"You are a lazy, self-indulgent, little girl, who is making herself crazy."

Lisa: Hey Torch.

Polly: Hey Lisa.

Lisa: Did you miss me?

Polly: Not much.

I have a habit of watching good movies. If they are recommended, I watch them. This movie just happened to blow a few of them out of the park. Girl, Interrupted starring Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder gives its viewers a special take on a 1960s private mental hospital. Claymoore is full of patients that may or may not be dangerous to each other but there is one character that is not dangerous to anyone except herself. Susanna, after attempting suicide with aspirin washed down with vodka, lives with the other girls in her ward and sees what it’s like to be legally crazy. She can’t help but get attached to Lisa, the wards only sociopath because of her sane presence. Lisa Rowe is the only one who is comfortable with who she is and she lets everyone know it. After many runaways and shock therapy sessions Lisa hasn’t changed a bit. Susanna faces the question of sanity more than once. Is she crazy or is she just unhappy? Can she get better? Is the choice to deteriorate solely her own? She is having a hard time deciding if she wants to live in the ward forever or force herself to get better. Find out in this stunning movie if Susanna and Lisa can get past their illness or if they will always be Girl, Interrupted.

Angelina Jolie has to be talked about…

Jolie plays Lisa Rowe in this film and it is her best performance yet.

Lisa: Playing the villain, baby, just like you want. I try to give you everything you want.

Susanna: No you don't.

Lisa: You wanted your file, I found you your file. You wanted out, I got you out. You needed *money*, *I* found you some. I'm f****** consistent-I told you the truth-I didn't write it down in a *f******book*! I told you to your *face*. And I told Daisy to her face - what everybody knew and wouldn't say, and she killed herself. And I played the f******villain, just like you wanted.

Susanna: Why would I want that?

Lisa: Because it makes you the good guy, sweet pea.

Angelina showed a seriously beautiful performance in this film. Her role as a sociopath was not easy but she made it look seamless. In my research I found out that Jolie wanted no communication with Winona Ryder (Susanna) outside of filming because she felt that if she saw anything human about Ryder it would have caused problems in her acting like a sociopath. She won as Oscar and a Golden Globe and six others for Best Supporting Actress in Girl, Interrupted.

Victorian Era

If I could go back in time I would go to London during the Victorian era. I have always been interested in the upper class members of society during this time. The thought of being able to go to one of their fancy and elaborate parties has always been a dream of mine. Times have changed of course but I am forever interested in the beautiful gowns that they wore. Corsets must have been terrible but they made for a truly beautiful woman. In 1652 the coffee houses began because of the introduction of coffee to England and Turkey. Coffee houses eventually turned into clubs where the fashionable and military style came into play. I have always enjoyed the thought of dressing up to dance elegantly with friends or even eventually meeting new people through the forever changing sequences during one song.

The romantic influence on women in this society is another reason I love the Victorian era. In a novel I love to read about the emotions that pass between a man and a woman during this time. I haven’t figured out yet if people back then loved harder than we do now or if it’s just the writing styles (lol). Every time I read a book from this era I want to experience what they see every time they go to a party or hang out in a club. Sex scandals were very common in the literature during this era and I won’t go into the details here but you can Google that yourself if you’d like. The women of this time period were required to support themselves and that included making their own dresses. Lower, Middle, and Upper class women or “distressed gentlewomen” had the job of making their clothes themselves or paying for someone to do it themselves. I am interested, wholeheartedly, in the Victorian Era and if I had a time machine I’d go there. J

Privilege. Ambition. Desire. At Brideshead Everything Comes at a Price.

Brideshead Revisited. When I think back on this film I think about my journey while visiting…and I’ve never been.

I watched this film and was sucked in to England during 1920’s. I saw Brideshead, one of the most beautiful mansions I have ever seen on screen. I met Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) and I watched him start his everlasting and impactful relationship with Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw). The two of them embark on an emotional journey together through falling in love with each other’s company, drinking a little too much wine, and providing a sense of stability in each crazy lives. Charles then meets Julia Flyte (Hayley Atwell ) and the three of them spin out of control. Enter jealousy, corruption, forbidden love, alcoholism, a world of privilege, and Catholicism. Charles is an atheist and he is content until he enters the world of Brideshead. Suddenly it becomes more important to the Flyte family that they find his true intentions, his motives, and his persona. Charles no longer acts without being seen by someone and his feelings come out lopsided.

Sebastian’s unhappiness hinders Charles’s responsibility to himself. The mother of Julia and Sebastian, Lady Marchmain is looking to ruin the relationship between her children and Charles while at the same time asking him to take care of them both. The most intimate mystery unfolds in this film. Is Brideshead the problem? Does the house draw people in and convince them to change their morals or is it the person who was like that all along and it came out when introduced to the beauty of it all?

A gay bestfriend and a catholic lover, Charles is forced to make a decision.

Sebastian Flyte: I asked too much of you. I knew it all along, really. Only God can give you that sort of love…It was my fault for bringing you to Brideshead. Run away. Run far away and don't ever look back.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

There is no evidence. There are no witnesses. But for one, there is no doubt.

If you didn’t know before you will know after this blog. Philip Seymour Hoffman is my favorite actor and I am a huge fan of his work. It is usually very difficult for me to pick favorites but I never have a doubt about him (pun intended). I am always surprised by his ability to envelop himself in a character. You believe that he is the person you see on screen.

Doubt is just another example. This movie gets inside your head and makes a home. You aren’t sure who you should side with but you’ll make a decision before the end; some to be disappointed.

Father Flynn: Where is your compassion?

Sister Aloysius: Nowhere you can get at it.

Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) is so sure of herself and so animated about her feelings that you find yourself wondering if she really is the good one. Then you watch Father Flynn (Hoffman) and you see his true intentions and you fall in love with his character. You want there to be a court case so that you can testify to his innocence. Philip Seymour Hoffman is Father Flynn and Father Flynn is Philip Seymour Hoffman. You are not confused by the two characters because Hoffman dives into his script and becomes the character.

There are actors out there that are clearly acting and it takes me out of the film and I leave knowing that it was staged. This film I wondered if this ever happened to Hoffman. As well as Streep, she was absolutely brilliant in this film. Hoffman has been in many films including Capote, Along Came Polly, Magnolia, and many more.

Watch Doubt. See Hoffman.

Sister Aloysius: Sister James...

Sister James: What is it, Sister?

Sister Aloysius: [crying] I have doubts. I have such doubts.

White Nights (The Movie)

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines, two of the best Ballet and tap dancers America has seen. They are together in one movie and both of them shed light on the life of a Russian dancer. Nikolai 'Kolya' Rodchenko (Mikhail Baryshnikov), a ballet dancer, wants to dance for himself not because someone is telling him to dance, and if he doesn’t he goes to jail. Raymond Greenwood (Gregory Hines), a black tap dancer, wants to get out of the Apollo and to a place where his art is appreciated. Gregory thinks that places is Russia but little does he know, the freedom America offers is a no brainer compared to the hell Russia puts its citizens through. Nikolai is in a plane crash and it lands him in a Russian hospital, where he defected and remains a hated criminal. Getting out of the country is going to be next to impossible and through his journey he lives with Raymond who doesn’t agree with his view on America until the Russians take advantage of him. The two grow to love each other through scandals and escape routes.

Enough with the plot, I want to talk about Mikhail’s dance ability and flawlessness of it. He did 11 pirouettes in a row after a bet was made that he couldn’t do 10. Mikhail knows his body, he knows what he can do and he knows the impact he has on people. His center is perfect and his fluidity is unbelievable. For a ballerina like me, it inspires me to be the very best ballerina I can be. I want to be my best because he worked to get to his best. Only one thing will get me there; God. I have become a level 7 ballerina in 5 classes. I can only thank the person who created me, the one who helped me become who I am to this day. Watching Mikhail dance I only think about how impactful he is on the dancers who watch him. He wouldn’t dance because he was told; he danced when he wanted too, when he felt like it. He danced for himself. I will dance for God.

You're Really Asking Me to Pick One?

This is going to be one of the hardest blogs to write. Not because I don’t like music, not because I can’t think of anything, not because music is hard to write about. It’s simply because I don’t know how I am going to pick one, keep it around 300 words, and eventually stop talking about it. I don’t have a favorite genre; I honestly can’t say I have even a favorite artist because I like so many different artists from different genres. Hip hop, R&B, Christian, Gospel, Soul, Alternative, Ballet Piano, Jazz, Pop, Singer-Songwriter, and A cappella, are my favorite genres. I have a few artists that I like outside of these genres because of lyrical reliability and sound quality. My favorites from each genre are: Drake (hip hop), Kelly Price (R&B), Audrey Assad (Christian), Tonéx (Gospel), Jill Scott & Erykah Badu (Soul), Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Ballet), Afro-blue (Jazz), Greyson Chance (Pop), The Ready Set (Alternative), Sleeping At Last (Singer-Songwriter), and Pentatonix (A cappella).

Music is how I express myself and the lyrics of a song help me relax. Someone else is going through something similar to me? Why wouldn’t I listen to a story that comes from such a beautiful voice? I have always liked music but it wasn’t until this past year that I found out how much truly I love it and how much I was missing. There isn’t anything like making a classy dinner with Yo-Yo Ma playing in the back ground. I can’t take credit for my education on music. A family friend of mine has been on radio and in theater so his music education is way above mine but I am frequently learning more and more about what is available. I have heard notes that I never even knew were possible. Not just Mariah Carey style (though she is phenomenal) but higher. Erykah Badu sings in Stay (live) with her back up singer, she hits such a high note that it sounds like there is a third singer and a whole new note is formed. I will continue to listen and educate myself on the talent that the radio isn’t hearing.

Cinematic Adventures

Law Abiding Citizen (2009): 

Clyde Shelton: I don't think you have any idea who's helping me, or what I'm doing.

Nick Rice: It's a matter of time.

Clyde Shelton: You see the bodies, you see the smoke. But the larger picture still eludes you.

This movie takes a Thriller to the next level. Only a man like Gerald Butler could pull of a character like Clyde Shelton. When a man watches his family die and the law lets the killer go, he is going to do whatever he can to set the law straight. A tricky plan includes getting the killer, the district attorney and many other people involved in the case, to face death. This entails many murders and many warning signs. It all happens from a jail cell in federal prison.

Capote (2005):

Truman Capote: Ever since I was a child, folks have thought they had me pegged, because of the way I am, the way I talk. And they're always wrong.

A representation of Truman Capote’s journey to write a book called In Cold Blood, this movie is phenomenal. Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the most talented actors I’ve ever seen. This film produces questions the integrity and morality of the intelligent. An unusual relationship, a dangerous situation, a brutal murder, only one man would want to write a book about the truth of the situation. “There is not a word or a sentence or a concept that you can illuminate for me.”

Truman Capote is very well represented in this film.

Away We Go (2009):

Verona De Tessant: I mean, we're 34...

Burt Farlander: I'm 33.

Verona De Tessant: ...and we don't even have this basic stuff figured out.

Burt Farlander: Basic, like how?

Verona De Tessant: Basic, like how to live.

Maya Rudolph…enough said. In this film a young, quirky, and very pregnant couple, travel around in search of a place to start their family. Very much in love, this couple is going to battle out every uncomfortable and strange situation together. Finding a home is not easy but it is possible. Infused with many laughs, a few tears, and a lot of experimenting, this movie is a beautiful look on life. A lovely pregnancy, the excitement of being a father for the first time, and the laughs of things not working out in their favor, all of these things sum up Away We Go.

Spoiler Alert!

Picking a favorite book is extremely difficult for me because I read so much. I am going to step out on a limb and face the truth on this one. My favorite book, so far, is Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyers. No, it’s not because the movie just came out or because I am some vampire freak. This is because I admire Stephanie Meyers and there is a lot of relatable dialog in Breaking Dawn. Edward and Bella are such a phenomenon because of the movies and the whole scene has been stretched to the limits but I believe strongly that my reason for loving this book is because of its emotional excellence. Bella gains power that she didn’t know she had until her world turns upside down. Her husband, Edward, wants to do what will protect her and she wants to do what will protect her baby which happens to be opposite of what will protect her. She puts her life on the line for her baby, for her belief in her baby. She accepted death for an unborn child that could potentially be dangerous to her and her entire family. She knew what she felt about her baby; she put her marriage and her love for Edward last. When Renesmee Carlie Cullen was born Bella did die. She lost her life but gained another; one that included the most beautiful and life changing baby I’ve ever read about; a baby that only Stephanie Meyers could create. Bella and Edward, together, raised a child of brilliance and beauty.

Meanwhile, Bella was finding out who she really is, who she never thought she could be, a shield of pure strength. She always depended on Edward for her safety. In reality, she was the one who could keep everyone safe, her daughter included.  Edward and Bella grew into a couple, a collaboration that only true love can form. In sickness and in health the couple grew into two of the most celebrated fictional characters this generation has seen.  

Old Country Buffet

Main Entry: Thanksgiving. Noun. Definition: Grace. Pronunciation: [thangks-giv-ing]

Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of every month. It usually includes a fried or baked turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, apple cider, pumpkin pie, and of course family. A big table is set up in the middle of the dining room and decorated with a cornucopia and the best dish set the family has. The silverware is sparkling and smiles are spread across the faces of the adults. What about the kids? Well, currently the “kids table” is being set up in the far corner of the kitchen. This usually means smaller glasses, less food, and more droll. Meanwhile, at the “grown up table” there are loud discussions about politics or religion. There could possibly be a juicy story, reeking of gossip, coming from an aunt about one of your friend’s parents. A distant cousin is staring into their plate (they wouldn’t dare look you in the eye). Your brothers are minutes from a fight and your running out of patience. Dinner ends, the TV is playing the football game, and all you want to do is take a nap.

Are you bored with all that? I know I am.

This has my Thanksgiving since the day I was born. This year will be a little different. My family is stepping away from the normal and making thanksgiving more about giving thanks. The Old Country Buffet is open all day with the best turkey you’ll eat and not have to do the dishes afterwards. Spending time together and not having the stress of buying ingredients, cooking for 8 hours, sweating, entertaining and cleaning dishes after all of it is over. Why not just spend time together and make it simple? Regal Cinemas is right down the road to top off the day of family. The world is our oyster for that one day. Who knows what we’ll do. It’s time to make a new tradition.

Born From A Boombox

I have written about TCU and I have written about photography. I have barely harped on my love of dance. The evolution I have gone through has significantly affected my dance ability. Moose from Step Up said “People dance because dance can change things. One move, can bring people together. One move, can make you believe like there's something more. One move, can set a whole generation free.” and I find truth in every aspect of that statement.  When I was a little girl I took a dance class for 1 week until my parents had to take me out. I never went back because I truthfully didn’t want to put in the work...“Some people learn to dance, others are born to.” As I believe fully that the statement is true, I also know that just because you have a talent doesn’t mean you don’t have to work to perfect it. I am now looking into Ballet classes. Ballet will give me the structure and flexibility that I need to succeed. My natural dance ability comes from my emotion. Everything you need to know about me is shown in my dancing. I don’t change who I am when I dance because I am my happiest when I use the melody of any song to create a picture. To be able to listen to a song and capture the attention of others through my movements is a true blessing. I want to take Ballet because I want to develop my talent and push myself to learn more, even if it means more work. I don’t want to be a professional because there is so much more I want to do with my life but I do believe that dance will always be a big part of who I am. In the future, when I enroll my daughter in Ballet I don’t want to look back and say “I wish I would have done what she is now.” I do believe that I have many talents, while I am not the best out there; I want to be able to relate with the best.

I want to be a horn frog.

After high school…my favorite subject.

Funny story; the other day, at dinner, my brother said to my Mom “I don’t think Brianna is going to be homesick when she leaves for college.” A family friend replied with “No, she’s college sick right now!”

That happens to be true. College has been a goal of mine since the day that I learned the meaning of the word. This is a blog and I can be honest with my readers. While I love my family and I will miss them, all I want to do is move out.  Moving to another state and living on my own is one of the most exciting things I have ever thought about. I plan to study, eat, make friends, and flourish at Texas Christian University with the TCU Horn Frogs. I want to go to a Christian college because I will be around people that have the same view as I do. Talking about God and being myself will be an equal opportunity at a school like TCU. I am a photographer, writer, blogger, singer, dancer, and artist. The Schieffer School of Journalism is where I will be studying to be a photojournalist. I am thinking about furthering my knowledge of hip hop dance and making it my minor. I have not decided who I want to work for but I do know that it will change over and over throughout the next 3 years. I am excited to have the opportunity to gain more knowledge in each aspect of my career. TCU’s Daily Newspaper, The Daily Skiff, and their campus Magazine, Image, will be taking up most of my time. Getting accepted to TCU is my goal. What happens until and after I get accepted? I will work to be the fullest expression of myself so that I am not confused but rather I am confident when I get to my new home.

I thank you wholeheartedly.

Mrs. Zacher, the studio in art, sculpture and ceramics, advanced drawing and painting, and photography teacher here at Alden High School, has been my biggest support throughout my high school career. I was a student of Mrs. Zacher’s, my freshman year, in her studio in art class. I continued to her Photography class the next year and I found photography to be a bigger interest of mine and not just a credit. I began to rely on her for advice regarding my photographs and how to make them the absolute best they could be. With a few of my classmates, I found myself staying after until 5:30 or 6 o’clock to perfect my photos. Mrs. Zacher, later that year, introduced me to the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA). A few other kids said yes so I decided to apply and together we all put together our portfolios. In March of 2010 we took a trip to University of Buffalo for the adjudication process. A few months later I found out that I got accepted and I would leave in a month. A few others from Alden got accepted but I was the only one who decided to go. I stayed at SUNY Oswego University for the entire month of July. I studied Digital Photography with college professors and furthered my knowledge on what Mrs. Zacher taught me. When I got back, I shared my newly acquired knowledge with her and she planned to use them in her Digital Photography class. Now, in my senior year, I am her assistant teacher in the Chemical and Digital Photography class. I use the knowledge she taught me and what I gained at NYSSSA to help the students that will, hopefully, follow in my footsteps. Now, I have applied to Texas Christian University for photojournalism. Mrs. Zacher is not only a teacher that I will remember for the rest of my life, but she is a person I will forever thank wholeheartedly.

I like me some food.

School lunches… 300 words about food, I can do that. I believe the school is working with what it has the lunches are the best that they can be to feed 500+ kids. The salad bar and potato Wednesday are well run and provide a good basis for healthy food. On occasion I get a salad from the school and bring my own dressing because the dressings I like the school doesn’t provide. Let’s face it, salads are either really good or really bad, why not bring your own dressing to ensure greatness? Being in advisement lunch I am finding that it is hard for me to eat a taco at 10:30 in the morning. My solution to that is yogurt. I usually have Greek yogurt with home roasted almonds, wild blueberries, and honey. Yogurt is healthy for you and it provides the protein your body needs to get through the day. The school often provides granola and fruit to put in your yogurt as well.  Sometimes, I will bring a spinach salad with my own dressing; lemon, honey, and Dijon mustard, vinaigrette. I use Red Wine Vinegar, fresh squeezed lemon, honey, salt, olive oil, and Dijon mustard. This gives me the taste of lemon and honey, my two favorite tastes. I love sugar, for health reasons, I will use honey as a substitute. Honey gives the dressing a more of a well-rounded flavor and counteracts the tart vinegar. Many people think bringing their lunch is a hassle but it doesn’t have to be. Bringing something that is healthy for you and adding your own twist is something that everyone should do. While olive oil and good quality vinegar is expensive it is worth it for the beautiful taste you’ll get. At 10:30 in the morning that is exactly what I want to eat!

Rest In Peace Jamey Rodemeyer

When I found out what happened to Jamey, my mind automatically went into crazy mode. I couldn’t imagine saying anything so hurtful to another human being. There are people like Jamey around every corner and so many people are struggling with their sexuality, dealing with school work, home life, self-image, getting bullied, and it’s just too much for some people to handle. There are people in this world that can’t seem to get over the fact that not everyone in this world is a spitting image of the next. If that were the case…someone would have a problem with that too. Lady Gaga finding this an issue makes this into a national problem. I believe that a lot the approaches to ending bullying aren’t consistent. There are campaigns and commercials regarding the hatred but there is a lot going on that many people don’t see. Teachers and parents aren’t informed of the bullying that goes on, or sometimes they ignore it. Coming from a situation where this occurred I am aware of it and find I myself sensitive to the subject. Making this a national campaign, on the verge of a law, is this country needs to be. We have had multiple suicides over something that could have been prevented. While the prevention of bullying is a task that will be hard to accomplish, I believe that if a law is in place it will lessen the chances of a child getting bullied. Those who told Jamey that they would be “WAY more happier” if he killed himself should feel bad for the things they said. Bullies are bullies for a reason, weathers its lack of attention at home or too much attention it is unacceptable for them to take it out on someone who isn’t as strong as they are. Jamey was not the first to commit suicide for this reason. Bullying needs to be stopped.

Get Your Groove On

I don’t really have a “greatest moment” because I find myself wanting to write everything I’ve ever done or experienced. I do, however, have a moment that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I have always had an ability to dance but I hated the classes I took for a week because it was too structured and all I wanted to do was move. I love being myself and expressing it through dancing and to this day I wish to be able to be able to do a leg extension as I can’t seem to train myself to do it. I would always get distracted with the lyrics of a speaker shattering rap song. Hip hop has a way of telling a story and setting my joints on fire. While at homecoming this year, after my transformation summer, I was able to be myself. As we were getting our “groove” on, a song I previously learned all the words to came on (I just about freaked out). My friends know that I can dance and they experienced it the night before so they knew that I would go all out. They stepped aside and made a way for me and for the first time ever I showed all my friends a performance I’ve always wanted to do. Some other people, including teachers, got the chance to see as well. While it wasn’t the greatest moment of my life it was one that I won’t soon forget. It was a confidence booster because previously, I haven’t been comfortable enough with myself to show everyone what I can do. I am capable of a lot and I do have talent but I realized it’s a hobby. I don’t want to be a dancer for my career because I just don’t have the patience nor do I have the training. I will always love music, even more so as I do now, because I find that as time goes on I love music even more.

Stepping out and being myself is something to file under “greatest moments”.

500 Days of Summer

My favorite season of the year is summer. Not because it means freedom and no school, simply because it means warm. I hate cold weather so obviously, winter is my least favorite. I plan to go to college in a southern state so that I don’t have to deal with the cold. I am really into fashion, for the first week of winter I’m all about the scarves, wool jackets, and uggs. After that I want the pool. I think the winter is beautiful and I understand those who ski and snowboard but I also understand the people who view winter as I do…cold and painful. Summer on the other hand is beautiful and it allows for more outside activity without the thought of getting hypothermia. I enjoy summer nights; it is still 75 degrees out which allows you to sit and star gaze or talk to someone by a bonfire. I have had good experiences in the summer because of the relaxed feeling I get as I take a walk or read a book. The best fruit is in season during the summer as well like, blueberries, strawberries, and most importantly (in my mind at least) watermelon. You want to sit outside and drink iced tea and take a midnight swim, in the winter that just doesn’t happen. During the summer I find a lot of time to think about who I am as a person. This past summer I made a lot of changes, I set a lot of goals for myself regarding my senior year and how I was going to present myself. I changed my style, grew apart from a lot of people, gained responsibility, and became more comfortable with myself. While I lost a few friends, I gained a ton back. Change is something that happens over time. For me, summer is the time and this summer I accomplished exactly what I wanted to. Why wouldn’t it be my favorite season? (:

Capote. Real Drama.

I am choosing to write about one of the best movies I have ever seen. I am a huge movie buff and it is difficult to find a well-produced and well-acted movie in these times. The movie Capote is based on the writer Truman Capote, it premiered 30 September 2005 and it was directed by Bennett Miller. The leading role was played by Philip Seymour Hoffman along with Clifton Collins Jr. and Catherine Keener. All three of them were brilliant in this film. Capote was a writer in the 1959 and was in pursuit of a story for a new book and he decides to research a murder that took place in Kansas. I won’t spoil all of it for you but as he does his research Capote develops a close relationship with one of the killers (just to make things more complicated), Perry Smith. Capote faces trouble with in his own life as the two of them begin to love one other. As the mystery begins to unfold you see Capote struggle with his feelings for Smith as he knowingly gives Smith hope when there is none. The two of them have an electric friendship that captures the audience with the amount of truth that comes out their relationship. Even now as I think back on the movie I get emotional when I think about the characters. You fall in love with each of the men because it is rare that you find a friendship quite like theirs. While the film is a drama it has its comic moments because Capote is such a lively man. Capote’s personality shows in his relationship with his best friend Nelle Harper Lee (Catherine Keener). Lee participates in the research and continues as moral support for Capote. The film gives some good insight into Truman Capote’s life. The film was shot in a total of 36 days and the day it opened was on Truman Capote’s birthday. This movie was simply remarkable and well worth the 114 minutes.

Music is the soundtrack to life? I think so.

I am huge on music, everything I do has a song. I have found that if I have music playing in the background while I’m doing work I am able to focus much easier. I also love reading, if I can get lost in a story I will stay there until interrupted. So if I had to choose I would want to write about the school play and the school musical. Interviewing the actors, the band, the director and the stage crew would help to promote the musical and get the student body involved. Alden is big on music but the student body rarely comes to support concerts and musical events. This also applies to Park Street Voices, I am a HUGE fan of Glee and I see what they are capable of and then I see that the school is missing out! Park Street has amazing singers and a talented director so for the school to be more involved and help support them they could get recognized. Bringing the school to an exclusive assembly during advisement and being a part of Park Street’s performance could change the opinions of many. Along with the Art Department, they have so many classes with teachers who are invested in teaching what it takes to be an artist. If the students knew exactly what happened in each of the classes the students coming up to high school or choosing classes for next year might want to take it. If these things came from a student and it came in the write form I believe that students would listen to it. I have a lot of ideas for articles and most of it comes from what is going on around me. I believe there are ideas everywhere from school clicks to the new laptops. Writing an article about things that matter to the student body will only increase the level of involvement. Music is big for most teenagers so I believe that things like the musicals and Park Street Voices will promote and bring the school closer together.

2011 School Year

This school year is all about college. I have a goal that I want to reach which is to get as much experience in communications and journalism as I possibly can. I want to go into college well informed and ready to start my life. I am taking college courses so it is allowing me to already get a head start. Many of the colleges I want to attend require higher SAT scores so I am working really hard to study for the test. I am going out of state so I have to become independent and learn what it takes to take care of myself and live alone or with other girls. High School is a stepping stone on the path to my future. My senior year can’t mean anything other than gaining experience. I have to stay focused on getting all my work done and keeping my grades up. I want to do everything I can to become the very best I can be. The classes I am taking now revolve around what my major is for college. I am forced to make decisions and give up free time but I am willing to do so because my future rests on it. Many seniors take this year as blow off or easy but I think it is the most challenging. There are so many things to be done in the next few months that there isn’t any time to waste at a party or a girls night out. There will be plenty of that in college. I want to make my family proud and show everyone who told me I couldn’t do it, that I can do it. I was created to make an impact on those around me so that is what I am going to do.

By the way, this blog is exactly 310 words (:

Summer 2011

This summer was a big maturing period for me, I worked with my Mom at Calamar Realty Fund. Calamar builds senior housing facilities in places like Omaha, NE and Canada but also locally in Orchard Park and Wheatfield. My Mom is the executive assistant of the CEO of the company and the attorney of Calamar. I worked in the file room, organized binders, made copies and scanned blueprints. I made money like I would if I worked their permanently. I experienced office gossip and disputes between groups of people. I also experienced office parties and birthdays. I had to wake up early every morning, dress up on a daily basis, work 8 to 5 with only an hour lunch break, and act professional. It was a wonderful experience though I did come to the conclusion that I do not want to work in an office for my career. Aside from work I was able to spend some time with my family. My Mom and I took a week off of work and spent time exclusively with my brothers. We took a lot of time to get ready for school and lay down what the expectations were. This summer had a lot of lessons on growing up. I have begun college searching and found out relatively quickly what I wanted to do. The work was never easy but I made the process much simpler by thinking of everything that I enjoyed doing and finding a career that put all of those things together. Getting ready for college is a scary experience but at the same time it's crazy exciting. I can't explain the feeling I get when I think of spending the rest of my life doing exactly what I love doing. Never mind what the money is, I can be successful at any job if I try, but I want to be successful at what I was created to do. This summer was extremely eventful and a huge growth period for me.