Wesley’s English blog

 Education is not super important to me right now because there are still a ton of classes I don't super care about. This is the end of high school and I'm about to go be a music student at Columbus State University, so forensic science and world economics do not at all interest me. However, I learn a lot every day in band class and from practicing for my private lessons and other gigs. Other students around the world that are about to go to college and still have to do classes they are not interested in probably also don't care that much until they can do something they enjoy.  Today we watched a documentary about people going great lengths to get to school I learned about the crazy things kids around the world do just to get to school.

 Genuine passion for a field is going to make you happy in life even if it's less money. I prioritize a fun field that might pay less than a boring high pay field because I'll never feel truly alive. There's probably not as much money in music as there are in some other fields but I truly love and have a passion for making music so that's what I'm gonna do. If I were to try to be a lawyer or something I'd quickly get depressed because it's not what I really want to do. If i'm happier, my quality of life will increase. Today I worked on my presentation about stereotyping Native Americans I learned why Warner brothers likes to make fun of certain groups of people

 The most interesting presentation was definitely the one about LGBT people. This was interesting because I never really considered that LGBT people would have stereotypes since they aren't exactly an ethic group. This changed my view on how they are viewed in media and deepened my understanding in a way I would never have thought about if it wasn't for the presentation. Today I presented our project about the native americans I learned about the negative affects of stereotypes in media and films

 One thing that I learned from multicultural Lit is the negative affects of stereotyping. Before the course, I could always laugh at some stereotypical TV episodes but the class taught me how that can be harmful to people of other races. This is a meaningful lesson because it raised my cultural awareness and how to avoid a single story narrative. I also had a ton of fun learning about cultures with my friends Everest, Vincent, and Jillian. 

 The most exciting thing about graduating high school is probably that school from now on is going to be based more on what I like to do instead of just a one size fits all curriculum. I won't have to take crazy math classes because I'm not going into anything math, I can spend all my time doing what I love to do and am passionate about. As you probably know by now, that's music and playing my instrument. The school I'm attending is a conservatory-like environment where I live right across the street from the music school and 15 minutes from main campus and where everyone else will be. This is super exciting but also scary but it's important for my career as musician. Today we worked on our slides  I learned why harmful stereotypes have a negative effect on minorities and promote only a single story

 In all my years I don't think I've worn a single outfit that wasn't just normal clothing but I think I'll say University of Arkansas paraphenelia. People I don't know for the first time frequently ask about Arkansas when I'm wearing the shirt because it's out of the ordinary for what they'd expect to see someone wear over here in Georgia. Some people ask about my family that I have there (because why else would I be sporting an Arkansas shirt) or they tell me that the football team sucks (as if I don't know that). This reveals the stereotype that everyone in Georgia is a bulldog or yellow jacket fan, with very few otherns. Today I worked on my presentation I learned about the negative affects of stereotyping native Americans.

Movies that represent my culture in a positive or meaningful way are few in far between. White people are often villains in media because of the westward expansion movement. However, one movie that has good white Americans in it is the Blind Side. The white family rescues a homeless black teen and raise him and becomes a good football player. He also realizes his potential in academics too. Today we watched a film and worked on our presentations. I learned about the gender stereotypes of boys and girls

 In the film, the stereotype about having AIDS made him think he didn't belong when this is not the case. The kids don't even know what AIDS is. Stereotypes can make people believe in oversimplifications through what they see in media. If people see a stereotype depicted in something they like to watch(harmful or not) they will believe what it says. This leads to people having crazy expectations. Today we watched a short film about a black boy in Japan I learned about the affects of harmful stereotypes

 I've seen a lot of media that depicts downtown Atlanta as a crime ridden area. I had no idea if this was true until I went and discovered it was very true in every sense of the word. It's a place full of people who want to ask me for money and other stuff and it's extremely sketchy. People are crazy, and all the documentaries were right. I drive down there all the time for work and somebody is always on the street acting crazy. Today we started our danger of single story powerpoints I learned about the racism of the film we are doing

 One reason that film makers continue to use stereotypes is because they think they are funny. Take Looney Tunes for example. Many depictions (especially in their earlier years) are extremely racist and offensive. As Warner Brothers aged, it has mellowed out a little bit but they would still use generalizations and stereotypes. My favorite character (Yosemite Sam) is hilarious but sometimes says some things that he probably shouldn't, such as "watch where you're a-shootin' them arrows you idjit injuns." Most of these stereotypes are targeted at Native Americans. Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam always call them Indians instead of Native Americans, and they are always dressed in stereotypical native American clothing, and the men always talk in a stereotypical voice. Some episodes have even been banned. The writers of Looney Tunes didn't mean to cause harm, they just play into stereotypes for laughs (which sometimes works on me). However, not all infractions are lig...

 This is a tough one to answer for me. My mother chose the hairstyle I have now when I was 3 years old and I've worn it this way ever since. She chose this hairstyle for me because that's how my dad wore his hair when she met him. My hair has never made me to feel proud, uncomfortable, or misunderstood. I guess hair doesn't matter all that much in my culture. Today we watched a short film about injustice against black people in the workplace and at schools I learned how hair impacts people's culture and identity

 I would meet Chuck Norris and print myself infinite money Today I did a common lit assignment  I learned about eating bugs

I saw a lot of good foods. I remember the rice on Hannah Pollard's presentation looked extremely good and I remember thinking I'd devour it.  Today I watched the presentatiions I learned about foods from other cultures.

 There are a lot of times I could have done something more meaningful for someone else. Definitely the blog posts are an example, sometimes I short cut them Today we read lunch I learned about Chinese cultures.