Post your Friday Seminar links to videos and/ or articles. Post your questions used in class. After the in class seminar, post an additional question to further explore or convey opinions.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Pumpkin Roll 1*
How does Pumpkin Roll embody or defy conformity?
What is the attraction of conformity?
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HW Response:
As a child what is something you conformed to that you regret now in your life? Why?
as a child i listened to everything that my older sister said and tried to be just like her. i dont know why but i guess i thought she was cool. now i realize how she is not cool and how i should have just been me. you should not try to be like anyone else besides yourself. i regret always listening to her and acting like her. i wont every try to be like anyone else ever again.
When I was younger, the only time I really "conformed" and I regretted it was when I was in intermediate school. I think those were the years when bullying really emerged. I was with this group of friends and they would make fun of people that I was friends with. Whenever they would say a rude comment about them, I wouldn't stop them, and just blindingly follow along with them. Today, I am still good friends that my old group used to talk about, and it makes me realize how stupid I was to follow my peers. It makes me realize I need to say how I really feel rather than hold back. That is one of my regrets as a kid, not standing up for my friends.
As a child, I conformed to always doing my homework and trying hard in school. At my school in Tennessee, all the kids worked hard for their grades. I felt the need to be like them, if not better. Of course, they tried to be better than me, so we were all at the same level. I would never go out to play until my homework was done. Luckily, we were assigned a reasonable amount of homework, and I was able to go outside to play with my neighbors after an hour. Instead of enjoying myself during these young years, I spent my time studying and doing all my school work perfectly in order to be on par with the other top students. This overly-agressive work has become a habit. Now, it is impossible to let myself not do homework or miss school. My mom had to beg me to miss school for my broken leg. I reluctantly agrred, but only if we entered the hospital when it opens, so I would only miss first period. The habit has become so bad, that I now will due blog assignments on Monday when they are due due Wednesday.
In the early years of grade school within the Intermediate School, I noticed that the social landscape started to shift to a great degree; small and large cliques began to form, and were very aggressive to each other. This case was worse to those individuals who were deemed outcasts. During the first two years (Gr. 4-5), I found it very difficult to "centralize" my interests into only one specific group, as I was friends with multiple people in different cliques. As a result, I aimed to climb the social ladder in the clique that I thought most valuable to be a part of, at the cost of enjoying those two insignificant years. I was and still am fortunate that in the years following, that specific social power structure has reflected much less significance, and that I do not have to worry about politics when dealing with true friends.
I think that as a child I conformed most to the social cliques of Chagrin, and I regret it now because it has clouded my perceptions of some people since they've grown up. I will always think of the other kids in my grade not as how they are now, but how I interacted with them, and their actions mostly in middle school because I think thats where most of us started to mature and become actual teenagers. I regret it because I think if people did not conform to cliques, we would all be much more open and kind to one another.
In Boston before I moved here I often behaved similar to the kids I was friends with. We played the same sports, had the same classes, did the same activities, ect. I don't really view that as conformity; I just think its natural to select friends with similar interests. I rarely regret my decisions to conform with societal norms and to be honest the few decisions I do regret are often my own decisions I made independent of outside influence or peer pressure.
I think that ever since intermediate school I have had trouble with the procrastination of my homework. Now as I look back, I would defiantly regret doing this because I still do it to this day. Although I at least get it done, I believe I need to work on it as soon as it is assigned and not wait until the night before to either study for a test or finish a project. I originally started procrastinating because of all the distractions I had going on around me. Now, I try to eliminate this distractions to see if I can finish my homework sooner.
Agreeing with what Leah and Ryan both said, as a young child I also accepted the idea of social cliques. When I was early of age I noticed these groups forming and did not want to be left out, thus causing me to join a certain group of friends. Looking back now, I wish that I had never joined one of these social cliques and had remained independent and decent friends with everyone. Now that I've matured, I think back and realize that I would never have done this to myself and I wish I could still stay friends with everyone.
As a lot of people have been saying, as a child i also tried to climb the social ladder. As cliques began to form i noticed loosing certain friends. At the time, I saw some of my old friends as "weird" and some as the "cool kids." I did not understand how one year they were my best friend in the class and the next year their lunch table was always "too full." feeling like i was missing out, i felt as if i needed to be friends with them and act like them too. Meaning making fun of people and acting as if i were better than everyone else. I always felt the guilt that went with it but i would always disregard it. looking back I wish I had known better, but it has made me realize what a a better person i am now. I guess it's just one of those lessons learned.
I began conforming at a young age by following my older siblings every order and action. I have always been the baby in a huge family, and I used to blindly follow my sisters and brothers leads in order to feel less lost and more accepted within my family. I realized a long while ago that this was wrong because family should accept you for who you are, and acting like my siblings was not benefiting me. I learned that we all are similar in many ways but we all are our own person with different personalities and capabilities.
As a child I often times found myself telling my mom to buy the same clothes as other girls had. I looked up to people in my grade that I had never talked to before but I still wanted to be just like them. For example, in fourth grade I admittedly followed the gaucho and crocs trend. I'm not proud of that now but it is funny to look back on. Trends make little girls these days feel like they fit in as soon as they know to dress themselves in an orderly fashion. They look up to siblings and older kids at school. This may also be a social ladder topic because I thought that wearing the same clothes would automatically get me into a specific group whether it was the "goths" or the "populars". Therefore, I am not proud of me changing my 10-year-old choices based on a social ladder in fourth grade because it doesn't matter today. Thus, I am proud to say that I know that clothes do not make the person.
When I was Younger, I feel that I conformed to the period where everyone wore those wristband that said one word on them such as "Nike" or "Hope" or some other inspiration word or company name. Now, I have wristbands all around my house that I have no use for. During the phase I did not even like wearing the wristbands and they were annoying at times. Looking back on it, I wished that I had never conformed to wearing those useless wristbands. Jamie Connolly
As a child, I often conformed to the habits of my older siblings. I believed them to be "cool" because they were the dominant beings in the househole other than my parents, who were too far separated in age to be considered "cool" by me at this age. One example of this conformity I remeber clearly is when my older brother became obsessed with a video game. As a result of his obsession with the game, and my desire to conform to him, I also became obsessed with the game. In fact, my obsession became far greater than his, eating up much of my spare time to the point where it was an addiction. Looking back on this, I realize how much of my time was wasted as a result of trying to conform to someone else, and that conforming to anyone but yourself will leave you with nothing but future disappointment. Conor Tooomey
One of the biggest things I regret is listening to the rude things people had to say about one another as early as when we were in the Intermediate School, and deciding I didn't want to be friends with them. Its sad to think that cliques start to form as either as 4th or 5th grade but it's true. I remember wanting to do Girl Scouts only because my other friends did it. I surrounded myself with people that were just like me because I thought that you had to do the exact same things as the people you were friends with. I regret hearing that people were "weird" when i was younger and not allowing myself to possibly get to know them. A lot of those people turned out to be just like you and me so I regret not branching out earlier and becoming friends with them. I think the formation of cliques at such a young age is horrible because its limiting yourself to only one group of people, completely disregarding a huge chunk of people. Payton Fricke
The pumpkin roll simply embodies conformity. It is expected from us ,being the stereotypical chagrin student. The majority of students participate, we may not morally agree with what happens during or before the roll but theres a specific mob mentality that is associated with both youth, rebellion, and the pumpkin roll itself. What i think a true rebellious (according to our age's standards) chagrin teen would do quite the opposite. I have yet to see true individualistic rebellion in our school, let alone in chagrin during the time in which I've lived here
The pumpkin roll is definitely an example of conformity. Conformity is a person doing things they don't particularly like, because it's something that many other people do. Many people go to the pumpkin roll and don't even participate, they just stand at the sides and watch. They're conforming by feeling they have to show up, but not actually wanting to be there or participate.
I think the pumpkin roll defies and embodies conformity at the same time. The roll defies conformity you could say because we steal the pumpkins, and we vandalize by smashing them down grove, and its on a school night. However, we could say that we conform because almost everyone goes to the event, and it happens every year. But in my personal opinion, I don't even think that going to the pumpkin roll should even be categorized as conformity or defiance, because it's a tradition thats been going on for a really long time, and no one forces anyone to go or not to go. It's simply the student's choice.
as a child i listened to everything that my older sister said and tried to be just like her. i dont know why but i guess i thought she was cool. now i realize how she is not cool and how i should have just been me. you should not try to be like anyone else besides yourself. i regret always listening to her and acting like her. i wont every try to be like anyone else ever again.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, the only time I really "conformed" and I regretted it was when I was in intermediate school. I think those were the years when bullying really emerged. I was with this group of friends and they would make fun of people that I was friends with. Whenever they would say a rude comment about them, I wouldn't stop them, and just blindingly follow along with them. Today, I am still good friends that my old group used to talk about, and it makes me realize how stupid I was to follow my peers. It makes me realize I need to say how I really feel rather than hold back. That is one of my regrets as a kid, not standing up for my friends.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I conformed to always doing my homework and trying hard in school. At my school in Tennessee, all the kids worked hard for their grades. I felt the need to be like them, if not better. Of course, they tried to be better than me, so we were all at the same level. I would never go out to play until my homework was done. Luckily, we were assigned a reasonable amount of homework, and I was able to go outside to play with my neighbors after an hour. Instead of enjoying myself during these young years, I spent my time studying and doing all my school work perfectly in order to be on par with the other top students. This overly-agressive work has become a habit. Now, it is impossible to let myself not do homework or miss school. My mom had to beg me to miss school for my broken leg. I reluctantly agrred, but only if we entered the hospital when it opens, so I would only miss first period. The habit has become so bad, that I now will due blog assignments on Monday when they are due due Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteIn the early years of grade school within the Intermediate School, I noticed that the social landscape started to shift to a great degree; small and large cliques began to form, and were very aggressive to each other. This case was worse to those individuals who were deemed outcasts. During the first two years (Gr. 4-5), I found it very difficult to "centralize" my interests into only one specific group, as I was friends with multiple people in different cliques. As a result, I aimed to climb the social ladder in the clique that I thought most valuable to be a part of, at the cost of enjoying those two insignificant years. I was and still am fortunate that in the years following, that specific social power structure has reflected much less significance, and that I do not have to worry about politics when dealing with true friends.
ReplyDeleteI think that as a child I conformed most to the social cliques of Chagrin, and I regret it now because it has clouded my perceptions of some people since they've grown up. I will always think of the other kids in my grade not as how they are now, but how I interacted with them, and their actions mostly in middle school because I think thats where most of us started to mature and become actual teenagers. I regret it because I think if people did not conform to cliques, we would all be much more open and kind to one another.
ReplyDeleteIn Boston before I moved here I often behaved similar to the kids I was friends with. We played the same sports, had the same classes, did the same activities, ect. I don't really view that as conformity; I just think its natural to select friends with similar interests. I rarely regret my decisions to conform with societal norms and to be honest the few decisions I do regret are often my own decisions I made independent of outside influence or peer pressure.
ReplyDeleteI think that ever since intermediate school I have had trouble with the procrastination of my homework. Now as I look back, I would defiantly regret doing this because I still do it to this day. Although I at least get it done, I believe I need to work on it as soon as it is assigned and not wait until the night before to either study for a test or finish a project. I originally started procrastinating because of all the distractions I had going on around me. Now, I try to eliminate this distractions to see if I can finish my homework sooner.
ReplyDeleteAgreeing with what Leah and Ryan both said, as a young child I also accepted the idea of social cliques. When I was early of age I noticed these groups forming and did not want to be left out, thus causing me to join a certain group of friends. Looking back now, I wish that I had never joined one of these social cliques and had remained independent and decent friends with everyone. Now that I've matured, I think back and realize that I would never have done this to myself and I wish I could still stay friends with everyone.
ReplyDeleteAs a lot of people have been saying, as a child i also tried to climb the social ladder. As cliques began to form i noticed loosing certain friends. At the time, I saw some of my old friends as "weird" and some as the "cool kids." I did not understand how one year they were my best friend in the class and the next year their lunch table was always "too full." feeling like i was missing out, i felt as if i needed to be friends with them and act like them too. Meaning making fun of people and acting as if i were better than everyone else. I always felt the guilt that went with it but i would always disregard it. looking back I wish I had known better, but it has made me realize what a a better person i am now. I guess it's just one of those lessons learned.
ReplyDeleteI began conforming at a young age by following my older siblings every order and action. I have always been the baby in a huge family, and I used to blindly follow my sisters and brothers leads in order to feel less lost and more accepted within my family. I realized a long while ago that this was wrong because family should accept you for who you are, and acting like my siblings was not benefiting me. I learned that we all are similar in many ways but we all are our own person with different personalities and capabilities.
ReplyDeleteAs a child I often times found myself telling my mom to buy the same clothes as other girls had. I looked up to people in my grade that I had never talked to before but I still wanted to be just like them. For example, in fourth grade I admittedly followed the gaucho and crocs trend. I'm not proud of that now but it is funny to look back on. Trends make little girls these days feel like they fit in as soon as they know to dress themselves in an orderly fashion. They look up to siblings and older kids at school. This may also be a social ladder topic because I thought that wearing the same clothes would automatically get me into a specific group whether it was the "goths" or the "populars". Therefore, I am not proud of me changing my 10-year-old choices based on a social ladder in fourth grade because it doesn't matter today. Thus, I am proud to say that I know that clothes do not make the person.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was Younger, I feel that I conformed to the period where everyone wore those wristband that said one word on them such as "Nike" or "Hope" or some other inspiration word or company name. Now, I have wristbands all around my house that I have no use for. During the phase I did not even like wearing the wristbands and they were annoying at times. Looking back on it, I wished that I had never conformed to wearing those useless wristbands.
ReplyDeleteJamie Connolly
As a child, I often conformed to the habits of my older siblings. I believed them to be "cool" because they were the dominant beings in the househole other than my parents, who were too far separated in age to be considered "cool" by me at this age. One example of this conformity I remeber clearly is when my older brother became obsessed with a video game. As a result of his obsession with the game, and my desire to conform to him, I also became obsessed with the game. In fact, my obsession became far greater than his, eating up much of my spare time to the point where it was an addiction. Looking back on this, I realize how much of my time was wasted as a result of trying to conform to someone else, and that conforming to anyone but yourself will leave you with nothing but future disappointment.
ReplyDeleteConor Tooomey
One of the biggest things I regret is listening to the rude things people had to say about one another as early as when we were in the Intermediate School, and deciding I didn't want to be friends with them. Its sad to think that cliques start to form as either as 4th or 5th grade but it's true. I remember wanting to do Girl Scouts only because my other friends did it. I surrounded myself with people that were just like me because I thought that you had to do the exact same things as the people you were friends with. I regret hearing that people were "weird" when i was younger and not allowing myself to possibly get to know them. A lot of those people turned out to be just like you and me so I regret not branching out earlier and becoming friends with them. I think the formation of cliques at such a young age is horrible because its limiting yourself to only one group of people, completely disregarding a huge chunk of people.
ReplyDeletePayton Fricke
The pumpkin roll simply embodies conformity. It is expected from us ,being the stereotypical chagrin student. The majority of students participate, we may not morally agree with what happens during or before the roll but theres a specific mob mentality that is associated with both youth, rebellion, and the pumpkin roll itself. What i think a true rebellious (according to our age's standards) chagrin teen would do quite the opposite. I have yet to see true individualistic rebellion in our school, let alone in chagrin during the time in which I've lived here
ReplyDeleteThe pumpkin roll is definitely an example of conformity. Conformity is a person doing things they don't particularly like, because it's something that many other people do. Many people go to the pumpkin roll and don't even participate, they just stand at the sides and watch. They're conforming by feeling they have to show up, but not actually wanting to be there or participate.
ReplyDeleteI think the pumpkin roll defies and embodies conformity at the same
ReplyDeletetime. The roll defies conformity you could say because we steal the pumpkins, and we vandalize by smashing them down grove, and its on a school night. However, we could say that we conform because almost everyone goes to the event, and it happens every year. But in my personal opinion, I don't even think that going to the pumpkin roll should even be categorized as conformity or defiance, because it's a tradition thats been going on for a really long time, and no one forces anyone to go or not to go. It's simply the student's choice.