ENG 001: Section 09

Final

2007-12-10T20:10:00.000-06:00

Reading Rainbow Theme Song:Reading was the one thing, as a child, that got me through the long Arizona summer days. My favorite past time was sitting in my room with all the lights on and the air conditioner blasting. I would be cuddled up under a blanket and my teddy snug under my arm. As I sat there with a book it would fly open on my lap, then all that I had to do was glance at the tiny balck printed words on the page and CRACK! I was off. I was flying on the magical reading ranbow. I was off to the many lands that the words in my book decided to decided to drag me to. There were times that I would wiz through landscapes from all over the world or even from worlds that only exist in the minds of children. Sometimes my mind would be stuck in one world for a long duration of time other times I would be there for only a blink in time. Books were the escape, the escape from the ever pressuring outside world. They are the one thing on this earth that can take you were ever you want to go.
The “Reading Rainbow” song describes how it was for me to travel too all those worlds. As the clips run from a little boy playing in the sand to him being a king and reading a book is an example of how my life was. One moment I was a little girl sitting in her room to a princess sitting on her throne in some land. At the end of the day I would have to come back to the reality that I was only a little girl but with the knowledge that I would go back to my new world one day soon.

White Christmas Theme Song:Ever since I was a little girl my family has had the tradition of watching the movie “White Christmas.” We rarely had a Christmas tree, since there were only four of us in the family. When we do put up a tree it is one of the most beautiful things in all my memories. Unfortunately in past years my mom has decided to make the tree look as though it has come out of a department store, instead of a scrapbook of our memories.
Her ornaments remind me of all the stars in the sky. They blink and sparkle with all the energy in the universe. The colors are so vibrant that they glow such as dawn of a new day as it comes over the horizon. There are only ever a few “child safe” ornaments on the tree. They seem to always pull my gaze away from the decorate ones and make me remember the times when I had created them with my two hands. Some are fluffy like clouds as others are slick with paint. Each and every one of them is a part of my soul. There are nine very special ornaments that seem to always like to hide from my eyes. They are the nine reindeer that pull Santa’s sledge. Each one sits on its own branch such as a king would on his throne.
Christmas has always been a happy time for me. But it isn’t the presents and food that make it special it is the glowing Christmas tree.

Orinaco flow:The most prominent memory that I have of my travels throughout the world is when I went to Germany for the first time with my mom. We rented a car and drove through the country side blaring Enya.
Enya’s song “Orinaco flow” was the one song that always managed to come on right as I rolled down my window. The lyrics that seemed to affect me the most were, "From the deep sea of Clouds To the island of the moon", they held teh promise of all the travel that wil coem my way in the future. The world seemed to change as I put my hand out the window to let the wind go through my fingers. The wind seemed to cool down significantly as I started to mouth the words that I had grown to know so well. The smell of the freshly cut grass made my nose tingle. As I closed my eyes, I could see my mom and I walking along the cobbled stones streets of Europe. As the car would go over the occasional hill my stomach seemed to go with it and would crave the food that always seemed to waft through the cafes on the street. Every so often I would glance over at my mom and would be reminded of all the travels that we had ever been on, where the "Orinace Flow" will take us. I would see her smiling face poke out from behind the camera as she asks me to smile one more time. For some reason the voice of Enya calms the nerves and makes me remember all the good times that my mom and I have had together.

Slowdive, Pygmalion: I was in fourth grade when I began playing the cello. As I got older I turned in my rented cello so I could buy my own. As I close my eyes now I know every bump and scratch and the sound that will resonate if you pluck the A string too hard.
My cello is dark hazelnut brown, it is a Scot Caw. Although it seems to have a red finish too it, so when light is directly on it it gleams with polish. As I reach my hand up to the scroll and tuning pegs to make it sing the song that I need it to. I see the buff mark at the top of the scroll where the finish never seemed to reach. As I begin to warm up I trace my hand along the finger board that has been worn down by the strings being pushed to hard. Four hard strings, A, D, G, C, cut into my fingers as I apply pressure to them. As my gaze follows the strings down to the bridge I see the chip where the A string is because I broke a string and it took a piece of wood with it. After the bridge comes the fine tuners and the tail piece. The tail piece is made out of the same wood as the cello which is very strange. Usually it is black like the finger board. To the left and right of the bridge are the F holes. Mine have been said to me sad F holes which could mean many different things about the cello. Lastly my endpin is hard silver metal with a gold finish around the end.
For years my cello was my life. As time has gone by I play it less and less but at the end of the day my cello and the pieces that I have played are always in my heart.

Yo Yo Ma, Bach Suite No. 1: Yo Yo Ma is the worlds most known and most celebrated cello player. I was very young the first time that I saw him play Bach Cello Suit No.1 in G Major. Ever since that moment I have played the cello. That was nine years ago. The first time that I saw the piece, by Bach, laid open on my stand I knew that my cello was made to play this piece. As I reached my left hand up to the finger board I worked out the first combination; open G, open D, first finger B on the A and then open A. . I stretched out my right arm as I brought my horse hair bow to the strings. As the bow touched the strings I put the right amount of pressure to get the correct sound out of it. As the song became more difficult I would slide my hand along the strings to different positions to see if the sound quality got any better.
As the piece speeds up towards the end there is eight note slurs. These are some of the hardest combinations I have ever played. My bow was going across all four strings and my fingers were stretched across all four strings. It is hard at this point not to move with the cello. It makes the music flow more smoothly. As I played the last cord I would swing my bow out just to show that I was done. The peacefulness that I had while performing this had never been reached again.

Gortaoz a ran Danez Prigent & Lisa Gerrard: All throughout high school I was head technician in the theatre department. My one haven in the entire building was the light booth. I could be shut up in there for hours on end and just play. My main object of entertainment was my beloved light board. I could do anything in the world of lighting. I could release any built up pain and anger into it as well.
I would sit on my stool and stick my head phones in my ears and play “Gortaoz a ran.” It seemed to make me focus on the task at hand. As I would get lost in the music I would see the lights turn on in my head and somehow make the movements go through the tips of my fingers and type it into the board. The keys always gave way. No matter the pressure that you put on them. As I close my eyes now I can visualize the board as if it were right in front of me now. To the right was the key pad and to the left was the 48 sub masters/dimmers that could be used at my will. There were times when the board seemed to fight what I wanted top do so I would take a deep breath and listen to the music.
Before shows began I seemed to get a way of nervousness come over me. This was the only song that had me push every thought out of my head and helped me concentrate on the topic at hand.

Patty Griffin, Rain: The song “Rain” by Patty Griffin illuminates my feelings that I have for rain. Rain is something that is a rarity in Arizona. When the clouds start to roll in over the valley everything seems to loose its roar and whisper. The mountains that surround the Valley of the Sun aka Phoenix is the last place where rain seems to fall. When the storms come in to our state boundaries they let loose little bits of rain on the desert first. Just so they could taunt us with the smell of the creosote bush, which when gets wet releases a fragrant essence.
I have always loved the rain. With rain comes come the intoxicating smell of the desert. I remember times a child sitting out on my back porch closing my eyes and taking deep breaths of fresh air with the hint of creosote. I would see myself walking hand in hand with my mom as we would name the plants of the desert and watch them get wet and change into something different. I really liked watching the Saguaro cactus swell with the water from the summer monsoons. If you watch long enough and the cactus drink to much rain water they will explode. Rain seems to bring relief. It has always made me stop and think about life. To inhale the scent of the creosote bush is to inhale a part of heaven.

Vitamin C, Graduation: Graduation. The word graduation is the best and worst word in my personal dictionary. It signifies the end of something great and the start of something unknown. The lyrics "Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down" kept twirling around in my head. The night of my graduation the only thing that was on my mind was the school colors, orange and yellow. Girls were dressed in gold robes and the boys in orange robes We looked like we had set the field on fire as we sat down girl boy girl boy. As all 656 of us graduating seniors walked out to on the field there was a sense of was awe as we all knew what was coming.
The colors of yellow and orange had been the two colors that have described my life for the past four years. On the first day of high school the buildings were decked out in the colors with banners welcoming everyone back to school. As the years went on the school colors seemed to pop up where ever I went. At football games there were pompoms for sale and shirts that represented Corona del Sol pride. Even at the mall there seemed to be a surplus of yellow and orange merchandise. The colors seemed to follow me wherever I went.
The song “Graduation” by Vitamin C seems to remind me off all the days that the two colors represented what I wanted in life, an education from the school that I loved and felt a deep connection with.

2007-11-18T15:27:00.001-06:00

I remember seeing this video for the first time at my friend Aarika’s house. At the time N’SYNC was the most amazing band (at least it was to us girls in elementary school.) Aarika and I had just sat down to watch a movie and…poof their music video came on. The world stopped. We sat there with our eyes glued to the screen as the five singers/dancers did their thing. It was again the most amazing thing we had ever seen. I remember thinking about how bright the colors were and how my attention was caught right off the bat. I also remember thinking how cool it was that they could dance that well and how everything just seemed to fit together. They were so heavily talked about and advertised that it almost seemed like it was an honor to watch one of their videos. I guess it a way I knew that I would never have the opportunity to see one of their concerts so I knew that I had to get the best out of their music videos.
Now as I look back at the video all I can do is laugh. I mean flat out laugh. The music video is just so over the top that it is hilarious. One thing that is really constantly over the top, in all their videos, is the bopping. All five of them are continuously bopping around when they are not dancing. I also seem to find myself laughing at the clothes they are wearing and just how they look. However I do have to remember that this music video came out quite a few years ago, and times were different then. I do still find their dancing very impressive. They always seemed to manage that.
N’SYNC will forever be that staple boy band of my childhood. They were the ones that made listening to music and dancing around the coffee with my friends fun. The band made my childhood what it was.

2007-11-13T17:28:00.000-06:00

So this may not be the worst music video ever made but it is one of the worst I have seen. I have nothing against Maroon 5. At times their music is decent and this song is just fine, but what is up with this music video? It does not follow the lyrics to the music at all.

First of all what is up with the plane? The entire music video is set in an airport. Why? It doesn’t make any sense. Then there are these random moments where you see the lead singer riding the moving sidewalk. I don’t even think that it looks cool let alone go with anything that he is singing about. Is he moving through time? What? Then there are these random inputs of phones every so often. Such as the camera stops on women that are talking on the phone and on a phone sign on a wall. That makes no sense at all. Where is a phone even mentioned in the song?

Also all the women appear to be ultra skanky and whoreish. I understand for the appeal for men for the women to have short skirts but how does this element sell the song? It just makes the video less quality. Another part that really makes no sense is when the women are having him, the lead singer, go through the metal detector, and touching him everywhere. How does this relate to the song? It doesn’t.
One thing that I do think is cool about this music video is the neon lights and how they are playing in such a modern room. I puts the music in the right time era. Although the scene is lessened again when you realize that they are playing in an airport. Which again makes absolutely no sense.

All and all I really despise this music video and feel that it says nothing for Maroon 5’s music.

2007-11-11T16:05:00.000-06:00

Music videos are a way for artists to describe their music with pictures. I really enjoy this certain music video for two reasons, one it has Josh Groban in it and two because it shows what happens before a show goes up.

For some reason I have always enjoyed listening to Josh Groban’ s music. It seems to always calm me down when something has made me upset. This song “You raise me up” is also a great song that puts you back on your feet. It makes you realize that there are always people that are there in your life that care for you. It makes me think about all my friends and how we seem to always make each other smile and turn the grey sky to blue.
When the video first begins you see Josh Groban getting off a couch, such as he has just woken up form a nap, and has just realized that he needs to go to rehearsal. As he walks to rehearsal you see all the elements that happen backstage. The dancers begin to warm up and the musicians take their places. As rehearsal begins it is obvious that everyone is having a good time and it enjoying the fact that they are doing what they love.

I believe the reason why I like this video so much is because I am going to college to work behind the scenes at places like these. I would really like to work the lights for a traveling theatre or music group. One thing that really caught my attention was the computer screen in the beginning, it was the lighting program that I have used. The best part of a performance is the background and the process of putting it together. As the pieces come together you really see how much work has been put into the show and you get a rush of adrenaline when the curtain finally goes up. You make the best of friends when you can compare on the work ethics that you use. You become a family.

2007-11-11T15:01:00.000-06:00

Rhetorical statements can be found in everyday life wherever you go. They can be found very easily, just turn on the television and suddenly you are bombarded with rhetorical images, or even rhetorical sounds. Rhetorical sounds, such as music. Music has a strong influence on the youth in the United States. It only makes sense that when a popular up-beat song comes on the television that attention is immediately drawn to it. What makes even more sense is, if the music on the television is up beat and is attempting to sell a music-playing device, such as the ipod. Since the ipod was first released in 2001 sales have skyrocketed, and most of it has to do with the rhetorical images and sounds that Apple is having broad casted on television. People from all over the world ask for ipods daily so that they can listen to the music that describes them the best. This commercial illustrates just how owning an ipod will not only make you look better on the outside but will also make you feel amazing on the inside.

The first image that is introduced in this commercial titled “Jet ipod Commercial” is a woman dancing with a neon green screen behind her. This is the first form of narration that is being used. This woman in not just any woman, she has no facial features or any body differences that would make her unique, she could almost be considered plain, an everyday woman. She is a silhouette. She is an individual subject. The only thing that is unique about her is her personality. The personality that makes people stop and watch her, as she shows how music that she is listening to affects her. So there it is, attention is caught by a very stark usage of black on neon green. Soon the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the object that she is dancing with, a white object that is swinging around, in her hand. She is holding, a white ipod. She has the harsh white headphones dangling out of her ears and she is dancing. But again this is not just any kind of dancing. This is the kind of dancing that shows that the girl is dancing with all her heart and ability. She is narrating the music through her body. She is showing more of her personality as the beat increases. The song that is being played is “Are you gonna be my girl” by the band Jet. As the commercial progresses the image of the woman changes direction and zooms to a man, the man is dancing to the same song, as well, but with a different colored stark background. It is soon realized that there are two men and two women in the commercial. The process that the commercial uses by using the stark colors and shades together could be the main reason why the iPod has taken off so well because of how these commercials have been portrayed.

Cause and effect is one of the many aspects the commercial high lights upon. The cause is trying to get the audiences attention and, after they have caught the attention of the viewers the effect is for the viewers to “get off the couch right now and go buy this product”. It actually says this right in the lyrics by Jet, just not in the same way, the lyrics say, “So 1, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me because you look so fine and I really wanna make you mine.” What the lyrics for the purpose of the commercial are trying to say is “on the count of three take my hand and we will go to the store and make one of these fabulously looking ipods yours.” Then it says, “you look so fine and I really wanna make you mine” could mean one of two things. One process could be described as, that the ipod wants you to buy it and is saying that it will make you look good if you do. Another process that it could be trying use it to say “that the iPod looks so fine and that you really want to own one. It will make you look amazing and people will soon want you.” The song repeats again “I say you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine”. Just to put emphasis that the company, Apple, really wants the consumer watching this commercial to go out and purchase one. The next verse of the song is, “Oh, 4,5,6 c'mon and get your kicks now you don’t need that money when you look like that, do ya honey.” These lyrics are trying to portray the message that you really need to buy an ipod. Once you have achieved this you will get your kicks out of owning it because it is so amazing. Although once you do that, you won’t even need money because this ipod is going to make you look so good that money and appearance will no longer be important.

The choreography in this commercial could be described as the synthesis of the division. It is the putting of the music and lyrics together and to interpret what is trying to be said with human body movements. As the commercial begins the people dancing are imitating the words that are being spoken such as when the song says 1,2,3 the woman is counting on her fingers to emphasis it. As the commercial continuities the choreography becomes more intense with the music. The classification of the choreography is that this ipod can fit into your everyday life and make it even better, the views start to experience how this product will change their lives. It gives the illusion that life will be so more entertaining if you were to own this ipod. It also gives the impression that it could make you a better dancer and an all over happier person. The dancers that are working in the commercial are so happy and energetic, that they almost make you feel fat and bored as you watch them having fun that you could be having. You get this need to get up and go buy an ipod just so you can achieve that “high” that the dancers are on the television just from listening to an ipod. This is the synthesis of the choreography that is making you do this. This is another form of cause and effect, the commercial causes you to pay attention to what is going on during it and the effect you getting jealous if what is being shows and the want of it. Apple is trying to make the ipod pleasing in every way, and what better way then to show dancers showing through their body movements how much fun they are having.

Ethos is an aspect that Apple achieved in this commercial. It is the ethical appeal that sells the ipod in the end. Three things flash across the screen before the commercial ends “ipod”, “MAC OR WINDOWS”, and then the apple icon. The word ipod is aseptically pleasing because it is such a marketed music device. When the words “MAC OR WINDOWS”, flash across the screen could be the selling point of the commercial. It describes how the ipod has the flexibility to work on both a PC and a MAC. It is compatible for both operating systems. It was during that point in the commercial when ethos attributed the ipod through analogy. Lastly the apple sign is flashed across as the commercial ends. This sign of the apple is universality that most people can relate to and was put in place to remind the customer who the maker of the ipod is and where you could purchase one.

All and all this commercial has shown views on how having an ipod can change a consumers life in a good way through ethos. You become instantly happier, you can dance and feel better about yourself. I felt that the most powerful message that this commercial used was the music and how it had many different means that could have come from it.

2007-10-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

The three Catholic Bishops of Nebraska have decided to come together and make a decision about the pressing issues of immigration. The Bishops have decided to hold "listening sessions" to ask their congregations what they feel about the topic. Followers that are not able to attend these sessions are being asked to mail in their views.
The Church has decided to write a pastoral paper about how this issue needs to be handled in their congregation. Some past pastoral papers have included a 2005 paper on mental health and a 1999 paper on rural life. The Bishops hope that this paper will help with the treatment off the immigrants in Nebraska. "The bishops felt it was just very important socially, politically, economically and spiritually, It's an issue on the minds of a lot of people. They felt this was something they should do."
A background of the bishops' pastoral statements have included a background on Catholic social teachings and have explained how they can be applied to the topic They have also been known to included recommendations and suggestions for actions of the Catholics. It has been said that these papers can sometimes cause conflicts, so the church decided to say that this is an "opportunity for conversation and reasoned dialogue, not a political debate."
From my own point of view I support the bishops papers. If they feel that these papers are going to make a huge difference in their congregations then they should go for it. I do not understand how these papers can not turn political though. I know that the bishops do not want that but I don not see how political issues can not come up in any point in the discussion. It has been know to be the American way to argue about politics and try to put in as much of our point as we can.

2007-10-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Alias, was one of the most popular shows on the abc network. The show lasted for a short 5 seasons. It was abruptly cancelled when it was learned that Jennifer Garner (Sydney Bristow) became pregnant and wanted to become a stay at home mom.
I was first attracted to the show when I was just flipping through the channels and I saw an intense fighting scene. From that point on I was drawn in. The plot line was always very detailed and the story line was very complex. The bad thing about this show was if you missed one episode you might be lost for the entire season.
My favorite story line of Alias was the relationship between Vaughn and Sydney. The first time that the two saw each other there was a spark between them, unfortunately Sydney had a just lost her fiancée and was not in the mental state for a relationship. Plus with Vaughn being her handler in the first 2 seasons and a relationship between the two is forbidden.
It is during the last end of the second season that the two finally connected. Unfortunately at the end of the second season Sydney is abducted and wakes up two years later unable to remember anything. While Sydney was lost Vaughn got married to a women named Lauren.
During the entire third season there was always the built up tension and love that Sydney and Vaughn had for each other. The happiest moment during the entire series for me was when Vaughn learned that Lauren was working for the “bad guys” and ultimately killed her.
For the next two short seasons it was Vaughn and Sydney. They were barley apart during any of the shows and always seemed to have each other’s backs. They even had a baby together in the fifth season. I was very disappointed when the show ended just because I wanted to see where their relationship would have gone.
Alias was not all about Sydney and Vaughn but their relationship one of the most exciting aspects of the show for me.

2007-10-14T21:27:00.000-05:00

On October 13, 2007 Omaha held the Midwest Gerbil Show at the Carlisle Hotel in Omaha. It was an event to see, over 50 gerbils came to participate in the show. Hover and Michele Rush ran the show. This is the first time that Omaha has taken on the duty of running the show. Most of the participants were from around the state but some people flew in from around the country just to participate in these “Gerbil Olympics”
Most of the events included paper towel gnawing, quickest arm climber and shirt pocket friendliness. All of the owners of the little animals were very happy that the Gerbil Olympics came about because showing animals should be more then just about dogs and cats. Along with the 50 gerbils there was also a hedgehog and a few other fuzzy animals scattered about the room. There even a display of four cakes that were in the shape of gerbils. One man from Omaha came just to see what the competition was like and is planning on bringing his 6 gerbils next year to compete.
I was really surprised when I found this article on the Omaha World Harold website. I had never heard of the Gerbil Olympics before, and if I had I never would have thought that is would be put in a city paper. The idea that people can get their gerbils to do things on command just really surprised me. I know form experience that my guinea pig would never do anything that I would have told her. She just would have given me the face “are you kidding me”. I was actually really excited to hear about this because I can not have a dog or a cat but I have always wanted to show an animal so now I have to opportunity to participate in an event like this.

2007-10-10T19:57:00.000-05:00

The three most important books on my bookshelf are Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, written by Stephenie Meyer. These three books hold the stories that can keep me interested for hours. All I need is one of these books, a comfy chair and a plushy pillow. They are a series of three, and hopefully more to come, and are all about vampires and their interactions with humans. Or more distinct they are about a guy vampire, Edward, that falls in love a human named Bella.
In the book Twilight Bella is a 17-year-old girl that has moved to Forks, Washington to live with her dad. This new world of green and darkness is nothing Bella has ever experienced before. As she starts her first day at school she is immediately attracted to this guy she later learns is named Edward Cullen. Little does she know that he is a vampire and lives Forks with the rest of his vampire family. The entire book is about their first year together, how they fell in love, and how Bella always seems to be putting herself in troubles way.
In the book New Moon is a continuation of Bella and Edward’s love story. This one starts out with an action that makes Edward and his family move away form Forks so they can protect Bella. Bella is incredible crushed and goes and finds friendship with a boy, Jacob, from the reservation. As the two become friends it is obvious that Jacob has fallen for Bella. Little does she know that he is a werewolf, and the only reason that is, is because Edward’s family moved to Forks. As he starts to make his feelings clear to Bella, Bella goes of in search of Edward, she has learned that he is going to find a way to kill himself, due to some miscommunication that Bella was dead. At the end Bella and Edward are back together, and Jacob is by himself looking at their perfect relationship.
In Eclipse Bella and Edward are still together and Bella has decided that she wants Edward to make her a vampire so that they can always be together. Edward says the only way that he will make her one is if they get married. As the couple is going through this dilemma Jacob tries to get in the relationship and attempts to take Bella away from Edward. Soon the group of three has more to worry about since there is an army of vampires marching on Forks. As they all come together to fight Bella realizes that she cannot live without Edward but she will always love Jacob.
Although these are quick summaries about the books they are amazing! The first chapter catches your attention and the only time that you put down a book is to pick the next on up.

2007-10-07T14:33:00.000-05:00

Nebraska vs. Ball State
Imagine being surrounded by 83,000 people. You have no room to stretch and you certainly have had your personal bubble invaded into, and have seen more people cheer together then ever before. Welcome to a Nebraska Cornhusker football game, and this is under normal circumstances, over 286 games have been sold out consecutively since 1964. The only reason that the Nebraska Cornhuskers are as popular as they are is because of the ever-devoted fans.
As soon as I saw the monstrous stadium, Memorial Stadium, home to the Huskers I knew that my day was going to be filled with excitement. The stadium is so massive that it took me a good long while to walk around. At every main entrance there is a copper statue representing a past time in football. The front of the stadium, in a way, looks like the Roman Coliseum during the Roman era. My first goal when I arrived was to find my gate. At last I found gate twelve. As I waked up the numerous steps to the entrance doors I could already hear the defining roar of the crowd and the musical lyrics of the band. The band was in their finishing notes of the husker fight song, “There is no Place like Nebraska”, since the huskers had just scored a touchdown, you could hear the fans screaming at the top of their lungs their gladness and surprise at the early touchdown. The stadium was echoing noise, such as a rock concert. As I walked up the causeway of section 33 I got my first glimpse of the “sea of red”. The “sea of red” is quite a sight to see, in my own words it was “breath taking”. Almost every person in the stands was wearing the color red in support of the Husker team. The red shirts that were being worn was one thing that connected all the fans in that moment of time, we had all become friends. Even if by chance the Huskers lost the game the person right next to you, that had endured the entire game with you, wearing that loved color of red is your friend. The two of you have a shared a bond that can be shared only by the dedicated Husker fans.
Over 83,000 people were here to see the same game that I was and although they had had more experience then I have in this subject matter I knew it was just as special to all of them as it was to me. Now it was up to me to find my seat. As I turned around I was met with the voices and faces of thousands of screaming people. Wow what an intimidating moment of my life. As I stared to climb the abundant amount of solid concrete steps, up to row 50 I saw nothing really out of the ordinary except for a few obnoxiously large corn on the cob hats, aka cornheads. I had to do a double take the first time that I noticed them. They are literally a yellow, plastic, corn on the cob lying down on you head. They are even detailed enough to see the abundant amount of kernels on the top. That’s a thing to tell the people back home about. Soon my legs grew tired, from all the stairs but they still looked like they reached to the sky above. I was glad when I reached row 50...ahh now to find my seat, number 16. Okay so, it is in the middle, great, now I have to step over people and duck as they are swinging their mad arms about to show their support for the team. I had this constant motion of saying “sorry” and ducking and dodging and a few “excuse me’s” till I could finally sit down. It reminded me strongly of dodging thousands of people on the streets of New York. Too bad it’s a hard cold bench that reminds me of a harsh welcome to a start of a new day. But the fact that it was uncomfortable did not really phase me because I was at a Nebraska Cornhusker game.
The first thing that came to mind when I sat down was the closeness of all the people around me. I had barley any foot space and could not turn 10 degrees to the right or left. I was literally boxed in by walls of people. I was thankful at that moment that I am not claustrophobic. Although we were outside in a very large stadium it was very cramped seating. Unfortunately every time that something exciting happened the “walls” got closer and I was reminded of those padded rooms that they put crazy people in, for a moment. For the first few minutes all I could do stare in awe at what was right in front of me. The first thing that caught my attention was the field. It was a 100 yards of green turf, greenness that reminded me of winter rye in Arizona. The next thing that caught my attention was the twenty-two football players running around on the field. Of course the most important part of the twenty-two players on the field is the brown ball, that is shaped like “Hey Arnold’s" head that is at times flying through the air.
Soon I finally snapped back to reality when a touchdown was scored. I was waiting to hear the band to play, the ever-loved fight song, but unfortunately Ball State had scored a touchdown, we had a heated score of seven to seven. The crowd went wild. All around me people were cursing and pointing at the field. The man next to me kept screaming “What the hell was that?” “Are you blind!” “Come on guys get it together!” All the while he was saying this his face got brighter and brighter till, I’m sure of it, his face matched to color red of his shirt. All I wanted to do was tell him to breath. While disappointment was being spread about the Husker fans Ball State fans were secretly cheering inside, not wanting themselves to be known around all the Husker fans.
By now the game has started to pick up along with the weather. The breeze that, during the first quarter, chilled me had now turned into full-fledged sun, and it was the kind of sun that I knew would cause me trouble the next day. So I decided to roll up my sleeves and wait to get burned, I could already feel the sun baking away at my skin. As the sun scored my skin Ball State had managed to score a field goal. The score that had once been seven to seven was now ten to seven. Again the fans started to shout out obscenities at the team, “Come on huskers!” “Are your eyes even open?” “Did you really let that happen!” The man behind me even threw something that bounced off a women’s head a few rows down. Immediately I remembered the time in “Dodgeball” when the boy got hit in the face with a wrench.
As the crowd became rowdier I began to notice the cheerleaders, who were dressed in red and white, and Scarlet Dance Team, dressed in red, white and black. These two elements of the game were actually very important on the effect of the game. The cheerleaders were constantly cheering at the crowd, to get up the emotion of the fans, and the Scarlets were dancing along to the music that the band was playing. Every so often they would switch places on the sidelines, it seemed like they did this at the beginning of every quarter. As I looked down to see how much room I could spare to stretch my legs Nebraska scored another touchdown. Each and every Husker fan stood up and chanted to the fight song “Go Big Red” over and over again. Also while the band was playing a man was running across the end zone waving, one of the biggest Nebraska Cornhusker’s flag I have ever seen. He ran across twice, while showing so much enthusiasm I was afraid that he might trip. Every step that he took gave the fans more spirit to believe that the Huskers would win. When the band was done playing the fans started to shout out congratulations to the team, “Way to go guys!” “That’s what I like to see!” “Lets keep it up HUSKERS!” The scoreboard looked better with the yellow lights shinning 14 for Nebraska and 10 for Ball State. As the buzzer went off, signaling the end of the second quarter, the beginning of half time excitement seemed to roll over me. I couldn’t wait to see the Nebraska Cornhusker marching band perform.
As the band got in to their first positions, I got goose bumps. Goose bumps of remembrance of my high school marching band and how much fun it was to watch them take the field and perform all decked out in their. The band was decked out in; red pants with white stripes, and white jackets with red sleeves, their dinkels (shoes) and gloves were white. They made a stunning picture on the field, every line was straight and every person still. As the band began to play and perform disappointment seemed to wash over me. The performance was not giving me as much excitement as I had anticipated. Although at the end of the show when the band spelled out H-U-S-K-E-R-S and played the fight song I saw that it affected the fans. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch and as the last note rang out the fans in red cheered as loud as they could for the band that gives each and everyone a sense of excitement at the games. My attention was then drawn to all the people that were eating. I noticed for the first time that I had not eaten breakfast that day, and I was starving. Of course the people around me were not sharing this pain because they were eating delicious pizza and hotdogs. Even though the food looked like it had been cooked hours upon hours earlier it filled the stadium with a mixed aroma of stadium food. Food that no matter what the score was, was always delicious.
Time just flew by and soon it was down to the last few tense minutes of the game, the score was 41 to 40 Nebraska. Everyone was on edge as Ball State attempted to score a field goal. Everyone in the stadium was standing up on their cramped legs leaning forward in anticipation for the end of the game. Then it happened…the final buzzer went off and we had WON!
The day was a success I had had the experience of a husker game. I heard and felt the deafening roar of the crowd. I smelled the sweet smell of food that was only delicious at games husker games. I saw the love and excitement that husker fans have for their team. I had experienced the heart of Nebraska, while I had become one of the dedicated Cornhusker fans of Nebraska.

2007-09-20T10:44:00.000-05:00

There are more then just a few things that are creepy about this video. The first being the music and the black screen. The video clip is putting you in the sense of unexpectedness. It sets the mood of despair and the telling of a sad and historical story. As the white words come up on the black screen the harshness of the two different tones vibrate the screen. It even makes the clip creepier. It also lets the viewers know that this is to be taken seriously and was put in place as a learning and informational experience. As you read the words flashing across the screen you realize, if you have not already, that you are about to see, a remake of, the assignation of the 16th president of the United States, President Abraham Lincoln.
As Lincoln, his wife, and friends sit in the viewing box, the music, of the clip, begins to soften. Not too much to the extent that you should not prepare for the inevitable that you know it too come in just a few seconds, but just enough to relax you. The first thing that I noticed was how happy Lincoln and his wife looks. You see the love that they have for each other when he takes her hand in his. He had just won the election to have a second term in office and just wanted a night to relax. One night of relaxation that he had not had in years, due to the civil war. They all look so happy that you could not possibly think that something is going to happen.
It is in the moment when you see the man behind Lincoln that it is going to happen and that all hope is lost in the matter. After Lincoln is shot all panic breaks loose, except not in the music. The music almost remains calm. It’s like it, the music, knows that he is dead, or will be soon and there is nothing anyone can do. Although you still feel panic coming off the screen when you see Lincoln’s wife loosing it. Her entire world was just shattered, as was the country’s. But as the music lead to perceive life must go on even if there is great loss in the world. We are in constant motion.

2007-09-19T17:27:00.001-05:00

The campus at UNL is one place in Lincoln, NE where you can see what Lincoln has to offer to the public. Right when you walk on campus (especially early on a Saturday morning) you notice that it is really quiet and clean. But if you were to go there on a school day you would get a whole other perspective. The sidewalks are clogged and everything is congested. The early Saturday morning time is my favorite. You can smell all the restraunts in the surrounding area start to cook their daily specials, and get ready to open to the public. You can also smell the fresh cut grass of all the practice fields. As I was walking around I heard quite a few noises cut through the quiet noises of the campus. The fountain in the middle of the main courtyard was one of the best things on campus. I enjoyed how the noise of the splashing water made the campus seem calm and homey. One of the more distinct noises on the UNL campus was the road noise. Many times a day big tractor-trailers drive down the four lane road that divides the campus boundaries.
As I kept walking around on campus I saw some of the dorms that the students live in. As I sat in the courtyard outside of Harper dorm I noticed how clean the campus was. I never saw a piece of trash anywhere. I also noticed that there was plenty of seating all along the sidewalks on campus. You could pop a squat anywhere.
The best part that I loved about UNL was the stadium and practice fields. They were just massive and so well kept up. I was in awe at that. But then I had to remind myself that this is Nebraska and well they do love their football more then the residents of Arizona do.
At the end of the day even though I did really enjoy UNL’s campus I would never go there if I had a chance to go to Wesleyan. It’s home now.

2007-09-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

One place that has caught my interest while living here in Nebraska is the local grocery store, Hy-Vee. When I first walked in to Hy-Vee I had no idea what to expect…I mean this is a grocery store in a state that is pretty much full of cornfields, so of course I was expecting to see corn memorabilia but unfortunately my eye was not attracted to any. I did see plenty of Cornhusker memorabilia, which was kind of strange because I have never been introduced to a grocery store that sells football items before. The Hy-Vee employees were also all dressed in red and white to show their love and devotion for the team. All of the grocery stores back in Arizona would have frowned heavily on this and would have requested that they put on their uniforms.
I liked atmosphere that Hy-Vee gave off. I was very contented with the selection of food that was offered. It was very clean and quiet, no crazy kids screaming for their mom to buy them cookies. One thing that I really felt comfortable about with Hy-Vee was that they don’t have the card thingy that you have to have to participate in all the sales. It delighted me that I did not have to sign up for one more card that would save me a few dollars on groceries. I also felt very at home (in a grocery store kind of way) because every section of different types of groceries were displayed like how they were at home, and for that one moment I was back in Arizona shopping at my one of my local grocery stores.
The last and most important thing about my new found love for Hy-Vee was the service that I received. I was greeted in the way in and on the way out. I was constantly asked if I needed help finding something. All I can say at the end of my day is that, Hy-Vee will be getting my business in the future.

2007-09-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

A man, Tony Premo, living in Plattsmouth, Nebraska was severely attacked by two boys, and two girls with baseball bats earlier this week. The attackers did not even have a clue at what they were hitting at. They thought that it was one of Premo’s three sons. One of Premo’s sons had just broken up with one of the two girls and had threatened one of her friends to a fight. So the girl and her friends from, Weeping Water, jumped in to the car and drove over to the Premo’s house. It was about 1:10 am when the fighting broke out. The group form Weeping Water started yelling at the house and Tony Premo got upset and went outside to ask them to get off his property. As he walked outside he was attacked by two bats. Premo is now at the hospital and his family has been told to prepare for the worst. Right now every bone in his face is broken and he has a really bad skull fracture. The family is always at his bedside hoping for the best. One big problem that the family has to deal with is the new money situation. Premo was the only worker in the family. The decision that now has to be made is how the people that did this should be prosecuted. Says the Omaha World Herald.
This article disturbed me. I thought it was really creepy how all this man did was walk out of his front door and he was attacked. Attacked by baseball bats no less, by people that had no problem with him but with his 17-year-old son. It makes me wonder what would have happened if it would have been the son that walked outside and not his father. I really hope that Premo takes a turn for the better and that him and his family make it out of this situation okay.

2007-09-11T08:07:00.000-05:00

The Grinnell Historical Museum is the one house in Grinnell, Iowa that holds the town’s treasures. Treasures that we, in the 21st century, would call antiques but back in the days of horse and buggy would be called necessities.
When I first entered the museum I was expecting to find nothing of any value, only dusty trinkets that had once belonged to some “great person”. Let’s just say that I was sorely mistaken. The steps up to the front door I learned were the most expensive part of the house to build. Now they are nothing fancy, just stone carved into steps, but back in the day that they were built it cost about $1000.
The moment that you walk in to old house your attention is drawn straight away to the display of ample Victorian dress that 4 manikins are sporting. Miss Clara Baggs wore one of the dresses, a black silk dolman, in the early 1880’s. Next into the drawing room the old couches of the era are on display along with numerous amounts of antiques all dated by their era, the year they were manufactured, who used them, and last but not least who donated them.
As you walk up the old creaky stairs you are greeted by many old paintings and photographs of the once established society members. At the top you have a choice of left or right. Both will lead you into one of the 4 bedrooms or the one lone bathroom in the entire house. As you walk down the back housekeepers steps you see the kitchen and the laundry room.
Down in the basement you see the remains of the old Spaulding Buggy Company that used to be run out of house, between 1889-1909. Ford Company and their idea of the assembly line later put the company out of business.
All and all I really enjoyed this museum and I hope to one day to go back and see more of the treasures that it has to offer.

"Post I: Discourse Surrounding the Essay."

2007-09-03T19:56:00.000-05:00

In some ways the essay can deal in both events and ideas better than the short stories can, because the essayist – unlike the poet – may introduce the plain, unadorned thought without the contrived entrances of longwinded characters who mouth discourses. This sort of awful device killed “the novel of idea”. (But eschewing it served to limit fiction’s materials a little further, and likely contributed to our being left with the short story of scant idea.) The essayist may reason; he may treat of historical, cultural, or natural events, as well as personal events, for their interest the essay’s materials are larger than the story’s.
-Annie Dillard in “Essays Versus Stories”
In Annie Dillard’s quote about “Essays versus Stories” she has compared two different ideas that I never would have thought could really go together, I had always thought they contrasted each other. In her first sentence of the quote she says, in so many words, that a writer of an essay can find the true “story” and leave out all the nonsense mumble jumble that is not needed to get the point across. It is still a story but it is not a great novel that is 600 pages long. I would, in my own words after reading this quote, would have to say that an essay is a snap shot of a story. You get what you see. There is no long drawn out explanation of where the picture was taken and why the objects in the picture are there. It’s straight down to the point.
I don’t like the idea about the “killing the novel”. The idea of an essay can never “kill” a novel. If it were up to me I would probably want to read a novel before I even touched an essay. The word “essay” just seems like it would be a boring short non-descriptive story. Although word “novel” does not actually spring great words and hopes into my head, but it does bring a sense of travel and imagination with it. I don’t think that I could ever be engrossed in an essay but I do know that I can be engrossed in a novel. There are times though that I don’t want the whole story of the picture, there are times that I do just want the “snap shoot” and no explanation.
So all and all I believe that both an essay and a story both bring something different to the table. An essay brings a tad-bit of information and a story gives you the entire idea, millions of details and all. Consequently at the end of the day I have to agree with Annie Dillard, but at the same time add a few ideas of my own.

Post 1: Test Post

2007-08-30T09:37:00.000-05:00

First Post.