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.