"Living Old"

The Frontline that I watched was called “Living Old.” The video addressed a lot of the issues that Americans face when they begin to reach their 70s. In America the number of people over 65 is reaching nearly 25% which is a huge number of people that the younger generations have to provide aid to. The problem that we face, however, is that not many people are equipped to do this. We only have half a dozen hospitals in the U.S. that are specifically designed towards treating geriatrics. One of the issues that we are facing is that our medicine is becoming too advanced. People are no longer dying from cancer and other catastrophic diseases, but rather they are dying from their long term untreatable conditions, such as Parkinson’s or Dementia. And although they are living longer because our scientific advancements have helped them do so, their quality of life is slowly deteriorating, along with their bodies. And when an elderly person becomes sick, it is often too difficult for a family member to take them in, resulting in hospitalization. Only one in 20 people over the age of 85 is mobile, meaning that if they don’t have a caregiver at home, they must go to live in a nursing home. Some residents thrive in such a setting that offers them a large social atmosphere, but many slowly lose a passion to live, and begin to decline swiftly. In the video a woman called a nursing home, “the waiting room; it’s where we all come to wait to die.” I think this is a very sad thought, but many of the elderly that they interviewed were not scared of death, or even wished to live much longer. When you become older, you are no longer concerned with leaving this world; you are concerned with living in it and truly being able to be independent and enjoy the things you did your entire life. So it is important, regardless of how difficult it is, to discuss with family members what you want, and how you want to be when you’re living old.

"Is Wal-Mart Good for America?"

The documentary that I chose to watch was “Is Wal-Mart Good for America.” Wal-Mart goes to any length to bring the lowest prices to the consumer. Though it may be good for the consumer, the effects of reaching those lowest prices have put Wal-Mart in controlled. One way for them to fit the needs of the consumer, they believe in low prices on objects made for by lower wages. They will give you a cheaply made object for a price you want then will put the good quality products not too distant. You may think that you are getting a good deal but it is just an illusion made by the cheaper object you saw in the beginning. Wal-Mart has a large monopoly over national businesses and international trade. Though Wal-Mart is the buyer, they have their suppliers wrapped around their fingers. If it was not for Wal-Mart being so popular and admired, many business wouldn’t be able to survive in the economy. Rubbermaid was a supplier and when the cost of the supplies to make their product went up, they asked for Wal-Mart to raise the prices at the store. Because Wal-Mart would not agree to the price increase, Rubbermaid’s product was no longer being sold. With no money coming in, Rubbermaid had to eventually to sell their company to a competitor. Also, with trading with products being made in China, causes for companies in the U.S. to have to keep their prices even lower. With many manufacturers being located in China, it has cut the employment rate here.

"On Our Watch"

“On Our Watch” followed the story of the genocide in Darfur and the lack of support that came from the UN. Though there were 21 resolutions signed by the Security Council, before Darfur, to never again let genocide happen, they turned their heads on Darfur. Eric Reeves, a Darfur activist, worked hard to open the world’s eyes on the tragedy happening in Sudan. Darfur is the first genocide in the 21st century and no one did anything about it. Many when told about the happenings in Darfur said that they were over exaggerated and they were nothing to worry about. Unfortunately 200,000 deaths, 2 ½ million forced from their homes, and too many rapes to be counted is not over exaggerated.

This episode went into great detail about what actually happened everyday in the villages and towns that were being attacked. Early in the morning a plane would drop bombs to terrorize civilians and force them to flee their homes. Soon after men on horseback would ride into the city and kill the men and rape the women. One woman told a story of how the men came into her town and shot her child who was on her back and then pulled him away and raped her. These terrifying stories accurately define what happened in Darfur. It is unbelievable that nobody believed them. Many activists, including those in the UN, worked hard to finally get relief for victims in Darfur. Sadly too many had died and been raped by the time people started to see the truth.

Blog Post # 3. "Poisonous Waters" Soheil Tayebi

Poisonous Waters


Despite the “Clean Water Act” there are still issues in keeping the Chesapeake Bay clean. Agriculture plays a big effect on the source of pollution in all water ways in the country, especially the Chesapeake. The once clean water bay is now occupied mostly of industrial waste. It is an issue that leaves everyone as hypocrites. This is because the one of the solutions to helping the Chesapeake would be for people to stop polluting. But in reality, no one stops. I believe that everyone has polluted at least once in their life, thus contributing to the unhealthiness of the bay. The people who made a living off of the bay, lost their jobs, and their commercial fishery companies went out of business. The fish, crab, and oyster production decreased greatly over the past 30 years. Humans have over fished the Bay’s resources; particularly crabs. This creates dead zones, which makes any underwater living organisms that require oxygen, die if their in the dead zone. The longing of making Chesapeake a place to swim, a recreation, a provider of sea food, and a tourist attraction is slowly disappearing. At the rate that it’s headed, without drastic and fundamental action, the lake will soon loose its once well renowned name.

Soheil Tayebi

'the Old man and the Storm'

'The Old Man and the Storm' episode of Frontline that I watched tells the story of Herbert Gettridge, the old man of the title and a resident of New Orleans. The episode explains how his home was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina, but he refuses to leave it behind and tries to rebuild from the remains and so his wife can return to living with him after she moved away because of the destruction. The episode overviews Gettridge’s struggles with his home as well as detailing his scattered family who he hardly ever gets to see. There are interviews with some of them, including his son Leonard, who lives in New Orleans, but shown going through a similar struggle to his father, with his home. This episode takes a look into the financial and political sides of the fence about Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans beyond just Herbert, looking into how people cope with their loses and feel as if the government isn’t helping them out in some cases. This episode really gives you an almost heartbreaking idea of what people in New Orleans, even after Katrina has long since passed, have had to go through and still do today.

Growing Up Online

Growing up on the internet is about how the younger generation uses the internet for communication, and how it can be a bad thing to use. Front-line examines most of the different uses that the younger generation uses on the internet. They also talk about how teens depend on the web to communicate with others. The clip discuses how kids and teens don't realize how much information they are putting out on the internet and how dangerous the internet can be without parental control. In the teens defense to the clip, the teens talk about how they feel more accepted on the internet and how they can be whoever they want to be when using the web. A teenage girl talks about how she could overcome her shyness online, and how the online community made her feel better about herself. The same teenage girl also learns about child predators and the dangers of too much information online. The adults in the clip talk about how they feel like they have lost control over what there kids can access over the internet. The parents also talk about how they can no longer connect with their children unless its through the internet.

Maggie Bouffard

The Frontline episode that I watched was called "Medicating Kids." This episode followed the stories of four kids who have been prescribed different medications for Attention Deficit Disorder. There is a lot of controversy as to whether or not kids should be given medicine especially when some of the medications can lead to, or increase signs of depression. One of the stories follows a boy named Alex. Like most kids with this disorder, he had an extremely difficult time in school. He was made fun of by other kids and became extremely depressed and suicidal. The doctors had to go through many different treatments to decide what would be right for him. They tried increasing and decrease his doses of medication. Finally, the doctors put him on Aderol. Alex and his family were satisfied with the results from the medication. Other stories included Robin. Who was a troubled teen and got into a lot of bad things during his teenage years, such as drugs and alcohol. Robin was also put on medication and endured therapy for his ADD and ADHD. The medication had some negative effects but for the most part it made him happier. There are risks that come with medications but overall it seems to have a positive effect on kids with ADD and ADHD.

Blog Post #3

For this week you will write a 200 word or more review of an episode of Frontline. You can watch the episodes here.

This time I want you to select an episode and in the comments tell your classmates which episode you chose. Then you will post a blog entry. You may not choose the same episode someone else has chosen.

As usual your post is due before class next Wednesday.

Who Influenced Me

Half my life I've been known to be a role model to others, but I've always had someone that always seemed to influence me grately. My grandmother has always been that postive support system I needed. She always encourged me to strive for anything no matter if it was hard to do. If it took me from jumping from activities to activites she was there a 100% (as long as I found something I wanted to do). The person who influenced me so much was my All-star Cheerleading Coach, this team wasn't like your ordinary cheerleading team because first off we didnt all attend the same school and it went from the ages of 4 to 18. His name was Coach Edward Maye. I met him when i was around the age of 6 or 7. I never knew how important he was in my life until the day he left this world. He died back in March of 2008 and was only in his early 40s; he died from pneumonia. It was like one minute he was here and the next day he was gone (literally). He was just at practice practicing with the younger cheerleaders two days before he died and he was in good condition, he didnt even look sick at all its just when he went to the hospital that morning all failed. I was actually out of town on a college tour at my high school (March 2-4). We were on our way back from Ohio and I got really sick; I had a panic attack and I never had one of those. When I got back home that night I went to the emergency room. The next day (March 5) I was woke to my grandma coming in my room panicking while on the phone. And she yelled out to me will I was sleep saying "OH MY GOD COACH MAYE IS DEAD!!!" and right there I couldnt even wake up in my sleep all the way i layed there and started crying, it felt like all hope was gone; like everything was taking away from me. (I can't believe I'm crying right now). That man was everything to me he was just like a father especially since I've known him since i was very young. He was the person always pushing me to do better when performing just because he knew I could do better. At first I used to fault him and get mad at him for doing it; while practicing he would always blame me for everything instead of the people who was doing it wrong. But he knew that every one did everything I did and I was a role model to all of them so he would yell at me to do it right. But now I know why he did it, and its because he seen alot in me and wanted me to do better because he knew I could. And as of now I'm a great performer and always trying to go beyond while performing because I have that potential and because he was the one to push me, so now its kinda like embeded in me to wanting the spotlight. The last words he left my grandma with a few days before the died was when my grandma came and told him,"DeAndra thinks she the shit" and he told her, "because she is the shit Mama Gathings". I miss him so much.....

Bronwynn Hopton

There are so many people who have influenced me and all in very different ways. However, there is one person in particular who has influenced me greater than anyone else in the theatre. Bronwynn Hopton…my high school theatre director.

The amount of dedication and work that she puts into our theatre department is remarkable. We have been worried for years that she will retire, and then we remember that if she retires she will have nothing to do with her life. She works for her students and she works because she loves it. She stays up with us rehearsing late at night, she falls asleep in the theatre, she eats her dinner on the go every night.

Her commitment to her art is the kind of commitment that I want to have towards my art. Having the kind of dedication that she has ensures success. I will take what she taught me in high school through all my adventures in the theatre world. She was the start of everything and I will never forgot working with her. She was an amazing and insane woman.

THANKS BETTY!!!

If I had to choose one person that has had a huge influence on my life as of right now, I would have to say Betty Hill. She was my music teacher for the past three years. I would be wrong if I forgot to mention that she wasn’t only my music teacher, she was also my mentor and my friend. Betty taught me how to not only use my voice but how to control it too. She always wanted me to try different things with my voice, and always would challenge me to be a better and smart musician. Even though I would look to her for what I should do she would tell me to do what I felt, just do what can naturally to me. In addition to being a better and smarter musician, she also wanted me to be a leader and an example to my peers. I thank her and appreciated her for everything she has done for me.


Taniesha

Blog Post # 2

Blog Post 2

One person that I have the outmost respect for is my father. My father escaped from the revolution in Iran, for a better life, and an education. He went to the University of London without a clue of knowing how to speak English. The reason he had gotten admitted, was for his skills in mathematics. With only that skill, he had to learn the language while he was studying, and have to work three jobs at completely random hours depending on the manager’s request, to pay for his tuition. The hours would always conflict with his classes, so he had to finish assignments and learn materials quickly. My father had done all of this for me to have a better life, and I am greatly appreciative of it. He’s currently still working to pay for Columbia, and I admire everything is doing. My father has taught me to keep a steady hard working ethic, for the better of myself and for my future. What he does motivates me everyday, and makes me want to be just as hard working as he is.

-Soheil Tayebi

Mr. O' Brien

From the thousands of faces that I have encountered in my lifetime, the most influential person would have to be my 8th grade history teacher. Since the opening of Oliver McCracken Middle School in 1959, Mr. O’ Brien has been a teacher there to this day. Throughout his entire teaching career, Mr. O’ Brien has dedicated practically his whole life to instill wisdom in young students. Don’t let this old timer fool you, for he still is quick on his feet and has a great sense of humor in the classroom. He had the magical touch to make history come alive. It was as if every word that came out of his mouth, took us to a far distant time and gave us a front row seat to the evolving world. Mr. O’ Brien took his passion and made it a career. What he has done for me and many other students is what I hope to do with my dance therapy career. He inspires me that one day when I work with my clients, they can sense how passionate and how much I want to be there helping them. He proves that in life you can find happiness and that you shouldn’t be afraid to go looking for it. Like Mr. O’ Brien, I hope to be in my seventies doing what I love with no regrets.

-Sara Maslanka

Imogen Heap

The person that influences me the most is Imogen Heap. Imogen is one of todays most creative music artist out there. She composes, sings, and writes the lyrics for all of her songs. I respect her because of that. She influences me to find music everywhere I go and in anything I do. Her style is original and she and without trying, she always is making something odd a piece of art work. I like Imogen because she doesn't to anything to please her fans, she writes because she loves to. I also like her because she isn't about all the glamorous things in life. She is simple yet her lyrics a complex and relatable,but I like her most because no matter how many times you listen to one of her songs, you find a different meaning for it.

"Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth.Mid-sweet talk, newspaper word cut-outs.Speak no feeling, no I dont believe you.You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit."

His name is Robert Paulsen!

Rob Paulsen is an American actor, best known for his work in cartoons, various commercial, video games, and practically everything that needs someone to do a voice over for something. Originally getting started as the voice of Raphael on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rob had since gone to do the voices of Pinky from Pinky and the Brain, Yakko from Animaniacs, Karl from 'The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron' and what has essentially been almost every American cartoon from the last 25 years. In other work, Paulsen is also Mr. Opportunity from the Honda commercials, and has many video game credits to name, perhaps most notable is Gray Fox from 'Metal Gear Solid; The Twin Snakes'. Like many voice actors, I would never have recognized him if someone mentioned his name or was shown a picture of what he looked like, but when I learned he had performed the parts that taken up a good deal of my childhood, I had a freak-out. It was learning things like this about him and other voice-over artists that are what drew me into the world of doing voices! Rob Paulsen is fantastic example of a voice over artist, because he can make soo many different dialects and sounds with his voice and almost always has come off as unrecognizable, and I have the funnest time picking him out of a cartoon I watch. Being a voice actor in a world full of celebrities who already take up a good deal of VO work isn't easy work and requires plenty of blood, sweat, tears, and talent, but the likes of Mr. Paulsen and various others work is what really helps influence me to keep on trying.

Some one who’s really influenced me is Don Brewer from Grand Funk Railroad. He’s the drummer for the band and I have met him about 5 times. He’s a great guy and to me one of the best rock and roll drummers of all time. He is very charismatic on stage and off. Originally from Flint Michigan he grew up in a small poor town where everyone basically grew up to work in a car factory. After his father introduced him to music just like mine did, he decided that’s what he wanted to do with his life. He formed Grand Funk and they became one of the most successful rock bands in history. To me he’s a great influence because of his style of playing. When he’s on stage he goes nuts, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play where he’s not smiling and having a great time. He is really animated behind the drums. Sometimes he’ll get up and run around the drums and stage. He gets so into the music it’s ridiculous. But not only that but what he’ actually playing is some incredible drum work. He also writes music and sings as well. He’s an all around great musician not just a drummer. Off stage he’s really down to earth and helping to people who want to be in the business. Overall I find him to be a good role model in the sense that he parties but is still focused on the music. He is in his 60’s now and is still touring the states each year rocking just like he was when he was 20. He doesn’t do it for money or fame, but for fun and the love of music. He was a true success story and I hope to be the same one-day!

Ben Dacoba

Cassie Ahiers

Someone who I really look up to is Tina Fey. I don’t usually have idols in Hollywood, but despite being a hilarious actress, she is someone I hold a lot of respect for. The reason I think she is such a good role model is because of all that she has done for women in comedy. Being a female improviser I have performed all my life amongst the general consensus that “women will never be as funny as men,” and to be honest sometimes I felt that way too. Not since Lucille Ball took a job as a candy maker in I Love Lucy has one female comedian been so well accepted by our country. Tina Fey proved to the world that women in television can do it all, write, act and produce. And she has the awards to prove it too. But most of all, she showed me that just because you’re a little girl from a small town, doesn’t mean you can’t play with the big boys in the big city.

Maggie Bouffard

One person who has influenced my life is my dance teacher Catherine. I have known her for the past three years and throughout those years she has helped me to not only become a better dancer but also a better person as well. She is one of the few people that I fully trust and I know I can go talk to her about anything. I admire her passion for dance and for teaching. She pushes her students because she knows it will make them better. I also admire the way she views life. If I am ever angry about something or if I am upset she can easily calm me down. She has given great advise not only in dance, but in other aspects such as dealing with my parents and others. I am so thankful that I have her for support and to help me along the way as i go through my experience here at Columbia.

Blog Post #2: Influence

Choose a person to write about who has influenced you. This can be someone famous, a friend, a family member, whoever you respect and have learned from. In a new post, in 150 or more words, tell everyone about the person you chose and why you chose them. This is worth 20 points and is due next Wednesday.

My person would probably be Gary Snyder. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning poet, but I think I respect him more for the way he lives his life. I know a little of how he lives because he writes a lot of essays and those are my favorites. He is a Zen Buddhist and lives a life of simplicity and contemplation. He tries to live in balance with his community and the land. I strive for a similar kind of life. Snyder works at building communities. He is a strong believer in sustainability, not taking any more energy than you give. I know I do not always live up to this, but I hope to, and strive to. Often who we are is who we have been taught to be. We learn from our family, friends, and a myriad of others. Snyder is someone I would like to emulate both in his writing and his life. Here is a poem by him that I particularly enjoy.


Riprap

Lay down these words
Before your mind like rocks.
placed solid, by hands
In choice of place, set
Before the body of the mind
in space and time:
Solidity of bark, leaf, or wall
riprap of things:
Cobble of milky way.
straying planets,
These poems, people,
lost ponies with
Dragging saddles --
and rocky sure-foot trails.
The worlds like an endless
four-dimensional
Game of Go.
ants and pebbles
In the thin loam, each rock a word
a creek-washed stone
Granite: ingrained
with torment of fire and weight
Crystal and sediment linked hot
all change, in thoughts,
As well as things.

Hi guys,
My name is Taniesha Brock and the easiest way to try and pronounce it is to leave out the “e”. I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. GO BUCKEYES!! So moving along, I think it is important for all you guys to know why I am here. So let me start off with saying that I am a music business management major and boy was this a hard choice to make. See I am a singer and I was and still am very conflicted on whether I should be a music major or music business management major. So I thought with logic and said to myself “what if something happens to my voice in a couple of years? What will I do then?” so I thought about it for a long time and figured I would still be able to do what I loved as a music business management major, so lets go for it! At first my mother was appalled to the decision but after intense convincing she agreed that it would be the smart thing to do. With that being said, I’m looking forward to this school year and I am ready to learn everything I can.

A Little About Me

Hey my name is DeAndra Gathings and i have 6 names (DeAndra Deborah Jene' Virginia Mitchell-Gathings). I am 18 yrs old and my parents name is Takiyah Gathings and James Flowers, and im the oldest of 16 siblings and the oldest in my generation of kids in my family. My mother got pregnant with me at 13 and had me at 14 an my father was 16, so dat means i have very young parents my mother is 32 ad my father is 34. I live with my little sister and my grandmother which is my mother's mother. my grandmother is 57 yrs old and has been raising me since the day i left the hospital and she got my sister when she was 7 mths. when my grandmother got me she was 39 yrs old. I was a late bloomer when it came to walking, i didnt start walkng until i was 15 mths. Back when i was younger I had a cocktail named teek-a-boo, and two dogs named Fe-fe and Apollo. Apollo was given to my grandfather when he retired from the police field so that mean he was a german shepard, and he was really protective over me. if he knew i wasnt suppose to be in a certain area or i shouldn't be messing with something that was harmful he would growl at me and bark and after that i'll stop. A lot of times if i wanted to go upstairs he would notice that i would have a hard time going up and grab my arm with his mouth/teeth and drag me up but never to hurt me. But for right now that's enough until next blog

My name is Sara Maslanka. I am 18 years old as of July 13^th. My parents are Teresita and Marc. I have an older brother, who’s 24 and a dog named Jewel. I grew up and lived practically my whole life in Skokie, Illinois. The only reason why I say practically is because I had to live a year in Scottsdale, Arizona for my dad’s job. Though my dad’s job took me 1,800 miles away from home, it has allowed me, in the past, to travel the world. Because of him, I have visited Thailand, Italy and Spain. I love to travel almost as much as I love to dance. I have been dancing since I was about seven years old. Though dance is my major, I didn’t always want to be a dancer. Instead, I used to always want to be an interior designer. I chose to dance, however, because it is something that I know I can see myself doing in the future and when I dance, everything in life suddenly becomes very clear. Other than that, three random facts about myself are 1.) Freshmen year, I broke my pinky and needed to have reconstructive surgery to save it, 2.) I’m a closet fan of the Twilight and Harry Potter series and 3.) I could live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This is just a little fraction of what makes up who I am. Until next blog post, bye!

about me

Hey guys,

I’m Ben Dacoba, from Great Falls Virginia which is located right outside of Washington D.C. My family is from Spain. I’ am a music performance major and play the drums. Music is my passion. I have been playing the drums since the 7^th grade, and have been involved with music since I was a little kid. I also play a little piano. My other hobbies are hanging with friends, cars, soccer, and baseball. My family lived in Brooklyn New York for some time so am a huge Yankees fan! I have an 08 mustang which I have done some work on myself. I’m really into cars, mostly American muscle and the classics but I like all cars. I have no brothers or sisters, but my dad’s side of the family lived within 3 miles of my house. So I always had huge family accessions. I love watching TV, sleeping, and eating. Umm other interesting things about me are I have two fish, a dog named boomer, I love the beach, I’m in love with my girlfriend alix, and my friends all say I’m stuck in the 70’s, my favorite band is Grand Funk Railroad, and I like batman!

A child's play

Mark here. My full name is Mark Anthony Child, but on my student card, they just use the first letter of your middle name, so it reads like Mark A. Child. Very funny. Anyway, I grew up in Severna Park (where the hell is that?) a town in Maryland somewhere between Baltimore and Annapolis. The neighborhood I live in is Ben Oaks, which is right on the Severn River and connects to the Chesapeake Bay (something more people probably know of haha). Because it's right on the water, our community's very big on water sports, like swimming, wake boarding, etc. I was on the swim team there for god knows how many years and I think my entire trophy case was taken up by awards for swimming, heh. I was also a lifeguard in the neighborhood for our local pond and beach; something all of my siblings have done at some point.

Bringing up family on that note, there's a main six who live in my household; my mom, Patti, my dad Joe, my sisters Kristen (also the oldest) and Sam (third oldest), and my brother Jake (second oldest). As the baby, I'm the last one to leave for school and my parents tell me alot how strange it is with no kids in the house. Of course, all of my siblings actually live within an hour of them, so they see them almost every other day. It always makes me feel weird for being soo far away, but everyone back home's super jealous of me living in Chicago, so I guess that's something, heh.

Well yeah, there's some basic facts of my life in a couple paragraphs. See you all in class!

Te'Shon

My name is Te'Shon! And I am from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania! And I must say, that I absolutely adore living in Chicago! I'm starting to find the sounds of the train and the sirens, almost melodic at night!

I am most excited to try everything that Chicago has to offer! Although I do find the city a little intimidating, I also find it intriguing! Pittsburgh is a working city, what I mean by that is that we only use our city to work in. People walking dogs and strolling babies is not something I would normally see back home. Its awesome living where people work, live, and play!

I major in Musical Theater, but outside of my major I like to find different types of music and learn about new artist. I listen to all genres of music but my favorite genres are alternative and R&B. I also like going to the library and picking out random books about various topics. Because I never know what I'm looking for, I believe that everything I find is simply destiny!

This summer I spent most of my time working at KFC! Now talk about a gross job! I recently had an interview with a man for the KFC on campus and he had the nerve to ask me "What was the best part of working at KFC?" What type of question is that? Honestly, the only good thing about working with fast food anywhere is that you get great discounts and most of the time free food. This paragraph pretty much leads to... I had a very dull summer!

Im looking forward to having a fresh new start in our writing class! I have had the same teacher for the past four years, in the same classroom, with the same people. So Its quite refreshing to be in this class! :)

Maggie Bouffard

My name is Maggie Bouffard and like most other teenagers I think my life has been pretty boring. But, I guess there are a few things that make me stand out from others. First of all, I’m a triplet; I have a sister named Molly and a brother named Alex. I also have an older sister, Jessica, who is serving in the Army in Iraq. I couldn’t be more proud of her. Next, I’m a dance major. I have been dancing for almost 11 years now and it is absolutely my passion. I’ve never wanted to learn so much about anything! My biggest dream is to become a professional dancer and choreographer. But, dance isn’t the only thing that is important to me.

My friends and family mean a lot to me. Whenever they need me I drop what I am doing to help. My best friend Kyle and I met in the 8^th grade and we have been inseparable ever since. She and I have been through it all together, bad boyfriends, fights with our mothers, dealing with the mean girls, and trying to keep our grades up. We have had our ups and downs but through it all I am proud to call her my best friend.

So there is a little bit about my past and present, and how much I look forward to the future.

Bryn

My first thought was that I was going to write about my theatrical and musical background, however I think among people who are all in the performing arts that may get a little boring. So instead, I would like to write about my love of the outdoors and some of my favorite experiences.

The outdoor experience that stands out among the others is the canoe trip my family took through the Boundary Water lakes in northern Minnesota. We took a 5-day trip, with 3 canoes, and 8 people. We paddled most of the first day, stopping only to eat, or to portage to the next lake. After our first day we picked out a site to pitch our tents for the entire stay. From there we took day trips to others lakes, swam, hiked…etc. At night we would paddle out to the middle of the lake and watch the fish come up for bugs, then paddle back to camp to fall asleep to the sound of loons. It was a great experience and one that I would repeat; no matter how resistant I may have been in the beginning.

I also enjoy skiing, rock climbing, biking, hiking, horseback riding, sailing…the list goes on and on. I love Chicago and have always seen myself as living in a big city, though I do love the country and find it’s solitude very refreshing.

Cassie

Hello, my name is Catherine Rose Ahiers, but you can call me Cassie.

“How do I get ‘Cassie’ out of Catherine?” you may ask. Well it doesn’t really make sense to me either. As my parents explain, they wanted to nickname me “Cate,” but there was one slight problem- the little girl who lived next door had already claimed the title. So in the hopes of preventing us from having a lifelong rivalry, they decided to bow out of the competition and choose a different alias for their daughter. My mom tells me that she simply liked the name “Cassie” from the start, so she decided to make the executive decision and dub me thus. And it can kind of make sense, I guess, if you make “Catherine” into “Cathy,” which sounds similar to “Cassie” spoken with a lisp.
So here I am today. Known to most as “Cassie,” known to some as “Short Stack,” and known to a select few as “Assie Hairs,” (high school was fun). And let’s just be honest, “Cassandra” is kind of an ugly name, so luckily my parents didn’t go down that path either. I fortunately dodged that bullet, and "next-door-Kate" and I became lifelong friends thanks to my parent’s one and only case of foresight.

Soheil Tayebi

Hey Everybody,

I’m Soheil, as you might have already known I come out of Great Falls, Virginia. In my opinion, I find the city of Great Falls spectacular. Great Falls puts you into an environment, where being outside is one of the best things you can do. Nonetheless, I’m always outside playing every sport I can think of. Whether it is, street hockey, or basketball, I enjoy the feeling that any sport gives me. Other than that and music, (what I came to Chicago for) I don’t really have too many dreams. My primary drive since I was in middle school has been to be a successful musician. I've been in a rock band for about 7 years now, and I have found that playing music is my biggest passion in life. I’m thrilled at what Columbia has to offer, and I’m excited to take as many opportunities as I can to get to where I want to be. The amount of talent in this school is overwhelming, and it makes things so much more exciting. I find this writing and rhetoric class as a big resource for me to hopefully strengthen in writing lyrics. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone this year.

- Soheil

Welcome!

For your first post I want you to tell us something about yourself in 200 or more words.

Also be sure to post a recognizable picture of yourself on your Blogger profile so we can all get to know each others names a little better.

This post is due next Wednesday the 16th and is worth 10 points!

And remember that there is no class on Monday, September 14th.