Family Interview

Family Interview:
Me: Sahara, do you think your cool?
Sahara: uh, yes. 
Why?
Because I dress really nicely, plus im interested in a variety of things. Also I keep an open mind and try to have a unique and unusual exsperiences. Also a nice personality, I'm funny, not to mention I'm modest.
Haha. What do you think makes a person cool?
What makes a person cool is their personality. If they are confident enough to be themslves and just iteract with people and enjoy life, that makes them cool.
You don't think it has anything to do with image?
I think Image has something to do with it, but an image is only cool if it's a true reflection of the persons personality. People try to adopt other images that everyone else thinks is cool, but thats just conforming. A persons image is part of the way they express themselves.
You have a unique style, is that how you exspress yourself?
Yea
Well personally I love your style a lot
Thank you!
who is the coolest person you know?
I really don't know.
what inspires your clothing?
All my interests, like music and art. Different cultures also help. Literature.


We kind of got off topic after this, plus I ran out of questions.

Street Interviews

Stranger Interviews (all strangers wished not to be photographed):

So for all the interviews, our group had a starter question to get people interested. Larche came up with a really good one that we used in our interviews.

First 2 people we interviewed were Kathy and India from radio shack

Who is cooler, Beyonce or Rihanna?

Kathy: Beyonce, she’s an African American woman who grew up with all racial groups! Rihanna...I don't know about her.

Where you cool in high school?

Kathy: Oh no, I was mainly into sports. I was even on the math team; I was cool when someone needed help with their homework.

India: I was kind of cool. I hung out with the "cool" kids.

Who is the coolest person you know?

Kathy: The coolest person I know is my mother. Who else could raise me and my siblings and still keep it cool and collective? No one.

Any last tips on being cool?

Kathy: Be down to earth; don't care about people’s opinions, and someone who is forward and honest.  Honesty is super cool.

India: Tips on being cool? Open mind to anything. I know your teachers going to turn that around on me, but I don't mean giving into peer pressure, I mean trying things you want to do. Always be opening minded to things you feel comfortable doing.

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Third Interview was with a woman in the park, I forgot her name.

Who is cooler, Beyonce or Rihanna? 

Well Beyonce is too superficial, right now I feel more sympathetic for Rihanna because of the whole Chris Brown thing

Where you cool in high school?

Oh I wasn't cool in high school! Well actually I was more in between cool and uncool

What do you consider being cool?

Originality. If you can pull of your own original style then your cool.

Who is the coolest person you know?

All of my friends! I can't choose one person they are all cool in their own ways.

Do you have tips on being cool?

I don't really have tips but I think it's cool that your class is like, challenging the medias definition of cool. Its like you guys are re-defining it.

Trends in the stories + Comments on 5 people

     Something most of the stories had in them where morals. All the main characters where put in line at the end of the story, thus learning a lesson. In Matt’s story, the psychiatrist tries to explain to his client that she is has so much more to offer then just her looks. She has more value then she is showing, which she begins to realize a bit in the end. Once he has explained this to her, her attitude seemed to change from angry to understanding. Conor’s story also has a message. His main character acts like a total jerk, constantly cracking jokes on others until one girl cant take it anymore. She puts him in his place by telling him the truth, his bad attitude has made everyone in the school dislike him. After hearing this, the main character can’t even come up with a snappy response, he just sits there quietly with a sad expression. In the end, he realizes his snappy comments will no longer get him cheep laughs. He had become the joke now and after seeing how it feels, he learns it doesn’t feel good to be picked on.

    Jessica’s story seemed to be strongly based on morals. All the other stories seemed to include an analysis on what cool looks like, like fashion and how their characters talk. Jessica’s story was more about what it is to act cool which she describes as skipping school and classes. But in the end, her main character gets into academic problems and she realizes that grades are more important then having fun. Morals can also be seen in Larche’s story. The “new” girl has everyones attention on her first day there. She is so use to everyone focusing on her and admiring her fashion sense, but then a newer kid arrives and she suddenly is old news. The “new” girl learns how fast the spot light can be taken off someone, and how bad it feels afterwords. 

    However, Sam’s story to me was really honest since it didn't have a moral. Her main character learned nothing, he just continued to conform to his friends ideas of dressing “cool”. Instead of thinking as an individual, he actually felt bad about looking different and immediately changed his style. Sam’s story shows the true reality of cool, no one learns a lesson about being their own individual, they just continue to conform. 

Dear Conor,

Your story was very interesting, but was the person you where describing yourself or was it just written in first person? I like how it describes the typical “cool” guy, always making jokes and being kind of an ass. I felt that this story was really real and true to life, one thing I didn’t like was that it was so short. I know you can write a longer story that’s even more interesting :)

Dear Matt,

I liked your story a lot. I found it was so creative, I didn’t see anyone else who wrote a play. You made the characters and setting so real, I feel it might have been the best cool’ story I have read when it comes to realism. I love how you get into details, the characters really have their own personalities. One thing to work on was proof reading, that was basically the only problem. You’re a great writer Matt, all your stuff makes me think. Keep up the good work!

Dear Jessica,

Your story had a great message! I like how it wasn’t just all about being cool, it was about living life in moderation. Shaquiqua wanted to be popular, but she started doing it through skipping school. But once she gets into academic problems, she  realizes that she doesn't need to skip school to be "cool" and that grades are more important then popularity.  In the end, she finds a way to balance the two and be cool and get good grades.  I would have liked to see some dialogue in it but other wise this was a good story! 

Dear Larche,

I really enjoyed your story! I really liked the quote  “She looked like she just stepped out of a magazine with her appealing looks. ", it reminded me of when we wrote what "cool" actually means . I wrote about how what we think is cool is heavily influenced through the media and I used magazines that shows what's "in" or "out" as an example, I can just picture your character looking through a magazine foe “cool” looks. I also like how you really explained what made her cool. Her clothing is "crazy" and unique, she has different hair and glasses, and she is exceedingly confidant because of all the attention she is drawing from her peers. There's not much I didn't like, it was a great story all around. Also your character sounds really interesting looking, very creative :)

Dear Sam, 

Your story was short but sweet, it gets the true message of looking "cool". Most people included morals and lessons in their stories but in real life that stuff doesn't happen, your story is something that could actually happen. When people are trying to act cool ,they don't usually learn a lesson that shows them being themselves is okay which is what I liked about your story. Thank you for being honest about "cool". I also like all the comics you post on your blogs,their cute and witty. :) Great story can't wait to see more of your work!