Wandering Eyes

Wandering eyes.

The pressure to succeed leads to this.

Passing notes.

Whispering secrets of great writers 

and founding fathers.

Watching the time tick by

as they peek at others.

There are no innocents in this great sea of people.

We have all been the victim or the criminal.

Both in the wrong.

The guilt disappears for

Success.

Approval.

Glory.

But why does Integrity
s
  l
    i
      p
our minds?

The Ultimate Gift Wrapping Guide

The present I wrapped for my sister's birthday party this weekend. This is a basic pom-pom bow. The ribbon and paper are from the Container Store.

So... I love wrapping presents. It brings out my artsy side. I probably dedicate more time to gift wrapping than I should. I think of myself as an expert gift wrapper, or at least I did until this year. My mom started working part time at the Container Store which has an amazing annual "Gift Wrap Wonderland." This year my mom helped set up the "Gift Wrap Wonderland" and she came home and taught me how to make some cool bows. The Container Store has a wonderful guide on how to wrap presents and make professional-looking bows. I suggest that you check it out. My sister just turned 4, and she loved the pom-pom bow on her birthday present. She kept it and pinned it to her dress.

Me @ the Zoo

Me @ the Zoo is a documentary about YouTube star Chris Crocker, who you may remember from his "Leave Britney Alone!" video in 2007*. This documentary was released on June 25, 2012 on HBO. I arbitrarily chose this documentary to watch from the selection available On Demand, because I personally didn't know much about him.

Courtesy of Tumblr.

Once I started watching the documentary, I remembered hearing about him in the 4th grade after he made the video defending his idol Britney Spears.

The documentary seamlessly incorporates Crocker's own YouTube and Myspace videos into present-day interviews with Crocker.

The story follows Crocker starting in the early 2000s when his videos on Myspace never received views. In the film, Crocker says that the videos served as an outlet for him to openly talk about being gay in a very close-minded town. This was very hard for me to grasp, because Maryland (and especially the Blair community) is very accepting of the LGBT community.

"It's a hairflip." was one of Crocker's
popular sayings. 

When YouTube first came out, it gave Chris a way to become a star. His videos were suddenly receiving thousands of views, and many other YouTubers were imitating his catch phrases that graced each video.

The documentary delves into Crocker's relationship with his mom throughout her time in Iraq and her post-war drug abuse.

The film has underlying messages about acceptance and the importance of family. It also critiques the world's view of the LGBT community as a whole.

I gave Me @ the Zoo 3.5 stars because it was a very touching documentary that I believe will resonate with any viewer. I did not think it deserved more than 3.5 stars due to the vast amount of repetitiveness throughout the documentary.

Below if the official trailer of Me @ the Zoo courtesy of HBO.com. More information about Me @ the Zoo may be found here.

"Me @ the Zoo" is rated TV-MA for nudity, adult content, and adult language. It is 90 minutes long.


*This video may be found on YouTube, however a link is not provided due to the language in the video.

Never Forget; A Girl's Death Causes Students to Seek Safer Streets

I wrote a narrative for The Montgomery Count Student called Never Forget; A Girl's Death Causes Students to Seek Safer Streets. 

The Infinite Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the best books I have ever read! Everyone can relate to Charlie as he struggles through high school. I can especially relate to how lost he feels at times. He strives to be a good friend, but he is either too much of a people-pleaser or too honest.

He is called a wallflower. He is always there, and he notices everything. Through a series of letters to a mysterious "friend," Charlie tells of his adventures during his freshmen year in high school. Charlie's problems are real and relatable-- losing a friend and a family member, trying to fit in, trying to stand out, finding a balance, finding his place.

Though this book is set in 1991-1992, it is infinite in every sense of the word. (This will make more sense once you read the book.)

This is not only a book of self- discovery, but an in-depth criticism of our society. I would go more in-depth, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I HIGHLY recommend it!

If you enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, give this a read!

View all my reviews

RO$$ $$$$$$$$: Poem: The Color Blue

This poem is really funny. Ross has some great posts. Check out his blog!

RO$$ $$$$$$$$: Poem: The Color Blue: The Color Blue A Masterpiece By Ross Blue, Blue, O wonderful blue The color of the sky The color of the ocean The color... of ...

Do You, Papa?

Errands, he says.
Practice, he says.
Busy, he says.

Too busy for your little girl, papa?
Too busy to see her?
When you haven't seen her in a month?

I can't, he says.
Why not? she says.
Because, he says.

Too busy to care?
Too busy for your first-born?
Too busy for your illegitimate child?

Do you love me papa?

Why do you ask such silly questions, girl?

Because I'd like to know papa.
I'd like to know because you've never told me.

A hug once a year, papa.
That's all the love you've shown.
They try to tell me that it's your way
But I've seen the way that you look at them.

The way you look at your second and third.
Your real son and daughter.
The look of affection
I've never received from you
and I long for it every day.

The Blissful Leaves Whisper

I based my title for the Capture the Fall project off a poem called "Fall, leaves, fall" by Emily Brontë. In my video, I had a few shots of a fire in my backyard. Fire embodies fall for me because I always build fires on camping trips and make s'mores. I also included shots from road trips this year. One of my favorite things to do is look out of the window and pick out my favorite trees during autumn. I also think that autumn can be a dreary time. It is when the weather turns cold and flowers die. That is why my music is slow. I think it embodies my overall autumn mood. The burning leaf at the end symbolizes the death of nature, and the brighter last shot through the rear-view mirror symbolizes new beginnings.

I shot the footage with my iPhone and my Nikon Coolpix S3000. I edited the clips on WeVideo, which I still do not like as much as Final Cut Pro. I used some effects on the videos, and I played with the color in some of the shots from my road trip.

The Game of Life

"Object:
Collect money and LIFE Tiles,
and have the highest dollar amount
at the end of the game."

Is that what we strive for?
Collect.
Is that what we live for?
Money.
Is that what we yearn for?
Highest.
Is that what we die for?
End of the game.

School's Out...Still SO Stressed Out!

Graphic by Jessica Li, SAC Press Secretary

I co-wrote a feature article about first quarter stress for Student Advisory Council. Check it out!

Out with the Old... In with the New

It's the end of the presidential campaigns, and I know I will be anxiously watching the TV later tonight with our election predictions in hand. What you might not know is that it is the beginning of the SMOB campaigns! I am running for Student Member of the Board for the 2013-2014 school year! I just released my Facebook page on Sunday. I'm really excited to run, and I hope to bring a new perspective to the Board of Education. Check out my Facebook page for details about my platform and some questions that I answered from MCPS students.

Sandystorm

Sandy. A storm of the physical sense.

A storm the reporters obsess over.

The largest since 1988.

I’m not particularly concerned.

The real storm is in my head.

A homework hurricane.

A “how-can-I-possibly-do-this?!” cyclone.

A storm of epic proportions.

A gale that blows my mind.

A tempest-like tornado of topsy-turvy twists and turns.

A windstorm of work, work, work.

An exercise elevated.

A blizzard of busywork.

A stress-induced racket in my head

That I can’t seem to catch a break from.

How much is too much?

If the wind is blowing 75 miles per hour

And you can’t handle it?

How big will this Sandy-storm get

Before people start dying

Of sleep-deprivation, stress, and sorrow?

I don’t know.

But I won’t let myself be concerned anymore.

I’m tracking this storm,

Making a plan and preparing for the power outages

And the aftermath that is sure to follow.

Milena's Blog: Redemption Songs

This is actually one of the coolest posts I've read yet!
"Milena's Blog: Redemption Songs:      The funniest things happen to you on the Metro. I guess its just one of those places where the unexpected should be expected. Or maybe ..."

The Vote: Push for SMOB Voting Rights Still Going Strong

Last night I attended a Student Advisory Council meeting. This organization is headed by the Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) John Mannes. Its purpose is to have a focus group of MCPS middle and high school students to evaluate youth-related issues in the county. 

One of the topics on the agenda was SMOB Voting Rights. For those of you who don't know, the SMOB is a voting member on the Board of Ed, but he/she cannot vote on the budget. We are trying to change this. Last year our bill got all the way to the MD State Senate, but it never got put to a vote due to a senator making special orders to postpone the it.

So this year we we are getting organized. We have created a two year plan in which we will lobby for SMOB voting rights to PT(S)As and hold candidate forums. We also plan to get more support within the Senate by talking to the person who will take Senator Brian Frosh's seat (he must give it up because he is running for Attorney General).

I have high hopes for the future of SMOB voting rights. Hopefully the work that I contribute to this initiative will pay off by 2014.

To get more information from the SMOB, like SMOB 365 on Facebook and/or visit http://mocostudent.org/

Homecoming...TBH

Homecoming 2011

Homecoming 2012

Homecoming. The word everyone is so obsessed with for the entire month of October. What am I going to wear? Who am I getting ready with? Who am I going to ask? What time should we arrive (because if you arrive too early, you run the risk of being "too eager")?

Why is everyone so obsessed? I guess it's because this is the high school formal dance that you watch in your favorite 80's movie. You put yourself in Molly Ringwald's shoes and you just have to make the perfect dress that will show the popular boy just how much you're worth. You picture yourself as a Teen Witch who dreams of being popular. Unfortunately, that reality only exists in the movies.

Blair's Homecoming is over-hyped. Those of us sophomores through seniors know this. However, the freshman aren't clued in.

Last year I must admit I had my dress picked out the month before. I knew exactly how I wanted my hair, my shoes, and my night to go. When I arrived at the dance, I was disappointed. No one else was taking it this seriously. How embarrassing. In protest of the way things were, I decided not to dance and I sat down or stayed out of the way for the majority of the night.

One major factor to my boredom at Homecoming last year was also due to the fact that I didn't know anyone but the people in CAP Blue Group.

This year I still planned ahead--I can't help it-- but I went to homecoming with no expectations of how the night would go.

I ended up having more fun this year than I did last year. I danced, and it was fun. I talked to my friends, and it was great... despite the fact that my feet died around 10:30 from my not-yet-broken-in red heels.

County Council Youth Town Hall

Last night I attended the Montgomery County Council Youth Town Hall Meeting-- a forum where students in Montgomery County have the opportunity to directly address County Council members about youth-related issues. I attended as a Press Correspondent of the Student Advisory Council, run by Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) John Mannes, and a Public Relations General Deputy of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association.

I expected to only see my friends in SGA at the meeting, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a group of students from Burtonsville Elementary School, as well as members of the Gandhi Brigade, S.T.E.P. (of the MoCo Recreation Department), and even a MoCo resident who attends a private school in Virginia. It was great to see such a diverse group of students present at the meeting, though it was a decrease from the approximately 400 last year to this year's 100. Despite the small turnout, council member Valerie Ervin was "impressed that [we] decided to participate."


The SMOB, John Mannes, kicked off the Q&A with a very complex question about the county's allocated funds for education. Though the council insisted that they exceeded maintenance of effort levels, Mannes showed proof that the "local funding of public education is down ten percent in the last decade."

A Student Advisory Council Press Correspondent brought up another large issue. The Shady Grove Bus Depot may be removed and north county school buses will have to be stored in school parking lots. This would potentially cause a morning parking lot traffic problem and limited parking spaces for the schools' night time events. The Council politicked their way out of the question. President Roger Berliner was also condescending towards the young lady who asked the question.

Concerned students also asked the council questions about the achievement gap and support for minority students. Council member Valerie Ervin, a former Board of Education member, stated, "The socioeconomic future of our country depends on [the success of Latinos and African Americans]."

The Youth Town Hall was a great opportunity to discuss important issues with the County Council; however, it would have been more effective if they had answered questions honestly.

What a Father Should Be

My Dad and Me

What should a father be?

He should be dependable and strong.

Strong as a mountain bashed by a determined wind

What should a father be?

He should be supportive and caring.

Caring as the sun who rises to please Mother Nature

What should a father be?

He should be confident and courageous.

Courageous as a knight defending his princess from a deathly dragon

What should a father be?

He should be responsible and selfless.

Selfless as the rain that pours down to nourish the earth

But my father, he is none of these things.

He is as weak as the pebble that is tossed in the wind.

He is as distant as the cold, dark moon.

He is as fearful as the man who runs from the dragon.

He is as selfish as a drought,

A drought that takes and takes again, but gives nothing in return.

But my father is slowly learning

Like a young child being taught manners for the first time.

He will fail and make little attempt to repair the broken ties.

Progress is progress

And I should be thankful for it.

But being thankful is hard

After being scarred for so long.

And all that I can do

Is try to forgive.

Perfection is Unity: The Persuation of Propaganda

My group's film is set in 2032 in a world where grades are everything. Everyone in the film is convinced that in order to have a "perfect" life, they must get above a 5.0 GPA. Our propaganda poster is a picture of Julia, the figurehead of the school, is the epitome of of perfection. The slogan "Perfection is Unity" is included on the poster to make students feel equal and encourage them to get good grades.

5x5 Video: Girls Having Fun at Camp!

Clips
1. Girl smiling
2. Girl kicking soccer ball
3. Girl kicking soccer ball
4. Girl singing
5. High five!

To create my 5x5, I used the camera on my iPhone. It was difficult to capture the clips because I wanted to film two of the girls that I babysit, and they move around... a lot. I edited my video using WeVideo. I encountered problems while editing because the editor would not allow me to cut my clips down to exactly 5 seconds. 

I am not completely satisfied with my 5x5. I could have thought more about the shot angles, but I did manage to portray the joy of the little girls in my video.

For our next independent video challenge, I think that it would be fun to film an experiment in our science classes. It would also be fun to film someone during a class and create a commentary using voice overs of what they are thinking. This could be a fun and whimsical project!

The Hunger Games Trailer Critique

The Hunger Games. Gary Ross. PG-13. 2012.
In the post-apocalyptic country of Panem, 12 districts each send a boy and a girl to fight to the death in a gladiator-style arena. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) takes the place of her younger sister and vows to show the country that they do not have to bend to the demands of the Capitol.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfmrPu43DF8

The Hunger Games trailer is exemplary because it develops the basis for the dystopia and the protagonist through film clips and words, editing techniques, and style. The clips used in the movie trailer develop the plot and leave the audience understanding the plot even if they have not read the book or seen the movie. The words "The Games Will Change Everyone" on the screen resonate with the audience and add a sense of mystery and intrigue to the film. Editing techniques are also used to enhance the effect of the trailer. The music that plays throughout the trailer builds on the excitement, and it finally ends during a countdown. Other cinematographic techniques such as camera shots also make the trailer more dramatic. There are close ups to emphasize the importance and drama of events. This trailer has a definite style that emphasizes the protagonist's personal development and the catalyst that triggers her quest for change. This trailer is truly exemplary because it uses these elements to make the audience interested in the premise and the protagonist.

Our group plans to use similar editing techniques to this trailer. We hope to use mostly the sound gathered during filming and some voice over. We also plan to use words strategically to build excitement. A good music choice is imperative to the success of our trailer. We want to use a similar technique to The Hunger Games trailer when the music builds to a climax and suddenly stops to emphasize a particular moment.

A.L.: Preparing Students to Learn Without us Article

A.L.: Preparing Students to Learn Without us Article:  Annotated Link: http://diigo.com/0sy4v Will Richardson's article, "Preparing Students to Learn Without Us" is a fascinating blog to me be...

Learning in a personal way

 I read the article Preparing Students to Learn Without Us which discusses new methods of learning for enjoyment, while also covering the school curriculum. I think that this is a great innovative idea! I like the author's differentiation between personalized and personal. Personal learning sounds amazing because it is "self-directed and self-selected according to the learner's own needs, preferences, and learning arrangements." I was surprised to find out that so few schools actually use this because it is so easily accessible. I hope to use the blog and social bookmarking in order to help me with my AP Biology and Honors Precalculus homework because I find those classes challenging. I can also use this new connected learning to explore my favorite part of Media/ Film Production-- acting!!!

How to Write Our Movie Reviews

I believe that we should write movie reviews that include at least two of the three aspects of film. In the movie review that I annotated, the author discussed all three, but put less emphasis on the cinematography. This is because she was writing a review for families. She emphasized the aspects that children would be more appreciative of. I think that this is very important when writing. We have to consider the audience in order to determine which of the three aspects we need to emphasize.

Introduction

Hi! My name is Christina, and I am a student in the Communication Arts Program. I am very excited to take Film this year. I would have to say that my favorite aspect of filmmaking is acting. I aspire to be a Broadway actress. Maybe after taking this course I will want to act in movies or TV shows. Some of my favorite projects in Studio last year include the project about the Technical Director called The Studio. I also enjoyed making a show open for Infoflow. I hope to use this blog to reflect on work in CAP and even for homework help.  

This little girl is excited about filmmaking, but she doesn't know how to approach it. This image is representative of me. I found the creative commons licensed image above on flickr.