The 24/7 Blogging Experiment: Conclusion

Every experiment should have a conclusion. That’s what I learned in my 7th grade science class. Or something like that. Participating in The 24/7 Blogging Experiment was challenging, entertaining, strenuous, intense, and oh-so-wordy. It sure was a lot of blogging in a short amount of time. I’m glad that I did it, although I don’t think that I’ll be able to do it again for a little while. I have a bit of writer’s block. (Okay, that’s a lie. I always have something to say. I’m just overworked.)

I hope you enjoyed some of the things I had to say. I don’t expect you to agree with everything I say; in fact, I hope you disagree with some things because debate is a healthy form of dialogue. All I ask is that you take the time to read what I have to say (and maybe comment, too). Adding my blog to your RSS Reader would also be awesome! I want to thank you for reading my blog. I look forward to continue my writings with you (the reader) in mind. I consider The 24/7 Experiment to be a success. Whether for good or ill, I can now officially call myself a blogger (ah!).



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I Don’t Do Museums

The thought of spending time at a museum sends a shiver up my spine. I’m quite repulsed by the idea. I don’t really understand how some people can consider going to a museum to be a fun activity. I just don’t. Up until the last couple of months, I had not been to a museum since I went to the Museum of Natural History on my 5th grade class field trip. This semester I had a class that made it mandatory to go to a museum or art gallery. I took the assignment to heart and was optimistic about proving myself wrong. I went to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) with my friend Nicola (for whom the trip was not required, but just likes art or something).

And it was the most boring three hours of my life. Since it was a Wednesday night, it was free admission (which is good because I would want my money back otherwise). What I remember most was a lot of walking back and forth (also because I was apparently reading the map upside-down). The art was nice? I mean it’s art. I don’t really have much to say about it. The only section that somewhat appealed to me was the photography exhibition. So that’s what I wound up writing my assignment on.

A couple weeks ago, a couple of my girl friends dragged me to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. I didn’t go because I wanted to, but because 1) We were already in the city. 2) I had never been there before and it’s like “famous” or something. So it was also a free admission day at MoMA. BIG MISTAKE. It was the biggest crowd I had ever seen inside a single building. I was constantly ducking photographs and moving out of the way of large tour groups. It got so dizzy walking around all six floors and trying to control my self-diagnosed ADD in a swarm of foreign tourists. It was an awful experience and the best part was walking out the door.

My sentiment on how museums are just a place to stare at so-called “respected” artwork and act like you’re part of a cultured minority holds steadfast. I’m fine with not knowing much about Monet and Matisse. I’m fine with not being a museum-goer. I have yet to find a museum that actively engages the viewer in a profound experience of some kind. And to be honest, I’m not looking for one. So at least for now, I’m sticking with my mantra:

Museums don’t do it for me, so I don’t do museums.



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College = Fake Life

I often say that college is not real life. It’s “fake life.” The reason I say that is because, although college is definitely a whirlwind of life experiences that you may remember the rest of your life, many college students live in a bubble. They see the “real world” outside of their personal lives, but they don’t live in it. For example, I’m friends with students that go out to eat every night (sometimes multiple times a day). They don’t understand the value of (their parents’) money. I’ve also encountered students that get drunk all the time and sometimes even show up to class intoxicated. I’m not saying that there aren’t people in the real world that spend money frivolously and go to work buzzed because I know these people exist. But outside of the protective school environment, there are a lot more real repercussions.

What bothers me even more than the overindulgent lifestyles of college students is their sheer lack of awareness of what is going on in the world. The other day I was talking politics with a friend and mentioned Judge Sonia Sotomayor and my friend had no idea who she was. Okay, so maybe it’s a little soon for everyone to recognize her name. But I’ve also talked to college students who have no idea what countries the United States are at war with! That is unacceptable.

The solution? Colleges should not be keeping their students sealed in a bubble that all they need to do is pass tests for four years (some of which don’t even need to do that!). College should teach more vocational training and less highbrow academia. Students need to be educated about what is happening outside of the four walls of the institution. College graduates should be better equipped to succeed in the marketplace than people who didn’t go to college. Otherwise, what’s the point of higher-level education at all? So many students these days are graduating with a degree in B.S. (And I mean that literally.)



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Digital Transition

I didn’t actually change my major, but I did change my “specialization.” I was accepted to Emerson College as a Media Production: Film major and last year I switched it to Media Production: Interactive Media.

So what the heck is Interactive Media?

You know, I don’t have a clear definition of what it is so I usually adjust my answer depending upon the circumstance I find myself in. It’s sort of like having a degree in “liberal arts.” According to my school’s website:

The specialization in Interactive Media provides students with the opportunity to produce creative and professional-quality interactive works. While the emphasis in the specialization will be on production, the student will encounter various concepts of digital interactive media. Introducing Web design, non-linear narrative structure, databases, and user-defined functions, students make innovative, artistic pieces for DVD, CD-ROM and the Web.

I was taught in elementary school never to define a word with the word, but I guess college-level academia is excused from that kind of minutiae. But whatever “interactive media” really is, it is something I’m really interested in and it sure sounds cool.

Why the sudden shift?

1) Changing interests. To keep it simple, I started becoming increasingly interested in so-called “new media” as in blogs, social networks, user-generated content, etc. and I ultimately realized I preferred being on the computer more than being behind the camera.

2) Breaking the mold. Emerson’s VMA (Visual & Media Arts) program is huge. Almost half of the students here are film majors. While the program itself is fantastic, it is also very cookie-cutter. The school’s curriculum is practically designed around teaching student’s narrative structure. Students are expected to take the same “film” classes (see #4) as all the other film majors and then they fill the same Hollywood internships that the recent grads did. I just felt as though I was being stifled of my individuality in choosing a career path.

3) Spanning worlds. Interactive Media is in-between video and new media so I’m not technically in the New Media department, although most of my junior and senior-level classes are with the New Media majors. Many of the film majors (but not all) are very egotistical. They believe they are going to be the next Steven Spielberg or Stanley Kubrick. (I wonder how long it will take for reality to sink in…) Although the New Media kids tend to be more artsy (which can also be irksome at times), they are definitely more laid-back.

4) Digital transition. The reason I tell most people who ask me why I switched my major, I say (truthfully) that I didn’t want to take any of the film classes that are required of a Film major. How does that make any sense? Well it makes sense when I say that the mandatory film classes (Film Production I and Film Production II) require the use of Bolex cameras, 16mm film, Steenbeck editors, and the like and I really didn’t feel like bothering with vintage technology. The new movement in Hollywood is digital and HD. Sure, there are still “film purists” out there, but the practicality of shooting on celluloid filmstock is rapidly diminishing. The reality of the business is that you must adapt to new technologies and shooting on a Bolex is a step backward. I’d rather go forward than back.

That’s probably more about my major than you ever needed to know.



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Living in The Hub of Nothingness

The city of Boston itself is beautiful. To go for a walk on a sunny, spring day around the Boston Public Gardens or down Newbury Street is a delightful experience. I love living in the heart of downtown Boston. That being said, there is absolutely NOTHING to do if you are under 21 years of age.

Aside from doing the touristy stuff, dropping a pretty penny to see a show, or eating at one of the multitude of restaurants, there is little that would excite the average teenager. Don’t get me wrong; there are museums and art galleries galore, but they are of no interest to me. I don’t do museums. Boston is a city with deep historical roots and the accompanying guided tours. However, if you’re not an art aficionado or a history buff, you’re out of luck.

A lot of the would-be-cool places like King’s and Jillian’s change to 21+ and start carding after 8pm (sometimes even 6pm). For being a “college town,” there is little the college student can do without a (really good) fake ID. Whoever gave Boston the nickname The Hub of the Universe clearly wasn’t a teenager at the time. Once you hit 21, the whole city lights up. There is literally a bar on every corner and (from what I hear) an exciting nightlife. But until that happens, Boston remains extra ordinary for me. I’ll let you know if it becomes extraordinary after October 29, 2009.



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Extraordinary vs. Extra Ordinary

I am a firm believer that extraordinary things can happen in the lives of extra ordinary people. Although we live during an uneasy time (with the war, the economy, the global market, etc.), I believe in the power of “ordinary” people to do great things. That’s why I am writing this blog. In posting some of my own memories and experience, I hope you (the reader) will be encouraged to share some of your own. Sometimes it takes looking outside yourself to realize the amazing things you have accomplished and what you have the ability to accomplish in the future. As Jimmy Johnson (American football coach and broadcaster) once said, “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”

Have a great day!

Person Jimmy Johnson

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