What Hurts The Most

        This music video is very powerful and painful to watch. In the beginning it shows a young girl packing her clothes then breaking down and hitting her dad while telling him it's his fault. When i first watched this music video I thought she was just going to move out because her dad didn't want her to be with the one she loved. But as i got more and more into it i started to realize that there was a bigger tragedy going on. As you watch the video you see a young couple talking about their future. Then while he's driving away you see him getting into a car crash and that devastated the girl. Loosing a loved one is the worst pain that someone has to deal with. As i watched the music video i felt as if i could feel her pain. Nothing can cheer her up because no one was going to be able to bring him back to her. I can't imagine loosing someone you fell in love with and it all happening in a blink of an eye. Imagine not being able to hold them in your arms one last time. The words are also very strong because he is saying that she was so close but still not close enough to tell him how she really felt and to watch him disappear out of her life. You should always cherish your life and everyone around you because you never know when that last day will come.

Gallery

          This music video is about a girl who is with an unfaithful man who doesn't treat her the way she should be treated. But it is also her fault because she can't open her eyes and realize he doesn't want her for the right reasons. She also stays with this guy because of the money and all the things he can give her. What he is saying in the video is basically that she is too good for him and all the money in the world isn't worth getting treated like that, that she deserves better. He is also stating that she can be replaced anytime by him when he gets bored of her because he has so many more girls just like her. She knows that she deserves to be treated like a queen but she's just so used to him and all the money he has. This kind of makes her sound like a gold digger. It shouldn't be all about the money, money can't buy you happiness; Only love and being with the one who adores you can. When he says " You're just another priceless work of art in his gallery." He is saying that she basically is nothing to her because right when he finds someone better he will just leave her like there was nothing there.

Teacher-Dentist Qoute

                 

             It's always easier to blame others rather than to take responsibility for your own actions. In class we read a quote and it stated " We don’t blame dentist when we don’t brush properly and we get a cavity so why do we blame teachers when kids don’t pass because they don’t study?" Kids continuously blame their teachers for failing grades when in reality it's their fault for not putting enough effort or studying the material. In our society we tend to blame others for our own mistakes because it's always the easy way out. We don't realize it's our own fault we couldn't past that test when we had the tools and materials to succeed. As soon as we realize we are failing we point the finger at the people that were trying to help us the most. Even though it's our obligation to study it is also the teachers responsibility to teach us the correct information and guide us with the right equipments to study. Sometimes children can be to shy to ask a question because they feel as if their question isn't the appropriate one to ask, but it is their duty to step up and ask if they don't quite understand. When we are younger we tend to blame others but as we grow up we mature and realize it wasn't the teachers fault after all. It was our fault for choosing to not pay attention and mess around when we should have been focusing on the material that was being taught. It's an everyday thing like cleaning your teeth to maintain and keep them clean, the dentist can only guide you and teach you those steps, similar to how a teacher can simply give you notes to study from. It's your choice whether you take the advice into consideration or not. We should realize that we need to put all effort in and use all the help we can receive, that's how hard work will pay off. We have to learn how to deal with our actions and understand the consequences of either good or bad.

Diversity

            America is filled with diversity, it's a place where you can express yourself and live life however you desire. Alaa El-Saad is a young woman who is not afraid to be different and show her cultural background. Alaa was afraid to show her religion by wearing her hijab, because she thought she was going to get teased by her classmates. In the sixth grade she decided to stand up for herself and show the world that she is a unique individual. She decided that her hijab was a part of her and that she should flaunt it and be proud of her background. So many teens now a days are afraid to follow their beliefs. Every one wants to fit in and look like everyone else because they are intimidated by others opinions. No one should be afraid to show who they are or where they are from. Every step of your life builds your personality and makes you stand out to the rest of the world. Everyone should be proud of their religion not hide it because it represent who you are and your interests. America gives you the opportunity to have freedom and follow your dreams, so take advantage and be the person you want to be in life and not hold back.

Create Yourself (:

        In class we viewed a picture and it was a birds eye view of a red headed teenage boy. The boy was leaning forward on butcher paper with his legs crossing while holding a green pen in his left hand. He was drawing in his right heel by using cross hatching. The boy seems very concentrated in what he is doing. There are cracked letters on the bottom right corner and it says "Life is about creating yourself." This picture is very powerful because it seems that he is drawing himself in the way he wants to be seen by others. The words represent what he is doing because he is creating the person he wants to be in life. Creating yourself is sometimes difficult for people because it's always easier to follow others rather than standing out. He is drawing himself the way he wants to represent himself in the future and the characteristics he craves. When you create yourself, you're making an image of how you want to be seen by the rest of the world. You are being a unique individual rather than just fitting into the crowd. You attract others more when you are yourself because they see certain characteristics that others don't carry.

Doll Face

         You shouldn't have to change your appearance just to fit in. What happened to being original? What happened to standing out from the rest? In class we watched a short clip called doll face. It showed some type of mechanical girl coming out of a steel box and a TV in front of her. The TV showed the girl putting makeup on and the TV screen kept moving further and further away as the mechanical doll kept imitating it. This is showing how people are trying to be something they aren't by following what the media is saying or doing. The media can shape our identity because so many people want to be flawless like the people they see on TV. Pretending to be something you're not can harm you because people don't get to witness the real you. Everyone should be proud of their differences because it shapes who you really are, and makes them unique from the rest. When the TV gets to the point where the mechanical girl can't reach, she starts forcing herself to reach it until she finally breaks down. This is symbolizing that the desires people crave will eventually break you down because it's not who you really are. When you start to change yourself little by little, you get to the point where you are so used to it and you keeping wanting more and it's never enough. At the end of the video she is on the floor shattered into pieces and the TV slowly stops and starts facing the audience. The ending was very powerful because it's stating that we as an audience are in the same position as that girl was, and we also are in danger if becoming someone we aren't.

I am nobody's nigger .

   We watched a rap video in class called "I am nobody's nigger." by Dean Atta This video features young rappers expressing their emotions towards the word "nigger" and how it is being used. They are frustrated at how people are mis treating the word now adays. People use the tearm "nigger" as slang when others take it offensively. Dean Atta expresses how the word "nigger" isn't a word you can just throw around like it's nothing because it does cause harm to others. Back in the day the word "nigger" was used as basically calling African Americans useless; it was used as a racist saying. Before African Americans got lynched, they would get tortured and taunted by the word "nigger". I think he is trying to say that they fought so long and hard for that word to be removed and yet people still use it like it's the word to say. Now teenagers and even adults use the word "nigger" and think nothing of it. Many people that "nigga" and "nigger" have two different meanings. They argue that "nigaa"is just used as slang, calling someone "homie" or "fool" but "nigger" is offensive. I see it as they are both the same word just because you change the wording doesn't make it okay to say! Dean Atta points out how African American rappers use the word "nigger" in their raps as if it was just another word; he thinks it's wrong because they are going against their own race because back then African Americans would suffer from the usage of that word. Using the word "nigger"is obviously not appropriate because it's affecting many people out there and causing problems.

Stereotypes !

     Our society is filled with stereotypes but is that really the right way to look at things? To judge people off what you hear? In class we discussed this quote. The lady saying this is a Caucasian blonde and has a shocked expression on her face. There is one big stereotype about blondes and it is that they are often called dumb. When someone is being slow about a situation it is said as you're having a "blonde moment" Even the way they worded the quote and used the saying "OMG" is showing how she doesn't know anything about writing and being a writer because she is using poor grammar. They have a blonde saying that quote because it is something that's common sense and they are trying to portray it as if she doesn't understand. If they were to have drawn a lady with a different hair color or different skin type, I feel as if people would have viewed the quote in a completely different manner. They probably would have more sympathy for her which is wrong. Society has changed the views of others for the worse and has made us judgmental. It is not right to change our opinions on others off of what we hear and or read. It is a fact that not all blondes are dumb because there are many successful women that happen to be blonde. I don't think we should judge a book on its cover but learn that book and what it has to offer. Then make our own opinions on it not off what we see or hear.

Admittance to a Better Life

          It's never too late to change yourself for the better. If you believe in yourself and work hard towards your goals, nothing will be able to stop you. Michael Oatman is a former gang member who at some point of his life realized that the path he was taking wasn't what he wanted for himself. He started to focus more on his education and enroll back in school. By getting back in school he practically saved himself because he got out of the streets and kept himself for either ending up in jail or dead. Micheal thought he was a no good looser and wasn't good at anything, this is a feeling that we all face at some point of our lives an it's up to us whether we fight it off  or not. He was the one who decided to do something about it and discover what he was good at which was poetry. No matter what you do in life education is a key point, it's something that you need in order to succeed. You can always overcome a weakness with education, because it can always help you improve yourself by practice. Talent is something that exists within every human being, it's just up to you to figure out what that talent really is. No matter how hard life can get it's never a good thing to give up on something that you truly passionate about.

The Stranger

  

         When I began to read Sherman Alexies stanza i got the impression that a woman was going to be involved in some sort of trouble at the prison. He writes about a woman that switched her career from working in corporate law to teaching at a prison. Everyone thought that she was being foolish for making this decision but she was interested in educating those in need. People often have bad thinking on prisoners because of their past and how they tend to harm people. But many people have their own stories behind what they did, sometimes they even get falsely accused. People in jail have feelings just like everyone else in the world. They do appreciate and understand when someone is taking their time to try and educate them. Since people tend to be afraid of them because of their background, no one really tires to get to know them and help them find a better way in life. In the stanza it looks like the prisoners are about to do something quite horrible to the woman like rape, because they take her and put her in a box while telling her to remain quiet. In reality they are doing this to protect her because they know that a riot is about to occur. By putting her in there was the only way to protect her. Sometimes the people that come off as the most dangerous can be the ones that end up looking out for you the most. That was their way of showing her that they really do appreciate her giving her time up and teaching them poetry because not that many people believe in them or have the strength to try and help the prisoners improve their lifestyle. Teaching them poetry will help them be able to express their emotions, therefore they will release any bottled up anger they may have. I believe that she made a huge impact on the prisoners because not everyone is willing to teach them the beauty of poetry or take the time out and help people who have committed crimes to make something better of themselves.

Being "Special"

         

        

      David McCullough gave a commencement speech at Wellesley High School. I felt as if that speech was very eye opening to the fact that it's unfair how some people get things handed to them while others have to struggle and work hard to get acknowledged. When he states "You are not special" I think he is trying to motivate the students by letting them that you have to do better than everyone else and make yourself stand out to get noticed and achieve your goals. He is trying to say that graduating high school isn't enough, you have your whole life ahead of you so stand up and take charge and make yourself known so you can be "Special." When he mentions weddings and divorce, I believe that he is trying to prove a point that life has it's ups and downs but it's up to you to pull yourself up and keep working towards your goal. Life has many possibilities and it's up to you whether you succeed or you fail. When He says "Before you scatter to the winds; I urge you to do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in it's importance." This qoute is very important because when you love something you push yourself so you can get at its and that's what makes you succeed in life because your doing what you love with a passion not because you have to do it. His speech has great meaning to it and it makes you look at things from a different perspective, his words motivate you to do better and try harder not give up on something that's important to you.

Famous Failures

        "If you've never failed, you've never tried anything" this quote stuck out to me because it's very true, you have to fail at something once, twice or even more times to truly. It take a lot of practice and effort to get something you right and if you don't set your mind to it then most likely you won't get very far. You can't get everything right at the first try, you have to keep progressing on it to reach your final goal. When someone tells you, you will never make it i see it as a challenge not an insult because i would want to prove them wrong. For example who would of thought that Dr.Seuss first book was rejected by 27 publishers and now look at him, he is a world known author and all because he never gave up on his dream. Being rejected should never keep you from dong what you love it should motivate you to get better and show the world what you are made of ; not a quitter. Just because some people may doubt you, doesn't quite mean you're not good at your talent it just means they have a different view on certain things. Be proud of what you accomplished and fight for what you believe s best for you.