Summer

             I know I have talked about summer a lot in my other blogs, but there is honestly nothing else to write about. Right now there is fourteen days until summer. I’m feeling a mixture of anxiety and excitement. These last two weeks I have literally so much to do. It sucks when professors wait and pile on the assignments for the last two weeks. I’ll get everything done, but it just isn’t my favorite to have seven things due all at once. Right now I have half of my paper done for this class and I’m already freaking out. But once the school year is over, I’m not done with school. My math class that I’ll be taking starts in the middle of June, so I’ll have a little break between classes. I’m so excited to just go out to the pool and relax. Since it was blazing hot in March, I hope it’s a really hot summer. A lot of my friends babysit so when I go to the pool with them they always have their kids with them. I don’t know if I’ve explained but I am not a baby person at all. I’m sure they’ll grow on me in the future, but as of right now I hate babies. I don’t have a break from my job at Student Accounts, but I’m happy about that. I love all the people I work with and it’s a chill environment. My family and I aren’t going on a vacation this summer, but my mom called me the other day and said she booked reservations for Florida for this winter break. At first I was sad because I thought we weren’t going to be home for Christmas, but we leave the 29^th. Also the Lolla lineup came out a little while ago and it looks amazing! I’m so so so excited about it this year. This summer I will be busy as ever, but I’m looking forward to it very much.  

Word Count: 331

Choose Your Own

 

So this week was choose your own. I don't really know what to say for this blog. So I’ll just kind of ramble. This week was not too bad. I registered for classes Wednesday and I got all the classes I needed except for Economics. I was freaking out because I thought you needed Econ in order to apply for the accounting program, but come to find out I don’t. I just need 44 hours or less to apply. I really hope I can get into the class spring semester sophomore year. I know people who got to register the week after Spring Break and I’m so jealous of them. Making my schedule was a little harder because I had to leave room for a couples hours a day for work. I’m going to be living in Cardinal Court, which is so far away from campus, so I am probably going to get a bike. Over the summer I am going to still be working at the Student Accounts office at ISU and also Shoe Carnival. I think I am going to work all week at Students Accounts and then over the weekend I’ll work at Shoe Carnival for a few hours over the weekend. On top of work, I’ll be taking a math class at Heartland. So you can say I’m going to be busy as hell over summer. I hope I enjoy my summer as much as possible and hope everyone else does J   

Word count: 304

Close Reading and Reader Response

               I have learned many things about close reading over the past week. You observe facts and details about the text. You may focus on a particular passage, or on the text as a whole. As a college student, I have noticed a significant difference on what I notice when I am reading compared to freshmen year in high school. Back then I just skimmed through many books and literature. We dissected the text a bit, especially during junior and senior year. Now in college, we are noticing all striking features of the text, including rhetorical features, and structural elements. We are diving deeper into the text than I ever have before. I look for patterns in the things I have noticed about the text; such as repetitions, contradictions, similarities.  I ask questions about the patterns I have noticed; especially how and why. But I can’t lie, understanding everything from a certain text is hard for me. I am more of a math person, so fully understanding oppositions and correspondences, or particular historical references in texts is difficult for me. Now that I have learned how to correctly close-read, my understanding of texts have improved so much. It makes me ask more questions than ever before. This skill will take me far in my college career and also my job. Some benefits that will come from being able to understand close-reading are appreciating how a particular perspective on the events and a particular selection of facts can lead to particular understanding. I can now recognize the various ways in which each and every text is the unique creation of a unique author. Close reading puts emphasis on the particular over the general, paying close attention to individual words, syntax, and the order in which sentences and ideas unfold as they are read. This ability will take me far in life, I just know it.

Word count: 313

 

Research Topic: Titanic

                In this blog I have to write about what is going to be in my research paper. In this paper I will explain how well James Cameron’s film truthfully demonstrates the tragedy of the Titanic, how social class was a major factor in whether or not people survived the disaster, and how the trauma theory accurately portrays what happened to Rose. It is interesting to me on how the motion picture depicts that Rose is all happy she survives, and that it all that matters. Is this truly how it was or was James Cameron just trying to spice up his movie? I’m going to go in depth about this in my paper and really talk about what historically happened in 1912.Of course movies cannot show everything that happened in true events or even everything that happened if the movie is based on a book. Film makers try and do the best they can to make the movies as close as possible, but there is a problem with this. Since James Cameron is such a popular director, people think that everything that happened in the film is what truly happened in the real Titanic. The love story in the movie is all fictional, and many people who I have talked to were surprised to hear it was not real. People get the wrong message from movies and this is an issue I am going to address in my paper. Social class is also a topic I am going to explain. Depending on what class you are in makes the biggest difference in your experience on the Titanic. From when you board the ship, what you eat on the voyage, and what your chances of survival are. I hope I do a good job on this paper, but I know I am going to have some difficulty with it; especially having all 8-10 pages. But with lots of effort, I’m sure I’ll get the grade I’m rooting for.

Word count: 327

Titanic Review

James Cameron’s famous masterpiece Titanic has been seen by viewers worldwide for fifteen years. This movie has become an epic motion picture event that has become a rarity. You don’t just watch Titanic, you experience it. Cameron's flawless re-creation of the legendary ship has blurred the line between reality and illusion to such a degree that we can't be sure what's real and what isn't. To make this movie, it's as if Cameron built an all-new Titanic, let it sail, then sunk it. When people think of Titanic, they automatically think of the motion picture. That is how big of a hit it was, and still is today.

I honestly don’t think that James Cameron could not have picked two better people to play the main roles. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet did a magnificent job with really getting into the characters and showing off the chemistry they had. You can just feel their connection when you watch the film. I will have to admit, as love stories go; this was a very compelling one. Certainly, the best one I've ever seen. After seeing this film I couldn't imagine it being made with actors other than DiCaprio and Winslet in the lead roles. A fact that I think speaks volumes about their performances. There was truly no doubt, in my little mind at least, that by the end of the movie the characters of Jack and Rose were deeply in love.

Now to get off topic for just a second, I was one of those who asked the burning questions before the movie came out. Who in their right mind spends 200 million dollars to make a film? Better yet, on a film that everybody knows the ending to? If you are crazy enough to spend such huge amounts of cash, why wouldn't you cast some big name actors in the lead roles, so we the audience would have some reason to go? A whole lot of people asked those same questions. If they are anything like me, after seeing Titanic they had to ask themselves -- Why would I have ever asked such stupid questions? Why? Well, because critics are not filmmakers, and while we like to comment on films, and are relatively knowledgeable on the subject, for the most part we don't know as much as the people who make them. This is lavishly true with regard to Titanic's director James Cameron. The same man, who many considered would be run out of Hollywood just a few short months before the film opened, is now being recognized as being among the greatest directors of all time. I really don't think that anyone can say enough about the job that this guy did.

This brings me back around to the reason I went to see this film -- the special effects. The movie opens with breathtaking shots of the real Titanic on the bottom of the Atlantic, shot specifically for this film by director James Cameron. Although that almost pales by comparison to the special effects used during the last half of the movie as the ship is sinking. The 200 million dollar price tag is certainly evident on the screen. Both in the long shots where we get to see the great ship break up, and in the interior shots that were done in giant flooded tanks. If, like me, you go to Titanic for the special effects, I promise you will not be disappointed by anything that appears on the screen. A funny thing happened as I was watching the Titanic in its final minutes above the water. As much as I was in awe of the effects, and the complexity of the production, something else happened. An eerie feeling came over me. Unlike other disaster movies, this one really happened.  All too often, when we think of the real Titanic sitting there on the bottom of the ocean, we forget something. Oh, we remember the tragedy of the situation and that hundreds of lives were lost, but most of us never stop to think what it must have like to be there on that ship as it was going down. James Cameron has captured those last moments, in a way that will make you think wonder why you never thought about it like that before.

As spectacular as the special effects were, they could not overshadow a simple love story and the tragedy associated with one of the worst disasters of all time. A truly remarkable film, it is no wonder that so many people have gone back to this masterpiece several times. One of the greatest films ever made. Titanic is a definitely well-earned 10/10

Word count: 780 words

Link to customer review: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/reviews-2670

Spring Break

I am very excited for spring break this year. My family and I usually go on a trip to Florida, but this year since my mom is on the Unit 5 calendar, our spring breaks are different. My parents are going to Florida the 22^nd, which is the week we are back in school. I have been working over Thanksgiving and Christmas break and finally won’t be working over spring break. It is going to feel so nice to just be lazy around the house. I don’t have to worry about staying up too late to be on time for work in the morning. Like I have mentioned before; my boyfriend is in the Marines. He just moved to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. Last time I saw him was over winter break and he might get deployed over summer; so being able to see him over spring break means so much to me. I just booked my flight last night, and I couldn’t be more excited. I plan on leaving March 15 from Midway airport. I have a layover in Atlanta, but it won’t be for very long. I arrive to Cherry Point around 10pm Thursday night. I have never been to the East coast before so I am thrilled to see how beautiful it is. The temperature is supposed to be in the 60-70’s, which I am very happy about. Anything seems to be better than this awful 35 degrees we’ve been having in Normal. It feels like it has been a year since I’ve seen Austin and I’m so thankful that I could make this trip happen. My mom is a little worried that I’m going to be flying by myself and getting around North Carolina by myself; but I couldn’t be more ready. I love to travel and I’m so stoked. I’m thinking this spring break is going to be one I never forget.  

word count: 318

The Movie Fan

I am actually surprised that I have never been to The Movie Fan before since I have lived here all my life. I went today after work and I was very surprised with it. I walk in and to my right there are chairs with magazines and lights everywhere. It wasn’t crowded at all when I went, so I was a little curious about the whole experience. The movie I chose for my project is Titanic so I looked around for that and I couldn’t find it, so I went up to the front desk and asked the guy if he had it. He told me where I could find it and I got it without any problems. He was so precise with his answer; he said go to aisle six and go down three sections. I loved the environment it had. There were cut outs of candy boxes on the walls, lights everywhere, and had a movie playing. The whole store had the “family owned” feel to it, which I love. Comparing The Movie Fan to where I normally go rent movies at Family Video, I saw many differences. First of all, Family Video does not sell any movie posters. The Movie Fan had tons of posters on the walls and also for sale. I thought that was a great, unique idea because college kids love to put posters up in their dorms and apartments. One thing that I liked about Family Video more is that they cleaned your DVD right before you rent it. I didn’t see the owner clean my movies, so I’m not sure if they do..but I don’t think he did. No one likes getting scratched up movies that skip, so I highly recommend any movie rental store to do that. One distinctive characteristic about The Movie Fan is that you bring up the little slip of paper to the front counter and then the owner goes to the back and finds the movie. I think that’s a very organized way of doing business. I am watching a movie that I rented from there and it hasn’t skipped once. So from my one experience at The Movie Fan, I would definitely recommend it to any movie lover.

Word count: 375

Choose Your Own: College Problems

This is basically going to be a venting post. Lately I have been annoyed of many of my friends. If anyone knows me then they know I am the most laidback person and get along with regularly everyone. I have gotten close to three girls on my floor; one being my roommate, and two other girls who live right next door to me. The two girls next door were best friends in high school so they were already good friends. Recently those two have been fighting nonstop and it is getting really old. They both complain about each other to me and frankly I do not get why they don’t just talk it out with each other. Why do girls think it’s necessary to bitch about each other to other people but not confront the person themselves? I understand why they both are getting annoyed..one leaves her plates and bowls everywhere and doesn’t clean up. Then the other is such a sloppy drunk and has to get babysat every time she goes out. I think one of the problems that roommates have is not setting any ground rules for their room in the beginning of the year. If they did that, then I believe they would not have many of the problems they have now. Also another thing that has made me stressed out is having a friend that goes to Heartland Community College which is about 5 minutes away from ISU. Since I moved out of my house and she has not yet, it is kind of hard to keep a good friendship with. She doesn’t have the same opportunities to meet new people like I do. She has not had the dorm living experience yet and I feel like she is getting mad at me for not seeing her as much. It’s unfortunate, but honestly I shouldn’t have to defend myself for developing new friendships. That is what college is for. So to wrap this up, I just hope when people have a problem with someone, they will go directly to them instead of complaining 24/7 about the situation. #fedup

word count: 352 

Words and Pictures

        One childhood text that I tend to remember is Corduroy. This is the story of a teddy bear that lives in a department store but is never bought. One day a little girl wants to buy him, but her mother points out that he is missing one of the buttons on his overalls. That night he decides to explore the department store in search of a button. He doesn't find a button, but the next day he does find a home and love. Corduroy was one of my all time favorite books growing up. The pictures and words of this book are both equally important. I remember my mom reading it to me and all I could do was look at the pictures. From learning about how the position of the pictures means different things, I can understand the story more in depth. I’m noticing why the author put certain pictures in specific areas and I think that is so interesting. It really shows how much I have already learned in this class. Whenever I read children’s books, I do read them differently than I would have two years ago. From our exercise in class where we had to try and figure out the story without reading the words, makes me want to see if I can figure out any more stories. Some of my other childhood all time favorite books are The Rainbow Fish, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairlystupid Tales, and all the Berenstain Bear books. I think Rainbow Fish had the most eye catching illustrations. When I read a book with pictures I look at the details of the picture; whether it is big or small and the color. Children books of the 90’s were definitely the best children’s books.


Word Count: 300

Choose Your Own: Tattoos

For spring break I am staying home for most of the week. Over winter break I was working my second job at Shoe Carnival and was pretty busy. I am so forward to spending time with my family. Even though I live in town, so I could technically go home whenever I wanted, but I haven’t gone home once this semester. I have never really been close to my family, but ever since I started college my relationship with my parents has gotten much stronger. In October I got a tattoo saying “Love and be loved” The meaning behind it is that if I give more love and respect to my parents, then in return I will get more love and the same respect. I showed my parents over thanksgiving break and they loved it. I eventually want to get an anchor on my foot. The meaning of the anchor would be a reminder that you need to be strong for yourself and strong for others when they need you. Also an anchor is reliable, safe, and unchanging. It keeps ships and people grounded and constant. Neither of my parents have tattoos but I think that is because their generation wasn’t much into them like ours is today. My brother is 23 and said he has wanted one before but doesn’t know exactly what he would get. I hate when people get meaningless tattoos. It’s just dumb and honestly gross. I really don’t like when people also get their name as a tattoo. It seems like more guys get their last name more than girls do. I just don’t see a point in it..but hey that is just my opinion. I’m not a big fan of colored tattoos as well; they just look nasty after they have been faded. Tattoos are a great thing if you get something that is significant to you.

word count: 313

Popular Texts and Interests

One of my interests is the Twilight series. I was crazy about the books when they first came out and I could not stop putting them down. I know tons of girls have the same feeling as I do but I felt so connected with the text. The way Stephanie Myer explains Bella’s emotions really hit me and made me realize I feel the same way about my boyfriend in the Marine’s. One thing that I didn’t like is I had a vision of the way Bella and Edward were in my head while reading the books, and then when the movies came out the characters did not match up to how they were imagined in my head. Yes of course I am a die-hard Team Jacob fan :) but I still imagined Bella a little differently. Another one of my interests is the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. I am thinking about doing this film for project one but I haven’t made up my mind yet. I like how much the film shows the Caribbean. It demonstrations the culture and how the geography really is. The way people talk in the Caribbean is much different than we do in the United States, and viewers can definitely tell a difference while watching the movie. My thoughts about the first project are neutral. On one end I am excited because it is something I have not done before. Doing the same type of projects tends to get a little dull. This project is something new and I hope I do well. On the other end I am nervous that I won’t pick a topic that is suitable for this assessment. I’m sure I will choose a movie that does work, but I am a little worried about it. I will just take it one day at a time and not stress too much about it. I am without doubt a movie person so I do know that I will choose that route.  

word count: 331

Introduction

Hey guys I’m Abbie Baker. I was born in town in Bloomington, IL. I’ve grown up here my whole life and absolutely love it. I am 19 years old and have one older brother named Seth who is 23. My house is ten minutes away from my dorm which is so convenient because my mom can just bring over whatever I need if I am in real need of something. I live in Wright Hall and have met some of the greatest people. Both my parents live with our Westie named Riley, and our rabbit Oreo. They both are the greatest pets ever. My major at the moment is nursing but I plan for that to change. I currently just got a job at the Student Accounts office right before Christmas break, and I love it. I get to handle people’s questions about their son or daughters billing information. Over break and during the summer I will still be working for ISU and I also work at Shoe Carnival. My plans for summer are to take a summer course at Heartland Community College, stay busy working, enjoy the pool, and attend Lollapalooza 2012. I love to travel, hang out with friends, go camping, and listen to music. Some of my favorite artists are Drake, John Mayer, Skillet, Eminem, and Mac Miller. English has never been my strong point, but I am excited for this class. It seems like it isn’t really like any English class I have had before, so I am looking forward to that. Having only three projects is a little nerve racking, but I think it will go to my benefit if I put all my effort into them. My first semester went so great here at Illinois State and I hope this semester goes just as well.

Total number of words: 301