Screen Captures

"You're on the phone with your girlfriend. She's upset. She's going off about something that you said"

Taylor and her neighbor communicate from their bedrooms using notebooks.

Taylor only shows the note saying "I love you" when his curtains are closed.

 

 She shows the page saying "I love you" only because his curtains are closed.

 

 

He finds out that his girlfriend is cheating on him.

 

He asks if she is going to the dance. She replies "no, studying" in which he replies "wish you were."

 

She shows up to the dance to suprise him.

 

 He turns down his girlfriend for Taylor.

 

She finally gets up the courage to tell him she loves him.

 

To her suprise he pulls out a note saying "I love you" too.

 





Music Video Analysis

My favorite singer is Taylor Swift. And I think that everyone has to admit that she can make a mean music video. I chose to analyze her music video for the song “You Belong With Me”. I think that this video tells the cutest story. If you just listen to the song you think the song is simply about a girl who has fallen for her friend who already has a girlfriend but she still thinks that they should be together. But the music video adds so much to that. The music video tells a different story. In the video the two friends are neighbors. They talk to each other by writing notes and showing each other the notes from their bedrooms which face each other. It shows that the boy and his girlfriend fight a lot and she eventually cheats on him. On the night of a dance, the boy goes to the dance thinking that his friend is staying home to study. She surprises him at the dance and shows him a note that she had written earlier in the video that said “I love you” on it. Then he pulls out a card that says “I love you” on it too and they kiss. You can see how much the video adds to the story.

I think this shows how much visuals add to a story. It took an almost four minute song and created an entire storyline out of it. The video shows that the neighbor girl is a nerd because she is in the marching band and she wears periodic table t-shirts while the girlfriend is popular because she is a cheerleader and drives nice cars. The football player and the cheerleader seem like they should be perfect for each other because that is a stereotype. A football player would never end up with the band nerd. And yet the two break the stereotype and end up together at the end of the video. The video uses high school stereotypes to get the point across.

I think this video and song are so good because they can relate to a lot of girls. What girl hasn’t had that crush on a boy that she thinks is “out of her league”. We all like to think that that guy actually belongs with us and this video makes it seem like that is completely possible for us. Why can’t we break the stereotype ourselves?

I think that one of the super clever parts about the video is that Taylor Swift plays the neighbor of the boy, and also the boy’s girlfriend. She plays the “girl in the bleachers” and the “cheer captain”. It actually took me awhile to realize that the brunette was actually also Taylor because it looked nothing like herself. I think that also added something to the video. I love this song and even though Kanye West might not think so, I think this video is the best music video.

Facebook Is Like Speed Dating

Facebook is kind of like speed dating. If I went to a speed dating event, I would only be allowed to spend three to five minutes with each guy. They would tell me everything that they wanted me to know and leave out everything that they don’t want me to know. They might even lie to make me like them more. In the end I will find out very little about who they really are. Facebook is similar in the sense that you won’t learn everything about a person simply by visiting their Facebook page.

Just like with speed dating I choose what others can know and not know from my Facebook. I know that people’s opinions of me often come from what they find on Facebook. The things that you won’t find on my Facebook aren’t on there because I don’t want them on there and the things that you do find I chose to be there so that it would influence your opinion of me. From my profile picture to the things that I post, I use them all to create my digital identity.  Because I choose not to expose everything about myself on Facebook, it cannot be a true representation of myself.

If someone was to visit my Facebook, they would only find out what I want people to know about me. They would learn what movies I like, the TV shows I watch, and what kind of music I listen to. They would find out who I’m dating, when my birthday is, and where I work. It may not be a conscious decision to choose these things as the things that people will judge me by but people do base their opinions of me on the things they find on my Facebook.

This weekend I found out that my brother, Jake, now has a girlfriend which is a big deal for my brother because he has never really seemed interested in dating before. Her name is Chelsea Schack and instinctively, I wanted to know what she was like so I went straight to Facebook. Since I wasn’t her Facebook friend, it made it more difficult but I did find out some things about her. Searching through her pictures, all I really found out was what she looks like, where she goes to school, and that she runs track and does golf. These things hardly give me a sense of what she is like. The only way to truly get to know Chelsea is to talk to her and spend time with her. Just like the only way to decide if like someone enough to date them is not from a five minute talk with some strange guy I have never met, but from spending time with him and getting to know one another.

I believe that we should not use Facebook to judge others. What I find on Facebook should not completely define a person. My Facebook only gives bits and pieces of my personality so rather than only knowing those pieces, why not get to know the rest of my personality by talking to me or spending time with me.

This I Believe (I didn't like)

I read the This I Believe essay called “A Duty to Family, Heritage and Country” by Ying Ying Yu. The essay is about how education is so important to her because it is important in her home country of China. She said that a grade of 85 was considered failing. If she was ever found not paying attention in class she was beat with a ruler. Now that she has moved to America, she cannot seem to shake the need to succeed. She says it is her duty to do well in school.

This is so unlike America. Here it is encouraged to do well and get good grades but it would never be considered a duty to our country. That sounds absolutely crazy to an American. Here education is a privilege. We use our education to follow our dreams which Ying Ying mentioned there is almost a pressure to do here. Her dream was to be a gardener. However, this would never be allowed. Not by her, not by her family, and not by her country. She is basically being forced to become a lawyer because it considered a suitable job to her family and country.

This essay is so hard to relate to for me. We both live in America and have the same opportunities here but Ying Ying can’t take advantage of them due to her duty to her country. I am hoping to use my education to follow my dreams of becoming a dentist but Ying Ying won’t be able to follow hers. Her personal story that are usually in the This I Believe essays was really confusing for me since I have no idea what “wearing the red scarf” means. It seems by the way she describes that it is a really big honor. But it means nothing to me, so I think it kind or took away from her essay. Overall it is a good essay. She uses imagery to paint a picture of what she was describing. This made it a more interesting essay to read.

 

This I Believe Response

I read the This I Believe article called “Do Talk to Strangers” by Sabrina Dubik. In the essay she says that she thinks that talking to strangers is a good thing. This revelation came to her when she was working as a waitress her sophomore year in college. She noticed that an older gentleman named Don would come in to the restaurant a lot and always sat in her section. The two began to talk often and not just small talk. They became friends. She even visited him when he was in the hospital after an open heart surgery.

I thought this article was really cute and also sad. She mentioned in the essay that Don and his wife had a tradition of going to dinner and to see a movie together every Saturday. When his wife died he continued the tradition on his own which is so sad. But it is cute that he became friends with someone. Sabrina said that meeting Don was life changing. It changed her view on talking to strangers. She mentions in the essay that she had more fun at her waitressing job when engaging in friendly conversations with her customers.

Sabrina’s essay was very personal, but I also think that it is very relatable. What person wasn’t taught as a kid not to talk to strangers? But I think Sabrina’s revelation that talking to strangers is one we should all have. Every person we have ever met started off as a stranger. How would we have gotten to know our friends if one of us hadn’t begun talking to the other? How would we ever fall in love if we never get to know our potential loves? Without talking to strangers, we would be very lonely in our lives. Our lives would never move forward.

As for the essay itself, I think it was well written. She doesn’t really create many visuals but I think she makes up for it with how relative it is. Everyone can relate to her original view on not talking to strangers. It is instinctive to us all. We don’t purposely not talk to others, we just don’t. It’s considered weird to just strike up a conversation with those we have never met. It’s out of our comfort zone. But everyone needs to step out of their comfort zone to make new relationships.

Speech Outline

Preparation Outline PREPARATION OUTLINE

NAME:  Grace Jennings

TITLE OF SPEECH: It Will Knock Your Socks Off
 

Introduction

  I.            Attention Catcher:  I bet a lot of you are beginning to get cold feet about giving your speeches. Well I have a cure for that! Wear socks.   

II.            Listener Relevance Link: We all wear socks.

III.            Speaker Credibility:    I wear socks almost every day.

IV.            Thesis Statement:    Socks are a great invention that we often take for granted.

V.            Preview:     I use socks for warmth, protection, and as a fashion statement.

Body

        I.            First Main Point:    I wear socks to keep my feet warm and comfortable.

      II.            Listener Relevance Link:    

a.       Subpoint:     Socks keep your feet warm and toasty       

                                                               i.      Sub-Subpoint: Ialways seem to have cold feet so I wear socks to warm    them.
                                                             ii.      Sub-Subpoint: In the winter, I wear thicker socks for more warmth.

Transition: Not only do socks keep your feet warm, they also protect them.

    III.            Second Main Point: Socks provide a protection from blisters and dirt.

    IV.            Listener Relevance Link:    Everyone has bought a new pair of shoes before. And I’m sure that the first time you wear them they can give you some blisters.

a.       Subpoint: Socks prevent blisters from your shoes

                                                               i.      Sub-Subpoint: Blisters are painful and socks can cushion the pain.

                                                             ii.      Sub-Subpoint: When I played soccer in grade school and high school my soccer socks helped to prevent blisters

b.      Subpoint: Socks protect your feet from whatever gross stuff is on your floors

                                                               i.      Sub-Subpoint: You never know what all could be lying on your floors.

Transition: socks are not just used for warmth and protection, they can also be used to enhance your style.

      V.            Third Main Point: I think socks are a great way to create your own style.

    VI.            Listener Relevance Link: Everyone has their own sense of style and what better way to spice up an outfit than with some snazzy socks?

a.        Subpoint: Socks definitely make fashion statement

                                                               i.      Sub-Subpoint: Socks come in different designs and different styles.

                                                             ii.      A recent style is mismatched socks.

b.      Subpoint: Different varieties of socks

                                                               i.      Sub-Subpoint: I used to be obsessed with toe socks

                                                             ii.      Sub-Subpoint: Now I am obsessed with thick fuzzy socks

c.       Subpoint: Socks with certain shoes

                                                               i.      Sub-Subpoint: Socks with sandals is a big no-no

                                                             ii.      Sub-Subpoint: Socks with sneakers is a must

Transition:

  VII.            Fourth Main Point: Why socks?

a.       Subpoint: I have a fear of feet.

b.      Subpoint: When bare feet are around my things or my body I freak out and socks make it so much more bearable.

c.       Subpoint: For some reason I always seem to have cold feet so I have a great need for socks.

Conclusion:

VIII.            Restatement of Thesis: Now you know all the ways that we use socks.

    IX.            Summary of Main Points: Socks keep our feet warm, protected, and stylish.

      X.            Clincher: so go grab yourself a pair socks and get ready to give your speech!

Speech Overview

Since cell phones were banned for the subject for the speeches I wanted to do something really different and maybe kind of funny. I wanted to do my speech on socks but I don’t know if it is too much of a joke or if I could talk for the required amount of time on that so I will also do an overview of a second topic which will be my laptop. If you could comment and tell me which would be better that would be much appreciated.

Socks

1)      Uses

a.       Socks keep your feet warm and toasty

b.      Socks provide comfort for your feet

 

2)      Protection

a.       Socks prevent blisters from your shoes

b.      Socks protect your feet from whatever gross stuff is on your floors

3)      Stylish

a.       Socks definitely make fashion statement

b.      Different varieties of socks

c.       Socks with certain shoes

4)      Why socks?

a.       I have a fear of feet

b.      When bare feet are around my things or my body I freak out and socks make it so much more bearable

c.       For some reason I always seem to have cold feet so I have a great need for socks

Laptop

1)      Uses

a.       Use it for homework

b.      Writing papers

c.       Can play games on it

d.      Skype friends from home

2)      Internet

a.       With the internet, knowledge is just one click away

b.      Can access Facebook and other sites

3)      Efficient

a.       Battery life is very good

b.      Can take it with you anywhere

4)      Me and my laptop

a.       When I got it

b.      What it would be like without it