Yes its late but I mean I am like 75.5% sure I am nocturnal
So WISE is over for young Mr. Williamson and I have to say it is kind of bittersweet. As frustrating and difficult as this class has been for me, I wouldn't have wanted it another way. I have become a completely diferent person because of WISE, something that makes me incredibly proud. I have found a new niche that I feel comfortable in and am very glad to have had the opportunity to make this change in myself.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about WISE and I have realized something. It really doesn't matter whether you finish your big project like a barn or a movie because what really counts is the journey that you had to take all semester. The problems and tribulations that I had to face that may have not allowed me to complete all that I had initially planned to do made me into a much stronger individual. This class is not about the finished product it is about having to experience life and give you a brief snapshot of what the "real world" looks like. I think it has been incredibly meaningful to me and I am glad I took it and met all the people that I did because of it.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Reviews Out the WAZZOOOOO
So this week I saw a number of performances that really had an impact on me. I saw this IHS Choir Concert, The Armstrong School of Dance Recital, and "Rounding Third" at the hangar.
I will begin with the choir concert.
It is always nice to see your peers perform and this was no exception. I came into the concert pretty exhausted hoping for a nice relaxing time but by the end of the concert I was on the edge of my seat belting out the songs looking like a complete fool and loving it. When a performance has this kind of effect of you, you know they are doing something right.
The concert began with a solo by the choir president. Breathtaking, simply breathtaking. There is no better way to describe the way this piece by Mozart was sung. I was on the verge of tears as I was hit with beautiful and striking high notes that made the entire auditorium get an exhilarating shiver. It was lovely.
Afterwards there were various ballads I do wish that they hadn't explained each and every one because I felt that it became a little monotonous after a while seeing as it was a minute of song and then two to three minutes of explanation. I still thought that the songs that were song acapela were extremely well done, but that may just be because I am a sucker for the naturalness of acapela singing.
Afterwards were a few performances that were good but really didn't stick out to me and I started to lull back into my exhausted state. That was until the full concert choir sang the song, Africa. The song is below this paragraph. The choir simulated a rainstorm just like the video. I was out of my seat. It was a song that the entire choir got into which was great to see. Previously, the choir had been relatively stagnant with a few exceptions who were very engaging because of their movements. Sometimes you can even trick the audience into thinking that you are better than you are by keeping up movement and keep the audience engaged. I understand that it may be embarrassing but it would have added to the whole performance. In conclusion I had a great time at the performance and thought it was well done and am continually amazed by the talent at this school.
Next up was the Armstrong Dance:
Now I may have been a little impartial to this because my sister was in it but I thought that all in all it was just good not great. I think this is to be expected at a recital because the girls of all talents dance. I thought that some of the dancers lost their place and one of the more experienced dancers even fell in one of the harder dances. My only real problem is I thought that the music choice in some cases was not right for the dance. The theme for the recital was movie related but still there were ballet dances done to Michael Jackson's more upbeat songs. I think that with so many choices out there, there could have been better fitting music.
I thought the recital was extremely entertaining and of course was impressed and proud of my sister who was performing on her birthday. When she was out there I felt like she lit up the stage.
Some Armstrong Dancers ( I couldn't take my own picture, not allowed)
Finally we have Rounding Third at the Hangar:
Of the three performances I have seen over the past few days this one struck me most. It is entirely done by only two men and I thought they were nothing short of brilliant. In this comedy, there is an ultra competitive little league baseball coach and his new, lax assistant. In this play we watch as an entire season unfolds and these two characters butt heads. What really stuck out at me was how pertinent this was to my project. This was a play about sports, the best of both worlds. Maybe this is why I enjoyed it so much. As i sat with my dad, brother, and our two friends laughing our heads off I almost forgot that I was supposed to be reviewing this. So I tried to focus on one actor, his name escapes me, bu he played the competitive coach. I could tell that he was a fun loving guy but he stayed in his stubborn character like a champ. When the other actor wold tell a joke I would only see a little twinge as he tried to contain his own laughter. This guy aws good I know that I would have cracked very early on. To summarize I was perplexed and laughing the entire time during this play and would recommend it to any who loves either sports or the arts.
I will begin with the choir concert.
It is always nice to see your peers perform and this was no exception. I came into the concert pretty exhausted hoping for a nice relaxing time but by the end of the concert I was on the edge of my seat belting out the songs looking like a complete fool and loving it. When a performance has this kind of effect of you, you know they are doing something right.
The concert began with a solo by the choir president. Breathtaking, simply breathtaking. There is no better way to describe the way this piece by Mozart was sung. I was on the verge of tears as I was hit with beautiful and striking high notes that made the entire auditorium get an exhilarating shiver. It was lovely.
Afterwards there were various ballads I do wish that they hadn't explained each and every one because I felt that it became a little monotonous after a while seeing as it was a minute of song and then two to three minutes of explanation. I still thought that the songs that were song acapela were extremely well done, but that may just be because I am a sucker for the naturalness of acapela singing.
Afterwards were a few performances that were good but really didn't stick out to me and I started to lull back into my exhausted state. That was until the full concert choir sang the song, Africa. The song is below this paragraph. The choir simulated a rainstorm just like the video. I was out of my seat. It was a song that the entire choir got into which was great to see. Previously, the choir had been relatively stagnant with a few exceptions who were very engaging because of their movements. Sometimes you can even trick the audience into thinking that you are better than you are by keeping up movement and keep the audience engaged. I understand that it may be embarrassing but it would have added to the whole performance. In conclusion I had a great time at the performance and thought it was well done and am continually amazed by the talent at this school.
Next up was the Armstrong Dance:
Now I may have been a little impartial to this because my sister was in it but I thought that all in all it was just good not great. I think this is to be expected at a recital because the girls of all talents dance. I thought that some of the dancers lost their place and one of the more experienced dancers even fell in one of the harder dances. My only real problem is I thought that the music choice in some cases was not right for the dance. The theme for the recital was movie related but still there were ballet dances done to Michael Jackson's more upbeat songs. I think that with so many choices out there, there could have been better fitting music.
I thought the recital was extremely entertaining and of course was impressed and proud of my sister who was performing on her birthday. When she was out there I felt like she lit up the stage.
Some Armstrong Dancers ( I couldn't take my own picture, not allowed)
Finally we have Rounding Third at the Hangar:
Of the three performances I have seen over the past few days this one struck me most. It is entirely done by only two men and I thought they were nothing short of brilliant. In this comedy, there is an ultra competitive little league baseball coach and his new, lax assistant. In this play we watch as an entire season unfolds and these two characters butt heads. What really stuck out at me was how pertinent this was to my project. This was a play about sports, the best of both worlds. Maybe this is why I enjoyed it so much. As i sat with my dad, brother, and our two friends laughing our heads off I almost forgot that I was supposed to be reviewing this. So I tried to focus on one actor, his name escapes me, bu he played the competitive coach. I could tell that he was a fun loving guy but he stayed in his stubborn character like a champ. When the other actor wold tell a joke I would only see a little twinge as he tried to contain his own laughter. This guy aws good I know that I would have cracked very early on. To summarize I was perplexed and laughing the entire time during this play and would recommend it to any who loves either sports or the arts.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Mrs. Sadusky
So as this project draws to a close, I would like to give a shout out to my mentor who has been with me throughout it all, Mrs. Sadusky.
She has been everything and more that I could ever ask for. I needed someone who I could get along with but would kick me in the pants when needed and get this slob organized. She did both of these and more. She kept me organize by having a list so that we went over what exactly I did over that week. This was also incredibly helpful and although the copies got lighter and lighter, I was still able to use them to benefit my project. In addition she was someone who I felt comfortable around and could talk about some problems I was having or even something great that happened. She was always there to talk to me about my WISE project or life in general.
When I was searching for a mentor I was incredibly nervous about who to ask and one day when passing by Mrs. Sadusky's class it hit me. WHY NOT HER??? She had been one of my favorite teachers and was an awesome person. I am so glad that I asked her.
What makes her an exemplary mentor is her ability to reassure me even when my life not just my WISE project seemed messed up. She was always there with helpful words and told me that I would be able to work through the stress that felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
So in conclusion I want to say thank you Mrs. Sadusky, it has been a great ride and I am glad that I had you to guide me along the way.
-Casey
She has been everything and more that I could ever ask for. I needed someone who I could get along with but would kick me in the pants when needed and get this slob organized. She did both of these and more. She kept me organize by having a list so that we went over what exactly I did over that week. This was also incredibly helpful and although the copies got lighter and lighter, I was still able to use them to benefit my project. In addition she was someone who I felt comfortable around and could talk about some problems I was having or even something great that happened. She was always there to talk to me about my WISE project or life in general.
When I was searching for a mentor I was incredibly nervous about who to ask and one day when passing by Mrs. Sadusky's class it hit me. WHY NOT HER??? She had been one of my favorite teachers and was an awesome person. I am so glad that I asked her.
What makes her an exemplary mentor is her ability to reassure me even when my life not just my WISE project seemed messed up. She was always there with helpful words and told me that I would be able to work through the stress that felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.
So in conclusion I want to say thank you Mrs. Sadusky, it has been a great ride and I am glad that I had you to guide me along the way.
-Casey
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Carrie's Presentation
Last Thursday we were lucky enough to see Carrie Haase present her WISE presentation. Well let me just begin by saying that I thought she was excellent. She had outstanding presence up there and looked very confident and strong. In addition the tone of her voice really struck me as very assertive, almost as if she was saying a poem for all of her speech. In addition I loved how she was able to present to us some of her poems because at least for me, I was able to see the progression she has made. I remember the funny, somewhat quiet girl at the beginning of the year and now she has become a confident, strong young lady.
Personally this presentation kind of scared me. It was so well done that I almost felt like I had to do well because she had set the bar so high. Now this isn't a blow to her presentation because it was excellent and rightfully should have been but what really scared me was that I dont think I will be able to be as confident let alone passionate about what I am saying. I may care just as much about my topic but dont know how I will portray it.
I hope I continue with my progress and hope to have a presentation like Carrie's
Personally this presentation kind of scared me. It was so well done that I almost felt like I had to do well because she had set the bar so high. Now this isn't a blow to her presentation because it was excellent and rightfully should have been but what really scared me was that I dont think I will be able to be as confident let alone passionate about what I am saying. I may care just as much about my topic but dont know how I will portray it.
I hope I continue with my progress and hope to have a presentation like Carrie's
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Letter To Future Wise Student
I would be honored to share with you some knowledge about the WISE program and my experience in it. If you are reading this then you are already enrolled or are contemplating being enrolled in this course. My experience was that I had a tough time during the first semester because you are trying to fit in an entire year of English into one semester. this doesn't mean that you will be overloaded with work but it is a tough course.
Let me tell you though, the reward of the second semester is great. I have loved my project and have heard the same from all of my peers. The skills that you will learn whether you like it or not will help you in so many ways. You will have to learn to be organized and on task so that you can truly enjoy the second semester. If I were to pass on some knowledge I would say, things take longer to accomplish in the real world than they do in your head so don't overburden yourself. I made that mistake and it was taxing. All in all WISE is an amazing class and I would recommend it to anyone who asked.
Cheers,
Casey W
Let me tell you though, the reward of the second semester is great. I have loved my project and have heard the same from all of my peers. The skills that you will learn whether you like it or not will help you in so many ways. You will have to learn to be organized and on task so that you can truly enjoy the second semester. If I were to pass on some knowledge I would say, things take longer to accomplish in the real world than they do in your head so don't overburden yourself. I made that mistake and it was taxing. All in all WISE is an amazing class and I would recommend it to anyone who asked.
Cheers,
Casey W
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Performance Date
I have finally decided when I will do my presentation. I plan on doing it during Open Mic Night at The Shop. Although I planned on doing more than one performance, but poor planning and an extremely busy end of the year schedule has caused me to limit it to only one.At least there is Open Mic Night! Here is the description on their website:
Open mic is the first Thursday of every month. We provide the mikes, the amp, and the soundperson, you provide the instruments and the art. Sign up starts at 7:45 P.M. and performances start at 8 P.M. It's first come, first serve, with each act allowed up to 15 minutes of performance time. Please feel free to be experimental, electric instruments and performance art are as welcome as quiet acoustic music. So bring your friends and lets see what happens!"
http://theshopcafe.com/calendar
Sadly they only have this the first Thursday of the month so it is hard to be able to schedule it. The closest date would be June 2nd but I have a game that day so I guess my performance will have to be on July 7th.
Although this is way after the date of my presentation I still believe I will follow through on it. I think this means enough to me that I will want to continue to do this after the WISE project requirements are over.
Open mic is the first Thursday of every month. We provide the mikes, the amp, and the soundperson, you provide the instruments and the art. Sign up starts at 7:45 P.M. and performances start at 8 P.M. It's first come, first serve, with each act allowed up to 15 minutes of performance time. Please feel free to be experimental, electric instruments and performance art are as welcome as quiet acoustic music. So bring your friends and lets see what happens!"
http://theshopcafe.com/calendar
Sadly they only have this the first Thursday of the month so it is hard to be able to schedule it. The closest date would be June 2nd but I have a game that day so I guess my performance will have to be on July 7th.
Although this is way after the date of my presentation I still believe I will follow through on it. I think this means enough to me that I will want to continue to do this after the WISE project requirements are over.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Red Flag
How much time have you spent on your project:
Around 6 or 7 it was a slow week
What did you do hands on?
Singing, Guitar.
What did you do for research?
Youtube, Tabs
Were you in class this week?
Yes I was in class this week and I am currently in red flag
Did you meet with your mentor?
Yes, last Friday
Do you have at least 3 journal entries?
Yes
What do you think your fulfillment of WISE requirements was?
I didn't fulfill my requirements very well. For some reason I was very motivated this week
What are your plans for next week?
Blog, Memorize all lyrics of songs
Around 6 or 7 it was a slow week
What did you do hands on?
Singing, Guitar.
What did you do for research?
Youtube, Tabs
Were you in class this week?
Yes I was in class this week and I am currently in red flag
Did you meet with your mentor?
Yes, last Friday
Do you have at least 3 journal entries?
Yes
What do you think your fulfillment of WISE requirements was?
I didn't fulfill my requirements very well. For some reason I was very motivated this week
What are your plans for next week?
Blog, Memorize all lyrics of songs
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