Day 5 response, amanda

I always felt like an outsider when it came to fitting in with a crowd. Many people would stare at me, giving me a certain look to notify their view of who I was. A specific teacher I had during my senior year in high school allowed me to realize my true potential. I have a passion for writing and photographing and she noticed through my daily assignments in her class. English was one of my favorite subjects because it allowed me to express my identity through the characters in every novel read. One day my teacher pulled me aside during class, she came to me asking if I was okay. I knew that I wasn’t but then she figured it out. She says, “I’m going to give you a special assignment, be as creative as can. Choose a topic that you are most interested in and expand your thoughts based on an experience that most defines what you’re passionate about. In addition to that, for every paragraph you write you take must take snap shots of everything that you feel would interpret your voice.” At first I had no what to write about at first, but then I put my hand to paper and everything came out. My essay was based dialogue of processing a good picture through a camera and the text originated a personal experience of mine that changed my way of thinking and changed me in so many ways. The next day I went to class I had a stack of pictures to show my teacher and was sequenced throughout the passage of my experience. I remember tears ran down her eyes because all along she knew what true potential I had. For the rest of the year I continued to take pictures for every assignment she requested and in addition I developed a great portfolio.

Day 5 Answer: Matt Singleton

Gang violence isn’t really something I’m used to. I obviously hear about it all the time and a lot of my friends live in gang related areas, so I have been around it before, but never in my own neighborhood. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my neighborhood is a pretty quiet area. Nothing dangerous has ever happened that I know about. The people I live around are mostly nice, quiet, down to earth kind of people. The type of people that if you ask to use their phone, they usually won’t hesitate to let you use it, even if you’re a complete stranger. Now there are a few people in my neighborhood who would appear to be in a gang at first glance, based on the way they dress, the colors they wear, and the way the speak. Anyone who may be ignorant to certain fads in the world, or just someone who looks down on that sort of style could definitely mistake a kid who likes to wear black and blue as someone who is a GD. Although, not far from where I live, right on the state line separating Illinois from Indiana, racism plays a pretty big role. When I was young, a friend of mine lived pretty close to the state line. She invited me and a few friends over to her house. At the time I was too young to drive, so I had to ask my mom to give us a ride. She drove most of the way there, then when she realized where we were, she turned around pretty quick and said she didn’t want me and my other black friends to be in that area. It made me mad at the time, but now I can see where she was coming from. With us being 14 and 15 at the time, I understand why she didn’t want us to stay over there at such a late time.

Response #5 Malcolm

The person that originally inspired me to get into music was my friends and family. I still don’t think I’m good but outsiders of my life say I am. That inspires me to work harder and do better work. My biggest inspirations are my 7 year old cousin Linzy and my friend 4 year old daughter Iona both who I love and care about more than anything. Linzy and I are really close not because were cousins but also we were born on the same day and month, people get us confused as father and daughter often. We act just alike, and on many occasions have just been sat in a room to compare how we both acted at a certain age. Iona is my favorite little kid of all time; she is the only child to a single parent teen mother. She graduated kindergarten and she was allowed to invite one friend, she called my cell phone and asked me if I wanted to come. On one particular occasion I remember before I was driving it was about five or six of a going to the studio. We stopped at my friend Ashley’s to pick her up, I was the only one Iona liked or even talked to and she sat on my knee while we all waited on the porch. As we left she cried for me and her mother which was awesome. She was the first outsider of the group I let hear and critic my work. Both my cousin Linzy and Iona inspire me, to do the best I can do, and as long as it’s my best it s the best.

I read Our America before and I even seen the film made based on the book. I understand and know how LeAlan and Lloyd’s neighborhood is like. I for one can compare some of the similes in both my “hood” and there “hood”.

            Sure one things different in there neighborhood there is more violence than there is in mine, I wouldn’t imagine how violent it was there. But there is one thing that I can easily compare in both side of the story one in my neighborhood the people will never say anything if something went down and people saw it they will never open there mouth they are afraid to speak for reason that there family might get hurt. The same goes in Our America the people there are afraid of the gangs that’s why these two boys walk around with recorders to show the “people” what is to speak up and not to be afraid in there dark. Yea I can resemble the same things in both side of the story. There’s drug dealing, gangs, and the list goes on with out an end. But the only thing is that there is no one to show my side of the neighborhood. The only people are the media, showing the wrong and not taking time to show reality of the good of the neighborhood. Sure there’s bad but that’s everywhere. I am just tired of people and the media covering up the good side of the neighborhood. 

Response #4: Lola Ogbara

My inspiration for going to college and becoming the best person I can be came from my mother. When I was younger, we struggled to make ends meet and because of that she would always tell me how much talent I had and what I can do with it. She would make sure I had all the art supplies I needed such as art easels, pens, pencils, paints, paint brushes, paper, illustration boards, sketch pads, markers, etc. She bought all of these things to better my chance of perfecting my skills in art. My mother used to always tell me in order to become someone successful in life, I would need to get an education and go to college, something she did not get a chance to finish when she was younger. I felt like I can accomplish anything knowing that my mother would be supporting me through all my years of schooling. As of now, we both attending college and are in progress of getting a degree.  She has gone back to college to obtain a degree in criminal justice and I am just starting my journey to obtain a degree in graphic design. We are supporting each other through our journeys. 

day 5 nelson answer to walter

My sister being my main role model always seemed to capture a new point that I chose to chase.  When I was younger, she was popular and very stylish.  I looked up to her all my life always being worried at how she looked at me.  I guess when I was younger, I tended to push her away a little to discover myself as who I am.  It seemed she was always at least three steps ahead of every path I chose to take.  As time progressed, I finally accepted her as always going to be ahead of me regardless of age, but of wisdom and fashion.  My sister, Delicia, was my main inspiration towards going to college and getting myself a great education. Although it seems that my actions will always be almost half as good as what she did, I feel that if I get even that far the accomplishment has exceeded beyond normal quality.  My sister is someone that I not only look up to, but admire as more of a hero figure on account of she acknowledges my problems and helps me through them.  There are some instances where the depth of her consideration and help has been involved to where I probably would never be able to repay her in anyway.  I am glad my sister has been my inspiration because she will never leave my side nor will she ever do anything to hurt me on purpose.  She is all that in the end I got and I could never ask god or anybody else for better.

honestly anytime i see a really good performance i just say to myself what does it take to become that how do i get there what does it take to achieve the status . but some of my earlier works that made want to work was john leguizamo the pest . m it was around 2000 and i happen to be sick that day i thought i was going to lose my fucking mind i laugh so hard from the singing to dancing and impressions and goofing ( jim carrey makes me does this) i thought i was amazing i laugh so hard that my grandmother herd me . also south park made laugh like this to because you don't see things likes this everyday i just knew it was a special moment in my life . i guess that's another thing me and my character chuck palaniuk have in common . we get full of life . and spit it out . i see that in my nephew . .

but any who going back to my discussion also any really intense scenes that show African Americans in a intense intelligent argument . such as Do the right thing or lean on me man i got fired up for that stuff . just black people being black and not something else . just totally themselves . he image us so well all the details .

God that motovaited me to study film . === the oscars give awrds for best decoration

Who influenced me

For a long time I was sent on majoring in wildlife biology, but my first college expierence with the required math classes mad it very promentant that this was not for me. In September of 2008 I found out ACDC was coming to town and i woke up at 3AM for a week straight to try to call in to 97.9 to win tickets because I could not afford ACDC and school. Friday was my last chance to get ACDC tickets from Johnathan Brandmeier and that day he was giving away front row tickets to ACDC. The night before I decided I am NOT going to miss this concert so my girlfriend and I stayed up untill 1AM making a poster. I then took a 2am train to Chicago and made my way to Merchandise mart home of 97.9. I stood out side the station and held up a sign that said in red letters “HEY JOHNNY WE NEED ACDC TICKETS.” The poster was designed very well because my girlfriend is a studio art major. Sure enough this sign cought his attenion. He then brought me inside and interviewed my live on air. By the end of all of this we ended up with the tickets and during a commercial break he said hey whats your major? and I told him i was undecided. He then told me I should consider going into radio because I did very well. Then he had two schools send me information he had the Illinois center for broadcasting send me information along with Columbia College. Now i am attending Columbia College as a radio major, all thanks to Johnantan Brandmeier.

Taylor Cole

Word count:276

Answer for lola's question Kevin Scott

Answer for Lola's question

The neighborhood I live in now (Aurora,IL) on the east side suburbs is pretty peaceful to my knowledge, I kinda just moved there it's been quite for the most part. In the morning when I wake up all I hear are birds and dogs. Most of the population is from the city of Chicago so nothing has really changed. The only danger is at night, beware of the wild dogs, deer run everywhere and snakes slither behind you. As far as living in aurora I can't relate to Le Alan and Lloyd as far as the violence and drugs but I will say this since more than half the population is from Chicago the drugs and alcohol and the slang terminology has entered in the suburbs because of the population leaving the city of Chicago, which is where I come from the west side. When I lived there the only thing we struggled with was how much of troubled people around us can we take before something bad happens to us (getting shot or robbed.) People got shot around us, houses were burned down but we had to leave so it would not hinder us from our future.

When I was 7 or 8 my mom didn’t like me and my sister listening to hip hop but my sister did it eney way so one day I wit in her room an got her cd player an in it was a nas cd in it not sure of watch cd of his it was all I know is that I liked it later on that day my sister beat me up for tacking her cd but she also rallied we head some thing in conmen so she would let me use her cd player even to day she is a supporter of my writing she think its cool that her nas cd in spared me but little do she know it was the fact that she was listening to it was the only risen I wanted to I have always look up to her be cues she’s smart an a jock an does what she needs to do an is always happy to help me she even give good advice I will always love her no matter what

 

Walter's Question

In the novel Stranger than fiction chuck travels around the nation getting ideas to inspire him to write his novels. Talk about an event or someone that inspired you to do what you do now? How did it feel having someone to supporting you? What was it? Who was it? What is that you do? These are just some ideas include your own questions if you wish. 

Lola's Question<3

In the book "Our America", the community in which LeAlan and Lloyd lived in was a harsh reality. The Ida B. Wells projects, located on the south side of Chicago, was full of gang violence, 50% vacant, and consisted of people who were struggling to make ends meet.  How can you relate to the community in "Our America". Do the people in your community share the same qualities as the people in LeAlan and Lloyd's community. Think about their ways of living, slang they used, the recordings the two boys made, or even the things they do to keep themselves occupied. Be specific.