Summers Here

Normally when finals are over it takes a while for the fact that summer is finally here to set in. However, when the second the bell rang at 11:30 the feeling of summer hit me faster than a fastball at Wrigley Field, which is where I plan on spending many days during this most glorious season of the year. The energy of summer cannot be matched by an other season. Sure people say that spring is a time of rebirth but summer is after you have been born so all that is left to do is live. It seems that everybody is at their best when it is summertime; skin gets tanner, hair gets blonder, and smiles spread like wildfire. I have always been a summer person and have had a hard time getting through long cold winters. This year was no exception. At certain times I thought that winter would never end, but ultimately having that brutal winter made summers long awaited appearance all the more sweet. So as I sit here today looking ahead at the 3 glorious months ahead of me and I cant wait for them to begin.

America Taking a Step Forward

America Taking a Step Forward

I see American soldiers putting up a solar panel

Wearing hats and shades and the backs of a camel

They all look interested in this new source of energy

Hoping Mother Nature will accept our apology

I wonder why it has taken us so long

To come to the conclusion that our system is flawed

Our country runs on oil but it’s drying up

Soon there won’t be enough to fill a sippie cup

Our nation is progressing but is it too late?

Will there be enough time to clean up that slate?

(This image is great because it relates to what we have studied about the American military and where it is going)

When I came across this image I immediatly knew that it was the one I wanted to use because it mixed together two concepts that have been thrown in my face all year, not just in AIS, but in my every day life. These two concepts are The military and the environment. Many people have this view of the military as this huge expensive production that is too busy to care about little things like the environment. So to see soldiers putting up a solar panel was refreshing to say the least. I was also quite taken with this image because of the environment presentation I saw on American Studies day. The presentation had great information and incredible images of the progress that we are making as an entire planet. So these soldiers putting up the solar panel are not just representing the progression of America, they are also representing the progression of the world. 

American Flag

I took many different pictures of old glory, but I was most taken by this photo because of where the flag is situated on the house. I took multiple pictures of flags that were hanging outside of houses and most of them were hung right over the door. However, this particular flag is proudly waving high up in the air on the second floor. The flag makes a bold statement that draws the person viewing the house in. Obviously, whoever hung the flag has at least some love for their country. Not only are they hanging up a flag, but to hang it up in a spot where it is the focal point of the front of the house, shows not only that they feel something for their country, but that they want others to feel it too. It is always refreshing to know that there are patriots out there because too often America is spoken of negatively.

Game 4

Today, I was lucky enough to be able to witness the fourth game of the playoff series between the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics. It was an incredible game that went into double overtime, and even though they were favored to lose the Bulls came out victorious. While I was in the United Center I was completely consumed with the game. The sight of Derrick Rose weaving through defenders to slam the ball in the basket, the sound of the thousands of cheering fans reverberating off the walls, it was an amazing game. Afterwards, as I was driving home with my Dad, I came to the realization that even though I have been doing copious amounts of research on how athletes do many bad things that destroy their image as role models, I still look up to athletes. I cannot help it. Every human being wants to see some form of perfection, and the players in the NBA have achieved athletic perfection. They are ten times faster, stronger, and more agile than the average American and it is amazing to watch. I am aware of all the bad things that NBA players have done, but once I stepped through the doors of the United Center I forgot everything because I was simply there to enjoy a basketball game. Therefore, I can see now that it's not that we as a nation give professional athletes special treatment due to their profession, it is that we love to watch them play so much that our subconscious just looks the other way.

First Good News, Then Bad

This morning while I was checking my gmail inbox, which had been as baron as the Gobi desert for the past 3 days, I saw that I finally received some positive feed back for an interview for my paper. I sent out emails to over 20 people, but I still wasn't sure if anyone would email me back because these days people are very busy and they might not have the time to help out some high schooler with his junior theme. However, I recently learned that my potential interview subject, Tribune Writer Melissa Isaacson, got fired due to large cutbacks in the writing department. This scares me because I know if I had just gotten fired I wouldn't want to answer a bunch of questions about my former job. I do not see this as a failure though. This interview will live on. I'm sure that Melissa was very gracious about her termination, and I know that she has the talent to get a new job very quickly, so I will still try and set up an interview. The thoughts and feelings of a seasoned sports writer for the Tribune are too precious to my paper to give up.

A good thesis

Originally all I was worrying about was whether or not I had a good why question, but now I have shifted my focus onto worrying about whether or not my thesis is good. Asking the question is one thing, but coming up with an answer to that question is a completely different story. My question is, "why is it that we see athletes as role models?" So I didn't know if my thesis should focus more on the psychology behind the perception of athletes as role models, or if I should try to focus more on how athletes have done things that cause them to no longer be athletes. Since the junior theme is such a big essay, obviously the thought of having a less than perfect thesis is scary, due to the fact that your thesis is probably the most important part of your essay. So I have been contemplating what will make my thesis perfect and I have almost come up with it, but it still needs some work. Good luck to all those other writers out there because lord knows I need some luck.

Topics?

I never thought that it would be so difficult to find a junior theme topic that I not only was passionate about, but that also fit the correct criteria. The first road block is that every student must have a why question. I know I speak for all inquisitive words when I say, "who, what where when must be very offended." So many of my amazing questions where not started off with the word why. However, its not a problem that an accomplished, crafty and dashing writer like me cant get over. The funs not over yet though. Now the author of the junior theme must make sure that his/her question and thesis are not bias so that they do not wrongfully lead the reader into their opinionated death traps. Nevertheless, the main issue that I am dealing with is that even if I know that I have a good why question that is un-bias, I still don't know if my topic is perfect. Every student at new trier knows how important the junior theme is, so what could possibly be scarier than writing an entire paper on the wrong topic (That just sent chills up everyone who is reading this blogs spin didn't it?) So as you can probably tell, I have many concerns regarding the junior theme, so if anyone would like to give me a few pointers or any help at all it would be greatly appreciated.

Cropping photograph/Jesus parralel

Our discussion today in class about the cropping of the picture in "Soiling of Old Glory" really intrigued me. One might think the the simple act of cutting out a section of a photograph would be such an insignificant act that no one would care. However, the amputation the photograph went threw stirred up a heated discussion that nearly the entire class participated in. Was the photographer honest in cropping the photo or was he pulling a fast one on the American people and not telling the whole story. I personally believe that the photograph is the property of Stanly Foreman (the photographer) and if he decided that cropping the photograph was the best way to express himself through his art, than he has every right to do so. Nevertheless, by far the most interesting part of the discussion was when we took a closer look at the stance of the man being assaulted by the stars and stripes. He was hunched over with his arms up, his left leg was bent, and he was being stabbed. Obviously, this is shockingly similar to the sight of Jesus on the cross. thought that something like that can be caught on film, thus becoming immortal sends chills through my spin. At first I didn't think much of it, but throughout the day the image of that man being assaulted with the symbol of our great nation kept popping back into my head. Evantualy I came to the realization that not only did the man have a shocking resemblance to Jesus, but he had a similar dilemma. Christians believe that Jesus died for our sins, thus sacrificing himself for the good of his people. In a way the man in the photo is a sacrifice too. After this photo hit the news tands there was an uproar in the black community and many white people were coming to the conclusion that this violence against african americans has gotten out of control. Im not saying that what happened was good in any way shape or form. It is just a very peculiar parralel.

Your Welcome America

Over the weekend HBO had a special live showing of Will Ferrel's smash hit Broadway show in titled "Your Welcome America A Final Night With George W. Bush." The comedic icon plays the former president George W. Bush. Anyone who has a sense of humor and watches SNL knows the hilarious Bush impression that Ferrel does. Ferrel's impression might not be as spot on as the so called funny man frank caliendo (hes not funny). However, the "Anchorman" star puts his own little spin on the ex commander and chief that is utterly irresistible. He creates this character in Bush that enables the audience to see him as this over privileged dim wit who always has a good time due to some form of blind confidence. Complete with the Texas accent and infamous glare Ferrel's Bush is so funny that it is difficult to know where will Ferrel ends and George Bush begins. I enjoyed this progrom not only because I am a huge fan of the comedian, but also because it gives me faith in America. Many people take for granted all of the freedoms we have concerning free speech. A person could not get away with making fun of a government official on this grand a scale in some other countries. So I know this is a tough time for many Americans, but just keep solace in the fact that we are still allowed to enjoy great shows like "Your Welcome America."     

Rushmore

Last week when I was home sick I watched one of my all time favorite movies, Director Wes Anderson's "Rushmore." Wes Anderson has made other great movies like "The Royal Tenenbaums" "Bottle Rocket" and "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou." Obviously, this was not my first time watching Rushmore, so to say that I enjoyed watching the film even more this time would be a lie. However, on this certain day I was able to view the film on a completely different level, due to something I read on the inside of the DVD case. While I was perusing the inside of the case I came across a little bit of literature on the making of "Rushmore." The significance of the literature was that it draws a direct connection from "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to "Rushmore."
This is what I found and I hope that whoever reads this blog will feel the urge to rent Rushmore not only because it is a hilarious movie, but also because of what it means in regards to Huckleberry Finn.
"The title of Wes Anderson's Rushmore refers to the ivy-covered prep school attended by the films central character, Max Fisher [Jason Schwartzman]. Max, with his bushy eyebrows and imposing glasses , loves his school beyond reason and is Rushmore's number one go-getter-editor of the school paper, president of the French club, organizer of the calligraphic society, proud member of the wrestling team. He is also, as the headmaster notes, "one of the worst students we've got." In his eagerness to succeed, Max is failing. It is his one character flaw, and the organizing principle of a profoundly American comedy in the direct tradition of Huckleberry Finn.
Mark Twain used his adolescent hero to provide an outsider’s viewpoint on a rapidly stratifying American society, a republican dream pulling apart into divisions of age, income and race. Rushmore is also about class divisions—Max, the son of the local barber (Seymour Cassel), is attending the exclusive school on a scholarship—but Anderson and co-writer Owen Wilson, more wishful thinkers than Twain, use comedy to imagine the healing of those divisions, the reweaving of relationships across the lines of class and generation.

Your own raft

In Huckleberry, Mark Twains rights about the raft that Jim and Huck share as this Utopia where everything is at peace and life is great. Life on land is chaotic and perplexing, but on the raft, floating down the river everything makes sense. I found this very interesting because it got me to thinking that pretty much everybody has their own place much like the raft. A place where somebody can just be theirself and calm everything down for a while. As teenagers, many things get us flustered, so it is important to have such a place. For me, there is nothing better than sitting in my room, listening to music, starring at the posters on my wall and reflecting on my past 24 hours. Plastered all over the walls of my room is album artwork and posters of my favorite bands. Perhaps Huck wouldn't like Foo Fighters if he were around today, but I can guess that being in nature is just as calming for Huck as being in my room is for me.

Home Alone...... with my parents

Today during dinner tonight my mother pointed something out that gave me a deep chill throughout my whole body. She said that my brother Quinn was going to be gone pretty soon and I better get used to the idea of being the only kid in the house. I grew up with three very loud and very rambunctious older brothers who always made it easy for me to go along unbothered because my parents were busy worrying about them. However, now that I am the only child left in our house I know that I will get more unearned attention than Paris Hilton. Every little thing I will do will be the story of the week and I will have a catastrophic overflow of questions on a daily basis. Im not saying that I don't love my parents but like most teenagers I can get very grouchy and if on one of these bad days I don't feel like answering any questions and my folks poke the bear, I don't know what's gonna happen. I hope that I am making mountains out of mole hills and I guess there will be no way of knowing what it will be like until my bro Quinn leaves in the fall. I just hope that I will learn to embrace all of the attention and that my parents will figure out that sometimes teenagers just need to be silent.      

ACT; Absolutely Can't Take it

There is not a single person on the face of the earth who enjoys taking standardized tests. The uneasy sleep the night before, the constant anxiety over not finishing a section in time and the hand cramps from filling in bubble after bubble. There is nothing positive about the experience until eight weeks later when you find out the results (granted that your results are something to feel positive about) and by that time the ordeal has been wiped from your memory as if you witnessed a horrific car accident so your brain just deletes it from the desktop or your mind. I'm saying all of this because on Saturday I was lucky enough to be able to drive down to ETHS and take the ACT. Fortunately I was not the only one who is lazy and didn't sign up fast enough to take the test at New Trier, so there were quite a few Trevians in Wildkit territory. However, the night before when I thought I was to be the only one in E-Town, the thought of being alone in a school that I am not accustomed to just added to my stress that I would get a low score. I have always been an over thinker and that translates to a poor test taker. I read the questions to many times and the passages to slow, and I second guess myself more than Elliot Reed. Therefore, whenever it is time for good ole Zack-e-boy to take an important test I am always less than thrilled. I don't like the idea that a large part of the descision that goes into whether or not a person gets into the college they want on based on one day of testing. There are so many brilliant kids out there who get great grades, but don't do as well on the ACT and SAT as kids who pull in C's and B's because they are lazy. I guess what I am trying to say is that I know the system sucks, but we all have to accept it because it's not going to change any time soon. So what if your ACT score is not the best. If you work hard you will end up in the right college.

Looking through the Myth of Rosa Park's

After reading the article on Rosa Park's and through our class discussions I feel that I would much rather believe in the original story of Rosa Parks, or the myth as some would say. When I was in elementary school and we first started talking about the civil rights movement and what minorities had to go through long before I was born, everyone knew the story of Rosa Park's. A tale of great courage that an old working class black woman stood up, or should I say sat down, against the injustice that all black people had to sit in the back of the bus and decided that she was tired and she was not going to give up her seat. I was always very intrigued by this bit of history because I got the impression that this spontaneous act of civil disobediance by this one woman symbolized that all of the tired working class black people had had enough. Therefore, when I learned that Rosa Parks was actually a civil rights activist and that her stunt was pre-meditated, I was kind of disappointed. Granted it is nice to know the complete story, I find that the story I was orignally told had a larger effect on me because it was more mythical. Rosa Parks was a hero nonetheless, but when I tell my children this story I think I'll keep the myth alive. 

Finals

Everyday as finals get closer and closer I can tell that people are getting extremely stressed out. Since it is junior year our grades our very important, because of that fact many New Trier students are feeling the full weight of our semester exams on their shoulders. Never before have I seen the library so packed every period of the day. It is interesting to see kids who normally just go to the scrounge or play four square during their free period actually studying. The problem is that some kids are taking their stress and frustration from finals too far. On several occasions I have witnessed students snap on one another due to that stress. I understand that our finals are important, but I am trying hard not to let the stress get to me. I just hope that everyone will take a second to catch their breath and remember that it is ok to take a break every once in a while.

New Year

I believe in new years resolutions and that it is important to try and improve your life. However when that clock strikes midnight and everybody cheers, you are the exact same person you were a minute ago. Just because it is a new year, that doesn't mean that you will be any smarter or stronger, the only thing that a person can hope for is that they are more driven. The only problem is that a year is a long time and it is very difficult to keep those promises you make to yourself. Maybe in the month of January we will all keep our resolutions, but as time goes on it is safe to say that we will all break those resolutions at least once. So this year I say don't make any resolutions. All anybody can do is live their life and try to accomplish what you want not because it is a new year, but because it is what you want.