certain programs for each age. Every program is shaped specifically for the child. I also like how it offers all-day programs. However, one thing I would change is to possibly offer an over-night program. A lot of times children are stuck at home by themselves at night which is not always the best situation for a young child. If parents could maybe take their child in and give a valid reason as to why the child can't be cared for, I believe it would be great to give the children a safe place for the evening. 

Hands For A Paw

For the past year I have really been involved in possibly volunteering at an animal shelter, and while doing some research for this blog post, I found one I really want to volunteer at. PAWS Chicago is a no kill animal shelter, and they believe that just because an animal is homeless does not mean that it has to be killed. I strongly believe in that as well, no animal should be killed because they have no where to stay, what if that same belief was applied to humans, things would get out of control. PAWS Chicago takes in about 3000 homeless animals a year. Think about it- 3000 of those innocent animals could be killed because they were living on the streets. PAWS opened in 1997, and since the day it opened, over half of animal shelter killings have gone down. That is a huge jump in statistics in the past 12 years. Another wonderful thing this shelter does is help out low-income families by spaying and neutering their pets to stop animal overpopulation, which leads to animals with no homes.

I think everything this shelter does is wonderful. They shelter both cats and dogs. They also have an educational program to inform the next generation on how they can help out and volunteer. I would not change anything. This shelter is very public oriented, very appealing and very loving. If I were to get another animal, my first stop would be their adoption center.

International Sculpture Program (ISP)

The ISP was created to bring culture and beauty to the city of Chicago as well as providing a "gateway" into Chicago by placing sculptures along side the popular highway's. By installing these structures on the roadway's, the ISP has proven that Chicago is a place where culture, art, and entertainment make up a large part of our community. There's so many people who make this city bad, by littering, vandalism, and so forth and I think having an organization such as the ISP is very refreshing to know that there are people who live in Chicago who's main focus is to beautify this glorious city. I don't think I would change anything about this organization if I had the power to, I think it's a great idea. I do think that they should install more sculptures if money allows them to because I think the more the better when it comes to public sculptures. I mean take a look at the "Bean" at Millennium Park, the lions in front of the Art Institute, and the "flamingo" in front of the Dirkson Federal Plaza and the effect they have on the city. They're memorable and continue to amaze all tourists that explore Chicago.

Family Rescue

Currently I am in a Writing and Rhetoric II Service learning class with a focus on domestic violence. I have learned a lot of information about shelters and hotlines for victims of domestic violence. One community program that we learned about is called Family Rescue. Family Rescue is a free shelter to take on women who have made the step of leaving a violent situation. The facility does not house men. However, what makes is different than most shelters is that is does allow both moms and their sons to stay. The victims are allowed to stay for four months before they move to transitional housing. One of the best qualities of the transitional housing is that the women will pay rent but only what they can afford. They are required to pay 30 percent of whatever their income so some women end up only paying 50 dollars for a 3 bedroom apartment. They can stay here for two years or more if necessary. The survivors of domestic violence are no doubt an a dark community, but it's a community that exists and to often ignored. The program Family Rescue helps acknowledge the trails of abuse with out dwelling on it. Those associated with the community of violence can benefit from family rescue and avoid a deadly situation. 

CSO music-outreach

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is beginning a series of new programs to integrate its existing music education sponsorship with outreach programs. There immediate objective is to make the general public more aware of the full extent of the orchestra’s education and outreach services to the greater Chicago area. Eighteen such programs are now in operation at the CSO, serving infants to adults.The long-term mission is to increase opportunities for area young people to participate in a broad range of musical learning and training activities. Another part involves creating new connections between the orchestra and public and community music schools while strengthening existing relationships. The programs will have their own budget of between $3 million and $3.5 million. According to CSO Association President Deborah F. Rutter, “I want the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to be viewed even more in our community as a resource for music in all kinds of forms,” she says. “We have the capacity to do things that put us in a great position to make a difference in people’s lives. This is an opportunity for us to use the platform of the CSO, and all it represents, as a beacon to shine on the great resources that exist musically and educationally in the Chicago area, and to work more closely on them."

Specifically the new programs are:

•Orchestra Explorers. A learning program for ages 5-8 that will provide materials at no cost to every Chicago public school kindergarten through 3rd-grade classrooms, totaling about 3,500 classrooms and an estimated 75,000 participants annually. A pilot phase will begin next month; the full program is scheduled to be launched in fall 2009.

•Dream Out Loud. The music advocacy campaign offers a variety of resources created especially for elementary through high school music students ages 9-17. The campaign is expected to have some 30,000 participants.

•Chicago Young Musician Initiative. The program is geared toward giving students ages 10-25 greater access to musical training. An April residency by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela will kick off a series of biannual music festivals at Symphony Center and across the area. About 50,000 are expected to participate.

I think that these new programs have huge potential to impact the chicago community. I'm an advocate of any program that works to get music and the arts more face-time in schools and in children's lives. Music has been an amazing creative outlet for me. With music you can develop a hobby and a life skill set. If you study music and find a niche when your young, you will always have that creative outlet to turn to. My parents never fully endorsed my own music lessons, and in school our facilities always seem to be lackluster at best. Because these programs haven't been completely enacted yet I'm not really in a position to critique them. However, from the perspective of someone who has seen the limits of an underfunded arts program, and had parents who were less than willing to back their child's musical aspirations, I can say that I am very excited for the children and all those who stand to benefit from these new initiatives.--yay for music!--yay for them!

The Autism Program

The Autism Program (TAP) was created to provide training to parents with Austism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The program was also established as a way of addressing the complex processes of diagnosis, treatment and research for thousands of children across the state of Illinois. TAP emphasizes that these complex processes must be carried out early on in the child's developmental stages, so as to prepare parents for the responsibilities ahead of them, especially as it pertains to raising their special needs child in a community. The program is an affiliate of the Early Childhood Intervention Clearinghouse, a program designed to connect over 2000 resources that are involved in the care of children with ASD. The Autism Program is in contact with many resources thanks to ECIC, and therefore has a large community base.
I am a huge advocate of programs like TAP, as I am the sibling of a special needs child. Something I would change about TAP is the spectrum of children they cater to. They specialize is children with Austism, and I would open up the program to other forms of special needs. This would, of course, take a large network of resources, but would be worth every cent to create the larger program.

A program that works!

I chose the Title XX program. It is a Chicago Area Program that helps youth develop a positive attitude towards education and skill development. This program wants to help set a path for youth in the future. They learn to handle the adult world and the broader community. It is directed toward the ages of 7 through 17, these are the most critical stages of growth. They focus on youth who, without constructive activities and community support, are likely to enter into delinquent activities and risk being caught in the juvenile justice system. This program has helped over 32,000 youth since 1979.The settings for these programs are in the communities with the highest rates of juvenile delinquency in the Chicagoland Area. The program provides safe places where caring, dedicated adults believe in helping to shape the future and the youth and the community in which they live. Title XX activities address the changing needs of youth and focus on education, counseling, culture, sports, workshops, field trips, and recreation.

This is a very dedicated program toward youth. It gives them something to look forward to. It makes them think positive and not to think about all the negative situations that life can bring. You can get distraction by numerous situations and this program will give you the focus you need. I also like that they have counseling to the youth and to their family. They want to reach out and help everyone near the surroundings. I believe that this program is very effective. The only thing that I would change is the age limit. I think that it should go up to the age of 19. I believe that many people need help with starting off college. There are so many question asked when entering college. I think that this program can help answer some questions and can even help with finding colleges, scholarships, and grants. In the near future, I plan to make a program to help youth.

The Cat's Meow

I am very much a cat person, as I’m sure you’ve already noticed. That’s why at the Renegade Craft fair earlier this year I was drawn to a booth with giant cardboard cut outs of lovable-looking, furry cats. The booth turned out to be a table advertising the Tree House Humane Society. This shelter is “A cage less, no-kill cat shelter dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured and abused stray cats.” I believe this organization is doing great things for the animals in neighborhoods all over Chicago. They have a regulation that all animals brought into the shelter are spayed or neutered, so just in case they end up back soon the streets, they won’t be able to breed and create more homeless cats to wander the cold streets of Chicago.

I love that this place is a no-kill and cage less shelter. I feel that creates the ideal environment nurturing homeless cats and finding them new homes. Their volunteer program is wonderful too. They hire volunteers to do many jobs you would expect to see at a shelter, like food distribution and cleaning jobs. But I was surprised and delighted to learn that they have volunteering jobs that require you only play with the cats. Some of the cats are antisocial because of their upbringing, and it’s important to get them used to nice humans so they can be adopted later and given a living family and a warm home. Also, some cats don’t behave well with others and it’s up to human volunteers to give those cats extra TLC to find the lovable playful kitten in every cold, weathered and hardened old alley cat. I believe these volunteer programs help the human community too. It’s true that not all people willing to work with animals are willing to deal with the sometimes nasty grunt work. But almost everyone I know would gladly sign up to take time out of their day to just sit and play with dozens of cats. The positive volunteer work could help give kids something constructive to do and keep them off the streets.

Although I am a huge cat fan I do have one criticism about the shelter, and that is the fact that it is a strictly cat shelter. I know there are many shelters in the city that home dogs but I’m sure one more couldn’t hurt. They may have good reason to keep only cats in their shelter. Maybe it’s easier to keep it cage free because cats are smaller and quieter, but from my perspective right now I think they could benefit the animal population in Chicago by allowing other pets into their loving arms too.

If you’re interested in volunteering or maybe adopting from the Tree House Humane Society, their phone number is:
(773) 784-5488
Or you could send an email to:
info@treehousanimals.org

Blog Post #4: Community Programs

After listening to Ghetto Life 101 and Remorse: The Story of Eric Morse I want you to do some research on community programs in the Chicago area and create a post that details the work the program does.

1. Detail what the program is about.
2. Critique the program. Would you change anything? Why do you think it works? Etc . . .

"Sleepin' all day, Stayin' up all night"

A subculture I belong to doesn’t really have a named “label.” You could say I’m a partier, a club go-er, or a night life scene chick. For some reason I’ve always been attracted to the party, being seen by people, and as the song goes “sleeping all day, staying up all night.” This lifestyle and subculture has attracted. Since I was a little girl I would see my parents always partying and always throwing huge parties. I think this was the start of my attraction. I would then see the media promoting the partying lifestyle and once I was in middle school I was hooked. Obviously I wasn’t old enough to go out to clubs yet, so I brought the lifestyle into my life in other ways. I guess you could say I started at a very young age. Drinking, drugs, and partying were brought into my life in 7th grade and since then it’s been non-stop, full force. Ever since I can remember, I always had to have a fun time… always wanting more, always trying to make a party out of every situation. Once I hit high school I was determined to get a fake ID so I could turn myself into an 18 year-old for a certain night and to go to the clubs, which definetly happened. This was an every weekend cycle for me… which club, which drinks, which men, which hangover cures would work. Of course Chicago would then attract a fellow party girl.

This lifestyle and subculture however is not all glamour, fun, and exciting like its made out to be. There are people in this subculture who stab you in the back, do things to you that you could never imagine. In this subculture you wake up not knowing what happened the night before, what happened to your bank account, and perhaps even what happened to your belongings. Of course drinks, dancing, friends, and clubs are fun but it can take such a high toll on my life. At times I feel like I’m 18 stuck in a 40 year-olds body. You are always tired, but never sleeping.

At times you want out but can’t seem to ever fully get out.

NCA

In my senior year of high school I joined a group called NorthCoast Academy. For me, this is the definition of my sub culture. NorthCoast Academy is a professional touring percussion ensemble, and for the 2007-2008 season I became a member. In order to become a member I went through three auditions and a placement weekend. After discovering that I had made the group it was time to rehearse. Rehearsals is where I bonded with the other members. We rehearsed every weekend, all weekend, from the end of november until the end of april. I was so devoted that I drove two hours to every rehearsal and had an arrangement with my high school so I would not have to attend as much as usual. This is where we bonded as a group. The thirty some of us lived to together, ate, showered, slept and rehearsed all as a group, and developed a feeling of family that exists in many subcultures. Another connection to sub cultures is the rice neckless. Every member gets a neckless and is required to where is always. It unites us. Between the initiations, sweat, and sleepless nights, I grew as a person, and I felt accomplishment with others who shared the same goal, coming together with others who appreciate good music and hard work

Sub-Culture Music

The sub Culture I belong to is Music:

I am one of those people that have to listen to some kind of music, at least once a day. I am not good at making music, but I love to listen it. When I wake up one of the first things I do is to play music on my Ipod. For me music can easily make my mood change. If I’m happy I love to listen to energetic music. I like to listen to all kind of music. I think my sub-culture is very big now. Everybody I know has at least an mp3 player or something like that. When you go on the train and if you look around you will see a lot of people whit headphones on. For me when I listen to any kind of music is like I go inside a new world. I don’t have to pay attention of what is around me. I just have to care and think about lyrics of the songs I like. I hate when I forget my Ipod at home. That means that I have to hear myself thinking all over and over again. I hate that. I think it is one of the coolest sub-cultures I can belong to.

Entertainment: Ottumwa, Iowa

I belong to the select group of people who passionately strive to bring quality entertainment to the people of Ottumwa, Iowa (at least I was). This group consisted of about 25 young people and about 15 adults. We have been putting on theater productions for years; we've done "School House Rock", "Wizard of Oz", "Grease", "Jekyll & Hyde", "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Beauty and the Beast" and many others before it. I can honestly say that this group of people is among the most talented I've ever worked, and I looked forward to working with them everyday. We had an insane amount of fun, playing practical jokes on each other, shooting hoops in the gym behind the auditorium.
Unfortunately, I have been around to see the downfall of this theater movement, which brought Ottumwa much cultural life. The lack of support for the theater has been growing at an alarming rate. Businesses grew tired of putting forth money to advertise in our programs, and large local corporations stopped providing sponsorships big enough to give audiences a spectacle. It's a sad thing to think about, but I've lived through the rise and fall of a subculture in the matter of eight years. I've set out for new things since I left for college, but I still think how good it would be to revive the live theater community in Ottumwa, Iowa.

"Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know."

the subculture that I belong to is caddying. As lame as that sounds it really isn't. Caddying is a great job. It's fun, and it's a great way to network. Caddying is my summer job and most of my friends don't understand why I actually enjoy going to work. Well if you've ever seen the movie caddyshack, then you'll understand why it's so great. Everything about that movie is pretty accurate when it comes to caddying at a country club. Drinking with caddies, illegal gambling, smoking pot at the forecaddie spots, and lots of creepy old men. We have plenty of stories that get passed down from caddy generation to caddy generation. For example we have this douchebag member at our club who did a number 2 on the 12th hole and took his caddies towel to wipe himself. There's another guy (we are all convinced he's always on coke) and for every major event we have, he sings a terrible rendition of the star spangled banner. The last guy I'll mention is a pretty great guy. He's the nicest most funniest man you'll ever meet in your life. I caddied for him last summer, and I remember being on the 18th's green, and thinking "I should be getting a nice tip".  I did, but the thing that made me day, was when I took his clubs and put them in the back of his trunk, and I saw a GIANT freezer bag of pot. I'll never forget that sight!

Zander's Sub-culture

Being a vegetarian I feel like I am part of a much different community. Because the meat industry has such a strong influence over world cuisine and the food industry, vegetarians and vegans have to stick together in order to support and maintain a healthy life style. Whether it is by producing store bought meatless alternatives, homemade recipes, or creating vegetarian/vegan friendly restaurants, you can tell there is a strong amount of solidarity.

For 6 years I have been a vegetarian and I am very proud to say that. My mother and sisters were vegetarians long before I joined the group. With their help I was able to easily switch over from being a carnivore. For me the transition process was short and painless. Many of my favorite meat based foods were tweaked into delicious, meatless dishes, which I love.

A decade ago the veggie support system was just beginning. Two companies were producing soy-based veggie burgers while restaurants would simply offer a meatless salad. Now things have vastly changed. Hundreds of companies are creating a wide range of veggie foods and better yet restaurants are popping up that cater solely to vegetarians and vegans. I can definitely see the progress we are making together.

I love being a part of a culture that is striving for the proper treatment and care for animals. I believe that the stronger the bond we create now will encourage more and more people to switch to veganism or vegetarianism and will make the transition much easier for newcomers.

"You truly are one frightening little monster"

About half the people I meet think my sub-culture is lame, and the other half think my sub-culture is fantastic. I am a die-hard Twilight fan, and I am PROUD. :) Basically, the story starts off with the fact that I absolutely hated Twilight in July. All I would hear everyday at work was the screams of girls/women from ages 12-35 about the arrival of our Twilight t-shirts. I heard a small explanation of the story and straight up thought it was stupid. One day, in December, I got bored and decided to watch Twilight online and fell in L-O-V-E with it. I have to this day seen the movie 15 times and bought the books and they, so far, are even better. 

Us "Twilighters" talk in words that only we would understand. Nicknames, quotes, symbols and characters from the movie take part in our daily conversations to anyone. We also tend to be everywhere. I work at Hot Topic and all I tend to do during my shifts is talk about Twilight to our customers because a majority o them come in for our Twilight stuff. It is honestly the best way i could think of to get paid. We also wear Twilight related things. Twilight shirts and jewelry are the most popular. The Cullen crest jewelry is a majority of what I own. Each character in the movie has their own piece of jewelry that features the family crest. Other Twilight jewelry has been made that represents scenes or quotes from the movie. I wear my Cullen crest jewelry on a daily basis to show that I am a Twilight fan. The last main part of being a "Twilighter" is going to the conventions. The conventions are made up of 100% Twilight fans. I went to one recently in Chicago, met 3 actors from the movie, and met and talked to a ton of people just like me. I talked to complete strangers like they were my best friends because we obviously had so much in common. I did make a really great friend at the convention and we talk on a daily basis. I am going to another one in July. This convention is in Minneapolis AND I AM SO EXCITED :D And that very attractive man I am photographed with is Peter Facinelli, who plays Dr. Carlisle Cullen in Twilight.

Subculture- Music

Subculture -Music- Andrew
I guess a subculture that I generally fall into, and I feel that represents me most is the subculture of music. I’d say I fit in to it because I’m a musician for one, and I’m also a real music appreciator, I like to observe and analyze all kinds of music, and I guess I would say it was my most concentrated hobby. What attracts me into to music is all that it has done and all it can do. There really is a lot to music; I think some of its aspects are often overlooked. Aside from being a good Mood setter, music do so much to people that I’m having trouble coming up with words to describe it. It’s a part of everyday life, it’s everywhere and it basically covers just about everything, from feelings of all sorts, to philosophies of life, viewpoints of life, and so much more.
Being a Musician I have come to realize that Music is much more than a way to become rich and famous, which is actually a sad case for many sellout bands that base their musical expression on greed, self image and fame rather then what Music is really about. Music is the expression of soul, thoughts and feelings in my opinion, I play not because I want to be famous or make people think I’m worth something, but I play to release. I play to “let it all out” in a sense, I’m obviously interested in making fat cash, but I realize that good music comes from within, not what you think everybody else will like and make you famous.
As I mentioned earlier Music is much more than just a beat or tune that makes your foot tap or gets your body grooving, it’s an art form that’s possibilities are limitless. Music can tell a story, it influence thinking and feeling, it can display a philosophy or way of life, it can teach a lesson, really it can do anything within realistic boundaries. Music has been around for so long, and as it continues to grow, you really see how limitless it is. There is so much to be said about music, that I really don’t know what direction to take this blog post, so I’m just going to cut it off here.

veganism

I am so happy that I can call myself a vegan and include myself in that culture. Just to get rid of any question, being vegan means to not eat anything that came from an animal or that once was a living creature. It is all for the wellbeing of animals and treating them humanely. There is so much compassion and activism that runs throughout our community. We care about love and change for the better and all in the name of ethical treatment of animals. Vegans are inclined to do things for others because we know how hard it is to be a vegan and get lots of good food easily. So whenever there is a function like the renegade craft fair they have lots of cheap or free vegan food. There is also an organization called Food not Bombs that puts together free food drives with all vegan food. Our compassion for the happiness of animals translates into having empathy for our fellow human beings too. We look out for the happiness of others and spread activism into more than just for animal rights. I am so proud to say I am a part of the vegan community and I try to lead others to see things the way I do. And maybe someday being a vegan will stop being considered being part of a sub culture, and it will be a major part of society

My Vote

I really like Zander's project. I really like the way it looks and its a very different style on art and presentation.

I Love to Rock and Roll

I have been very attracted to the punk scene since I was in sixth grade, but many find this odd because I am African American. I feel that this hinders me in a way. People know that most African Americans like to be in the rap or hip- hop scene. I just never grew on to that type of culture. To me, rock is something that gets people up and out, allowing people to really express themselves in a more creative way. I know that I’m a person that always wants to express myself in the most creative way possible. Many see me as something rare or really unusual. I feel that listening to loud music, acting crazy in a free manner and have a widespread mind set on how wonderful yet painful life is.African Americans have slowly have drifted to this culture and are know as Afro Punks. Afro Punks are African Americans that believe in living the Rock and Roll lifestyle, interracial dating, the arts and moving on from the ideas of racism and slavery without being ignorant to the fact of history. I feel that this culture is where I call home. Afro Punks take a very long time embracing the arts and seeing the beauty. This punk subculture is a minority in America but seem like as majority in Columbia. Afro Punks try to also overcome the hardship of living in this punk subculture, issues of loneliness, exile, interracial dating, history, and the double lives led by African Americans in communities that are mostly white. I remember living my life like this along with being of African decent. Being a first generation Nigerian has its ups and downs with me wanting to live the punk lifestyle. Watching other young people wearing the Mohawks, bracelets, earrings and unique clothes. Africans see that this rock culture as a sister to their own but have hard time seeing through the stereotypes about it. More and more Africans or first generation are living in this culture. I feel that the Afro Punk culture is the best culture that I see myself in because, I can keep my beautiful African tradition and live life as someone in the punk subculture know as Afro Punk.

What is an "artist" a subculture of?

After thinking about a subculture that I feel describes me best the only thing I could come up with is "artist." Now, I'm not exactly sure if being an artist is a subculture, or what larger culture art is a subculture of but if I keep picking it apart eventually I'll end up with no subculture that I belong to at all. So here goes.. For as long as I can remember art has been a very large part of my life, whether it be drawing, painting, sculpting, or scrap booking. I've always had a passion for creating things, drawing things with immense detail, and crafting things that will continue to trigger memories. I like to make things because I feel that they hold so much more value than store bought items. Majority of my presents to friends and family remain homemade to this day, not to be confused with cheap, but unique and well thought out. I find that art is very therapeutic, and most of the time I use it in that sense. Although I do spend a lot of time using my artistic ability towards my major (product design - drawing and hands-on construction in the shop) I try to obtain a little free time for leisure artwork as well. At times art can be extremely stressful when you spend weeks on one project and it doesn't turn out the way you'd hoped, but I try to look at it in a different light instead of a mistake, it was mere experimentation. I think that creating art is fun because you never know what the end result will be. It's constantly changing, but even though it is, it's something that will always remain personal. It's something that I'll always be able to turn to, even when the economy is going down the drain I can still paint, draw, and create because it doesn't require a lot of money besides the price of a few pencils and paint.

vote?

I'm totally diggin' Jessica' project, it's pretty rad, it has my vote.

simply ridin'

When I think of who I am and what makes me, me, I think of all the things I’ve ever done growing up, everything that has made me get through good and bad days and basically what would ever make my day go by. I would always look at skateboarding as a passion, but yet always as a stress relieve, well at least for the most part. The four trucks and two-wheel board riding all began back in 7th grade. The neighborhood park district was adding in a skate park to keep the local riders active and involved with park stuff activities.
Day in and day out, me and my friends would hang out, claim our territory with the park and work on our tricks with one another, to help each other improve our skills at riding. It’s been beyond interesting because skateboarding has just had a major impact in my life; it’s pretty much grown up with me, and taught me a whole different lifestyle. At the time, gangs were up and coming; life was basically being spent on the streets, sun up till sunset, leaving the majority of the kids in the area to either be apart or to skate. I felt like life was more interesting to take risks and ride. So later that summer me and my friends made a team, basically consisting of everyone that we skated with and still to this day skateboarding is fun and live, all my friends that I used to skate with back then I still skate with now. We’ve come a very long and have many different memories from skating and we still plan on taking skateboarding to the next level, this summer we plan on taking a road trip through the states to skate, it’s seems like a far way from now, but it’ll all be worth the wait.

We are the music-makers, We are the dreamers of dreams

I write songs. Its a hobby and a lifestyle. As a hobby it is very therapeutic and expressive. I can come home after a terrible day pull out a guitar and a harmonica, and the 12 bar blues will just ease my troubles away with a moaned phrase here and a good riff there. I've found that there is almost nothing you can't write a song about. Well, if you write a song about going #2 it probably won't win you a grammy...but from the hobby perspective it will amuse the hell out of you. while out of school for the summer in seventh grade I picked up this hobby. I sucked at first, but everyone does. After playing day after day and eventually forming callouses on my hands, I was fluent enough to begin writing my own dittys. I wrote really really really awful songs for about two and a half years, but nonetheless I was amused and happy. My songs started to get better once I realized that not everyone sings or should try to sing like Robert Plant. Soon enough I hooked up with fellow musicians at my school and took a stab at being in a band. I was in one band, and then another one wanted me, then I was in another one and another and another. Each taught me more about my music and how to make a sound that was something worth listening to. 

Thats when the lifestyle came in. I found you had to follow a certain rock-regiment. You had to get your songs done, get them heard, and look cool in the process. I found out the latter by trial and error. I dressed in a leather racing jacket, skinny jeans and button ups when i was in a "jet-like" band. I wore all black in a pretty terrible screamo band...etc. I tried to looked interesting I think to create an image that the music I was participated in couldn't. When I started to write, sing, and play all my own stuff with a friend of mine, I realized that you didnt need to try to look cool when playing good music. The image, the sex-appeal, the attention it was already there in the music when you did it right. Like I said though it is a lifestyle. In order to write good songs and be able to play them without flubbing notes you had to cut yourself off and practice, practice, practice, and practice some more. I once spent an entire two weeks inside my apartment writing and practicing for a series of shows I was playing that summer. Also, with being a musician to get the image theres a certain level of aloofness that comes with the territory. This is probably why I took up smoking cigarrettes in high school.--- "Anything that gives you that too cool for school edge man." As a hobby and a lifestyle, being a songwriter has its perks and is the only thing for me. Its a lofty career based on passion and dreams. It is my subculture, and my life. to quote Wonka, "We are the music-makers, We are the dreamers of dreams." 

lets groove!

5,6,7,8, a right and a left with a jump to a leap. I am in the dance sub-culture. I have been dancing my whole life and started doing choreography in gymnastics for my floor routines. It is basically what I live for, its pure passion! It is my escape method to the negative things that life can bring. I express myself in jazz, modern, hip hop, ballet and contemporary. I do a little break dancing but I want to expand my knowledge in it. I would also what to branch off into ballroom dancing. This style of dancing is so elegant and fierce. This sub-culture requires a big amount of physical strength, endurance, coordination and determination. Others my see it as just dance but it is more than just dance it’s a lifestyle. Knowledge and understanding is a key factor in improvement in dance. Theirs a list of Dance Company’s that catch my eye, Giordano Jazz Company, Alvin Aliey, Hubbart Street, The Seldoms, and Mordine and Company. This list changes every time I see new performances. I plan to become a well-known performer and choreographer. I furthermore plan to open a studio with many other dance options for students. My expression helps me to express new movement sequences. I often watch Debbie Allen’s choreography to get ideas on new choreography. Allen is an well known America actress, choreographer, television director, television producer, and a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. Her choreography shows numerous ways that the body can move. I am also influence by her because she is not just a dancer but many other talents. I also want to venture into other sub-cultures. This sub-culture will never leave me it was rooted in me at birth.