You've all chosen subjects for your midterm proposals, and we will discuss them in detail during our next class.Before then, though, I would like you to articulate here - as honestly and as thoroughly as possible - what made you decide to focus on your chosen subject.
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Here's a free flowing, possibly articulate strain of (drunk) thoughts on the subject of dirtbags.
Let's start with coming to college. I was excited to come to a big city three and some change years ago. I was excited to meet new people and do new things.
Now I'm restless and I hate school.
Somewhere between then and now I discovered climbing, backpacked Europe, climbed some mountains, slept in a Chinese restaurant's garden, spent a few months cutting down trees and growing a giant beard in Idaho, and took a cross country road trip fueled by pasta and oatmeal.
All that sounds like I'm jerking myself off, but there's a point.
What I found out is that the number of interesting people that I met and how close I was to "The Edge" was directly proportional.
Now I hate school because I have either worked myself into believing that there is no edge here, or have refused to see the edge due to jading and cynicism.
But, I also do not have the balls to just drop out.
In the months before graduation there's nothing for me to do but think about my life after, life as a dirtbag, as someone on the fringe. I respect these people and idolize them to an extent.
This was a long pretentious way of summing up my passion for these people, but necessary in explaining why I would ever want to spend a lot of time and money on them.
Maybe a film is actually a bad idea. Maybe we should leave them alone. Who knows? I'll have to find out after graduation. Until then...
I chose to focus my midterm on nutrition regulation in grade schools. Ever since my first health class in elementary school, I’ve taken an interest in nutrition and fitness. I took what I was taught very seriously, and I continued to educate myself on proper nutrition, making changes in my own lifestyle and doing my best to make an impact on my parents as well. Last semester in my speech class, I chose the topic of childhood obesity for my persuasive speech. In my research, I uncovered some of the reasons behind the drastic obesity epidemic and it really got to me. Reading about how little foods sold on school premises were nutritionally regulated, and additionally how insufficient physical education (only a state requirement in Illinois!) and health education are—these three factors, I believe, are obvious contributors to the increasingly overweight generation of children. Specifically low-income families that rely on government supplied school lunches are affected by the poor nutrition value being handed to their children who have no other option. What angers me most about it all is that the decisions of school officials and the government are impacting a group of children that are too young to know any better and too young to help themselves make better choices—they are completely in the hands of adults that trade off their health for money and don’t make their well-being a priority. It’s sickening. Since health is such an important priority in my life, I want children to be as informed as possible to make the best choices for themselves. If children were properly educated in school and exposed to balanced meals and nutritious food, not junky high-calorie, high-fat foods, they would learn through positive influence the importance of eating healthy and we wouldn’t put them at risk for a lifetime of health issues. For someone who doesn’t really care about that, it should be taken into consideration how the increasing number of weight-related diseases is driving up health costs and health care for all of us.
I chose my mid-term proposal on the current change in acceptance of tattoos in today's culture because it's something that I am frequently aware of. The basic idea came about because I have a large echinacea flower covering much of my right side that my mother is unaware of. I never told her because she got so mad at me about my other ones and I just didn't want to deal with her reaction. I know that I need to tell her eventually but don't know when the right time is. I figured, when I do finally tell her, she is going to be extremly mad and cause a big scene so why not get it on tape. Thats how the general idea came about, but the idea also interests me because none of my family really approves of my tattoos, most of them give me shit about them at family gatherings and whatnot, and I don't really understand why considering the large number of people that have tattoos in today's society. So in essence, I want to make a documentary about how accepting the culture really is of tattoos today, because I am curious about it for myself, among other things.
I chose my topic for a couple of reasons, each of which is rather self-centered, and based on my own beliefs--opinions rather. Does this make me a bit opinionated, well sure, but who the fuck cares, as long as I stay away from that realm of complacency which so closely relates to the obnoxious, i'll be fine.
The beliefs i hold, that truly drive my idea for this doc are A.) that progress of the human race is not a progress at all, it's regress in it's most evident form, and that B.) what one believes, no matter what it is (religion, politics, ethics, or morality) is an opinion, something everyone is entitled to have.
Although the exact numbers are up for debate in the scientific community, the homo sapien has been on Earth for an estimated 200,000 years. As a member of the current and exponentially growing human population of 6,765,000,000, I'm fucking disgusted that in 200,000 years we haven't realized that there is no winner in a war. War resolves nothing, and only proves to me that humans, despite our large brains, are prone to acting like bloody (pun intended) idiots.
No matter who carries the biggest stick, those who feel that violence solves disagreement, either belong in grade school, or the fucking zoo. I understand that humans are animals, prone to protect themselves by any means, but COME ON, do we need to protect our beliefs with acts of violence? Do we need to protect or prove our faith with radicalism? NO WE DON"T! If you honestly believe in a god, or deity, or even fucking aliens, you shouldn't feel any need to prove your beliefs. They are your beliefs and share then if you should so choose, but guess what there is no pudding and there is no way to prove the existence of a higher being.
Sorry about the ranting voice i have taken on it this post, but damn it's just one of those topics that i'm so passionate about that i tend to just run on and on all day about...
For my midterm project, I have chosen to take a look at the upbringing of upper middle class children in 2009. Things are much different now than they were a few years ago, thanks to self help and child bearing books, and our society seems to be feeling a negative impact thanks to this. I chose this especially because my wife works at a preschool on the Gold Coast, and lives with this reality daily. She is a great wealth of knowledge and resources on the topic.
I chose to focus my midterm on the lives of smokers because I feel that people who are addicted to cigarettes are viewed as a lower class of citizens in modern society. Most people are forced to stand outside in harsh weather conditions in order to get their fix and I want to interview them and find out why. I want to hear the stories of people who smoke. Why they started, what was their first experience smoking, and most importantly, why they continue to do it.
I also want this topic to give greater social awareness to the negative image that smokers have in modern times. Millions of people smoke and I see someone smoking as I walk down any street in downtown Chicago. I am passionate about their rights. I want this topic to show people that the individuals that choose to smoke are just regular people who have interesting stories to tell about their addiction. I myself am a smoker and I constantly notice the negative attention I get when I decide to light up in a public place. I just want to make people realize that smokers are regular people who are treated as social outcasts and need a voice of their own.
The subject that I chose to focus on was spoken word and performance poetry. I chose this subject because I was always interested on how people got up on stage and let their heart out to the public.
I never understood and I still don't really understand how people are so brave to do such a thing. Going up there and telling the world what's on your heart and letting people into their personal lives. I can barely open up to my closes friends, but these people let themselves be open books.
Doing a documentary will hopefully help me understand the process and struggle it is for some to do this task. I want to see their pain and joy out of speaking in public.
Maybe I can see the preparation they go through and maybe one day, I will be brave enough to let people in the way the do. Not necessarily performing, but just opening up to my family and friends more often. If these people can do it in front of big crowds, why can't I do it face to face with close friends and family. Thats the purpose of this doc to me, opening up. It is a big struggle of mine, and maybe this will help me over come my fears.
I have chosen this topic (Police brutality/drugs wars within Mexico) for two main reasons. One of them, is that it's hardly ever talked about, and attention needs to be made in this subject. The second reason, is that I have a previous ex that was from Mexico, and came here illegally. I wanted to do my own research, as to why so many do come here illegally? Jobs? Or was there trouble at home? How do people live their lives differently in Mexico than they do in the United States? Also, I believe that documentaries that deliver social change gives a voice to those who have none. It displays to your eyes visions that you wouldn't typically see. It makes you think critically of the world around you. I think that this documentary will deliver social change.
My midterm on the communal living scene is mainly in the light of letting people see an aspect of Chicago that few know about. I think it is really interesting when something so typical to the west coast and the west coast personality gets infiltrated and activated in the midwest. I also think that the characters are enchanting and I have a strong attachment to extremity. It is really important to make folks know how far some people have taken something that everyone's on board with, i.e. the green movement. This film would be interesting and prevalent to the times. As for a personal connection, community is one of my longest standing ideals and i think i have a lot to learn about myself with a deeper scope into this scene.
Peabody and the mining industry has had a dramatic effect the small town in which I was raised. It's impossible to not know a person who life wasn't effected by the mine closings in the early 90's. No matter how far I go this community will always be home. It's where my family is. Young people in this community are not expected to do much with their lives due to the financial crisis that it has been in ever since the mine closing. Like many economically stressed communities drug and alcohol abuse is rampant and with that the children who are raised in these homes learn from influential figures to live the same kind of lives. Hope is rare in this community and with the opening of this power plant many of the people who live there see it as hope for a better life, but there is still a lot of hurt in this community from past behavior from Peabody. I got out but I haven't forgotten about those who are still struggling and would like to see something good to come out of this.
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