Not the Best

The program we are using for our American Studies project, Voice Thread is not the best program to use. While there is the advantage of being able to do our project over the Internet, the set backs are too great. While experimenting with Voice Thread I have found that there are many things they don't allow you to do, like edit the timing on individual slides, that are really just a pain in the butt. If you want to edit the slides individually, you have to put them in power point first and then upload them to Voice Thread. When you do upload them you have to make sure that they are perfect, or you'll have to pretty much restart your project. Adding music and transitions is just as hard. However, all these things are not impossible, just really, really annoying. Mr. Bolos and Mr. O'Connor were talking about how these things set limitations artistically, however, I'd disagree. I can still edit the slides, add music, and sync the movie to my voice almost perfectly, but while using the Voice Thread, the process is absolutely tedious. Using Voice Thread opposed to another program like IMovie is like trying to do a very complex algebra problem, in which you need to employ the quadratic formula, in your head opposed to using a TI-89 Titanium calculator. In the future, I would definitely not recommend anyone using this program to complete a project.

September 11th: A National Tragedy

Just recently we remembered one of our nations biggest tragedies on September 11th. Though I was only in 4th grade, I can still remember hearing the horrifying news. A little after 9 o'clock on that day, I was sitting in math class and everything was normal. Right at the start of the lesson my best friend Sean was early dismissed and we all thought he was lucky. A few minutes after Sean left another kid was called for early dismissal. Throughout the rest of the day, peoples names were called and everyone hoped that they'd be next. By lunch, the vast majority of the school was gone and it was time for the teachers to explain what was going on. So our guidance counselor decided to enlighten us. She got on the microphone during lunch and told us that the dentist would be making a lot of money that day.  Nobody bought it, but that was as good as it was going to get. Right after lunch was finished our principal came on the PA and told us that some people had made some bad decisions and that we'd be going home early. Everyone celebrated, especially me, early dismissal! Who could ask for anything more? We all went to the busses and some people were curious about what happened, but most of us were just excited that we were going home early. Before I even got back to my house, I had set up a big kick ball game on my block. I ran inside to get a couple of oreos and my dad asked me if I knew what had happened. I said no, and attempted to continue out the door. He stopped me and then told me what had happened and showed me the news. He then waited for a response from me, but only got a shrug and then I continued out the door to play. Im sad to say, but when I was in 4th grade, things that didn't affect me or my family did not bother me that much. I even wonder that if I had been as old as I am now, if there would have been a similar reaction. Im not sure how I'd react, hopefully more appropriately than my 4th grade self. I actually think that this is a problem in America, sometimes people are not affected that much by someone else's tragedy. Im not saying everyone is like this, but do we not have a reputation for not responding fast enough or well enough to other nations tragedies? Such as genocides and natural disasters. 

Why now?

So I was sitting at my computer trying to figure out what my first blog post for American Studies would be. I started clicking randomly on others people's blogs as to help me find a topic. I even checked out CNN.com but still couldn't find anything. So then I thought: Why am I doing this? Obviously because I have to, because it was assigned to me. If I don't do it, I won't get into college. If I don't go to college, then I'll have a hard life ahead of me. I think that its crazy that everything I do now, directly effects the rest of my life. When ever I tell someone that I am a junior in high school, they say, "Wow, this is the most important year of your life." Why is my junior year the most important year of my life? I'm only sixteen, are people in the real world really going to care how did my junior year of high school when I'm 30? 40? 50? I think not, but the truth is that life is a vicious chain of events, each one leading to the next. When I'm 20, 25, and/or 30 and I am applying for a job, my employer is going to care where I went to college and how I did. When I apply for college, the college admissions is probably going to care where I went to high school and how I did. So in reality, my junior year in high school, the year I am sixteen, and young, and irresponsible does effect the rest of my life, no matter how harsh and cruel that is. The fact is that how I do this year will effect how successful I am career wise when I'm 40, responsible, and have a family. If I choose to blow off this assignment and failed American Studies my junior year, I probably would not get into a good college. By that time it would be too late, and by the time i was 20, not 40 I'd already be regretting it. So guess what, I am doing this assignment and working hard this year, because this is the year. All of us juniors need to really sit down and think about where we want to end up in life because this is the year that decides it. We have to study hard and prepare for our SATs, ACTs, and all those other Ts we're taking; Not to mention or finals and actual school work. I guess what I'm saying is why now? Why do I have to work hard now, only to work harder later? Why is life so unfair? Everyone will tell you it is, but now why.