Our Generation

     Our generation is one of the more.... interesting ones. We are a huge mixing pot of all different types of people. In my opinion, we range relatively from pre-teens (11 or 12) to young adults (28-ish). Mainly the people who are living in the current age of the new outburst of technology and don't really need an instruction manual to know who to work the things we have. We all have sort of a single range of knowledge in things that are sort of in the present, such as crazy articles or the latest need-to-know on social media. A lot of places I go, I hear adults that aren't classified in our generation going, "Oh, my daughter told me that  (blank) just happened! I couldn't believe it!".

     To try to say something which we all share, we are all individuals, that's for sure. We each have our own past, present, and future. But, it's pretty hard to solely categorize our generation into attributes we all share. We have so many different opinions. Part of us loves the world; we take care of it. Others are disgusted by the world and the people in it, and a smidgen of us couldn't care less.

Favorite Spot in Nature

My Grandfather's Farm.

Five emotions I associate with it:
1. Nostalgia
 2. Tranquility
            3. Adventurousness
         4. Feeling at home
  5. Challenged

Five Senses:

1. Sight- Trees surround me and tower over me, protecting me from the rays of the sun. Running water passes under my feet as I walk across the thin log over the creek.

2. Touch- I would run to the corn crib barefoot with my cousins , grass sticking to the undersides of my feet, and grabbing for the best pieces, some of them with half of the kernels missing, some falling into my hands. I would hold onto the rusty fence to stabilize myself and throw the corn into the pen.

3. Smell- Waking up in the morning with the smell of pancakes and (ironically) bacon filling my senses. In the mornings, the clothes blowing in the breeze give off the scent of clean linen outside.

4. Taste- I can taste the crisp wind when I ran through the paths looking for something. With a cup hanging off of the branch of a tree, filling it up with water from the creek and drinking it, the coldness running down my throat.

5. Hear- Walking into the old barn, the floors creaking beneath my feet and the animals being as loud as possible so even people across the street can hear their outcry for food. I can hear my grandfather's shoes clacking against the floorboards and the drop of a metal bucket onto the floor, some kernels falling on the floor, the sound making the animals go crazy.

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1. Sight- Trees surround and tower over me, covered in previous etchings and carvings. The bumps on the trees and the branches are inviting me to climb and look around as far as I can see.

2. Touch- The old barn greets me with open doors. I would run inside, the sound of the animals getting louder, just as I would always hear when I would visit.

3. Smell- Waking up in the morning with the smell of pancakes and (ironically) bacon filling my senses. In the mornings, the clothes blowing in the breeze give off the scent of clean linen outside, which made all of my muscles relax and soak up the scent for hours

4. Taste- I can taste the crisp wind when I run through the paths. With a cup hanging off of the branch of a tree, the idea of filling it up with water from the creek tempts me.

5. Hear-  I still feel like I can hear my grandfather's shoes clacking against the floorboards of the barn.  The all too familiar drop of a metal bucket onto the floor, some kernels spilling, the sound making the animals go crazy.

Compisition Topics

Ninth Grade:
     Is ninth grade the most stressful year in high school?

Kid's TV Shows:
     Are today's kid's shows influencing children more than their parents?

Violent Video Games:
     Are violent video games brainwashing teenagers?

Full Thesis Statements

• Because of their determination to be popular and their music hysteria, all girls are crazy.
• Pros: Stereotypical directioners, beliebers, etc. going crazy over the artists and the hunger for popularity and being noticed at school.
• Cons: Not all girls apply to this, girls have self-control, some girls don't listen to mainstream music.
• Competition for grades is an unhealthy influence on students because of the constant pressure they put on themselves.
• Pros: Students develop jealousy/hatred to other students out of being competitive, students can gain stress/anxiety from all of the pressure they put on themselves to be better.
• Cons: It makes students work harder, forces them to put a lot more effort into their work, and they do better academically.

Defining Modernism: Exercise #2

     In the first piece, it is nice and mellow, staying at a relatively slow pace filled with pianos and violins. The second one, however, is a little livelier, adding in trumpets, cymbals, and other jazz instruments. The audio is a bit fuzzy, adding an authentic feel. The third one has a lot more instruments playing at once in different tempos. Additional vocals are heard in the background as well. There is a lot more going on in the third piece, making it seem very energetic.

     My belief is Biederbecke and Mingus are trying to make a point of getting out with the old and in the new of classical music with their new music styles. They might have thought that change would be for the better, or else we would be stuck in the classical genre forever.

    The first song made me feel really calm. I'm listening to it in the background as i'm typing and I feel like I'm about to fall asleep. The second puts me in a good mood. But the third one I personally don't like so it makes me quite uneasy. To me, it seems like all the instruments are jumbled together in different tempos and it just seems so messy. I personally like the classical style music better. I like the calm feelings that it could bring at one point, and in the next it can make you feel more powerful. I love the sound of piano almost more than any other instrument. I love to sleep, personally, so I like classical music because sometimes it can help me fall asleep. Plus, vocals with classic music can be the most elegant thing ever to some people, including me.

Empire of the Sun: Jim's Future Life

     Twenty years later, I believe that Jim will still have been affected by the war. He would have a wife, and possibly a child. I think Jim will have a closer bond with his parents than ever before. Since he forgot his parents, I believe that he might still be trying to remember some of the little things about them, possibly trying to learn about himself before the war too. He took a job as a pilot, finally getting to fly an actual plane.

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    Jim grabs his goggles from the table besides him and slides it over his hair and onto his eyes. His wife was looking through the window of the big grey stone building behind him holding their young son, tears streaming down her face. Their son looked exactly like him, but he had no idea what was going on so he was playfully tapping the window, waving to his daddy outside.
    Jim walked proudly to the plane and went inside,turning on the controls that lit up his bearded face. The Japanese men around the plane began to sing, and his wife burst into tears. His son ran out the door to the plane yelling, "Mommy! Where is daddy going?" over and over but she grabbed onto his arm before he got to close to the plane. Jim put his hand up to his forehead and saluted, revving the plane and taking off, the red circle on the plane still able to be seen in the distance. The plane went out into the air and was flying for a few minutes when a light flashed into the sky, and he was gone. Jim's wife dropped to her knees and brought her hands to her face. Jim's son stood there motionless and the model plane in his hand fell to the ground. The Japanese commander walked over to Jim's wife and rested a hand on her shoulder, as to reassure her that what Jim did brought him great honor.

Defining Modernism: Exercise #1

      The first painting in each of the sets is dated back to at least two hundred years ago. They are made to look realistic, and, personally, it is much easier to understand what the painting is depicting . The subject of each painting represents the time period they were living in, from the costumes to the environment the subject is in, etc. On the other hand, the second painting in each set portrays a more modern approach. I feel as though the painters of 1b, 2b, 3b, and 4b might think that they are considering the future in their paintings, mainly because the lines are sharper and it looks more like a cartoon.They might possibly want to be more provocative by having an individual view point, wanting their audience to see things in a different perspective.

      These modern paintings make me feel confused. Why would some modern painters want to recreate paintings dating back to the 17th century and before? Do the painters want to change them or do they simply copy the idea out of inspiration but add a modern twist? Personally, I favor the paintings made in the previous centuries than those in the 20th century. They are easier to understand and they describe what it might have been like in the past.