long times. and a fire.

so i haven't written in this since school last year. and i doubt anyone still keeps up on these..but whatever. i feel the need to write.

today was the most interesting day in my career at MJR. the concession stand almost burned down. and i think thats hilarious. i know thats horrible but its just really funny because we all always joke about it burning down because we hate it and about how if it did burn down, they would make the employees stay and serve charred popcorn in the rubble. now, of course that didnt happen, but they did make everyone stay and clean up after it was put out.

it was an oil fire in one of the popper kettles. something happened and oil was left in it too long and it caught aflame on the inside, eventually making its way to the outside, engulfing the kettle in flames. two of my managers, brian and josh, attempted to put it out with a fire extinguisher but that didnt seem to work. then they threw water on it, which obviously wasnt a good idea because the flames exploded even larger, seemingly almost catching josh's arm on fire. the water did put the flaming popcorn out, preventing the flame from spreading. they called the fire department but by the time they got there, brian and josh already put it out. we ended up closing the stand for 3 hours so we could get everything under control and cleaned up. in the meantime while everyone was cleaning, irritating customers were coming up to the stand and complaining because they didnt under how we expected them to ever watch a movie without their fix of overpriced popcorn. one woman actually came up and started bitching about it while the kettle was at its peak flame. its just like, ma'am do you not see whats happening? are you not suffocating from the smoke caking out of this place? would you really like me to get you a flaming bag of popcorn?...dumbass.

so yeah. that was my interesting day at work.

The Sopranos

So, the new season of The Sopranos started tonight and I am pumped. It aired tonight at 9..and it was amazing. Well actually, it was kind of slow for awhile but it got good. Im actually suprised I watch this show. I never thought I'd be really into a show that is based around mobs and such, but its actually a lot more than that. Its pretty good. I got into about a year ago when a bunch of my friends started watching it. I still havent seen every episode of the previous seasons but I'm working on it. I strongly suggest everyone give this show a shot. This is the final season. Theres been talk of making a movie out of it but I kind of doubt it'll happen.

Thesis and such

So heres my thesis:
Although the addition of the Michigan Merit core curriculum classes will present some positive results, both students and teachers will be ultimately effected for the worst.

I've actually learned alot about this topic since I've started researching it. When talk of the change first started last year, I thought it was only effecting the downriver area but now I found out that it's all of Michigan. Even though I can see why the State School Board would want to require more core classes, Im actually against it. I mean, I understand that the more math and science classes that kids are exposed to, the more likely they are to really get into those subjects and possibly start a career in one of those fields. But if someone has a passion for something else then that probably wont change. In my opinion, all the school board is doing is limiting kids from more career choices by cutting other classes. Here's a pretty good article about the change if anyone is interested. I actually found a really great book about the topic in our U of M library. If anyone feels up to it, let me know what you think of my thesis..or the whole topic.

Final Paper Progress

The progress for my final paper isnt going so well. Im having a lot of trouble finding sources. The articles I'm finding on the databases arent really related to what my paper is about. I may need to shift my focus a bit. Hmm. I dont know. Im pretty stuck. I did find a great article in Time magazine about the curriculum change so thats cool. So one down, seven to go? yeah. Thats my problem. I even checked wikipedia just for the hell of it and they didnt even have anything. You know theres a slim chance of finding information about something if it isnt even on Wikipedia. I plan on writing out interview questions tomorrow and trying to get in touch with the assistant principal of Roosevelt. Ugh. I dont know. Im frustrated.

In other news..I hear some wrestlemania guys worked out in our fieldhouse..so thats cool I guess.

Well, Im off to do homework.

Final Essay Topic

For my final paper, I think I'm going to stick with my photo essay topic about the curriculum change in the downriver area. As I research the topic, I've been finding out that this change is effecting a lot more schools than I thought. When I first heard about it last year, I thought it was only Roosevelt but so many more schools are changing as well. Southgate Anderson High School is even expanding to have 3 semesters instead of 2. They will be shortened but that is a whole nother semester's worth of work to cram in.

My only fear for this paper is lack of sources. I have found a few articles online about it and I plan on interviewing teachers and students if possible. Time magazine even did an article on it and they included a lot of information on it so that should be a strong source. I was also skeptical about this topic due to lack of information but as I said before, the more I research it the more I've been finding out about it and how many people it actually does impact. So Im going to be as optimistic as possible about this paper and hope I have enough information for 5-6 pages.

Stay Classy RHS (Final)

When asked about their favorite classes in high school, most students answer either art, auto, or another elective class, but for the students of Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, that may be forced to change. Starting with the class of 2008, students will be required to extend their core curriculum which, in turn, cuts down the opportunity for elective classes. Even though this change may expose students to a more "realistic" education, it denies them the chance to expand their personal interests through more hands-on experiences.
Funds for electives are already being cut. Here the art room looks more scarce than ever. Teddy's is the schools flower shop run by the horticulture classes. The school is considering closing it due to the cut back in classes.Students will be seeing more of these "typical" classroom set ups once the curriculum changes.Teachers at Roosevelt predict a higher dropout rate when math and science requirements are extended, leaving hallways emptier than ever.Here are some art kids enjoying the time they have left in their expanded art program.Here is a picture of the automotive area. Kids bring in cars to work on to get first hand experience.Every year RHS holds a race for the auto kids. The objective is to build the fastest, most efficient race car out of shopping carts. If the school cuts these classes then this annual race will be no more. Pictured here is the losing group from the 2006 race.The Trading Post is the school's general store. Here they sell food, school supplies, and Wyandotte gear. It is usually closed, except for at lunch and before school, which is causing the school to lose money.The Wy-News is the school newspaper. They keep up on everything thats going on around the school, especialy the curriculum change.
These student paintings are soon to be covered when the art area is cut down to only one room.

Photo Essay is on the way..

For my photo essay, I've got my topic figured out and I took all of my pictures on Friday so now all I need to do is organize it and add some writing. I've pretty much got it all planned out so I just need to sit down and do it tomorrow.


But now...

...its time for calculus. ew.

Flicr graffiti pictures

I like this one just because it makes me laugh. Its simple but it sends a message and uses humor.
This is the kind of graffiti that I dont like.
This is my favorite. I think its very artistic and I like the message it portrays.

I like this picture because you can tell that it really took time and effort to complete this. I consider this art.

I really like this graffiti. The colors make it really interesting to look at. It actually reminds me of something I saw in a museum.

Sars Turtle Graffiti

I found the graffiti article to be somewhat interesting. The way Kriegel portrays some of the graffiti he sees is really positive. He describes it as really colorful and beautiful. I would like to say the same about the graffiti in Detroit but unfortunately, I can't. Most of the graffiti I see in Detroit doesnt really send a message to me other than the fact that much of Detroit needs to be repainted. I honestly respect those who portray a serious message in their graffiti and those who really put their all into their designs. But most graffiti I see is nothing but a self-promoting tag of gangs or something along those lines.

I really do like this picture I found. I dont know if "sars" was originally part of the design but either way, I like it. It definately gives it character. I googled Detroit graffiti and this came up. I hope I actually see this at one point while in the city.

Next paper subject..and whatnot.

I really dont have any idea what to write about for our next paper. I can think of a few small things but nothing that I can actually write a paper on. I just dont think there will be enough information out there about it to get a full paper written. hmm..I dont know. I really need to put some deep thought into this one.

Well in other news, Im considering quitting my job. I've been there for over 3 years and its not a bad job, its just an annoying job. I work behind a concession stand as a supervisor at MJR theater in southgate. Its a really good time as long as you have fun people to work with. Two of my best friends work behind the stand with me but now they're being moved upstairs to be projectionists and I'm not happy at all. Im really happy for them because it is a promotion and Im trying to not be selfish about it..but I dont care..i just want them to stay back there because they were keeping me sane. I dont know..I'll get over it.

Well whatever..thats whats going on in my world.

Freep.com

1. The news reports getting the most coverage is the Grant murder trial and Comerica leaving. These stories are understandably getting the most coverage because, in my opinion, they effect the community the most. Not that the other stories are not a big deal, but these two individual stories spark the most talk and the most debate in the area.

2. On the main page of Freep.com, they cover a little bit of everything. They cover national news, local news, sports, and entertainment. I think its really good that they feature a little bit of everything so anyone visiting the site can browse around and read something from every subject. Freep.com seems to really state the facts about each article.

3. When going into the Wayne county section, one article that stands out to me is "Township cant condem old bridge". The article is about condeming the old toll bridge that leads to Grosse Ile. I think this article is really interesting because it effects both myself and people I know. Another interesting story is "Canton woman lived with corpse for three weeks". Apparently a 29 year old woman lived with a 19 year old corpse for a few weeks. I find these types of articles interesting because they're so odd.

4. I havent really decided what I want to write about yet. I think the toll bridge article is interesting so I might use that, depending on how much information I can find on it. I also found something about Detroit auctioning off 260 homes. Thats kind of interesting so maybe I can do something with that. I live in the downriver area and looking at the articles on freep.com, there really isnt much going on at all. Theres a pet of the week and something about a guy who doesnt like ghost towns, so I dont know. Im definately going to have to research a lot more and try to find something interesting in my area.

Local News

Of course, the Tara Grant story is the most popular article on the internet. In local news, I noticed there are a lot of smaller articles that some people may not find interesting or important but the free press still posted them. I think its really cool that they post some small articles about very local news. For example there is an article about three victims from a car accident. Although that car accident didnt affect the whole Metro Detroit area, freep.com still posted it for those who it did affect. It seems that there is a lot of articles dealing with schools, which can be both good and bad depending on the content of the article. Freep.com also provides articles about sports and entertainment. There is a side article about spring training for baseball which is really important to a lot of people in the area. The online Free Press offers just as many articles and categories as the news print form.

Vacation so far.

I just got back from my vacation in Mt Pleasant today. It was nice to get away and not have to work or go to school but I was cramed in a dorm room with 4 boys..which led to me get sick and im not happy about it. Ive been trying so hard to not get sick this year and Ive been doing so well until now. I woke up yesterday morning feeling fine but by the middle of the day I started feeling like crap. One of the boys, Paul, gave me some medicine but it didnt really help. All it did was make me dizzy.

Other than getting sick, I had fun up at Central. We went to a showing of Citizen Kane that one of the film classes was showing. I really liked the movie. I had taken the medicine that made me dizzy right before going so I kind of had trouble paying attention but I still thought it was good. We went out saturday night so that was fun. I also managed to get some homework done. I got most of my paper written and I read two chapters for my sociology class.

But now my fun is over and I return to work tomorrow..actually in 9 hours. ew. I don't want to go to work.

Restaurant Review

I did my restaurant review today and it was pretty cool. I critiqued a little Italian restaurant in the area named Dolce Vita. It was really good. I'd been there once before but it wasnt as amazing the first time. I ate spaghetti. It was amazing. They make everything at the resturant and dont use anything frozen so it was really quality. The spaghetti sauce was amazing. The servings of the meals are huge. I couldn't even eat half of it because there was so much. I have enough left to feed myself for like 3 days. The prices werent too bad either, especially for such top notch Italian food. The workers were really friendly too. Our waitress was really polite and attentive. There was one boy that worked there that was kind of weirding me out though. He kept walking back and forth right next to our table. He kept looking past us towards the door so i think he was waiting for someone but I dont know. I really enjoyed my dinner tonight. I think the idea of this paper is really great. Its a really fun way to experience new restaraunts in the area.

Final Copy Plans

After getting responses from both peers and Professor DeGenaro, I think I know exactly what I need to do to perfect my final copy. I definately need to add more detail in certain areas. I already added some the day of our peer review but since then I've found a few more areas that could use more explanation. All of the reviews of my paper seem to suggest the same improvements in the same areas so I know that those sections definately do need improvment. Overall, I am confident about this paper and hopefully whatever additional detail I include will only add to my confidence.

I Just Wanna Be Average

I Just Wanna....not be bored when I read this. This essay kind of threw me off. I half expected it to be something about like anorexia or being homeless or family-less..or something. I definately didn't expect what it was about. I found it to be kind of boring. There were a few semi interesting moments but honestly most of it was pretty dull. I had a hard time concentrating on some of it, especially the end for some reason. The few parts that did catch my eye were the parts about people dying. It seemed like I'd start to drift away from the story and then something about being electrocuted or finding a human head would pop up and bring me back for a second. I find it kind of weird that he brings up some kind of death or something about dying about 4 or 5 times in the story. Interesting, but weird.

I did like that he described people's faces as "animated but silent". I underlined that a few times. I also liked that he said "three gray men could have had a go at your hair before you left our street". I thought it was humorous the way he phrased it. Thats pretty much all I've got on this essay though. I have to say it definately wasn't my favorite so far.

work is gross.

Today made me realized how rude and dumb people are. I was driving in the parking lot of my work and some guy came flying around the corner and almost hit me. As I passed him, he decided to give me the finger and a dirty look like its my fault hes a horrible driver. Then, about 2 seconds later, someone else slammed on their breaks and started backing up for absolutely no reason and they expected me to start backing up as well. Good luck sir, theres no way in hell I'm moving for you.

And then while I was working, a customer tried telling me how to do my job and that just completely pissed me off. Excuse me, I've been here at the same job for over 3 years, I think I know what the hell I'm doing. I work at a movie theater and, for some reason, that place brings out the worst in everyone. Customers are so rude and so mean that its hard to not sock every one of them in the face. And the worst part is I have to be there everyday this week except Thursday. Im so sick of having to be there and I can't wait until spring break because Im going out of town and I dont have to be there for almost a whole week. Thats really exciting to me.

But yeah, thats all for now.

Peer Review

Today's peer review was actually very helpful to me. After reading what was written on my draft, I was able to add what was needed to my paper. I think it is much better now. I was missing a lot of detail in some areas and now, I feel, its much better. I actually liked this paper. I was really dreading it at first because I wasn't sure who to write about. Even after choosing my community member I was still doubtful about whether or not I could find enough information on her. Once I got my interview done though, I felt alot more confident about it and it was actually really easy to write. I really enjoyed the first paper but I got stuck alot in my writing with that paper. With this paper I seemed to be able to write most of it very smoothly.

I only revised one paper today but it was really good. He used alot of great detail and he made it easy to picture the person he profiled. I used to hate peer editing but its not so bad now.

Sounds of The Dot

1. Existentialism on Prom Night by Straylight Run- I chose this song because it reminds me of the downtown area of Wyandotte, especially in the winter. I think its such a beautiful song and Downtown Wyandotte is so breathtaking in the winter when all of the Christmas lights are on and the sidewalk is covered in snow.

2. The Remedy by Jason Miraz- This song reminds me of the summertime. I loved this song when it first came out. It reminds me of going to the Wave Pool with my friend Ashley because we always listened to it on the way there and they always played it while we were there.

3. Saturday by Fall Out Boy-This song reminds me of the side of Wyandotte that I live on. Before I could drive I always walked around the city with my walkman and I always had this cd everywhere I went. Plus I just really like this song because it cheers me up and reminds me of when I was 14 and 15.

4. Any Polka Music!- My community is full of people with a Polish background. During the summer, Wyandotte has about 5 or 6 church festivals and they always have a polka band playing and a large dance floor for anyone who wants to polka. Polka is a huge part of Wyandotte's history and current culture.

5. This Town by Jack Off Jill feat. Korn- This song is just amazing to me. It was remade but I think they did a really good job of making fun. This song reminds me of my community because my friend Jamie and I always used to drive everywhere and just listen to music, including this song. This song is kind of about being proud to live where you live.

6. Rock Your Body by Justin Timberlake- This song reminds me of the summer between 9th and 10th grade. I had drivers training that summer and my friends and I always sang this song while we were driving in our practice car. This song just make me want to dance and have a good time. I love it.

7. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) by Green Day-This was my class song so it definately reminds me of high school. To me, this song just makes me remember to have a good time with everything I do. It does kind of make me sad, not only because it reminds me of high school, but it just makes me feel really sentimental about how I spend my time with people.

vacation please.

I've really been craving a vacation lately. Not only because of the weather but I'm just ready for something different right now. I feel so routine all of the time and I just want to go anywhere. All I do is go to school, then work, then come home and do homework...every single day. I'm possibly going to California in the summer which I'm really pumped about it. I'm also going up to Mackinac Island. I went last year for the first time and it was so much fun. We rode bikes around the whole island. The view of the water was absolutely amazing. I also went up to something called Lake of the Clouds. It was beautiful. It's a lake completely surrounded by trees. We went in the summer which was really cool but I would love to go in the fall because of the colors. I just cant wait to get away for a little bit. I plan to do all of this in the summer but I might have to take Calculus 2 in the summer so I have to work around that. I dont know..I guess we'll see. As for now, I have homework to do. :)

Community Member Paper

So I think I'm kind of screwed with the Profile of a Community member paper. The woman I want to interview is out of town this weekend and I dont think she'd be able to get together until tuesday. Thats not that big of a problem but it does only give me two days to actually write my rough draft. So I'll be able to do it, but its not going to be very good quality. And also I dont know what my other sources are going to be. Im thinking that I'll definately interview her husband. She owns her own side company so maybe I can get information online about that. I dont know though. I think I might have a tough time with this one. I dont really know how to set the paper up either so if anyone wants to share any ideas with me then that'd be great. Thanks :)

Poems.

I imagine winter deep in the heart of the woods.
There would be Darkness all around if it wasn't for the moonlight bounching off of the snow.
The moon's reflection creates a nightlight for anyone or anything in the area.
I imagine brittle bare branches coated in ice.
They appear lifeless underneath.
The silence is deafening and the movement of the woods is still,
other than the falling of the snow.

That is my poem I wrote in class. My favorite line out of it is "The silence is deafening and the movement of the woods is still, other than the falling of the snow". I like it because I think it kind of sums up my idea of a peaceful winter. I really do enjoy winter if I'm up north in cabin, otherwise it seems to cause nothing but trouble for me. The mood of my poem is supposed to be quiet and peaceful. It is supposed to give you the image of dark woods filled with bare leaveless trees covered in snow. When I put an image to this poem I picture the the snow being untouched and still.

I really liked the poem that we analyzed in class. The line I chose from it was "The thing to see in snow is the falling". This line really jumped out at me. I just really liked the feeling the whole poem gave off. I think that this line has a lot of significance because the author repeated it so many times.

the weather.

I am completely ready for summer..or even spring at least. I really hate how cold it is. To me, being cold is the most uncomfortable feeling ever. Im so glad we haven't had massive amounts of snow but I could also do without any snow at all. Also, it has become such a pain to have to go out in the cold 15 minutes before I leave so I can warm up my car. I am just so ready for warm weather. The summer weather motivates me more so right now all I ever want to do is sleep.
I was totally pumped for winter before it happened. I do like going up north and sledding and stuff but Im over it now. I just want to be able to sit outside without having to bundle up in 3 layers of clothing. Summer...get here fast..

the death of movies.

So Ive been thinking about it and movies these days are nothing what they used to be. I work at a movie theater and I know basically every type of movie that comes through there. I mean, there are some good movies that come out but there really arent any that really shock me anymore or any that just blow me away. Every scary movie is the same, every romantic comedy is the same, every action is the same,...every thing is just the same. I guess movies had to start repeating themselves eventually but I was really hoping the repeatitive films wouldnt be as bad as they are. Its definately time we find some creative movie ideas and get working on them. Im sick of all of these remakes. And also, all of 'The Beginning' movies. It seems like every movie eventually comes out with some kind of prequel and its getting kind of ridiculus. Im ready for something original.

the new "D"

The article was pretty interesting. I like the whole idea of this new
"D" and new slogan. I am having trouble adjusting to the new design of the "D" though. I really like the old english "D" and I feel like everyone from around here associates it with Detroit so making the change from the old "D" to the new one may be kind of tough. I can understand why they may have changed it though. The old english "D" has been around for a long time and if they're goal is to focus on a younger crowd then they're best bet is to change the look of the ever so famous "D". I think the slogan they chose is really good and it does fit with the Detroit area. Heres the whole story.

theres a homework thief on the loose

About a week ago my car was broken into at my work. They broke out my drivers side window and stole my school backpack. They also broke into 2 of my friends cars, 2 of my managers cars and 2 customers cars. We got the license plate number and called the police and got them all the information. The police ran the plates and found two locations that the car is registered to. My general manager, Matt, has been checking in with the Southgate police to see if they've made any arrests and it turns out that they havent even invesigated the case yet.

Now, I understand that to them, its probably not that big of a deal and they have more important cases to handle but if they werent even going to bother to investigate the case then why even run the plates? The detective on the case is having a family problem and hes out until Monday so thats understandable, but why not put someone else on the case? I feel selfish being angry about it but I cant help it. I'm just afraid they're going to come back and get either my car again or someone elses car. They've already come back to my work once and got my managers cars so why wouldnt they try it again?

There is one thing about this whole situation that kind of makes me laugh. When they broke into my friends car all they took from her was a star wars cup and 35 cents. So judging by what they took we should be looking for a group of Star Wars geeks that want to do my homework.

Well whatever..hopefully they'll be caught.

Jiving With Java..and a rant on coffeehouses.

I really liked this essay. I liked the attitude the author had toward coffeehouses. Alot of things he said reminded me of a popular coffeehouse in my neighborhood. I don't ever go to any coffeehouses but I think this essay really described everyone that does go to coffeehouses perfectly. Coffeehouses were once a nice place to relax but now they've become so scene and so popular that you cant even relax because there are so many people inside. My neighborhood coffeehouse, The Grind, is always so busy and so packed, it is almost impossible to walk through without running into someone or something. And once you do make your way to the counter to buy something, you have to wait in line for what seems like forever for coffee that, from what Ive heard, isnt even that great. Finding a seat in there is like finding a parking spot at Christmas: its impossible. The Grind provides seating outside which is great in the summer, but what about the winter? I dont know many people that would prefer to sit outside in the winter to study and drink coffee. I dont mind coffeehouses, just as long as Im not in one. I think coffeehouses are just another long lasting fad that will evenually die out.

Edinger Apartments

So today I helped my friend move into a new apartment. She moved from Edinger Apartments in Wyandotte to an apartment in Trenton. Her new apartment is really nice but I really liked her old one because it has a lot of history. It was built in the early 1900's and everything inside of it is really old. The Edinger Apartments used to be Edinger Apartment Hotel. Celebrities such as Lucille Ball and The Three Stooges stayed in that hotel years ago. I was looking up pictures of the Wyandotte Theater and the hotel is in the background in this picture. Its in the back on the right. Its really hard to see because it is kind of cut off but I just thought it was really cool to be able to see what the building used to look like.

Progress of the paper

As of right now I have a pretty good idea of how im going to set up my paper. My only problem is the interviews. I dont know who to interview. There really isnt anyone that specializes on the Wyandotte Totem Pole. I know how to get a hold of a member of the city council so I'll probably interview her. I was also thinking of just interviewing a random person walking in the downtown area of Wyandotte. But I also dont know what to ask the people I interview. Im thinking I'll just ask them their opinion on the totem pole. If anyone has an suggestions let me know. I could definately us some.

before and after

I really like these pictures of the William Livingstone House. I think its really cool how it shows before and after pictures of what the building originally looked like and how it has slowly decayed over the years. If you carefully observe the two photos you can see a lot of major differences. Looking at the front yard you can see that it has gone in a completely different direction that the original. It was originally very welcoming with grass and a walk way leading up to a beautiful staircase and over the years all of the grass died and a fence was put up. The house itsself was a very nice house in the beginning and it looks as though the front of it is slowly melting off. Its kind of sad to see how such a beautiful piece of architechture can be so poorly taken care of.

"Homeplace: A Site of Resistance"

bell hooks's essay "Homeplace" is very powerful. When reading her story, I could feel the intensity in her writing. She uses very powerful words and descriptions. For example, when she is explaining her walk to her grandmother's house she says, "we would have to pass that terrifying whiteness". Such intense descriptions really let me feel what she was feeling. hook's essay is about black womens' roles in society. She uses the term "homeplace" to mean a type of inner comfort zone. She explains how black women went and worked as maids in white households and even though they worked all day for other people, they still had enough in themselves to come home and provide for their families. These women got the stregnth to provide for everyone from their homeplace. Homeplace to hooks both is a place to recover from all of your struggles to become whole again and the actual home itsself. Through hook's essay she expresses her feelings very strongly and she begins giving feelings of anger when she explains "homeplace" as a woman's "natural" role. She says, "The assumtion then is that the black woman who works hard to be a responsible caretaker is only doing what she should be doing". Unfortunately, this is a true statement. Many people believe that a woman's role is in the home and that is why women are still being looked down on for doing certain things and why women still make a quarter less that men. I enjoyed hook's essay.

Analysis of a Place/Artifact ideas

I haven't decided exactly what I plan on writing about for our analysis paper but I have a few things in mind. I live in Wyandotte and we don't have very many landmarks. One of my first thoughts for this paper was to write the paper about an old library in my city that is supposedly haunted. I think it would be interesting to research the library and find out how the rumor of the haunting began. Another idea I had was the old train station in Detroit. I am completely facinated with the train station but since it is no longer in business, it would be hard to find people to interview. Also, my dad owns a bar and I thought it could be interesting to write my paper on that. The building he runs his business in actually has quite an interesting history. My friend actually just reminded me of a location in Wyandotte that i would LOVE to write about: small house. Small house is a house in my city that is ridiculous tiny. You have to see it with your own eyes to actually grasp the size of this place. The amazing thing about it is that people actually do live there. There are rumors that the basement to small house is the whole underneath of Wyandotte. The only problem with using small house as my place is I don't know if it is possible to research it online or at our library. Another place I might use is the Renaissance Center. I think it would be cool to write about because of its importance in Detroit. I still have a lot of thinking to do for this assignment.

Response to class discussion about "Niki's Window"

Today's class discussion about "Niki's Window" made me look at the essay from a different perspective. When I first read Herron's essay I agreed with him completely and although I still do agree with him on many things, I think he was a little overdramatic about some things. As someone pointed out in class today, you can't just leave every historic building empty. If Detroit did leave all of the buildings as they were then they would just be a waste of space and Detroit would eventually be empty. I agree with Herron when it comes to recognizing the history of the city but I also agree with everyone arguing that you must rebuild the city to keep it going. I think a good compromise would be that if the historic buildings are redone than the owners should recognize the history of the building and encourage their patrons to learn about it. The owners could do this by posting old pictures and articles about the history of the building or area. Also, these small companies are helping out the city financially. Even though the city doesn't benefit that much from these companies, every penny counts with Detroit. Another great point made in class was that Herron had no right to act as though Detroit is the only city with these kinds of problems. Every big city has similar problems and it wasn't right to point the finger at Detroit and make us look worse than every other city. I really enjoyed today discussion and I'm glad it helped me see "Niki's Window" in a new way.

"Niki's Window"

I read "Niki's Window" by Jerry Herron last night and I found it to be very interesting. He describes Detroit as "the most historically representative city in America" which I agree with. The city of Detroit has so much history and so much of it is being forgotten because the citizens have been distracted by the horrible reputation Detroit has adopted. Crime and the collapse of industries is what is giving Detroit this kind of reputation. Years ago people were moving away from the city to avoid being apart of what it has become and now, as Herron explained, people are moving back to try to revive the life of Detroit. But what is being revived is quite petty. Greektown has become Detroit's hot spot and it has been made to seem more than it is. I've never been to Greektown and until I read Herron's description of the two block stretch I had always thought it was a large section of Detroit. Representatives of Detroit claim they are cleaning up the city and rebuilding it but they aren't restoring it to actually make it better, they're "restoring" it to make themselves look better. When Superbowl XL came to Detroit instead of actually taking the time to fix and clean up abandoned houses, they simply installed lights inside of the houses so they look more lively. Detroit is a very beautiful city, but its the history that makes it beautiful, not the latest resturant. Herron wrote, "This historic 'town' is largely make-believe"and i completely agree.