What's The Deal With Reconstruction

The reconstruction was the time after the Civil War when the South was destroyed and desperately needed help. The North had captured some of the major cities like Atlanta and most of the war was fought on the Southern half so there was nothing left in some places. The South was having problems with their economy, politics, and of course the social issues. The North tried to help the recently freed slaves with finding housing and land, which was handled really poorly. No one in the South wanted to give up some of their land, or land that could've potentially been theirs to people they still saw as poor slaves. Not only did they have problems with the racism, but also with the economy and all of the ruined communities. The union troops were posted in the South for a time, but with the compromise of 1877 they pulled out and all of the problems with race and rights began all over again.

It is relevant today because the South still is dealing with these problems. There is still racism in some places, and in some states the economy still is messed up. This is extremely similar to what happened in Afghanistan, except now we have gone back to try and fix the problem again and not walk away with a little compromise that really doesnt do anything.

"U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday he understands Americans' impatience with the Afghanistan war and vowed to ask tough questions of his advisers as he weighs whether to send more troops there."
People are growing impatient, but I think what we need to realize is we cant leave it like the way the Union left the South when the problem was nowhere close to being solved.

Source:: Chiacu, Doina. "Obama says understands weariness with Afghan war." Reuters. 25 Sept. 2009. Accessed: 30 Sept. 2009. .

Media Saves the Beach in the News

"Wastewater began overflowing from a blocked sanitation line....By the time city crews got the problem under control about an hour later, roughly 1,370 gallons of sewage had spilled into a storm drain that empties into the San Diego River."

-http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Sewage-Spill-from-Mission-Valley-to-Ocean-Beach/qWYuIGp6oEeMp2ZNMf20lQ.cspx

The issue was a sewage spill that happened in San Diego just yesterday. This story relates to class because it relates to our water testing and bacteria levels. I think it will be interesting to see how contaminated the water at dog beach was. One project idea would be looking into the other sewage spills and how they have effected to waters and for how long. I think this will be something we can include in our Media Saves the Beach project because it is exactly what we really dont want to happen and now we can have results to show why, and how bad it really is. You can probably get more information by google searching this spill.

Media Saves The Beach Ideas

Since last years theme was awareness, I liked Randy's idea of actually putting these things into action and actually impacting city counsel decisions on these things. I also think that we should try to get the local media to report on what we find because then more San Diegans would be educated about our beaches.

Im not too sure what content interests me yet, I think maybe after going to the beach on Thursday I'll have a better idea. I'm pretty open to any interesting topic at this point.

I think that I would like to either do a photo essay or work on the calender for my project.

American Icons-The Final Products

My Artist Statement::

Not Your Typical Material Girl Emilie Colwell

Hiking for miles in the 90 degree heat with the sun pounding down, with humidity and carrying heavy gardening tools isn’t your typical everyday activity. Add washing 400 peoples dishes 3 times a day, inconsiderate of how much syrup they leave on the plate or how much food they leave on the floor— it doesn’t seem like something someone would willingly choose to do. One week of that and two weeks of being a counselor in training. Spending 24 hours a day taking care of up to twelve 7 to 9 year olds. Having to constantly deal with the whines and tears, the picky eaters, the ones who refused to change clothes and, of course, the ones who were afraid of any crawling creature.

When I’m asked what I did over this past summer, people never understand why I smile and say I spent three weeks on a mountain at a summer camp. One week washing dishes and clearing trails and two being a counselor in training and to top it off, they didn’t pay me, I actually paid them. For me it’s not about saying I did my fair share of community service or getting a guaranteed job for next summer, I just love being able to give back and most importantly, be a role model for my young campers. In their eyes, I was the coolest counselor ever, I had all the knowledge in the world and I could do it all.

In a way I think that I can do it all, and not just fit into the roles society puts women in such as cooking, cleaning or taking care of kids. I believe I can be the camp counselor who’s rugged and up for anything, the future medical researcher, the humanitarian and the girl who loves clothes and shopping. My personality and identity is multidimensional. I think that all of these different elements can be combined. Women who don’t fit into the society roles are true American icons to me. One person who I think really does it all and is a true American icon is Madonna.

As a world-renowned pop artist, dancer, actress, and humanitarian, Madonna doesn’t fit your average mom role. In Malawi, Africa; one of the poorest in the world, you would never expect to find the “material girl” Madonna trekking around to adopt a child and help other children. Madonna is an inspiration to me not because of all the albums she has sold, or all the money she has made, but because she is true to herself and helps others. I have been inspired by Madonna for doing so much for the children in Africa and all of the other humanitarians for going and helping directly where it is needed. And now more then ever, I want to go do the same thing. I hope to go to medical school and into research medicine and spend some time working in places that really need it. All of the humanitarians in our world have also been an inspiration for me, and for Madonna too. Without them no one would think to go out and help people less fortunate or have the great ideas to start a new cause that genuinely helps people.

As for now, I believe I am a mini humanitarian with my other multidimensional parts mixed in, not making a difference on a large scale yet, but making a difference at my camp. As well as being an inspiration for the girls I was a counselor for this past summer. Teaching them about the importance of doing something for someone when there is nothing in it for you, as Madonna and other humanitarians have taught me.

1. Tsiko, Sifelani. "Madonna Jetted into Malawi." Gibbs Magazine. 5 Oct. 2006.4 Sept. 2009. http://www.gibbsmagazine.com/Madonna%20Flies%20to%20Malawi%20To%20Help.htm

Reflection- American Icons

1. I discovered that my writing can be improved a lot just by a few tips and tricks from Randy. The tricks Ive learned so far this year have helped me correct those awkward sounding parts in my writing. They have helped me find things that were wrong I wouldn't have looked for before, and it really makes a difference.Last year I learned all about how to write an essay and write professionally and so far Ive learned that my writing can still be professional but not in an informative essay kind of way. I learned how to connect more with my audience and bring everything full circle.

2. One specific technique that I used was "punctuate with power and purpose" (punctuation controls pace) I noticed that in my writing for this project I used a lot of commas to add effect. After learning about how punctuation controls pace I realized that all of those commas were slowing my reader down and making them more confused. I went back through my writing and figured out were commas were important or where they should be removed and how I could improve the flow of my writing. I think the effect was a cleaner piece that was easier to read while still having those important pauses.

3. If I had time to work on one more draft, I would work on another one of the techniques that Randy taught us which was "concerts not pancakes" That technique is basically to make sure your sentences start and end with strong words and I realize that throughout the writing of my artist statement I didn't think too much about that one because I was worried about everything else. Next draft I would really focus on that.

4. Hiking for miles in the 90 degree heat with the sun pounding down, with humidity and carrying heavy gardening tools isn't your typical everyday activity.
This sentence stood out to me, and to some of the people who critiqued my paper because it is the opening sentence and it also paints a solid image in your head. I had the sentence written in a different way to start off with and something just wasn't right about it. I think that from the "punctuate with power and purpose" and help from Hallie the sentence was fixed and turned into better writing while still having the strong imagery.

My American Icons Photo

Please give feedback!

The quality of the picture was reduced from uploading to blogger, but the background of the photo is a heard of animals in Africa, I was trying to show that Madonna isnt just the glamorous Louis Vuitton model, but the humanitarian too.

Here is the picture I was trying to re create of Madonna::

Writing and American Icons

Today I got feedback on my run-on sentences (which I tried to fix). I also got feedback about how my paper really didn't have much flow, or transitions and with help from Randy I tried to fix that in the draft below. Another thing I got feedback on was how much I talked about my icon.

For my artist's statement I want to continue editing and removing things from it to get it down to the one page limit and get rid of grammar errors and run on sentences. My main goal is to make sure my paper has smooth and logical transitions.


My New Draft::

In the 90 degree heat, the sun pounding down, with humidity, hiking for miles and carrying heavy gardening tools hardly seems like something anyone would want to do. Take that and add washing 400 peoples dishes 3 times every day, inconsiderate of how much syrup they leave on the plate or how much food they leave on the floor it doesn’t seem like something someone would willing chose to do. Take a week of doing that, and add two weeks of being a counselor in training, spending 24 hours a day taking care of up to 12 7 to 9 year olds. Constantly dealing with the whines, tears from being homesick, the picky eaters, the ones who refused to change clothes and, of course, the ones who were afraid of any crawling creature.

When Im asked what I did over this past summer, people never understand why I smile and say I spent three weeks on a mountain at a summer camp. One week washing dishes and clearing trails and two being a counselor in training and to top it off, I didn’t get paid, I actually paid them. For me, its not about saying I did my fair share of community service or getting a guaranteed job for next summer, I just love being able to give back and most importantly, help be a role model for my young campers. In their eyes, I was the coolest counselor ever, had all the knowledge in the world and I could do it all.

In a way, I think that I can do it all, and not just fit into the roles society puts women in. I believe I can be the camp counselor who’s rugged and up for anything, the future medical researcher, the humanitarian and the girl who loves clothes and shopping. My personality and identity is multidimensional. It isn’t just the medical researcher or just the materialistic girl or even the cook of the family, because even one of those would seem like enough for some people. I think that all of these different elements can be combined. I want to inspire my campers not to just be the girl who likes to do “girly” things but the one who likes to do a combination of everything. In recent years, more women are doing just that and it has really made them American icons in my eyes. One person who really does do it all is Madonna. I, like her have different parts of my identity that shine through depending on the people I am with. Madonna wouldn’t be the glamourous singer around her children, or while doing humanitarian work in Africa.

As a world renowned pop artist, dancer, actress, and humanitarian, Madonna doesn’t fit your average mom role. In Malawi, Africa; one of the poorest in the world, you would never expect to find the “material girl” Madonna trekking around, adopting a child and helping other children. She manages to go do all of this while still being a mother and an artist. Madonna is an inspiration to me not because of all the albums she has sold, or all the money she has made, but the work she is doing in Africa. A place she never went to prior to donating her money.

I have been inspired by Madonna for doing so much for the children in Africa and all of the other humanitarians both well known and not known at all, for going and helping directly where it is needed, and now more then ever, I want to go do the same thing. I hope to go to medical school and into research medicine and spend some time working in places that really need it. Through Madonna I learned that you can help out a cause you at first, may know nothing about and end up feeling really passionate about it. All of the humanitarians in our world have also been an inspiration for me, and for Madonna too. Without them no one would think to go out and help people less fortunate or have the great ideas to start a new cause that genuinely helps people.

As for now, I believe I am a mini humanitarian, with my other multidimensional parts mixed in, not making a difference on a large scale yet, but making a difference at my camp. And being an inspiration for the girls I was a counselor for this past summer, teaching them about who actually does the dishes and who makes all of the trails walk-able for everyone. And as I’ll make them do a service project on an afternoon where they could be swimming, they’ll all look at me and scrunch up their faces in disgust. Just saying how they don’t want to be working and how doing dishes sounds like no fun, I’ll tell them how important it is to do something good when there’s nothing in it for you.

Photography

1. Rule of Thirds
I think that the rule of thirds is going to enhance my photo because it give all photos some proportion. I think that it makes every photo look more professional and composed without you really even noticing it.









2. Foreground and Background
Foreground and Background will enhance the photo because it gives the photo some depth and makes it look more real. In class Randy talked about how when you are just looking at something not everything around you is going to be in your foreground, and I think it should be the same way in a picture.









3. Posed Portraits
This is actually the picture I want to re-create for my project. I think that posed portraits can show a side of a person and you can use that to your advantage. Since this picture was used in as a print ad, it also adds a lot of glamor to the already glamorous Madonna.

Resources- American Icons

Coco Chanel
1. Movie:: Coco Before Chanel
I think that there is a lot of value in watching this movie because it goes through her life not only as a prominent fashion designer, but also as an orphan in France. Since she was such a pioneer in modern fashion, I think watching this movie will give me better in sight into where she got her inspiration from.

2. Magazine Article
I learned that Coco was one of Time Magazines 100 most important people of the 20th century and I think that reading the article will be valuable because I will learn more about her and how she was other peoples icons and inspirations.
http://www.time.com/time/time100/artists/profile/chanel.html

3. Website
I think this source will be helpful to me because it includes some pictures and the website is a museum so the article has more legitimacy. It also includes several pictures of pieces she created which gives me more insight into things she designed and the claim that she "knew how to design for women".
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chnl/hd_chnl.htm

Madonna
1. Interview
I think that this source will help me with my artist's statement because it is a lengthy interview about different aspects in her life. I dont know too much about her life and kids and from this interview I think Ill be able to learn more about the kind of person she is and maybe what prompted her to be a humanitarian.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chnl/hd_chnl.htm

2. Article
This source will be helpful because one of my main focuses is Madonna not only as the music star but also the humanitarian using her fame to raise money for kids in Africa. This website is an article talking about her trip to Malawi where she adopted her child. I think her trip there and what she has done is what really makes her an American icon.
http://www.gibbsmagazine.com/Madonna%20Flies%20to%20Malawi%20To%20Help.htm

3. Website
Looking on Madonna.com will help give me a better understanding Madonna and her progression through music over the years. I thought it was pretty cool they have a full photo archive which will be useful to see her different looks over the years and to help get ideas for my self portrait.
www.madonna.com

American Icons

1Coco Chanel

In my eyes Coco Chanel represents fashion and class for the 20th century. Even though she died in 1971, her label continues to represent high fashion and classic looks. Coco was the first designer to ever introduce black as a color in fashion, as well as "the little black dress". She revolutionized mens wear on women, which is still a trend today. Even those who aren't fashion conscious know her signature double C logo. I think Coco Chanel was really important in American culture because she broke women out of the tight corsets and uncomfortable clothes. Things that she created were popular when they launched, and still are today. The fragrance Chanel no. 5 was designed in 1922 and is still widely known.


I was about 4 or 5 when Cocos work became important to me because my mom represented the Chanel brand makeup line. I never really learned about who she really was until a couple of years ago when I bought my first piece of Chanel jewelry, which actually turned out to be a necklace with her on it. I never really realized how much she impacted American fashion until recently, without her designs the basic and classic looks of the 20th and 21st century would be nonexistent.


2Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz is important to me because she has taken many pictures that have become well known in America. She was the last person to professionally photograph John Lennon (5 hours) before he was shot, and she was also the photographer for the controversial Miley Cyrus pictures that were on the cover of Vanity Fair. I am inspired by her work and all of the weird sets she has set up just to get that cool or quirky picture. All of her work stands out, and it is memorable. I also think she is a true American icon because she has been doing her work for nearly 40 years and that shows real dedication and passion which is something people strive for in their own job.

Annie inspired unique portraits that were very different from what was stereotypically on the cover of a magazine, or even on the inside. I don't think that anyone would be daring and have enough confidence to put Whoopi Goldburg nude in a bathtub of milk in a national magazine, but she did it. She always takes pride in her work and doesn't just see it as taking the cover shot for a magazine, you can see all of the effort and creative thought that goes into every photo.

3Madonna
I believe that Madonna is a true American icon for several reasons, one is, she is known worldwide for her music. Her icons are all kinds of different people ranging from Nancy Sinatra to Led Zeppelin for music and Judy Holliday to Marilyn Monroe for acting. She represents music from multiple generations and she has been a big part of American culture. She has produced many hits that have been played on the radio and MTV. She was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She represents America and American music truly as an icon worldwide. Even the classy French brand Louis Vuitton wanted her for an ad campign for one of their latest purse lines. (photo shown right)

In recent years, while continuing her music, she has also been rasing awareness about Africa, rasing money for orphans there and she has even adopted a child from there. She has been working closely with other big celebrities like Bono and Angelina Jolie to help raise money and really make a difference. Madonna not only represents music, but now she has taken on the role of a humanitarian, which truly makes her a good American icon to me.

Junior Year!

My overall goals for this year are::

- Do well in all of my classes and do honors
-Work on my reading skills, and read more books and have them be more challenging
-Work on my writing skills
-Get ready for the SAT
- Be on time to all of my classes
- Learn a lot about American history!

From this humanities class I want to work on group work and how the group works together. In the past I have usually ended up picking up the loose ends and done most of the project alone. This year I want to work to have that not happen anymore and make sure that everyone has input and does work. Since I don't know too much about American history outside of wars, I want to learn about all of the other things that have gone on in America. I also want to build onto my writing skills from last year, especially when it comes to essays.