WB Post 5

Future English 110 Students,
I just figured I would give you guys an idea of what to expect for this quarter you are starting. English 110 really is a helpful class. It definitely made me a better writer and taught me a lot of valuable writing and editing skills that I will never forget. It is a great class to take, and I recommend that you all try to get the most out of it.
The course theme for our quarter was “Televised Science Fiction”. At first, I was not that excited about this theme because I felt as though science fiction was just for those weird kids with no life. I was surprised though. I enjoyed this course theme and realized that science fiction actually relates pretty well to real-life.
What I would recommend more than anything for this course is to do your work as soon as you can after it is assigned. It will pile up quickly and it is easy to get behind. I know a lot of people who were stressing at the last minute to get work done the night it was due. I tried to keep up with my work and get it done as it was assigned and it all worked out well for me. However, if I could do something different, I would have tried harder on my Analytical Research Paper all the way through. I didn’t really try for my first or second drafts, and it was tough to make it good all at once.
All in all, English 110 is a very helpful course. Leslie is a great teacher and is always willing to help if you need it. Keep up with your work in this class and don’t get behind. Most importantly, come into the class with an open mind. I know I came in thinking science fiction would be stupid and ended up really liking it and found it to be interesting. Lastly, if a Sam Garea comments on your blogs, ignore him. He is just reliving the glory days that he had in English 110.

Sincerely,
Mike DePauw

Farscape

Today we watched an episode of "Farscape" in class. This episode was especially interesting for me to watch because of the setting at the beginning. It didn't start off like most sci fi shows do. Instead, it begins with a realistic setting. It begins with a man in his teens preparing for a scientific experiment in space. He is trying to set a new speed record in space. In the process, his spacecraft falls into a "hole" in space and is transported to a new galaxy. While he is there, he gets caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between aliens and is forced to fight for his survival and escape.
This episode of science fiction tv was different from most I have seen so far because it is centered around one man from Earth who is lost in another dimension. It is interesting because it is so realistic in the sense that mankind is pushing technology so far and oftentimes, we don't know what the consequences of our developments will be. In this example, the consequence of technological advancements is being transported to another galaxy. Most science fiction television shows (at least those that take place in space) have to do with a group of people, opposed to one man, who are traveling around exploring (on purpose). That is what makes this episode so interesting. That it is different. It also does a great job at standing out because it also shows how humans, who have never actually seen aliens, would react to seeing them for the first time ever.
Overall, this episode was very interesting and enjoyable and I am glad that we had the opportunity to watch it.

STNG

I recently watched my first episode of STNG and I found it to be pretty interesting. The whole concept of whether or not a robot has the same rights as a human grabbed my interest. I was also to find some similarities and differences between this episode of STNG and the original Star Trek. Both of them obviously have the same setting (aboard the spaceship “Enterprise” in outer space). However, I found more differences than similarities. First of all, the interior of the ship was very different in STNG. It almost had a home-like look to it. In several rooms, there were lamps on desks and carpeting on the floors. In addition, the conflicts were very different. The original series had more of an external conflict (the episode I watched had a battle between Captain Kirk and Spock against notorious villains in human history) whereas STNG had more of an internal conflict (whether human-like cyborgs should be treated with the same rights as humans). I also could not help but notice that in STNG, the crew on the ship seemed to be larger. There seemed to be more positions to be filled and more people working in the background of scenes. Also, the “Enterprise” was not the only ship in STNG as it is in the original series. In one of the scenes in STNG, you can see other spaceships in the background outside of the window. In this particular episode of STNG, it did not seem as though the members of the Enterprise had any real mission. I know in the original series, every episode was a new adventure that the crew was going on, exploring some unknown world. I personally thought that the original series of Star Trek was much more interesting than STNG because it had more of an exciting plot and had some pretty cool fight scenes in every episode, making it more interesting and appealing.

WB 4

The episode of the original Star Trek that I watched was “The Savage Curtain” (Season 3, Episode 22). This episode was very interesting and immediately grabbed my attention. The episode begins when the Enterprise is flying in space and is approaching an unknown planet. Rather suddenly, Abraham Lincoln appears before the ship and tells them to hover over the planet, pick him up, and take him aboard. This is strange enough because, as we all know, Abraham Lincoln was killed a long time ago. The crew beams him onboard where they examine him and determine that he is in fact a human. He invites Captain Kirk and Spock down for a visit on his home planet. They agree and beam themselves to the surface. When they arrive, none of their electronics work. A rock then forms into a life form and talks to them. He tells Kirk and Spock that they can alter minerals to create whatever life forms they want and can make them take any form (hence the Abraham Lincoln). Anyways, the rock that came to life tells Kirk that he is curious about which force is stronger; good or evil. He brings back notorious evil figures, such as Genghis Khan, to fight against the good forces. Initially, Kirk and Spock refuse to fight because they have no reason to, however, when the rock that came to life tells them that if they refuse to fight, their ship will blow up and all the crew members will die, they decide to take action. In the end, Captain Kirk and Spock defeat the villains and good triumphs over evil.
This original episode of Star Trek was surprisingly interesting. I could draw many similarities between the episode and modern science fiction television shows, like the setting being in outer space, the use of aliens or strange creatures, and epic fight scenes. However, I also was able to notice some major differences between the two. First of all, this episode goes back to the past and brings back historical figures (both heroes and villains) to grab the audience’s attention. It seems as though modern science fiction moves away from this technique of incorporating figures from the past and focuses only on the future.
Another major difference between this episode and modern science fiction television shows has to do with the development of the timeless theme of “Good v Evil”. This theme can be seen in both “The Savage Curtain” as well as in almost every science fiction television show that is on the air now. However, the episode of Star Trek that I watched was different from most current sci fi shows because it did not use robots. Yes it still had the heartless enemies, however, they were real people with hearts rather than cylons or other robots that do not have hearts or a conscience. Another major development was how different the fight scenes were. In Star Trek, the fate of mankind did not rest on the shoulders of Captain Kirk. The enemies’ goal was not to completely destroy humanity or exterminate entire civilizations. The goal of what the enemy was doing was to learn (to learn whether good or evil was stronger). The fight scene that took place was on a smaller scale and would only affect those who were immediately involved in it. This is very different from modern science fiction. Nowadays, the goal of the enemies always seems to be to wipe of civilization and completely take over a planet. Usually, the enemies are robots or some other sort of heartless alien, not well-known people from the past. I feel as though the use of the historical figures grabbed my attention more so than the use of robots.
All in all, I would say that the original episode of Star Trek was more effective in grabbing my attention and keeping it throughout than modern science fiction television shows. Maybe it is because all modern sci fi seems the same to me because they all use the concept of destroying humanity and heartless robots, which gets old after awhile.

Battlestar Galactica

Today I just saw my first episode of Battlestar Galactica. When I first heard of the show, I expected it to be some dumb knock-off of Star Trek or Star Wars or something like that. I was surprised though. It had a completely different plot, with only some minor similarities (like the space battles). I thought that the episode was very interesting and exciting. The plot of a future world of humans v cylons was new to me and immediately grabbed my attention. Although I was confused at first what Number Six’s purpose was on Earth, I felt that the rest of the episode was easy to follow along with.
However, I do have some criticism about the miniseries we watched. First of all, although the show did a good job grabbing my attention, it had some trouble keeping it throughout the entire episode. I felt as though the episode was very slow-moving and sometimes difficult to pay attention to. I also felt as though there were some unnecessary sex scenes in this episode that I thought had no relevance whatsoever. They may have had relevance later in the season, but from just watching a part of the first miniseries, they seemed rather irrelevant. I also found it disturbing how the cylon on Earth handled the whole baby situation. I know that they are robots and don’t have feelings, but I found it to be disturbing how she broke the baby’s neck while the mother was just standing there. I feel as though that was an unnecessary way to show how cruel the cylons could be.
All in all, I would have to say that I enjoyed watching Battlestar Galactica. Although it was slow moving and had some unnecessary scenes , I feel as though it had a great plot and actually was sending an important message to the viewers. This message can be seen in many movies, such as “Jurassic Park” and “I, Robot”. This message has to do with “playing God”. It shows us that we must be careful with what we choose to do with our technology and what we decide to create. We have to have respect the power of the animals or robots or whatever we are creating and acknowledge that we are not “Godly” and are not always going to be able to control that power. I felt that this was a very interesting sci fi television show and I would not mind watching it again.

Bring Your Own Lunch

Bring Your Own Lunch


by Bruce Lansky



Don’t eat school lunches—
not even a lick.
They might make you nauseous.
They might make you sick.
Just take a small bite
andyou’ll start to feel ill.
If the veggies don’t get you,
the meatloaf sure will.


This poem hit home for me. Back in the day (as in since I first started going to school), there has yet to be a school that has good lunches. Even in elementary school, the lunches always made people sick. I remember that the meatloaf actually was the worst meal, which is funny because that's what it says in this poem. I chose this poem not only because it related to me because of the history I've had with terrible lunches at school, but also because of its tone. It is an upbeat poem and isn't serious at all. Too often (especially during high school and now in college) we have to focus on serious poems and try and pull out some hidden meaning. This gets tiresome and boring, and a lot of the time, it ruins my liking of the poem. This poem is nice because it doesn't have some hidden meaning and says what it needs to in a happy and cheerful way.

Buffy Episode From Class

I found this episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to be particularly interesting. It did a great job grabbing my attention right off the bat and keeping it throughout the entire episode. The aspect of this episode I liked most was the fact that due to all of Buffy's flash backs, the audience never actually knows which of Buffy's worlds are real and which one is her imagination. It keeps the audience guessing and intrigued, as they try to figure out what is really going on. Whedon does a great job of making both of Buffy's worlds seem just as realistic and I know that for me personally, I was torn between what I wanted to happen and which world I wanted Buffy to choose to be in. At one time, I would want Buffy to choose the world with her friends because they are in every episode and I felt connected to them. However, I would then want her to choose the world with her parents and the doctor, as I sympathized with them and their attempts to bring Buffy back to the real world and help her so that she can go home and be normal. All in all, I thought that this was a good and interesting episode of Buffy because it immediately grabbed my attention and kept it throughout with its action-packed plot and because it made me think throughout the entire episode.

GLADIATOR

My favorite movie of all time would have to be “Gladiator”. It was made in 2000 and stars Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. This is my favorite movie not just because of the awesome action and fight scenes, but also because of the message it sends to the audience. In this movie, Russell Crowe plays a Roman General. After the emperor is murdered, along with his family, he is sent to be executed for treason by the new emperor (The new emperor is intimidated by the general and wants him dead because of this). The general survives the execution by killing the guards and escapes. After riding for a long time, he collapses from exhaustion. He is picked up by a slave owner and made into a gladiator. Because of his military training, he becomes the best gladiator in Roman history. He works his way up from fighting in a run-down Roman Province to fighting epic battles in the Coliseum. Through his victories against all odds, he wins the love of the crowd and gains power. Even when the emperor orders the general to do something, he defies him and does the opposite, just to prove a point; that everyone can make their own choices. Every act of defiance wins over the crowd more. In the end, the general faces off against the emperor in the Coliseum. The emperor wants to win, so before the match, he goes to the general’s cell and stabs him (then covers up the wound so no one can see). In the Coliseum, the general kills the greedy emperor and wins his freedom, however, his previous stab wound is too much for him and he also dies in the sand.
This movie is very inspirational for the audience viewing it. It shows that no matter how far down and out you may seem to be, it is so important to keep trying. The human heart can achieve anything. In this movie, a man goes from being Rome’s most glorified general, to a slave who lost everything, to a gladiator that defied an emperor, and then back to being a hero in the eyes of the citizens of Rome. It would be easy for one to give up after being sentenced to death and losing your whole family at once, but the general’s perseverance shows us that if we set our minds to something and never give up, that we can achieve anything. It shows that no matter what your situation may be, if you don’t give up and keep working, you can make your way to the top.

Commonplace paper problem

Alright. So my commonplace paper is going alright so far, but I do have some problems. I'm not really too sure which parts of my analytical research paper to include, and which ones to leave out. My topic for the commonlplace paper is about peer pressure and teens. I talk about how it is a complex issue and difficult to deal with and how "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" does a great job bringing the problem of teen peer pressure (the different forms it takes and how the teens react to it) to the public's eyes. I was thinking about connecting examples from Buffy to real life examples that are similar. Doing that alone takes up about 3 pages and I know Leslie said that the papers shouldn't be much more than three. I was also thinking about including some of my sources from my ARP about how adults oversimplify peer pressure and even programs like DARE do the same thing, which actually makes it tougher for teens. I'm not really sure what I should include and not include, so any thoughts would be great!

CP idea...

So I was thinking for my Commonplace Paper I would keep to the general idea of my analytical research paper: that peer pressure is a much more complex issue than adults will admit and that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is compelling and relevant to this topic because of how Joss Whedon makes the teenage characters in Buffy so relatable to the audience. For example, the characters in Buffy face many similar situations dealing with peer pressure as teens today do. They also go about reacting to the peer pressure in a similar way. They will change how they act or how they dress just to be accepted. Although adults make it seem as though peer pressure is simple and easy to avoid or rise above, nothing could be farther from the truth. Joss Whedon recognizes this and sympathizes with America’s teens by showing through Buffy how difficult it can be to deal with. Adults make it seem as though peer pressure is easy to rise above. However, oftentimes, teens do not even realize that they are being pressured, so how can they effectively rise above it? Throughout the pilot episode of season one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are countless examples of main characters, like Buffy and Willow (Buffy’s best friend), facing peer pressure and just being pressured to do things they don’t want to. These examples range from Buffy feeling pressured to dress a certain way when she goes to the club in order to be accepted to Willow acting out of character and approaching a random guy, initiating a conversation with him so that she doesn’t feel as though she is a loner and so that she can be seen as “normal”. A perfect example of a teen not realizing that they are being pressured is when Buffy is talking to Giles at the club. He is pressuring her to resume her position as the slayer, even though she does not want to. I was thinking about relating some of these examples from Buffy to examples from real teenagers in America, like the one I talked about in class today about the middle school girl who came home from school on the first day and told her mother that they needed to go buy her clothes that looked “cool” so that she wouldn’t be made fun of. Let me know what you think of these ideas, it’s just a start.

Mike's Problems

Alright, so here's the problem I'm having. My paper is at 6.5 full pages, but I cannot get it to 7 and I don't really know what to do. I've gone through the whole thing multiple times, expanding each paragraph and adding my own analysis. I've introduced, incorporated, and explained all of my quotes and I'm still falling short. Any suggestions?

My quote

Willow at the club is a perfect example of how teens will change too much about themselves at once in order to make friends. “Although it’s okay to make minor adjustments to your personality to make friends, it’s imperative that you keep the core of your identity and your beliefs intact to avoid making friends for the wrong reasons” (White). Teenagers should keep this in mind when they are trying to make friends. As Buffy the Vampire Slayer makes clear, too often, teenagers change who they really are and how they act in order to make friends. However, as White makes clear in her article on teenagers changing the way they act to fit in, if they change too much about themselves and their beliefs, they will make friends for all the wrong reasons.

I don't really know. I just feel like I don't introduce the quote well enough and that it seems to kind of appear out of nowhere. If anyone has suggestions, let me know!

MIKE'S PAPER PROBLEMS

So after working on my paper for awhile and rereading it, I’ve realized that my biggest problem would have to be the organization of my paper. I feel as though I am incorporating all of my secondary sources well enough, but I jump around in my paper a lot. For example, I start off with a summary of my specific episode. Halfway through the summary, I decide to elaborate for about a page on a specific point in the episode’s plot, incorporating some of my secondary sources. It sounds pretty good adding the sources where I do, but then when I start summarizing again, the paper doesn’t sound as fluid. It’s kind of like “oh, I thought his summary was over, what’s he talking about now?” and then I start again. The summary of my episode is critical and I feel as though there would be no other place to put my secondary source analysis in the paper other than halfway through the summary. I’m trying to work through this problem, but it is tough. Let me know what you guys think…
Another minor problem I have is building up to my quotes so that they don’t appear to come out of the blue and transitioning smoothly between some of my thoughts. I know that I need to build up to the quote, but I can’t seem to find the right words to build up to it. I’m going to the writing center later this week, so I guess I’ll just wait and see what they say.

WB Post 3 - Deodorant

The topic that I decided to research for this assignment was that of deodorant; Crystal Body Deodorant to be specific. The two web pages that I looked at were very different. The first of these, which can be found at http://www.thecrystal.com/, caught my attention right off the bat. The page was colorful and vibrant. The first thing I noticed about it was a slide show of pictures that they had running on the right side of the screen. In these pictures, there were photos of a happy couple, several women meditating, as well as the product itself. One could guess from these pictures that this web page and ad for this product is meant to attract adults, specifically females. On the left side of the ad in bold letters, it says ALL-TIME TOP 10 CLASSICS, which catches the reader’s eye. They also bold and color key phrases and words that they want the reader to focus on such as “recommended by medical experts”. Near the top of the page, they had different links that one could click on to receive more information about the product if they wished. The links ranged from the history of the product and related products to information on how to purchase the product and how to contact those in charge.
The second article that I looked at was almost the opposite of the first (it can be found at http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1372565/crystal_body_deodorant_spray_4_fl_oz.html). This article did not contain pictures or text in bold or vibrant colors. Rather, it was just a long article with a lot of information. The article was very informative and contained helpful information about the product such as what the product is, the ingredients that are in the product, how to use the deodorant, and how to purchase it. Although this advertisement had a lot of information to offer, it was very lengthy and did not do a very good job of keeping the reader’s attention.
After comparing the two advertisements for Crystal Body Deodorant, I realized that the first web site I went to did a much better job of persuading the public to try the product. It grabbed the reader’s attention right away with its use of different colors, different fonts, different sized and colored text, and pictures. Although the second article had more information written about the product, the first article had more relevant information and information that simply applied to the audience better. The first advertisement took a much more creative approach to sell the product, and the result was that it was overall more persuasive than the second one.

Here Comes the Sun

For this blog, I chose one of my all time favorite songs. I’ll admit it’s kind of old, but the lyrics and the tone of the music lift my spirits every time I listen to it. This song is “Here Comes The Sun” by “The Beatles”. Listening to the lyrics, one cannot help but feeling relaxed and happy. The song talks about the positive aspects of life. No matter how bad things may seem, they will get better. “Little darling I feel that ice is slowly melting, Little darling it seems like years since it's been clear, Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, And I say it's alright”. Things will clear up and get better. You will get through this. The sun is coming and will put the clouds and the bad days behind you. That is the message this song is getting across, and it is a genuinely positive one. This aspect is tough to find in songs nowadays, which is one of the reason it’s one of my favorites. Its upbeat attitude and melody can cheer anyone up.

Princess Scream Once Blog

This article really brought a lot to light for me about the episode “Hush” of Buffy. First of all, it almost makes me mad how some people, or beings, seem to think that they are better than everyone else. This occurs a lot in this episode. First of all, the Gentlemen place themselves at a higher position that their minions. They think that they are superior and make their minions do all the dirty work for them so that they don’t have to deal with the struggle and difficulty of capturing their victims. Without any reason, the Gentlemen see themselves as superiors to everyone and everything in the episode. In a way, Buffy does the same thing. Immediately when Giles says that only the scream of a princess can kill the Gentlemen, Buffy automatically assumes that she is the princess and says “How do I get my voice back?” (Wilcox 148). Although she is the slayer, I do not believe that she automatically has the right to assume that she is the princess. Why isn’t Willow the princess? Willow is just as intelligent as Buffy, if not more intelligent. Why can’t she be the princess? Buffy automatically assumes that she is going to be the hero and places herself at a higher level than anyone else, assuming that she is the only one who can defeat the Gentlemen.
The difference between Buffy and the Gentlemen is that Buffy actually does work. The Gentlemen let their servants or helpers or whatever you want to call them do the work, whereas when Buffy assumes that she is to be the one to defeat the Gentlemen, she does the work herself. She sets out to fight them and gets her hands dirty to get the job done. One must give Buffy credit for this and the fact that she is taking it upon herself to do the work to defeat the enemy gives her some validation for assuming that she is to be the princess, but still does not give her the right to assume that she is better than anyone.

Is it Art?

I found this article to be very interesting, though confusing at sometimes, because of its references to so many other movies, television shows, religious characters, and art throughout history. This article really helped me to open my eyes to what was happening in the “Hush” episode of Buffy. To be honest, while I was watching the episode, the minions of “the Gentlemen” seemed so familiar to me and I could not place my finger on what they were from. I think that Moeller did a great job comparing them to both the flying monkeys in “The Wizard of Oz” as well as to the clowns in “The Yellow Submarine”. I never saw “The Yellow Submarine”, but they definitely had many similarities to the monkeys in “The Wizard of Oz”. Both look as though they are being kept as pets and being kept from escaping. As Moeller says, “Are these partially-restrained assistants subhuman mentally/emotionally, previously capable of flight but now captive with clipped wings?” (Moeller 101). I think that this quote says it all. As the monkeys in “The Wizard of Oz” wreak havoc like they escaped from prison, the minions of “the Gentlemen” go on their own rampage, attacking and kidnapping their victims.

Grimm

I felt as though the article “Grimm Realities” did a superb job connecting the old fairy tale, “the Gentlemen”, to the plot of the episode “Hush” of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, I wish as though I had read this article before I watched “Hush” because it did a great job explaining the tale of “the Gentlemen” and, believe it or not, before I watched this episode of Buffy, I had never heard the tale. As a child, I never really heard many fairy tales. I know, I was a deprived child, but I found it very interesting that, according to Bridges, “plenty of children’s folk rhymes deal overtly in death, juxtaposed by a happy melody and a cute rhyme”. I could definitely see this concept portrayed through “the Gentlemen” in “Hush” (Bridges 102). I would never have guessed that “the Gentlemen” would have been considered a fairy tale. All in all, I feel that Bridges did a great job showing how Joss Whedon incorporates the fairy tales and their characters into Buffy.

HUSH-mike

“Hush” was the second episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that I have watched. I was impressed overall with the episode. It was entertaining and kept my attention. I would like to focus on one scene in particular though that relates to my research paper. It has to deal with people giving into peer pressure. The scene is the one where Willow is at her witch meeting. At the meeting, all of the members are trying to decide on an activity that they can all do to spread the word about witches. Willow does not like the idea of a bake sale, so she suggests that they practice with potions and spells. The rest of the members of the group, with the exception of Tara, are offended by the idea and say that casting spells and practicing potions would just make them be stereotypical witches. Tara likes Willow’s idea and begins to tell the group how she feels when she is inturrupted by the “leader” of the group. The leader makes Tara feel uncomfortable and as if her opinion is not welcomed. Tara feels intimidated and ends up not speaking her mind and stating her opinion. This is just another prime example of a teenager/young adult feeling intimidated by others and not acting in a certain way for the fear of being rejected.

Free Writing 2-Secondary Source Quote Analysis

“Although it’s okay to make minor adjustments to your personality to make friends, it’s important that you keep the core of your identity and your beliefs intact to avoid making friends for the wrong reasons.”

Teenagers should definitely keep this in mind when they are trying to make friends. Too many times, teens change who they are, what they like, and how they act in order to make friends. However, if they change too much about themselves, they will make friends for all of the wrong reasons. Actually, they probably will not make real friends if they change too much about themselves. Their “friends” will think that they are someone they are not. For example, a teenage boy may pretend to love playing tennis in order to make friends. It may work for awhile, but eventually, when he is asked to play tennis with his new friends and has no idea what the rules are or even how to hit the ball, they will find out that he was lying about his love for the game and will most likely reject him for it, or at least label him as a liar. When this happens, the boy will be back where he started, on the outside staring in.
On the other hand, if teenagers are themselves and don’t try to do anything too drastic to fit in, they will make true friends. It may take more time, but eventually they will find someone else who really does have the same interests as them. This is the basis of a true friendship. By having a true friendship, or multiple friendships, teens will feel accepted and in turn, will be happier.

Free Writing-To what lengths are teenagers willing to go to be accepted?

To what lengths are teenagers willing to go to be accepted?
Teenagers seem to be willing to do just about anything to be accepted. During the awkward years of middle school and high school, teens will change anything and everything they can about themselves in order to fit in. They will change the style of clothes they wear, who they hang out with, the types of activities they do in their free time, and even how they act in general in an attempt to be one of the crowd.
One of my articles (the title escapes me at the moment) states that teenagers try to dress “cool” to fit in. It goes into detail about one girl in particular who was home schooled up until high school. She never had a problem with herself or the way she dressed until her first day of official classes, when she came home from school and told her mom about all of the types of clothes she needed to buy, just so that she could fit in with the “popular” students. She, like many teens, felt the need to be accepted and changed the way she looked and dressed in order to do so.
Another one of my articles talked about a teenage boy (who was in the school orchestra) who desperately wanted to be a part of the popular crowd. He even stopped hanging out with his true friends (who were seen as dorky) in order to get noticed. He never got accepted into the cool crowd and lost his true friends because of what he did. In this case, the teenager completely stopped associating with his true friends so that he could feel like he was a part of the popular crowd.
The need to be accepted can also lead people to engage in unhealthy and unsafe activities. Oftentimes, people feel pressured to participate in risky activities, like smoking or drinking, in order to fit in. Not only are these potentially harmful to one’s physical well-being, but they could also lead to more serious problems, like addiction.
The list of what teenagers are willing to do in order to fit in seems almost endless. They will literally change who they are (on the inside and outside), ditch their true friends, and make bad decisions to be accepted.

After the Ohio State football game this past Saturday, I visited home for the first time since I moved in. To be honest, my reactions were very mixed. Of course I was very happy to be able to see my family again, especially on my mother’s birthday; however, I soon came to realize that I was not really home. It was not until earlier today when I returned to campus that I felt as though I was where I belonged. When I returned, a feeling of comfort and happiness rushed through my body. I knew I was back home. Ohio State has changed me. It not only has helped to turn me into a more responsible adult, but has also taught me how to develop and keep true friendships and has really taught me the meaning of family. Family is not just someone’s group of relatives that helped to raise them. It is also having those people around you that you can trust and go to for help. The people that you know have always got your back. I have been fortunate enough to find some people like this at OSU. So now, I not only have my family at home, but I also have another family. I have a family at Ohio State. These people make me feel comfortable, happy, and cared about and make campus feel like something more than a school. Obviously, I will not be able to stay at Ohio State forever, but for the time that I am, it will truly be my home.

Writing Blog 2 - Ohio Stadium

One of the most well-known locations on Ohio State’s campus is Ohio Stadium, better known as “The Horseshoe”. For this assignment, I decided to pay a visit to the famous home of the Buckeyes. The stadium, at least around sunset on Wednesday nights, is a location that stimulates the senses and leaves an impression upon the viewer that will not fade away.
When I first arrived at the stadium, I was overwhelmed by the breathtaking sight of the setting sun against the beautiful and historic walls of “The Horseshoe”. I sat and closed my eyes to reflect upon all of the feelings that were penetrating my mind at once. While my eyes were closed, I could hear the sound of birds chirping and could feel the crisp, fall air brush against my face. For the first time since I arrived on campus, I felt relaxed and at peace. The silence and beauty of the historic stadium can make even the weariest minds feel rested and at ease. My heart was then filled with excitement as I thought about the fans, the pride, and the unity that would fill the stadium in three short days. When I finally opened my eyes again, I felt as though I was no longer in Columbus, Ohio, but in Ancient Rome, looking at the huge arches and massive columns of the Coliseum. This sight alone is enough to make a profound impact on anyone, not just a Buckeye.
There is more to “The Horseshoe” than just physical beauty. Ohio Stadium is probably the single most unifying location on campus. Its primary purpose is to seat Ohio State Buckeye fans so that they can enjoy the game in comfort; however it has a secondary and much deeper purpose. This purpose is to unify. Every Saturday in the fall, the stands are filled with more than one hundred thousand screaming fans. Although they all come from different backgrounds and have different beliefs, Ohio Stadium brings them all together. No matter how many differences the fans have, they all have one thing in common; and that is the pride of being a Buckeye.

Buffy - Primary Source 2

For my second primary source, I am once again looking at the pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This topic however, does not represent a single scene from the episode, but a trend that occurs throughout it as a whole; A trend that we see all across the country among teens. The trend is teenagers doing whatever they can to be accepted and fit in at school and with their peers. For example, when Buffy is getting ready to go to the dance club, she holds up two outfits and tries to decide what to wear. She decides to go with an outfit that she does not necessarily feel comfortable in. She chooses to wear an outfit that she refers to as “slutty” because she wants to be noticed by her peers and accepted. Later in the episode, one of Buffy’s friends (Willow), who is usually a nice and quiet girl, changes the way she acts around people in an attempt to be noticed. She approaches a boy, which is not in her character, just to try and get him to like her. As soon as they start talking, the boy asks her to leave the club with him, and against her better judgment, she does it, just so that she looks “cool” and people don’t make fun of her for being boring or strange. People changing who they are and doing things that they don’t feel comfortable doing in order to be accepted by their peers is a huge problem, especially in this country, that is having a very negative impact on our teen population.

MIKE'S FIRST PRIMARY SOURCE

For my first primary source, I decided to choose the scene from Buffy the Vampire Slayer in which Buffy is talking to the librarian and decides to once again take on her responsibility as the vampire slayer. Up until this point, Buffy was “retired” and was just trying to be a normal high school girl. However, when she is at the dance club, she sees her friend go off with a vampire, she decides to take action. She pushes aside her own selfish wants (being a normal girl and not fighting vampires) and decides to become the slayer again for the betterment of her community and to help keep her new friends safe. This was probably the most important scene in the episode because it shows the internal conflict in Buffy and the classic confrontation of good versus evil, right versus wrong, and selfishness versus selflessness.

I don't like blogger

So this will be the second time I write this because the first time (right after I hit submit) it kicked me off. Anyways, I found the article "But She Was Naked" to be fairly interesting. I think that it is very true how seduction can be both beneficial and detrimental. For women especially, seduction means power. Women are able to get almost anything they want through seduction, and this can be seen in "Our Mrs. Reynolds". In this episode, Saffron is able to get what she wants through seduction. She uses seduction in a dark way, trying to hurt others through it. However, it can also be used for good, as Inera shows through her "unique" work. She is able to use seduction to make men feel important and loved, which is oftentimes tough to do.

Firefly Blog 2

So I thought that this episode of Firefly hit home on more of a deep level than the first one did, especially with the captain. As I said in an earlier blog, I felt that the captain was kind of putting on an act and portraying himself as a hard and cold individual to cover up a softer side that he has deep down. At least from this episode, it appears as though this hypothesis was correct. We see the softer side of the captain in the scene in which Saffron is seducing the captain in his bedroom. Instead of standing his ground and continuously pushing her away, as he does when the crew is around, he lets down his guard some and allows her to get close to him and kiss him. I think that this scene was very important because it shows the caring and soft side of the captain that we don't get to see in the first episode. This episode just makes me wonder if the captain is going to begin to show who he really seems to be deep down or if he will continue to portray himself as the emotionless leader of the ship.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Important Scene

So I just finished watching the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I have to admit, it was better than I expected. I felt as though the writers did a great job grabbing the viewer’s attention and keeping it throughout the entire episode. In this episode, Buffy just moved into a new town and is trying to start over. While she is at school, she talks to the librarian about her “unique talent” that she has, which is slaying vampires. During their conversation, she tells him that she did not choose to be this way and that he has no idea how much it has cost her. She then proceeds to tell him that she is retired, and won’t be trying to go out and find vampires to kill. This conversation sets up another very important scene that occurs later in the episode, when Buffy is at a local club. At the club, she is once again talking to the librarian. However, this time, we see a change in Buffy. When she sees one of her friends go off with a suspected vampire, she decides to take action. She goes after her friend, and takes it upon herself to once again protect the citizens of the town against vampires. I felt that this was such an important scene because we see a dramatic change in the main character. In this scene, Buffy goes from the girl who is just trying to be normal and fit in and have nothing to do with being a vampire slayer to someone who is taking responsibility for the welfare of others. I enjoyed this episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer immensely and will definitely watch this show again, especially if we get to choose another scifi television show to watch for class.

Buffy Article

I found the article “High School is Hell” to be very insightful. I personally found it amazing how deep Buffy the Vampire Slayer actually is. I have never watched the show before, but after reading this article, I think that it will probably be the scifi show that I choose to watch tonight. I think that this article was interesting because it not only talked about the use of metaphor in the show, but gave specific examples. It is truly incredible how through the use of metaphors one can make the unreal seem even more realistic than real life is. I am personally a huge fan of finding the irony in situations, and after reading this article, it seems that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is full of irony. I am very excited to begin watching this television show for myself.

I like Sci Fi...

It may be difficult for some people to admit, but I personally am a huge fan of science fiction. I enjoy both reading it and watching it on television. I find it fascinating and exciting to learn about the unknown and being free to develop my own opinions and ideas about controversial subjects. Like I said, I enjoy reading about and viewing science fiction television shows. My favorite science fiction television show would have to be Ghost Hunters. I think that the most appealing part of this show and science fiction in general is the fact that they deal with the unknown, the unbelievable, the supernatural, and the paranormal. These subjects are open to interpretation in almost every possible way, which makes science fiction even more exciting. Everyone can make their own opinions about science fiction and not be wrong. Because of this, there are an infinite number of ideas out there dealing with science fiction. I find just as much enjoyment in listening to the opinions of others as I do in making and expressing my own beliefs. The ambiguity and mystery involved with science fiction are what attract me most to this unique subject.

Serenity Review

So before this class, I had never heard of the show "Firefly". I have watched some sci fi television shows and movies before, and I must say that this one was not too disappointing. I was impressed by the characterization of everyone in the show. I especially liked the captain's character. My favorite trait of the captain is how strong of a leader he is. I noticed right away how he seems to take control of most situations and never is afraid to speak his mind. It was also amazing how much his crew respected him, even though he is always barking out orders to them. However, the captain seems to be hiding a more compassionate side. The only reason I say this is because on the outside, he appears to be cold and rough, but when it comes to his crew, he is very protective. I think that maybe later in the series he may reveal a more sensative side.
Although I did enjoy the show for the most part, I found some parts to be predictable and disappointing. At some points, this show seemed to be trying to be like "Star Trek" or even some of the "Star Wars" movies. For example, the captain had many similarities to the "Star Wars" character, Han Solo. Both are smugglers (space pirates) and have many similar personality traits, like their apparent love for money, and devotion to their crew and ship. I was also a bit disappointed with the last fight scene, as I was hoping that it would involve the Alliance, rather than a group of people that were introduced at the very end of the show.
Despite a few minor complaints about the show, I enjoyed it and will definately watch more of it in the future.

Ps-I did feel like the country/western background music throughout the whole show fit the setting very well, but that's just my opinion.

Mike DePauw

Hi everyone. My name is Mike DePauw. I am a freshman this year and am in your English 110 class. I am studying Business Finance and am planning on going to Law School after I graduate. I grew up in Strongsville, Ohio, which is located near Cleveland, Ohio. I attended Strongsville High school and graduated among 670 students. In high school, I was pretty involved. I was a captain of the varsity hockey team as well as the captain of the tennis team. Also, I was an instructor for the Special Olympics Learn-To-Skate program at our local ice rink and a volunteer at Southwest General Health Center. I am a pretty laid back person, but am focused on what I want. I am also looking forward to this year and meeting new people.