All posts in: Detroit

20 May 2013

{Follow Up} With John C.

For the last two years, my friend John has been teaching over in Detroit through a program called Teach For America. I have known him since my first year of college. I have worked alongside him and looked up to him as a role model. His job in Detroit, no doubt, has been challenging and difficult at times, but I am confident that this experience has enabled John to grow, learn, and take on anything that comes his way after this. When we first heard from John on Yow Yow! he was maybe half a year into his program. Please read his guest post here

How do you tell a student: “I know some of how you feel about failure: I feel like a failure everyday”?

I am no stranger to anxiety. My mom says it runs in the family. But there is a special kind of anxiety that comes with teaching. That anxiety usually rears its ugly head once a week, in the late morning or early afternoon of Sundays from September to June, telling you the kids are coming back. A former teacher of mine once stated it like this: “no matter how hard you work today, you will not do enough for your kids, and feel like you are letting them down”.

Some days I work a lot as a teacher, and some days I do not do enough. But there is one common trend: I always feel like I have not done enough.

For those of you thinking about teaching, be inspired by this sentiment: teaching is so freaking rewarding. There are such beautiful tangible and intangible results that I am so grateful for. But for me, teaching was a glaring reminder of all the ways I don’t feel like I stack up.

When coworkers find out that I am not teaching next year, they question: Is it the kids? Is it the administration? Is it because you feel this work is impossible? I make up a different answer every time, but the truth is that it is none of those things.

Read more “{Follow Up} With John C.”

23 Nov 2011

Detroit Didn’t Want Their Nickelback

When Nickelback was announced to perform the half-time show at this year’s Lions Turkey Day Game taking place on Thanksgiving in Detroit, many fans were not having it. Detroit has plenty of artists to choose from in the area, but yet they decided to go with Nickelback – the most hated band in America. Hey – that’s just what I’ve been hearing on the interwebs. One Detroit musician decided to take matters into his own hands by campaigning to replace the band via Twitter, but unfortunately, Mayer Hawthorne fell short this time around. While Nickelback will still be performing tomorrow, Mayer Hawthorne will be live streaming his own half-time performance tomorrow at the same time from his parent’s house. The set will include a medley of his favorite songs as well as songs that are dedicated to the city of Detroit.

I won’t be watching the games, but I will be setting my alarm to make sure that I am up for his performance.

[Source]

07 Oct 2011

THIS IS THE BEST THING I’VE SEEN ALL DAY

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3z4NMWdTcg]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KAkAgNb-R8]

No, this is the best thing I have seen in a long time. The Juggalo documentary was ok, but it is nowhere near as meaningful as this story right here. Four years ago, Ross Capacchioni who was a teenager at the time, was shot by someone he thought was a friend in his hometown of Detroit. In this short documentary, Ross tells his story of what happened that day, how he survived, and how he has been recovering since.

I absolutely love things like this and I am surprised to see that it doesn’t have more views than it does because it is such an inspiring story. I can’t imagine … or I can imagine, I mean – I’m not articulating this well, but his friends and family are lucky to have him. I watch this video and I look at this guy and I think ‘wow, his friends and family must be so proud of him and lucky to have someone like him in their lives.” I’m speechless. Therefore, it is making me write poorly, but I urge you to take the time to watch this.

This is the most touching story that I have seen in such a long time, so I’m going to make sure it stays at the top for another day in case you need another chance to watch it.

EDIT: 10/8/2011 – 11:57 PM – I have no idea how long this video has been blocked, but hopefully I can try to find it again.

EDIT: 10/9/2011 – 12:15 PM – Part 1 and 2 are working again and this time are coming straight from The Berrics. However, if by some chance, these videos stop working again – you can watch them here and here.

Source

22 Apr 2011

In the News…

Fashion

– To celebrate the new Playboy club in London, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman has created an updated version of the Playboy bunny suit. [Source]

– Designer Tory Burch has launched a new Tumblr showcasing her favorite people, places, and interests. Visit Torypedia.

Lauren Bush and Judith Leiber have collaborated together in designing the FEED evening clutch.

“The clutch retails for $495, far less than many of Leiber’s more elaborately bejeweled minaudières, and $250 from every bag sold will go to supporting global food-supply programs. In fact, each sale will provide 1,000 school meals for children in need, the largest amount yet associated with one of FEED’s products.” [Source]

Angelina Jolie is the new face of Louis Vuitton. [Source]

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are debuting a new optical line. [Source]

Music

– Above is the cover art for Bon Iver’s newest self-titled album due out June 21st, 2011. Tracklisting at the…[Source]

Taylor Swift has bought herself an LA mansion. [Source]

TV on the Radio bassist Gerard Smith has passed away after losing his battle with leukemia. [Source]

Kanye West’s charity has closed. [Source]

Ashley Fink and the Dalton Academy Warblers will also join New Directions on the Glee tour this summer. [Source]

Detroit’s Movement Electronic Music Festival has released their lineup. [Source]

Television

– Author James Frey will return to Oprah’s talk show in one of her last episodes to discuss his new book “The Final Testament of the Holy Bible” after she ripped him a new one five years ago for his book “A Million Little Pieces.” [Source]

Chris Colfer has sold a pilot to the Disney Channel called The Little Leftover Witch. [Source]

Justin Timberlake will host the May 21 season finale of Saturday Night Live with Lady Gaga as the musical guest. [Source] Stacked lineup.

Demi Lovato has decided to leave her role on Disney’s “Sonny With a Chance” after receiving treatment for her eating disorder and bipolar disorder. She will continue to focus on her music career. [Source]

Movies

Scream 4 actors Emma Roberts and Rory Culkin grace Nylon’s May 2011 Young Hollywood issue. [Source]

Marion Cotillard will play Miranda Tate in “The Dark Night Rises” and Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play John Blake, a police officer. [Source]

Seattle

Bellevue Square prepares for Forever 21’s arrival. [Source]

Capitol Hill will be the first location for the new morning parking meters for the late night parties. [Source]

Other

James Franco has been accepted into the University of Houston’s Creative Writing Program. [Source] Just stop it…

– Not everyone can tweet like Zooey Deschanel can. [Source]

Jane Krakowski has given birth to a son. [Source]

– Meet TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2011. [Source]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NhEpDpYrWg&feature=player_embedded]

– Didn’t watch your language on the court? MAKE A PSA! Nice Kobe. [Source]

– There is a new laser treatment called Axilase that will help you reduce your amount of sweat. [Source]

Evan Rachel Wood admits to being bisexual. [Source]

13 Oct 2010

Photographer Spotlight: Tony Katai

The Urban Outfitters blog featured an awesome photographer who goes by the name of Tony Katai the other day. I loved his photos especially because they remind me of the ones I typically use for the Collection posts. Tony is just an 18-year old guy from Detroit. 18. Check out more of his work here.

30 Aug 2010

The Heidelberg Project

The other night I was having dinner with my friend Megan when she started telling me about The Heidelberg Project. Tyree Guyton decided to renovate a a two-block area in a deserted Detroit neighborhood by giving it a splash of color. The neighborhood has since become a sort of outdoor exhibit for locals as well as tourists. The artist, Tyree, has been working to preserve this neighborhood for 24 years now and is taking a stand to show that what is lost does not have to be forgotten. This neighborhood has had the opportunity to live on and become more beautiful than ever. I think the place looks like an endless playground! Can you honestly say that there is anywhere else in the country resembling this neighborhood?

Tyree w/ his community of supporters.

Source

17 Dec 2009

In the News… [some really messed up news]

– Despite his entire personal life being splashed across the front pages of newspapers and tabloids and his god-awful new nickname of “cheater Woods,” Tiger Woods was still voted the top athlete of the decade. Really…?

Bilboard has also declared Nickelback as the band of the decade. What is wrong with the world?


– Today, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry passed away after he suffered severe injuries upon falling out of a pickup truck during a messy dispute with his wife. He was discovered on a residential road and rushed to the hospital, but it was too late. He was 26.

– Our country is beginning to lose that “hope” that we were instilled with when Barack Obama became President this year. The numbers and percentages regarding optimism and reflection over President Obama’s job in the office have been declining rapidly. The numbers are online somewhere I’m sure, I watched the segment on NBC nightly news last night. If you thought our unemployment rate was bad in Seattle… well it’s 50% in Detroit. Yeah, that’s terrible.

– When I was nine years old, I was singing along to Spice Girls. These days I guess it’s okay for a nine-year-old Noah Cyrus, sister of Miley Cyrus, to be singing Akon’s “Smack That.” Does the girl even know what the lyrics mean? Miley’s camp is cheering for her like it’s cute, it’s not cute. It’s just discomforting.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypwf4ompIpQ&feature=player_embedded]

Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal have finally called it quits after three years together.

The Hills will be returning for a sixth season on MTV. Filming will start up after New Years. NOOOOOOOOOO!

On a happier note…

Kevin Jonas [The Jonas Brothers] and Danielle Deleasa will wed this weekend

Happy 20th Anniversary Simpsons! They premiered on television exactly 20 years ago.

Project Runway season 7 will return to Lifetime on January 14th.

American Apparel has just announced that they have launched a nail polish line.