Reflection #4 - Prom

So this year's prom was certainly interesting. We can start with the stupid rules and my date. So I have a friend from GMU, and I was going to go with him to prom. He had asked me a while ago, and I said we could go as friends. here's the problem, he is 21. Apparently that is against the rules. So, my mom called the school and several friends tried to help as well, but nope, he isn't allowed to go to the dance. Problem number two, I already said I would go with him, so I couldn't really ask anyone else, even though I wanted to. :( So, I go to pictures and dinner with him and the dance all by myself. The other thing that made prom this year not so great was that I hurt my knee on Monday. So, there I was at my senior prom with no date, and a busted knee that I couldn't really dance on. However, the evening as a whole, wasn't bad. I had a bunch of great friends there that were all very sweet and took turns sitting, and trying to dance, with me. I still got to get all dolled up and overall had a good time. Oh well, it wasn't as much fun as it could have been, but still a pretty darn good night after all.

Current Event #4 - Mandy Moore

This week I chose an article from the Washington Post. However, it still has to do with the entertainment Industry. My article, Mandy Moore gets back to basics on new CD, is about the good girl image of Mandy Moore and how accurate that image really is.  Most of her songs are targeted toward tweens, but the article shows some hidden meanings in the lyrics that suggest her songs are not all flowers and bunny rabbits. For example in the song “I Could Break Your Heart Every Day of the Week,” there are lyrics talking about squeezing the life out of someone. This shows that people don’t really listen to songs for the lyrics, but mostly for the music. However, Moore is perfectly happy to keep her good girl label. She takes it as a compliment that people think she is good. However, she does have lyrics and songs that are a little edgier. She says none of it is meant to be taken seriously. She just let out a little of her more sassy side. Her newest album takes inspiration from Joni Mitchell and Paul and Lunda McCartney. She claims it is a kind of folk-pop-rock fusion. In conclusion Many Moore talked about one other influence that affected her album. She recently married Ryan Adams, a indie singer-wongwriter, and, although he didn’t directly contribute to the album, she claims he influenced her by just being around her.

I picked this article because I had no idea Mandy Moore even sang. I always thought she was just an actress, so I figured I would find out a little more about her singing career. It turns out I didn’t know about it because her main audience is young teens and preteens, or tweens, as the press has started calling them. Anyway, the article was mildly interesting, but I think I was perfectly happy to remain in the dark about Mandy Moore’s life outside acting.

Reflection #3 - College Orientation

This past Sunday through Tuesday was my college orientation. Driving down, I was a little nervous because I had no idea what to expect. They did not print a schedule, so I didn't even know what I would be doing for the next two and a half days. I checked in around 8:30 Sunday night, and some of the student leaders invited me to come back down and socialize. I wasn't feeling great after the seven hour car ride, but I decided I should make an effort to meet people. We all watched a movie and headed to bed. The next day the real orientation schedule started. We had a little tour of the campus. Then we met with advisors to work out our schedules. The whole first day was pretty fun, and I even made some friends. That night, around 8:00, we were given some free time, so we decided to play some ultimate frisbee. It was really fun. Then, I was jumping up to catch a pass in the end zone, when a guy behind me jumped up to try and block it and ended up colliding with me. We both fell down, and I hurt my knee. I was on crutches all the next day, and I have to go to physical therapy for at least the next month. All in all, it was a good trip. I just hope that isn't an average day at Appalachian State University.

Current Event #3 - The Colbert Report

I think it is awesome that Colbert is doing this for the troops. I hope that it goes over well, and they think it is funny. The last thing I want is for him to accidently insult or offend the troops. I think it is good that he picked a relevant topic to focus his show around, but that means he has to be careful what he makes fun of. It is always hard to make comedy out of serious issues. The article, “Colbert to broadcast four Shows from Baghdad,” caught my attention because I am a fan of his show, The Colbert Report. It turns out Stephen Colbert will actually be traveling to the former Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory to record some of his shows. The shows are each going to be taped in front of about four hundred and fifty troops. The shows are even being marketed under the name, “Operation Iraqi Stephen: Going Commando.” Colbert is a strong supporter of the troops in real life, so he translates a lot of that into his character on the show. The trip was actually brought up by a guest on the show, former Assistant Secretary of Defense Bing West. After he was done talking about the presidential campaigns he decided to follow up on the invitation to Iraq. Now, Stephen Colbert, and thirty staff, is going to where to troops are to give them a taste of life back home. He spent a little while going through very basic training, and is bringing several care packages for the troops with him. The show is going to focus on the declining attention paid to the United States troops oversees and the war in Iraq1 He doesn’t really know what to expect when he gets there. He said he isn’t nervous about the danger issue, but is nervous about giving a good show for the troops.