College Quandary

Big school, little school? East coast, west coast? Private school, public school? These are questions millions of high school juniors have recently been bombarded with as the search for colleges begins. Speaking of beginnings, I don't know where to start. My college counselor meeting is approaching in a few weeks, and I am faced with a task of coming up with a list of schools that I feel I may want to attend. I know I'm not the only one, my twin brother, and everyone else at school is faced with this task as well. But that doesn't make it any easier. But my question is, why does it have to be so hard?
Ultimately, it's a huge decision. I would say it's almost one of the biggest decisions of your life. So you definitely want to make the right decision, but there is no guarantee. There is no way of knowing that the school you choose is going to be right for you. At some point, you just have to make a decision and take the leap, like jumping out of an airplane with the parachute that you packed yourself.
In the end, you just have to take a chance, and eventually that's what it's all about. Making an informed decision, and hoping for the best.
Who knows what will happen, but talk to me two years from now and I'll let you know.

Slavery Film Controversy in Winnetka

After skimming through an edition of the TribLocal, I found an article that jumped out at me because of it's headline. It read: "Slavery film controversy results in District 36 policy change." This jumped out at me because it reminded me of recent Huckleberry Finn controversies we have been discussing in class. However, this article was about a movie shown, rather than a book read.
A couple of weeks ago, a fourth grade class at a middle school in Winnetka was shown a movie called "The Middle Passage", a movie about the journey Africans were forced to take to North and South America. The movie depicts the journey in a very realistic way, resulting in some intense scenes. Some parents were infuriated, calling the scenes "too intense for youngsters". One parent stated of the movie, "it's so off limits, I can't even talk about it, it infuriates me so much". However, other parents were completely supportive of the movie being shown. One mom sarcastically stated "About 20 million Africans were taken from homes and families and sold into slavery...but the real tragedy, really and seriously, is that a privileged little girl from Winnetka had to see some scary pictures of it".
I personally believe in this point. Growing up on the North Shore, we are immediately sheltered from so many things happening all around us, but we shouldn't have to be sheltered from what has already happened. I understand some parent's concerns that their children were just too young to be shown this material, but I wonder when the right age would be? Our past defines our country, and there is no need to be sheltered from it

Les Miserables

Last Thursday, Hayley and I got the opportunity to go see the production of Les Miserables with our chorus class downtown. New Trier is putting on the show in March, so it was really incredible to be able to see a professional production of it. But while we were watching the show, something really stood out to us. The role of Jean Valjean, who is usually portrayed as a white man, was black in the show. We thought this really corresponded to what we were learning in class, especially with our talks about the civil rights movement.

In the show, Jean Valjean begins as an outcast. He is an ex convict, and though he is trying to get his life together, no one will help him because of his past. It was so interesting to us to see this role played by someone black, because because much like in the civil rights movement, the black character was an outcast and denied of certain freedoms because of his past. In the play, he was denied pay, food, shelter, and so much more simply because of his past in jail. But in the end, he overcomes and becomes very successful. However, he was not the only black actor in the cast. The role of Eponine was also played by an African American woman. This character as well is an outcast, a woman that nobody loves. It was interesting to make the connection that the two characters in the show acted by African American cast members were the two characters that were outcasted the most.

Race to the Oscars

It's that time of year again, and the 83rd Annual Academy Awards are right around the corner. Many movies and actors have created "Oscar Buzz" this year, with nominees including Natalie Portman, Jesse Eisenberg, and James Franco, just to name a few. However, this year is a little different. None of the actors nominated are black. This is the first time that this has happened in over a decade, according to an article I stumbled across. To read the full article, click here.
I thought that this article, and situation, was extremely relevant to what we have been discussing in class. The topic of racial tokenism has come up quite often as we have been reading the book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As we finished the book, we discussed Huck's redemptive arc, and whether or not Huck has grown at all throughout the year. As a class, we came upon a quote on page 230, where Huck states "I knew he was white on the inside" (referring to his companion Jim). By saying this line, it seems as though Huck has not grown, and is still back to his racist ways. And by comparing this line to the recent Oscar controversy, it makes me wonder if we have grown at all. By not having any black actors nominated this year, is it safe to say that America is still partial to one race?
I don't think so. While many people are discussing what this year's list of nominees really means, I honestly believe that it is nothing more than a list of talented actors. Black actors have been nominated in the past, and have won. And so have white actors. The nominations are nothing more than a list of noteworthy performances, and should not be perceived as anything more.

Everything but the Game

Today as I'm sure everyone knows is the Superbowl XLV (!) between the Green Bay Packers, and the Steelers. It's a super hyped up event, as last year over 106 million people tuned in to watch.  I'm sure many of the people are tuning in to actually watch the game, but a good percent of the people are only watching for the commercials. Since the beginning of the Superbowl in 1966, it has become increasingly media based, rather than based on the actual game. The program is advertised by the quality commercials shown in between plays, and the over the top, entertaining half time show, this year featuring the Black Eyed Peas. It has become so focused on commercials that many cable channels have begun broadcasting programs featuring the "Best Superbowl Commercials of All Time". The question is, why has the Superbowl become so focused on the media, rather than the actual game? The most obvious answer is money. Since hundreds of millions of people are watching, companies spend millions of dollars creating the best advertisement possible. But is this really necessary? Will people really wish to spend their money more on a company that featured Justin Bieber in their commercial, versus a company that didn't? While watching the game, it will be interesting to think about whether or not the over the top commercials actually attract costumers, and whether or not they are worth it.