Week 13: Playlist

If I had to create a playlist for my life it would be,
1.) Mr. Boombastic by Shaggy. As a kid, my family and I would drive over to our friends house to go swimming in their pond. On our way there, we would listen to tons of Shaggy's songs, but this one was always one of my favorites. Now, whenever I hear it playing, I'm sent back to soaking up the sun and making memories with my family.
2.) Rapper's Delight by Sugarhill Gang. When I was younger my dad would take out his Sugarhill Gang CD and listen to it during our entire car ride, no matter where we were going. Because of him, I am now able to rap every single word to the entire song whenever I hear it playing. And every time I hear it, it takes me back to my younger days and bonding with my dad.
3.) Fergalicious by Fergie. You know that song that makes you want to dance every single time it comes on? Fergalicious is that song for me. Whenever I'm out with my friends or even just driving on, I can't help but rap every word along with Fergie. Even my friend Liz knows to play this song whenever she's in charge of the aux.
4.) You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Adkins. This was the song dedicated to my senior class, and every time I hear it I think of one of my best friends, Blake, singing it as loud as he could into my ear. And no, he's not as good of a singer as you think. But back to the point, this song reminds me of all the good times I had with my class and all the memories I'll always cherish with them.
5.) Wannabe by Spice Girls. Believe it or not, my grandma, who was in her 70's at the time, knew every word to every song by the Spice Girls. When I would go to her house as a kid, we would watch The Spice Girls movie, and then listen to the CD whenever she would drive me to her friend's house to swim. Now that my grandma passed away, this song has even more meaning to me. It always reminds me of spending time with my grandma and how fun and outgoing she was.
6.)  London Bridge by Fergie. By now it's clear that I'm a big fan of Fergie, but this song doesn't just make me want to dance, it takes me back to my high school basketball days. Although it may not be the most appropriate song, it was on our warm up playlist and every time it came on, my fellow seniors and I would sing our hearts out. It may not be the best warm up song, but it always got me and my teammates fired up.
7.)  Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran. With both my grandpa and grandma passing away earlier this year, this song always hits home with me. It reminds me of how, although it's painful, both my grandparents are in a better place now.
8.) Keep'n It Real by Shaggy. It's also obvious that I'm a big fan of Shaggy, since I practically grew up listening to all of his music (thanks to my dad). Not only does this song remind me of summertime with my family, but it gives good life advice about "keeping it real" with everyone you meet. Basically, this song has taught me to be yourself and not change just to be like other people.
9.) All Night by Chance the Rapper. I wanted to add this song to my life playlist because every time I go out with my friends this song is always playing. Basically, whenever I hear this song, it reminds me of my first semester here at Defiance and all the memories I made with my friends here.
10.) That's What I Like by Bruno Mars: Every time this song comes on, my entire basketball team either sings to it or dances to it. Now, whenever I hear it I get flashbacks to our first season together and it always brings a smile to my face.

Week 12: Free Writing

One of the main things I've  learned here at Defiance College is that your team is always there for you. Early this year I lost both my grandpa and grandma due to certain illnesses, however through it all my teammates and coaches were there to keep me up. They made sure I was doing okay and even signed a card for me with really heartfelt words in it. Some of my team even came to the visitation to support me in this tough time as well. As the year progressed, many of my other teammates lost family members as well, yet we were always there to help them out when they were feeling down. Now, one of the toughest people on our team just lost one of her biggest supporters, her brother. During tough times like this, it's important to remember that you have a whole other family standing behind you to pick you up, whether it be from losing a loved one, going through an injury, or simply having a bad day. Your team is always there for you.

Week 12: Elevator Music

In the video, "Elevator Music," a teenage girl and an elderly man are seen standing in an elevator together. As they stand in silence, the girl pulls out her phone and starts playing some music rather loudly. This obviously irks the elder man, thus he takes out his phone and plays his own type of music just as loud. As the video continues, more and more people enter the elevator, and more and more people take out their phones and play the music they prefer as loud as possible. At the end of "Elevator Music," a man enters the elevator with a boombox, and everyone knows that his music will overpower all of their phones, so they turn their music off. However, the man decides to listen to his music through his headphones instead of blasting it for everyone else to hear. I personally think that the author made the music in this video stands for everyone's opinion, and that they're all trying to overpower what everyone else things. However, once the last person comes in with the boombox, the others realize that even though he has the loudest system (opinion) he keeps it to himself so that it will not disturb the others. I also think that the author's audience can pertain to anyone simply due to the fact that each person in the elevator is of a different age and race. However, the audience could also relate to those who are involved in politics and matters such as that. Altogether, this video can teach people in a community to respect one another, take turns when speaking out, and that in the end, sometimes silence is the best answer.