Midterm Video Project

I'd like to think I did a good job on my project, considering I used Power Point. Unfortunately I only could find this way to upload my presentation to my blog, and it got rid of my audio. In my actual presentation I had narrations and background music. But despite that being absent I'm pretty proud of my project. :}

Delayed gratification

View more presentations from Michelle Olsen.

Generation Facebook

From reading the article Generation Me it got me really thinking about this generation and the level of narcissism we truly have. Thinking about it more I've realized what i think to be one of the biggest sources of our narcissism : Social Networking Sites. While they can be a great way for people to get connected, it is also a mecca for young adults to ramble on about themselves. We post statuses CONSTANTLY about where we are, what we're doing, what we're thinking.We keep this up as if it's our job. As if we were to stop updating our profile we would lose some part of our identity. Sometimes it amazes me at how personal people get on Facebook. It seems like people just can't get enough of sharing everything with everyone. As if "going to school. going home. then work" is that important. We spend hours and hours analyzing our friends profiles, our friends of friends profiles and our own profiles. We've begun to think that Facebook is an extension of our personality. No longer is it a tool. It's a part of us. Social networking sites are part of us. And it makes us share everything with everyone all the time. and this plants seeds in our heads that we are more important than we really are. in the end does it REALLY matter what youre eating for lunch? Do people HAVE to know where you're going when class is out? No. But we live in a world where we set up profiles ALL ABOUT US and it makes us think that every detail of our lives is important. That attitude translates to every facet of our lives. And its the reason why this truly is Generation me.

blogs, blogs, and more BLOGS

There are many things that make up a good blog post. A good blog post is successful in 

getting it's point across clearly and interestingly. A good blog post is one that you enjoy reading. It isn't just a simple summary, or generic story. It has personality, detail and emotion. When you are reading a blog it is almost like you are reading someones private thoughts. So you expect those thoughts to be interesting and personal. In my opinion, a good blog post is one that makes you think, relate back to yourself, or want to know more about. An example of a good blog in my opinion is Oscar's  blog. His posts are generally interesting, descriptive, personal, and very creative. I really like his titles because they are always creative and catch readers attention. I also liked Lynday's blog because she uses a lot of unique pictures to capture a readers attention. Essentially that is the whole point of a blog; to catch the eyes of the readers and make them want to come back for more. I think that I have the potential to be a really great blogger, but a lot of the time I am missing one of the most essential ingredients for a great blog post: a passion for the topic. Some things are easier for me to write about than others. And most of the time when i am told what to talk about I end up sounding generic. So I need to learn how to master a good blog post even when initial interest in the topic may not be there.

histoire de l'art

When applying for college I had the intentions of becoming a Chemistry major. I wanted to be a chemist, or a pharmacist, or something having to do with medication. But as the year went by I realized that I wasn't cut out for it. While I loved chemistry, I couldn't see myself being happy having a career focused around it. And I also was not looking forward to the extensive math courses I would have to take. Last minute I decided that I wanted to go to school for art. So I applied to Southern as a Studio Arts major. But once again I had a change of heart and I now want to major in Art History. I have no yet officially switched my major to Art History yet. It is still under Studio Art. But I consider myself to be an Art History major. Art History is my chosen major because I completely love it. All my life I have lived art, and I have also had an interest in history. Art History is a perfect mix of the two, and I something that I can foresee myself being very happy with in my future. I love learning about different cultures and how art has been influenced and changed by each one. Some people may think that it is boring, but I however feel it is one of the most interesting things. People don't realize how much you can discover about an ancient culture just by their art alone. My major in art history is just the first step in being where I want to be in my future. My dream is to be an art curator or restorer at an amazing art museum such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, or at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Mass. It is something that I dream about all the time. I dream of going to France to see all the impressionists works of art, and going to England to see the medieval style architecture. Art History is something that I love, and is something I enjoy learning about an pursuing during my college career.

Ichiban!

I haven't really been to any specific events at Southern besides orientation. I would like to attend more, and I plan to, but it is just so hard to get the time to come back to campus when I am a working commuter. My topic for this blog isn't technically and event, but it is an art exhibition. It is called Ichiban! and it is a display of all sorts of historic and contemporary Japanese artwork. The exhibition is a celebration of 150 years of the first Japanese Diplomatic Mission in the United States.  As a lover of art, I was really interested in seeing this exhibition, and I wasn't disappointed. The pieces of art were unique and beautiful and helped me open my eyes to parts of Japanese culture that I wasn't aware of prior to that. From uniquely ornate robes and scrolls to cute childrens lunch boxes and games, the Ichiban exhibit is something that is worth taking a look at. It is nice to know that Southern appreciates art and different cultures and I hope that in the future they have more exhibits featuring even more different and interesting cultures.

Patience. It is the main component in the concept of delayed gratification. It is also one of the hardest qualities to master, especially as a college student. For our video assignments I have decided to explore the idea of delayed gratification. There comes a time in all our our lives where we must wait. And sometimes waiting can be nearly impossible. But what makes it all worth it? Is there anything that is worth waiting for more so than another thing? And what decides whether it is worth it to have patience, or to achieve the goal as soon as possible? That is what I am going to ask the various people that I interview. I want to know what different people think about the idea of delayed gratification. Is it something that needs to be learned in order to succeed? Will you get by without being able to deal with delayed gratification? Is patience REALLY a virtue? And where is the line drawn when delayed gratification is just not needed? When is okay to be impatient?

My specific questions I would like to ask are these:

What is your definition of delayed gratification?

Do you find it to be difficult to deal with the concept of delayed gratification? Is it hard to be patient?

What are some things that you think is worth waiting for and working towards?

What are some things that you don't always need to be patient with?