Movie Review

Many people think they have harsh lives but there are others who have it worst. Kids who live in third world countries suffer the hardships of poverty. They don't have the same opportuinities that we have. Their journies towards success are blocked by the injustice of their day to day lives.

Born Into Brothels is a documentary that tells the story of a group of kids in the red light district. These kids are shunned by society outside of the brothels. Their own parents make them work to provide money for the family instead of going to school. In the documentary Zana Briski tries to help these kids get a better future.

She teaches them about photography to allow them to express themselves and have a better future. She struggles to get these kids into a scholl and out of the brothels, but she is met with resistance. The strugle of Zana Briski appeals to your sympathetic nature. From the beginning of the documentary you feel a connection to the kids and feel sorry for the situation they are faced with. We learn about each kid individually, which is a good way to build characters.

Even though the documentary is successful at telling the srory it could use some improvement. The story doesn't show a lot of footage outside of the brothels. If there was more footage from the outside society we would understand better why the kid's moms are working at the red light district. It would be compelling to see what caused the women to live their life like this.

In spite of this, the documentary will make you think about others and how you can help them. No matter where you come from or what age you are when you watch this documentary feelings will emerge.

Goodbye high school, hello college

As graduation gets nearer so does my departure from high school. High school has been fun for the most part but it has also been rough. Freshman year was the best because my classes weren't too hard and I didn't have a lot of homework. I had plenty of time after school and on weekends to go out or to relax. I also made new friends that year that I am lucky to still have :). Sophomore year was good too, I met more new friends that made my classes more fun. I enjoyed those two years very much. Junior year got more difficult. I had more homework and my classes were harder than before. Also I didn't have as much time to go out or too relax. The beginning of senior year was the worst though. Not only did I have to deal with personal problems but I had to balance a job and all the school work on top of that. My grades suffered because of this but I worked hard to bring them back up. Second semester has been easier because I don't have a job anymore and I only have three classes. But I still have to worry about college(*dramatic music*). It's sad to have to leave high school and the people I have met during this time. I'm gonna miss them but I'm prepared to start a new life as a college student. I know it will be different and challenging but I am excited to move on to "adulthood". High school has been all right for the most part but it is coming to an end now and I must say goodbye, but I will keep all of the memories from high school with me and I will always remember the friends I've made. I will try to keep in touch with them and I hope they do the same =D

Dear Byron Hurt,

I would like to let you know that I enjoyed watching your documentary Beyond Beats and Rhymes. Your documentary was well made and it included good and educational information. As a teenage girl who listens to hip-hop I could relate to what you said in the documentary. You made me think about a lot of issues that I hadn't thought about before. I never thought about the negative messages that hip-hop can give or how degrading it is towards women. I never paid attention to what the lyrics were saying about women I just heard the beat behind it. Now I think more about what a song is saying and the way it is hurting women.

Also, I thought a lot about the way hip-hop was before and I think it should go back to the old days. Now, I don't listen to hip-hop as much as I used to because it's becoming repetitive and negative. One way to solve the problems you mention in the movie would be going back to the way hip-hop used to be, making it more positive and less commercial. Having a more positive hip-hop would improve many of the issues like the way women are portrayed and the view of masculinity. I think you accomplished your goal because you made me and other youngsters think about these issues and that's the first step towards a change. I would like to as you: Do you think there will be a change? What can we do to make this change happen? Again, I enjoyed your documentary and I thank you for making it.

Sincerely,
America Zepeda

Beyond Beats and Rhyme Review

This movie was interesting and educational at the same time. I think it's a good movie for youth to watch because of the message it has. Youth can become aware of the hidden messages that hip-hop has. Making people aware of this may lead to the start of a change, a change that is suggested in the movie. The movie has ideas that young people can relate to. The idea that I most related to was the idea of women not caring about being degraded. I, like many other women, listen to hip-hop and I don't care about what the song is saying. It is because of this that nothing is being done to make a change as shown in the movie. I can't remember any specific line but something that really got my attention was what a professor said about the homo-eroticism in hip-hop. I had never thought about that because of the discrimination against homosexual people in hip-hop lyrics and from hip-hop artists. One thing that I disagree with the movie is that hip-hop enforces stereotypes. I think hip-hop tries to do the opposite by showing men who are minorities being successful, even though it may be inappropriate.
If people choose to believe everything they see and hear in the media, then that's their decision. It's not hip-hop's fault if people are creating stereotypes from the music, it's their fault. The filmmaker did a good job of showing different aspects of hip-hop and explaining each of them. The interviews and examples of hip-hop helped to prove his point, they were also powerful. A few of the transitions could have been smoother but overall it was well made.

Death

Through out my life I have experienced few deaths but one of them seems the most tragic to me. A family friend, who I knew for many years, died of leukemia almost three years ago. She was a young mother of two children and was going through a rough time with her husband. When she was diagnosed with leukemia she began treatment and she seemed fine until she got really sick all of a sudden and had to be hospitalized. All of her friends and family prayed for her and kept their hopes up while she was in a coma. She was kept alive through a machine until her husband authorized the doctors to disconnect her. Everyone was devastated when they heard the news of her death. Shortly after her death her husband sent their kids to Mexico where they live now at their aunt's house. These kids not only lost their mother but they were abandoned by their father. I can't imagine the pain they have gone through and I feel sympathy for them and anger towards their father. It's not fair that a young mother had to die and leave her kids behind with out knowing what would happen to them. I can't understand why innocent people like her have to die everyday, it shouldn't be that way.~*Rest In Peace Guillermina*~

Hopes for the future

In 10 years I hope to have a successful career and a family of my own. I want to earn lots of money as a lawyer to give myself and my family the luxuries we never had before. I want to be able to own my own home where I can live happily with my family. I hope the world will be better for everyone so people can live peacefully. In 10 years I hope wars will stop existing so that innocent people won't have to die anymore. I hope poverty and hunger will end, or be less severe, so that people can stop suffering. I hope racism and discrimination will end and families won't be separated by injustices in the government.I know it seems far fetched but I hope that in ten years things will be better even if just by a little bit. Is that too much to ask for?

Embarrassing moments

The most embarrassing thing that I can remember, in school, was in fifth grade. I was at Tyrrell Elementary School and there we had to line up behind our classroom number when the bell rang. Being the good student I am I lined up as soon as the bell rang. I was first in line when suddenly......I got pooped on by a seagull. It felt extremely disgusting and I was so embarrassed that I ran into the bathroom like flash. I washed the poop off of my hair and took of my sweater. I almost cried while doing so but I figured it would be better to pretend I didn't care about getting pooped on and just laugh it off. I walked out the bathroom like nothing happened and to this day I don't know if anyone even noticed because it happened so fast. But back then I was so worried about getting laughed at that in my mind I felt like everyone was staring. I felt extremely embarrassed! Now I hate seagulls and pigeons and I am constantly on the look out for them. I avoid them when possible and when I can't I stay alert so that they won't poop on me. I think I have become paranoid because of that moment in my childhood.

Reoccurring dreams

When I was little I used to be scared of dogs, big dogs especially. When I would go to Mexico I would walk down the street holding on to my mom as if my life was in danger. If a dog would come near I would get really scared and I would ask my mom to carry me. At first I wondered why I was scared of dogs but then I realized that it could be because of a reoccurring dream that I would always had. In my dream I would always be running away from a huge dog as fast as I could but in the end it would catch me and bite me. As soon as I was bitten, in the dream of course, I would wake up and my heart would be beating hella fast. For many years of my childhood I had this dream almost every night. I think that I had that dream so many times that it became real to me so I thought that all dogs would try to bite me. When I got older I stopped having these dreams and I was able to buy a dog for me and my siblings. Now I am not afraid of dogs, unless they look vicious, but that's normal. I think reoccurring dreams can make a effect a person's life because they see the dream so many times that they start believing it. But we should always remember that dreams aren't part of reality.

Dear family,

I really miss all of you and I wish you didn't have to leave. I apologize for not appreciating all of you more while you were with me. I was foolish and selfish and now I regret acting the way I did before. If I could go back in time I would treat you better and show you how much I appreciate you. To my brother I would like to say that I know I used to complain about you little brother but now that you're far I realize that I'd rather have you here annoying me than being sad with out you. And to you sister I would like to thank you for being my best friend and I'm sorry for fighting with you sometimes. To my parents I would like to apologize for acting spoiled sometimes and I appreciate everything that you have done for. I hope you understand that if I stayed it's because I want a better future for myself and for all of you as well. I want to get a career and earn a lot of money so that you won't have to work so hard anymore. I want to repay you for everything that you have done for me. I miss all of you and I hope to see you soon. Stay positive and keep your head up. Everything will be solved soon.
Sincerely,
Your loving family

Audio Slideshow Reflection

The process of creating the audio slide show was complicated. It was hard to condense fifteen minutes of an interview into two and a half minutes. It was easy cutting off the excess or the unnecessary material but cutting in between is more difficult. Cutting out one word or a few words required more precision. Getting the appropriate pictures was also complicated. It's easy to take lots of pictures but editing them and picking the best ones is hard. These complicated steps make the video format seem easier for me. The video format requires less steps and is easier to work with. If I could've done a video I think my project would have been more successful. I don't think my project was as successful as I would have liked it to be. If I could do anything differently I would have started working on it sooner so that I don't feel rushed at the end. Overall I didn't enjoy making this project because it was a lot of work but I enjoy watching audio slideshows.

Going to College

I have to admit I am scared about going to college. It's so diffrent from highschool that I fear I won't be able to handle it. Also, I worried about paying for college because it's getting really expensive. Now that the stress about applying to college is over, the stress about getting accepted begins, then the comes the stress of going to college. The way I see it is that even once you are accepted you can't be to relaxed because you have to keep up your grades and stay on track. Just because you have been accepted doesn't mean you can stop carrying about school and that the college won't change its mind. It is very important to keep doing your best in school and not let senioritis get a hold of you. But don't let this didscourage you from going to college because reagardless of the stress you might go through in the end it will be worth it. Trust me dreams do come through and you can defeat any obstacle as long as you are determined.

Looks can be deceiving

Many people judge others based on the way they look. Some say that what you look like on the outside reflects your personality but I have noticed that sometimes people look a certain way but are completely different. I too have judged people based on their appearance but I later realized that I was wrong in doing so. I've learned that you should get to know someone first to find out how they are instead of assuming something. Maybe the person who you think is weird because they dress weird can turn out to be a really good friend to you. I don't think you should stay away from someone or be mean to them because of the way they look. Teenagers in our times suffer a lot of stress because of looks. For most people it's really important how people judge them. They try to look a certain way to please others and to feel like they fit in. That's why we have to be careful what we say about people and be respectful of their feelings. You never know how someone will take your "inoffensive" comment, there are people who can be effected negatively. Don't be too quick to judge people and get to know them before assuming something based on their looks.

Winter Sickness

Since last week I have been sick which has made it hard for me to do my school work. I don't like missing class so I didn't miss any days last week but it was hard for me to concentrate and do my school work. I felt very lazy and irritated during the day. Over the weekend I mostly stayed at home because I didn't feel like going out, which is rare for me. On Monday I wasn't feeling good so I didn't go to school. If I had come to school it wouldn't have been a productive day because I wouldn't have concentrated. Now I'm back at school and I'm starting to feel better but I have to do more work because I have to make up what I missed yesterday. That is why I hate missing class, or school, because I feel behind the next day. My advice to those who are sick is to try not to be absent too much because it's hard to get back on track. If you feel strong enough to go to school then go.