Are We Overachievers?

After watching an episode of Gossip Girl, I remembered I had to blog and simply could not think about what I should write about. I read the note at the top of "an American studies" blog, about our up coming assignment. Saying level 4 of course you're overachievers! Obviously somewhat of a joke, I get that Mr. B/OC. However, there is probably some truth to that for some of us. I realized this is not a topic of much importance but at New Trier, it kinda is. For example when they were changing the rankings from weighted to unweighted, the level four kids had a fit, we are doing more work we deserve more credit. But a level two student might say hey this work is just as hard for me, just cause its not as high a level. And then there are those kids who just make us so mad who don't try and get the grades just cause they happen to be silent geniuses as well as to put it bluntly sometimes slackers. There are some who are motivated by parents, college, and some who really could care less and just like school for the social scene. I'll give you an example I myself am not a fan of school, at all. My favorite thing with the word school is probably school dance. Or Alice's Coopers hit song "School's Out" but I figure if I'm there mine as well do a good job and get something out of it. So the question is are you an over achiever? What actually motivates you to do well? Is it a willingness to learn and be challenged? A need for knowledge? Or the hope to get into a top college and simply make the grade.

*I am not actually expecting people to tell the class they are an over-achiever considering the word gives off somewhat of a negative connotation, it was sort of rhetorical. And if you know you are, no offense really, cause it probably pays off for you.

First Lady Represents

Although President Obama is making an effort to make an appearance in front of the Olympic Committee, First Lady Michelle Obama as of now will represent Chicago. As a native Chicagoan she is a perfect candidate. However, when the news first came out that the President would not make an appearance, some were very skeptical. I was watching the news when the issue first came out, and Mayor Daley seemed confident that the First Lady would do a great job representing the city.

When they interviewed committee members, however, they had other thoughts. They believed that it would hurt the cities chances if the president did not make an appearance. The reason that the president did not feel he could make it was because he did not want to take time away from working on the health care plan.

When I first heard the committees comments I thought it to be somewhat of a slap in the face to the First Lady. They said that by the President being there it is like having a world wide celebrity show up. However, I feel like although the First Lady is not our Commander and Chief she deserves as much respect. I just wonder if the race to win is so close that the Committee feels that every city needs to pull out all the tricks, or do they actually feel that Michelle Obama is not as fitting to appear as Obama would be?

Luckily, the presidential adviser said that she "embodies the Olympic spirit". And many others believe she is perfect to represent Chicago. Hopefully the pair will show to give Chicago the best chances and as a team they can win over the committee.

do they think they're so much better?

Why do celebrities always think they can get away with stuff just because they're famous. What prompted this for me was a friend telling me about Kanye's "dis" at the VMA's tonight. After Taylor Swift, a young country singer, wins the best video award Kanye takes a microphone and says that Beyonce, in short, had a better video. The details are unclear because it was so recent.

But if someone in a high school for example were to win an award, its unlikely that someone goes on stage and says that their friend should have won right as the winner gets their award. At the VMAs I believe that they should all have a respect for everyone in their industry. Of course you might have a favorite, but it's always polite to keep it to yourself. At the Grammys Awards, or Oscars, they always show the nominees, even the ones that don't win, and it is just common curtisy that even if they don't win they act respectable when they know the camera is on them. But there are always a few that believe because they are famous and have a giant ego it makes it okay for them to do whatever they want. They think because they are a hot shot everyone wants to know their opinion.
Why do they feel that because of their status, they are above common curtisy?

P.S. Taylor Swift is amazing!

We Are the Future

Our parents and other adults always tell us that we are the future. Problems like the environment, for example, will be long term and what their generation and generations before them have done is what we need to fix now and when we are running the country. When we get older, in not too many years, we will be responsible to figure out a solution to turn around this trend that has put our world at risk.

This is one reason which we did not discuss about President Obama's speech which I thought about after the discussion. An article discussed how the President wants kids to stay in school to help their country. Some may say that this is just the governments "agenda", however I thought, and I know it's kind of a long shot, but maybe it's a cry for help. Obama's ratings have gone down, the whole country is in somewhat of a state of panic because of the recession and maybe Obama just wants some help, from anyone. If we can become more educated we can give a voice and fix the mistakes that were made before us.

Besides a cry for help, I just thought maybe it's a warning. Stay in school, get as much knowledge as you can, use the resources schools give to you because you as a country will need it.

These ideas literally just came to me as I began writing the beginning which is why they aren't very detailed. So I guess since this is for us, we can ask before and after the speech why exactly is he giving it? Lets try and read his mind and think about what prompted the idea.