Capstone/Core Cross-over

So I've been giving the ever-present Capstone project a lot of thought since my last post, and I think I have found the way to incorporate all that I've learned in taking the Core classes with my writing. It's still a work in progress and most certainly rough around the edges, but I'm working on smoothing it out, so bear with me.

I'm going to put together a publication (probably a mix of my work and the work of other writers) that is broken up into sections that tackle some of the topics that I've talked about in my past three years in Core. These are the categories that I've thought of so far: Concepts (of the self and community, these would be the nonfiction-esque pieces that talk about how life experiences have shaped them and those around them); Religion and Politics (for Capitalism & Democracy and Secular & Sacred, these would be pieces that in some way addressed religion or politics, maybe an explorative essay or two); and, Global World (Technology & Development and Human Rights, these pieces would discuss how the world is changing in some way). I have yet to think of ways to incorporate Aesthetics Expressions, Scientific Revolutions, and the Middle East Core classes, but I can assure you that I will.

I know that it's rough and I have a lot of work, and writing, ahead of me if I want this publication, or collections of my works as it may turn out to be, to look like how I envision it looking, but I committed to getting this thing accomplished. I have spent far too much time thinking about it already to have it not happen.

That being said, suggestions?

Spring Break Movie Mania

Spring Break was last week, so what else was I going to do but go to the movies? I'm from St. Albans; there aren't a lot of options. This time around I managed to squeeze in three theater trips, and it's safe to say that I had mixed reactions.

Alice In Wonderland

I am a huge fan of the Alice books (Wonderland, Through The Looking Glass) and I love "The Jabberwocky" even more than that. I knew it wouldn't be as good. I knew I would disappointed. But it's Tim Burton, so like pizza, I thought that even if it was bad, it was would still be pretty good…Not so much. To say that I hated it would be a bit of an overreaction, but to say that I enjoyed it would be a lie, as well. It was okay, and it's difficult for me to use such a tame word.

The actress who played Alice, Mia Wasikowska, was charming in a polite way, the Chesire Cat maintained the coolness that I remember from watching the Disney version in my childhood, and Anne Hathaway was flawless as the White Queen. But everything else fell a little (just a little) short of my expectations. The Jabberwocky and Bandersnatch were not childish villains, but they weren't as frightening as the poem makes them out to be, and the Mad Hatter was quite possibly the sanest character in the film.

It was disappointing to see Tim Burton, known for eccentricities, take such a wild tale and create something so flat. This is the first Burton film that I don't want to watch again, and I've had to watch Big Fish several time to recover from the heartbreak.

The Crazies

Let's be honest: the only reason anyone in their right mind would see this film is because of Timothy Olyphant, myself included. The previews looked decent, but from them, you could tell that it wouldn't fall under the terrifying category, but it wasn't really supposed to be funny, either. The one thing I can say about it is that it was a joke. The only thing scary about this movie was that I left feeling like the events of the movie (which I wouldn't ruin for those of you silly enough to watch it like I did) could actually happen. In my hometown. As much as I hate my hometown, it was enough to send a shiver down my spine.

Shutter Island

I didn't care so much about this film, but it was my last night home until May and my father really wanted to, so I agreed. What's a free movie? And it was one of the best decisions that I have made in a long time (which, admittedly, may be kind of sad).

There isn't much to say that wouldn’t ruin the movie for those of you who haven't seen it yet (and you should), but I will say that I went into it thinking that it was about something completely different than it's about. When the movie started I was so lost that I remained lost until the big twist (which is fairly obvious about a half hour in the film) at the end, at which point I understood what lost me before, but gained new things to get confused about.

It is safe to say with this film that you'll want to watch it a second time. Which I plan to as soon as possible.


Now that I'm back at school it becomes a little more difficult to keep up with my movies, but I'm giving it my best shot and will have more to say soon. Until then, farewell, World. <3

And then there were two.

I want to start off by thanking all my lovely Champlainers for the advice on how to tackle this Capstone monster. I've been thinking a lot about the three options that I threw out there, and I've narrowed it down to two fine candidates. More advices and comments are always welcomed, of course.

1) The Screenplay. I was wavering a little bit on this during my last look at Capstone, but since reading everyone's great words, I'm feeling a lot more confident. I could write a screenplay. I could be a screenwriter. No, that's not right. Let's try it with more force. I COULD BE A SCREENWRITER! There. That's much better. Now all I have to do is buy the full version of Final Draft (or marry a rich man who can afford to buy it for me), take Screenwriting II, and write, write, write. Easy. Right?

2) The publication. I was really confident about this one last time around, and now I'm wavering (funny how that works). I could do it, that's the problem. I'm just not sure I could make it like I would want to in a semester. If I'm going to do it, I want to do it in a big way, and I'm afraid I would have to hold myself back a little bit because I would also be taking four or five other classes in addition to making it. I know I would procrastinate. I know I would put it off. A project like this deserves tender love and care, and the most I could give it would be the occasional smile and pat on the back. So, it may go on the back-burner.

Basically, I have not come to a final decision. Help!

I'm not as much of a movie buff as I thought.

Due to a certain boy, I have been watching a lot of movies lately. I always thought I had seen a lot of movies. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. This boy has seen A LOT of movies and he (mostly thankfully) has made it his mission to overload me with film. Let's review:

A Clockwork Orange - My favorite book of all time. I was scared to watch the movie because I knew it couldn't live up to the book. I was not wrong. I thought it was okay. I'm certain that I would have really enjoyed it had I not read the book beforehand, but I had such high expectations going into it that it was impossible to not have been disappointed. Maybe I'll try to watch it again sometime since I know now not to expect too much.

Y tu Mama Tambien - This is not one I want to linger on for too long. I am still trying to forget that I watched it. Let's just say that this is not a first date movie, and I learned that the hard way. Why, you may ask. There is a lot of graphic sex, which is fine if you're expecting it, but I was not and I found it a little off-putting to be honest.

True Romance - I have a soft spot for Quentin Tarantino. I had never seen this little gem and it's hooky, but I rather enjoyed it. What can be better than falling in love with a call girl and killing a bunch of people? That's right, nothing.

The Ten - I loved this, but I suspect that I stand alone. It was funny and weird. And very, very silly. I appreciate a little bit of silly every once and awhile, and although this did take the silliness a little bit over the top once and awhile, I was okay with it.

Blow - We only got through the first hour or so because there was something wrong with the audio, and I fell asleep during part of that hour, so I've got to give this one another look. We didn't even see Penelope Cruz, so I've got to return to this.

I know that there must be more than we've watched, but they must not have been very memorable. And there is a growing list of movies that we still need to watch, which include but are not limited to: Trainspotting, Reservoir Dogs, Boondock Saints, The Rules of the Game, Jackie Brown, and Inglorious Basterds. Stay tuned, I have more to critique soon.

The Game Plan.

Since setting foot onto Champlain campus almost three years ago, (wow, has it really been that long?) it seems like every assignment and class is a result of the teachers sitting around a table saying, "That seems like it could work. Let's try it!" My class, the class of 2011 that is, is lucky enough have been the guinea pigs for a thing called Core, which was met with many mixed reviews from my fellow classmates (but that is another topic all together, saved for another time). For now, it leads me into my discussion of what I want to do for the Capstone, yet another new Champlain creation set for the upcoming year.

Here's the thing, though. The Capstone Project isn't creating a self-portrait (Concepts of the Self, freshman year). It isn't creating a new amendment to the Constitution (Capitalism & Democracy). It isn't creating an altar to something (The Secular & The Sacred). It's a project of my own design. If I fail, it's on me. If I succeed, it's because of my own doing. Welcome to senior year, folks.

So what do I want do for an entire semester? Let's brainstorm.

1) Recently, I've been really interested in the environment. I've been investigating Greenpeace as an option for after graduation. I just wrote a paper on the effects that climate change is having on Antarctica (for yet another Core class) and it was something that I got really into. It's an important topic to inform people about and I can't say that about a lot of topics that I've written papers on. I'm not entirely sure that this is right for the Capstone Project, though. I'm a writing major. Shouldn't I be a little more creative with my final project than to write a standard thesis paper? I feel like I should be doing something that's more writing and less research. But then I see the footage of the polar bears drowning and I know in my heart that I won't think of a more important topic to dedicate myself to.

2) I'm taking Screenwriting right now and I am loving it. Sitting in that class every Wednesday morning, I think I could write a screenplay in a semester, or at least get a good chunk of one written. Then I come home from the class and I think I'm going crazy. I get bored. I get distracted. I get discouraged. A screenplay is a lot of pages to stay engaged and focused for. But maybe that’s a challenge that I need to have. If I have to write it, if my degree is dependent on writing an entire screenplay, write it I will. And I will give it my soul to not fail. So, that's something to consider.

3) I want to be a publisher. That's the end goal. So why not have an immediate goal to path the walkway for the end result? I could make a publication. I could work with writers to find their raw talent and create a work that is the fruit of my labor if you will. I could polish up my editing skills and give my opinion a workout (because everyone knows I need that). It would be the most work of the three options, I dare say, but great success comes with great failure.

Needless to say, I have a lot to consider. Stay tuned. It's going to be a wild ride as always.