Rock the Red. Digital story draft

Anything in life is possible; the question is how hard are you willing to work for it? Dominance, aggression, skill, fearlessness. These are the words that come to mind when one name is spoken: Alexander Ovechkin. It takes a lot to become a leader especially when you are the front man for the dynamic offensive machine that is The Washington Capitals. Pressure doesn’t come easy as the Caps found out last season in their quest for Lord Stanley’s coveted Cup. Instead of wallowing in the sorrows of being tormented by the Montreal Canadiens in last season’s playoff disaster the team has put forth a new focus, a new drive, a new future with more promises of a better outcome. There is no question that the Capitals top line of Nicklas Backstrom, Alexander Semin and Alexander Ovechkin are the best men in the business , they will make you play your best hockey and will out skill you. This team is even more terrifying if you add the components of the highest goal-scoring defenseman Mike Green and rookie goal-scoring defensive weapon John Carlson. This combination along with the face-off brilliance and tenacity of Tomas Fleischmann and David Steckel are enough to intimidate any opponent. Last year has quickly faded from the minds of the Caps. They only have one common goal this season and that is victory. Nothing will get in their way. Any rivals brave enough to attempt to rob the Capitals of their dream will be punished. Alex Ovechkin is out for blood, so Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins need to take caution as well as previous Stanley Cup winners the Chicago Blackhawks. Remember that anything in life is possible, rock the red. This season questions will become answers.
WORD COUNT: 290

No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom

            When I was younger school was a nightmare. I dreaded going and being separated from my parents. This was all until second grade when my homeroom teacher made me feel comfortable. Her approach to teaching was completely different from anything I had experienced before. She made me feel welcome and let me know that if I had any problems I could talk to her about them. She was very open and understanding in every situation. I didn’t feel shy and self- conscious around her so I started raising my hand to answer questions more often and was able to enjoy learning.
WORD COUNT: 101

            Math is my worst subject. I dislike numbers and calculations in any form. So you can imagine my horror when I had the worst math teacher imaginable one year in middle school. This teacher was horrible because she didn’t explain any problems fully; she moved too fast and never slowed down to ask us if we had any questions. She was mean and completely unapproachable. Students would raise their hands to ask questions and she would ignore them because she didn’t like to be interrupted. It was like she didn’t care if we passed her class or not or even understood the material. To me, if you aren’t a person that is good with helping/ interacting with other people then you shouldn’t become a teacher.
WORD COUNT: 120

Paper 1 Draft

Rebecca Libercci

Word count: 261

Music: The New Psychology

            Music is entertainment, inspiration, and sanity. It’s hard to think of one thing that can evoke so many emotions and change reality, but music is one of them. Music has this innate ability to alter people’s moods and change their mindsets. This form of art is unique in the sense that it really connects with the listener. It has the perfect combination of being able to draw people in and push them back out in a matter of seconds. In music, raw emotion is transmitted to people through chords, lyrics, and drum beats.

            Imagine that every day you feel trapped by your emotions. Every day is a struggle and a battle to find peace and calmness within yourself. I’ve dealt with this everyday for years; but music is where I find solace. There’s nothing better than turning up my Ipod terrifyingly loud and jamming out to my favorite Senses Fail song or singing along with Kurt Cobain. It relaxes me and takes my mind off of the world and throws all my negativity out the window.

            Music transports listeners to an alternate reality; a distant dream land where emotion exists freely without judgment. This power is constantly taken for granted. Music makes people react in ways that are dynamically different from each other. It can make someone calm and sleepy or energetic and restless. Music has different chord sequences and beats which is the way it affects people: differently. So tune in, relax, and scream out some lyrics because music will take you on an interesting journey of discovery.

            I believe music has the ability to affect emotions and influence people’s actions.

The Open Expression Generation

               My generation is called the Open Expression Generation.  I picked this because my generation is more accepting of previous controversial material.  An example of this would be how my generation is less concerned with homosexuality.  Before the 1990s homosexuality was a very controversial topic. People had very strong opinions about it and it was either positive or negative, there was no middle ground. But now, my generation is more accepting of it.

                The expression part comes into play because with all of the available technology out there it is much easier to express yourself and your ideas. People are now able to express themselves in many different media.

WORD COUNT: 108

Place Matters draft

 Venice Beach is a Mecca for the strange and inspired. In this way, it is like no other place in the world. Venice is home to artists, musicians, action sports addicts, and the most relaxed people on earth.  The only way to describe Venice Beach would be to say that it is a diverse network of people, experiences, and cultures all mixed together to form an area of blissful artwork.

                When I first crossed over into Venice from Santa Monica I thought I was in a different country. It’s a completely different world. Things and experiences are different there. There are street performers and starving artists as well as kids having skateboarding competitions. It’s like nothing I have ever experienced before. Everyone is loud and carefree; it’s my kind of place. Some of the things that happen there will push people out of their comfort zones, like a guy I saw that screams and jumps on glass. But, we all have to realize that expression is not a universal term, it means different things to different people.

                This place should be preserved because places like Venice are diminishing rapidly. There aren’t many areas where artists, musicians, and people in general can express their creativity freely. It’s something you have to experience to fully understand.  The best way to travel Venice is to immerse yourself in the culture and entertainment without judging anyone. Be open to experience and learn about life.

Exotic Living

               Venice Beach is a Mecca for the strange and inspired. In this way, it is like no other place in the world. Venice is home to artists, musicians, action sports addicts, and the most relaxed people on earth.  The only way to describe Venice Beach would be to say that it is a diverse network of people, experiences, and cultures all mixed together to form an area of blissful artwork. This area consists mostly of people with ideas and ways of expressing them tinged with a bit of insanity.

                When I first crossed over into Venice from Santa Monica I thought I was in a different country. It’s a completely different world. There are street performers and starving artists as well as kids having skateboarding competitions. It’s like nothing I have ever experienced before. Everyone is loud and carefree; it’s my kind of place. Some of the things that happen there will push people out of their comfort zones, like a guy I saw that screams and jumps on glass. But, we all have to realize that expression is not a universal term, it means different things to different people.

                This place should be preserved because places like Venice are diminishing rapidly. There aren’t many areas where artists, musicians, and people in general can express their creativity freely. It’s something you have to experience to fully understand.  The best way to travel Venice is to immerse yourself in the culture and entertainment without judging anyone. Be open to experience and learn about life.

WORD COUNT: 253

California Hippies

           

The youth in California are relaxed and carefree. They don't care what people think about them. The kids of California make a statement through their style how unique, carefree, and spontaneous they are. Style there is not a passive pastime, it's a lifestyle. They use their style to set them apart from other people and to show the world how they live and what they believe in. For these kids, everyday is a new journey with a new expression.

             The California style refers to a mood of calmness and serenity. You just take one look at these people and think "cool." The typical youth style in California is band shirts and jeans or cords with Vans shoes. Most kids also incorporate jewelry into their style. Rings and hemp bracelets/necklaces are very common as well as unique stone necklaces. The message that the youth is trying to convey is the idea that they are unique, free spirits who don't care about how the rest of the world sees them. They just stay true to what they like and to their beliefs.
            To me, it’s obvious that their beliefs come out through their clothing and style. This is because I just spent four days in Santa Monica, CA. Most of the kids there thought I was native to California. I thought this was strange until I noticed that I fit in with them and their lifestyle. Typically, I wear band shirts and jeans or shorts and some type of Vans shoes, and I of course was dressed like that in California. Generally, I am also a carefree person who loves being a free-spirit and being open-minded. Because of all of this, they assumed I was from there because my style and beliefs were very similar to theirs.
            This just shows how style is connected to personal beliefs as well as cultural beliefs. Kids there are open-minded and free because this is how their culture in California is and they express it through their style. Kids there aren’t flashy but you will remember them.

WORD COUNT: 340

Radical Youth

Style is a concept that is forever changing. One day something that is accepted could be completely different from the next day. This is our culture. Our culture and style change like the strike of lightening. They are interrelated, and depend on one another. When one changes, the other one usually follows.

When I looked at the 1968 Skipjack, I thought wow this is what women used to look like? The women were dressed in skirts and blouses with short boy-like haircuts. The men were also dressed professionally, wearing suites and dress shoes. I thought that maybe the women used to dress this way for college because they wanted to fit in with the men, seeing as mostly men attended college, so the women wouldn’t stand out. The people in Warhol’s pictures were dressed sort of the same way, but with more of an indie style.

            Styles have changed drastically since then. Now, college students don’t dress up at all to go to class. Students wear whatever they want, when they want to wear it. When that issue of the Skipjack was relevant, students used to have to dress up to attend college. If you didn’t you were seen as abnormal or uncool because you didn’t fit in or look professional.

            Today’s youth culture doesn’t seem to care about adhering to societies accepted cultural norms. Just look at today’s college students. Students wear what they want, there is no right or wrong thing to wear to class. The same can be said when going out to events. People wear what they want to wear. Today, there are so many different sub-cultures that have different accepted styles in them. For example: the goth style, which has an accepted style of wearing all or mostly all black every day and including jewelry such as chains or dog collars. To me, this is different from how it used to be because kids today care less about rules. It’s seen as “cool” to break away from the norms of society and dress a different way or act a different way that isn’t culturally ideal.

WORD COUNT: 350

Stimulating Imagery

        Books are an escape. They allow the reader to exist outside of themselves and live another life. Reading calms the mind and relaxes the body. It provides the means to get away from the present and enter an alternate reality that is someone's story.
        For me, reading has always given me the opportunity to get out of my head and experience another person's journey. It has literally saved me. Without reading, my mind would be a much more disorganized place because when I read, I am able to relax while being stimulated by words. This whole concept may sound strange but reading books really allows me to take a break from reality and recharge my batteries. It restores my mind.
        I not only use reading as an escape, I also truly believe it helps to develop the mind. Reading books strengthens a person's mental capacity for knowledge. If you are used to reading on your own time, reading for your classes becomes less difficult. The more you read, the easier it becomes. I like reading literature because I feel well-balanced in other topics. It strengthens your overall knowledge of other subjects as well as expands your vocabulary. Reading is a great addiction.

Word Count: 202

City Dynamics

         In movies and television shows, cities are always portrayed as dirty, dangerous, and unwelcoming. Most of the time, the focus is on the crime and pollution that living in a city offers. This is true; there are these dangers in cities. However, these things can really shape a person and teach them what living really is.
          Living in Baltimore city is loud. As a child going to sleep with  large amounts of noise was normal. So, now as I try to sleep in my dorm room I lay there waiting for the usual car alarms, police sirens, loud engines, and music to sound out in the night. Just as the city is loud, so is its people. This is probably where my outgoing quality comes from. The people that live in cities are unique in the sense that there are so many different cultures and ethnicities no one is the same. Every day is a new lesson on a new culture.
          Baltimore City has given me a whole new outlook on life. Because of the vast differences of the people living around me I was able to learn more about life and how everyone has a story. I began to realize that my troubles could be resolved by learning other people's stories and finding similarities.These lessons cannot be taught in a classroom.

http://www.baltimorecity.gov/