This Ending is Just the Beginning

Starting off at a college seven hundred miles away from home was terrifying for me. I had always strongly depended on people before August. However, this year I surprised myself more than I thought I would. I proved myself wrong on a lot of the doubts I had about myself. I discovered myself, which was something I had yet to do before now. Of course classes were difficult and it was difficult to adjust to being so far away, but I overcame challenges in ways I did not think I was capable of. I learned key lessons this year. I learned that I am stronger than I thought I was. It really took leaving home for me to recognize the strength I had inside of myself. When I could no longer run away or hide from my problems I had to face myself and solve them. College gave me the time to do that. Freshman year has shown me how capable of being independent I am. One of the most important things I learned is that I should only surround myself with those who lift me higher. There is no need to have people dragging me down, or giving me a negative mindset. Off of that, I realized I need to respect myself enough to walk away from anything that no longer lifts me up, grows me to be better, or makes me happy. This probably took the most time to comprehend for me. It’s always hard to walk away from something entirely. It is hard to recognize what does and does not help you in a healthy way. It is difficult to see past regular routines and obligations, but if they are dragging you down, you need to. I learned that  I need to respect my own being enough to let myself thrive in a place I want to be and one where I am able explore my passions. This year I also did the unthinkable for me. I joined a sorority, Coming from the North, Greek Life is not a popular thing. However, I decided to put myself out there and give it a try. I could not be more happy with myself that I made that choice. I was able to try a new thing and meet so many new and great people because of it. This connects to another lesson I learned. It is okay that the friends I made on day one are no longer my friends. In college, I found people with similar interests, and some who were not who I thought they were. Thankfully, I did not let those people bring me down. I discovered that friends coming and going is normal and I should not be offended or take it personally. I am going to meet so many people over these four years and chances are they are going to change, but I can only assume it is for the best. Freshman year of college has been the fresh air I have been desperately searching for. I have learned lessons here that I never thought I was capable of accepting, and I am so thankful for what this school and year have given me.

The Waldorf School

At The Waldorf School in Los Altos California, they run their classrooms very different than most schools in today’s day. The teachers at this school solely base their teaching philosophy on physical activity and hands-on learning. This means, that no students at The Waldorf School, have ever learned from any method of technology. The article by Matt Richtel states that this method of teaching and learning is one hundred years old, however to me that does not justify the method as “good”. In today's day, the technological changes and changes to society should be what establishes time. I understand the attempt the school is making to lesson the role of technology in children’s lives, but it seems too extreme to me. 
As an aspiring teacher, I want students to have balance. I do strongly agree with The Waldorf School in that children brought up in this day, rely too much on technology way too early. My Mom teaches a pre-pre-school, and some of her four year olds have ipads or cell phones. That is terrifying to me. Students need to learn with hands on tactics, and experiments or team work. These are essential, not only to successful learning, but to developing life skills. Without working on small group projects at the elementary age, kids are more likely to lack the team-working and communication skills needed to succeed as adults. Kids feel accomplished when they complete a project they worked so hard on building and gluing together. However, the technology in schools is slowly taking that ability away from them. 
On the contrary, I do believe students need some technology. I do not agree with the approach The Waldorf School is taking. In today’s world, a basic foundation of technology is vital for survival. There needs to be a safe balance between hands on learning, and learning through a computer. For the elementary level, such as The Waldorf School, I think it is acceptable to have one hour of technology two or three times a week. I had something similar to that when I was in school and it made me well rounded. Going too far one way or the other is dangerous. Too much technology in classrooms, or not enough, could be risky for the future generations. We do not want children brought up as robots glued to their screens, but we cannot deny the changing society. 
The Waldorf School is sweeping change under the rug. The students who attend there will be behind kids their own age when they leave, and that could cause issues for them as the years progress. Right now, the education field is struggling with what is too little exposure, and when that exposure becomes a problem. The methods of The Waldorf School are dangerously outdated, but their concern is valid. In my opinion, they need to establish a realistic balance that fits the time period, and the needs of their students.

Pantene Breaks Stereotypes

"Strong is Beautiful"

Throughout Super Bowl Fifty, there were only a few sentimental commercials. Most of the ads aimed for the entertainment or humor result. However, one that stuck strongly with me was the “Strong is Beautiful” Pantene commercial. Pantene had football players try to do their daughter’s hair, but it is not about that. The commercial shows a special love and care that these stereotyped strong and work driven dads have for their children. They joke about doing a”dad-do” for their daughters. A “dad-do” is when a dad does his daughters hair, and it is expected to not be very good. However, the effort they put in is the message that is being sent.  Pantene is able to take these men out of their societal “niche” and make them seem like real people.

However, I would argue there are many hidden messages in this commercial. As I watch it back, new parts stand out every time. Starting with the title of the commercial, “Strong is Beautiful”, the message is sent that the fathers, or you could argue the Pantene company, are trying to send the message that girls are strong, and through that, they are beautiful. It opens with Deangelo Williams of the Pittsburg Steelers struggling to do his daughter's hair, but they are laughing together. The commercial shows a few other players then the screen says, “Girls who spend quality time with their dads, grow up to be stronger women.” This is a key message that is sent by Pantene. They used these popular figures to show the importance of presence. It was especially well thought out by the company to use football players during Super Bowl Sunday. The majority of Super Bowl watchers are either dads, or future dads. By Pantene giving a point of interest to the viewers, it rises the chances the message is heard. Fathers need to be present. Even if they cannot do their daughter's hair very well, it is appreciated no matter what it looks like.  

After they show more “dad-do” attempts, the screen says, “Put the next generation of strong in your hands.” This is the main point in the commercial. Parents and adults have the responsibility to prepare children for their future. Parents are responsible for their children’s basic confidence and internal strength levels. This commercial demonstrates that fathers and mothers need to empower their daughters. Young children need to be built up with confidence, and mothers cannot do that on their own.

When the second message fades, it shows the players and their daughters laughing and feeling genuine joy. This shows that just because they did not do their child’s hair very well, does not mean they should not try. Speaking from experience, daughter’s love when their fathers put out an effort to step out their comfort zone for them. The little things leave the biggest impacts on their children. This commercial stood out because it is not solely for the intent of getting viewers to buy Pantene. The commercial closes with Williams and his daughter again, and he asks her how she looks. She responds with “like me”. Williams responds with “strong is beautiful”. This commercial was memorable for me, and I bet for a lot of other viewers too. Pantene planned well with this commercial because they spoke for the proper audience. Football fans will view this commercial and hopefully remember to show their children how they care. Men do not always have to be macho and strong all the time. This commerical helped break that stereotype down, and was able to display how care and quality time can positively influence a child’s life. The message Pantene decided to send is important and prevalent in today’s world. I, personally, am grateful they recognize that and chose to show it to 111.9 million Super Bowl Fifty viewers.

Is Google Making us Stupid?

Nicholas Carr’s article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid? is extremely eye opening. The points that he makes prove to be very valid and astonishing. Over time, technology’s effect on society has grown more and more rapidly. It is now nearly impossible to live without technology. Some people even shake when they do not have their phone. It is terrifying what our world is becoming because of the influence technology is having. Nicholas Carr discusses the question of, is the easy access to technology making us “stupid?” Personally, I think it is dependent on the person and how much they rely on technology. Sometimes, it is helpful in the way of finding small research or information. It could be approached in a totally different way however, in which a person never thinks for themselves. Carr’s article

      Carr raises many questions throughout this article. I believe that is his goal. He wants readers to question themselves. His goal is reflection from the readers. He asks if the readers recognize that their intellect level is going down due to the internet. He does ask the obvious question of the title, “is Google making us stupid?” In context, Carr is referring to Google as well as the internet in general. Search engines make it difficult to soak in information because we look for an answer and quickly move on. It is the question of if technology is affecting us in such a way that we can no longer function in the ways we used too, or not. Carr states that, “Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of libraries can now be done in minutes.” I think that this is an important concept to comprehend. Carr is asking the question of, are the readers aware of this dilemma and what is happening to our lives. He does this by stating facts to make readers think.

In terms of Nicholas Carr’s intended audience, I would say all ages. However, specifically, I would say it is intended for students of all ages, or people involved in research. Students struggle to comprehend everything these days because they get their answers with the click of a button and don’t care if they read it fully or not. People who do research for a living, google has become a staple for them. To me, this is dangerous because websites often do not give specific details that could change the data without their knowledge. This article is also applicable to other people though because it is a message everyone should be aware of. Even though technology is mostly used by teenagers or young adults, they are not the only groups that should be informed on this topic. Technology is helpful in the way that it keeps us connected with people far away, and also assist us in the quick things. Carr did a great job in being neutral to all ages and situations getting this message.

Carr does an impeccable job in providing evidence to support his thesis. By using his personal experiences, his points were more humanized. He wrote about how he struggled to read a book because he cannot seem to concentrate anymore. To make it even more real, Carr shared that many of his friends also struggle with that problem. He stated that, "The more they use the web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing." The average attention span is rapidly decreasing. Personally, this article made me more cognizant of my actions. I go to Google something, and quickly get an answer. I recognize that I am an example of this now, and plan to be more aware. I now notice how dependent I am on the internet. Like Carr, I find it harder to read now due to my low attention span. I find it so hard to merely concentrate on books or long articles. I quickly become bored and irritated and find myself checking social media.

Nicholas Carr is able to hook the reader's interest and them reading in a variety of ways. First, the title grabs some people's attention. I find that when a title is a question, readers are interested in how the author will answer it. In this case, I did not recognize what technology is doing to me and society before I read this article. The title has the ability to hook readers and get the important message.The points in which Carr continues to bring up, keep the reader entertained. He ties in how things are more connected than you would initially think. Society recognizes what is happening with technology, however not to the full capacity in which they should. By Carr being able to grab readers attention, he is effectively spreading this message.

  “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” is credible to the intended audience, because Carr makes it clear that he is educated on the topic. It is beneficial that Carr himself is so invested in this topic. He feels so strongly about this message, and the reader can sense his personal passion. He has also done numerous amounts of research, and with that he is able to provide accurate points. In the article, Carr includes quotes from other writer’s blog posts who have done similar research to his. He explains how they all have come to similar conclusions. Carr is able to include information from other research done around the world that support his claims. By these two factors joining together, Carr is able to make the reader believe more in the message he is trying so desperately for them to grasp.

Carr’s values and beliefs expressed throughout this article seem real to me. I agree with the points he makes throughout. By not attacking readers, he is able to keep them interested instead of heated. His intention was not to cause protests, which I believe was a beneficial route to go down. His points have made me think, and I was better able to understand why I do some of the things I do. I would have never assumed my lack of concentration was connected to my technology. We are slowly ruining our futures by no longer being able to focus while we read. Through this article, I am able to understand that I am creating my own risk for the future. Carr took a topic that most would view as trivial, and explained how it needs to be viewed as more than that. I now see that he is trying to stress that we are at serious risk if we do not change our paths. Carr aims to educate readers on the causes of why they act the way they do. This article was able to better educate readers on this important dilemma, and stress in reality, how serious it is.

I respond to this article with a mix of shock and a state of renewal. I am enlightened and feel more safe with how I go into the future because of this reading. It has brought my attention to many things I had not even noticed before. This article not only explained the issue, but it dug into the why. Most writers on this topic tend to leave out the why. In reality, the why is what makes it stick with the reader. It is the light bulb moment that makes the article real. Thanks to the why, I feel more confident and self aware. Some people get defensive on this topic because they become self conscious and feel like they need to protest. However, this is an article that is hard to argue with. I believe that I responded positively due to the way that Carr presented the information. By writing in a neutral and calm state, the article remained informative instead of controversial for me.

Carr’s main purposes for writing this blog, is to inform without offending. My purposes for reading correlate with that. He wrote to share undermined information, while I read to learn about that information. I read to receive the information he set out to provide for me as a reader.  This issue is rarely understood, and Carr sets out to make this message heard. No one would connect things the way Carr does, and society does not realize the caution they should have.  By lack of education on this topic, society is only harming itself more. It needs to be recognized that technology has many beneficial qualities, however some other qualities could be more harmful than they appear to be.

      Overall, Nicholas Carr’s article “Is Google Making us Stupid?” is extremely informative. The article was able to open my eyes as well as educate me on the precautions society needs to take in order to avoid a downfall. Our world is in more danger than we appear to be in. Showing readers the negative effects of the internet and the influence it is having our minds was extremely beneficial. However, Carr’s ability to not attack any person, made it easier to concentrate on the information given versus opposing his points as defense. Carr’s experiences from his own life, and his struggles, provided real evidence that most readers probably connect with. The article was able to inform readers on how the internet is affecting us in more ways than we could understand on our own. Carr was able to successfully explain the complex issues we as a population over look. This article has the ability to enlighten readers, if they commit to the message Nicholas Carr is sending.

High School Musical Forever

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.

Today marks the ten year anniversary of the premiere of High School Musical. Ten years ago in 2006,   no one would have ever guessed that this Disney Channel movie would still be so present. For some context, in 2006, most people had flip phones or no cell phone at all. The first iPhone wasn't even released until the next year. Taylor Swift had just released her first album, and not many people knew who she was. So, the fact that High School Musical is remembered so strongly to this day, says something in itself. Yesterday morning, most of the cast had a reunion on Good Morning America. High School Musical was our childhood. We had the karaoke CDs, the Troy Bolton posters, the T-shirts, and every school supply item we could find. Their album was the first TV Movie soundtrack to reach number one on the Billboard Top 100. They grew, and we grew alongside them. We felt emotionally invested in their lives, and to be honest, we still are. We all still have dreams of finding our own Troy Bolton. That shows the impact these three movies have had. Ten years later, we still connect with and love the story we grew up with. So why? Why are we still attached? Why is it ten years later and we still watch it? How can we still freak out when something is released or the cast is spotted together? I think it was because at any age you can relate to some part of it. No matter what stage of life you're in, you can find something that will teach you something new. In High-school it was when people struggled to fit in and find their place. Now, when we're in college, we aim to find relationships like the ones that movie taught us to dream of. Those characters became the epitome of the types of people we wanted in our lives. It was a huge movement. High School Musical portrayed that people cannot force other people to stay in a mold. Through their story, we learned to genuinely follow our dreams. We knew from then on that we were allowed to do whatever we wanted. We recognized that we can't let anyone scare us out of making your own choices. From the student body peacefully unifying with each other, we were able to push ourselves to be the type of class they became. High School Musical has been so prevalent for ten years because it was real. Which may sound bizarre considering it is a musical, but it was real. It inspired us. It inspired so many people. It is still leaving it's print on society, and it will continue to for years to come. The lessons we learned from the East High Wildcats will leave a print on our lives and inspire us in new ways for the rest of our lives. Their story is timeless, and we aimed for ours to be too. 
In the words of the one and only Troy Bolton, Zac Efron: 

"This is only 10 years, let's have a billion more."