Erica Markle, #8

1.) My armor is going to be protectors for my hands because I have a bad habit of picking at my nails. I am going to decorate the parts that cover my nails very tastefully so that they look nice. This will make me not want to even think about picking at my nails because it would ruin the beauty. I have also make one hand have a cover for the top of the hand and another for the bottom of my hand, because the right one is usually the one picking so I covered the bottom to make picking impossible. The top of the right hand is covered to ensure full protection. I think I will definitely come up with more as I begin to work. They will remain consistent with the message I am trying to convey because the decoration will show that I want to maintain that beauty and the positioning will force myself out of the habit.

2.) I think I used stereotype or cliché because when one thinks of protecting their hands, usually gloves would come to mind. I did form a type of glove, but it is not just ordinary gloves. I think it was necessary to use this cliché in order to convey my message. I also think that the fact that I branched out and created an unconventional set of gloves with only either the top or bottom covered along with the fingertips on both made them less of a cliché and more original.

3.) The armor will protect me from picking at my nails and causing myself physical pain. This armor will protect me emotionally because I will find better ways to relive my stress than picking at my nails. I will also feel a lot better about the appearance of my hands and therefore more confident.

4.) I have formed the armor so they fit perfectly to my hands. The fingertips are closed off so when I wear the gloves my fingers simply go into the fingertip holes. I will also reinforce the stability using ribbon.

5.) I a going to decorate the cloves by painting them. I am going to have a certain theme of colors that is symbolic, but I have not put much thought into what colors I am going to use yet. I am also planning on decorating the fingertips with sparkles and flowers to make me not want to damage the area by picking. I have to think about embellishing further, but these are my initial ideas.

Bridget Ryan #8

1) For my final project I am creating a mask to cover my brain to help protect my issues with math. I have always had trouble with math throughout school so I want this mask to protect me from making me feel dumb inside. The symbols I am using are push- ins on one side of the mask to protect the weakness in feeling dumb.

2) I have not used a stereotype or cliché but as I work on my mask I will create one. When I create my stereotype or cliché I will have my message to strengthen my mask.

3) This mask will protect me mentally and emotionally. The reason for this mask is to protect me from my own issue of thinking that I am bad in math.

4) I will attach some sort of ribbon to the back and tie the mask onto my face.

5) I plan on using this silver paper to represent the armor coating to also cover and hide the weakness of my low self-esteem in math issue. On the other part of my mask I am painting one side fluorescent pink to show that I am open to my problem and also to make it more pretty and more me since my favorite color is pink. On that same side I am also gluing colorful feathers and sliver glitter to sparkle up the understanding side of my math issue on my mask.

Gaby Piergentili #8

1. My armor doesnt really have any metaphors or symbols. It's pretty literal. I used a bra to create my armor to boost my bra size.

2. I dont believe i've used a stereotype or cliche

3. The armor is meant to protect my self esteem by creating the illusion of a bigger chest while stealing being dangerious to prevent creepy boys from coming on to me.

4. I'll attach straps on the top and back to wear it.

5. I'm going to add paint, wire, and ribbon.

RAMIN DOESN'T LIKE TURKIES #8

1. I have incorporated symbolic silence and censorship into my armor. The message I'm trying to convey is self censorship and conscious word selection as opposed to speaking without thinking.

2. I don't think I have used a stereo type or cliche, unless one considers physically blocking the mouth a cliche. I think that it is a necessity for my message, without it the message would not make sense.

3. My armor will protect me from saying things that might hurt others. I'm personally indifferent to offending people, but I don't try to do it purpose.

4. I'll wear it around my neck.

5. I don't think it needs much embellishment. It is meant to be kept simple and serve as a physical filter for my vocal communications.

Jill Palmer #8

1. For my project I will be creating a partial face mask with openings for the eyes, since I'm using my poor vision as my weakness. I have not thought of an symbols, metaphors, or cultural meanings to incorporate into my design yet. I feel that once I begin to further work on the project, more ideas will come to mind that will help to explain the message I'm trying to convey.
2. I don't think I have used a sterotype or cliche. Rather than creating something literal like a pair of glasses or goggles, I am creating a mask.
3. This armor will protect me physically by protecting the area around my eyes, along with my eyes themselves. I will put clear colored cellophane or cling wrap where the eyes sould be, which will act as lenses. It will protect me emotionally because I will be able to see and won't be self concious or concerned about how I look. I will make the mask stylish and appealing to wear.
4. I will attach ribbons to either side of the mask so it can be tied around the head.
5. I will paint my armor bright, vibrant colors and embellish it with glitter rhinestones and other accents that will make it fun to wear, while it is protecting you.

Mariah LeBlanc #8

1) For my project I plan to create some type of mask to go over my mouth to stop me from eating junk food. The symbols I have planned are large X's or DO NOT ENTER symbols. This would symbolize to not eat junk food. I have not yet thought of all of my symbols and metaphors. I have a feeling I will figure those at as I start decorating my project.
2)I do not know if this would be considered a stereotype or cliche, but I plan to incorporate fruit into my mask. This is promote healthy eating habits instead of junk food.
3) My armor will protect me physically from eating junk food. The goal of the mask is so I do not eat junk food at all, and I am not even tempted to eat junk food.
4) I will attach a strap to the mask that goes above my ears and around the back of my head.
5) I plan on heavily decorating my mask. My goal is for it to look some-what attractive. I plan to paint it black and white, or pink. I plan on adding fruit to symbolize healthy eating habits, and glitter and rhinestones to make it look girly. Also, I plan on adding some kind of netting to the bottom of the mask so if I was tempted to eat the drunk food I could drop it into the net. I also plan to add some sharp objects to the mask. This is because I do not want to put junk food near my mouth in fear of being harmed.

Blog Assignment #8

Read, "Constructing Meaning," by Mary Stewart, posted on Moodle.

Then, answer the following questions in a blog post. This will be a way for us to communicate about your project over the next two weeks.

1.) What kind of symbols, metaphors or cultural meanings have you incorporated into the design of your armor? Please explain how they are consistent with the message you want to convey?

2.) Have you used a stereotype or cliche? If so, does it strengthen or weaken your message?

3.) How will the armor protect you? Physically? Emotionally?

4.) How will you wear it? (i.e. straps)

5.) How will you embellish this armor? Paint? Build off of it, etc.?

Shira #7

Calm

Bridget Ryan #7

Excitement

RAMIN BIEBER #7

Talented.

Erica Markle, #7

Promising.

Kaitlyn Brown #7

Confusion.

Allison Daigle #7

Tranquil

Gaby Piergentili Extra Credit

"Remembering Monet"
Maritza Cantero Farrell

This painting that was dispalyed was one of my favorite pieces in the exhibit. It was a simple scene of lily pads and the use of color was what I liked the most. The soft blue tones in contrast with the brighter pinks used for the flowers was excellent. It was the kind of art I am most familiar with, i.e scenery, portraits.

Gaby Piergentili #7

strength

Mariah LeBlanc, #7

Confusion

Jill Palmer #7

ELEGANT

Blog Assignment #7

Look for an image of three dimensional form with a strong sense of postive AND negative space. Post the image to a blog entry and describe it in ONE word.

Your post should be an image and ONE word. The image does not have to be "art." It just has to be three-dimensional.

Kaitlyn Brown #6

Applying to College

In this situation, I had the problem of deciding where I wanted to go to school and what would I study in? At our age no one really knows what their future holds, choosing where you want to go to college is a problem every senior in high school faces. I had to write a list of all the colleges that appealed to me. Getting mail from different colleges and information from school made the decision even harder. Having so many options for you to choose from can be very stressful. In order to come to a decision you have to make pro's and con's for each college or university that you are thinking of applying to. Researching the colleges and going on tours of each let you see what it would be like to go there and can help make your decision on where you want to apply to. Once you apply to your colleges and find out what you will get for finical aid and scholarships are what help you decide on where you going to go. Choosing which college you will go with can be difficult especially if your between two colleges, your pro's and con's list helps you decide on which one is right for you. The final step is registering for your fall courses at the college you choose, and moving in! In the situation of applying to college I used the five stages to decide where I was going to go to school.

Bridget Ryan #6

I can’t really think of one time of my life when I needed to encounter a situation that required these stages but however, I have a recent one. After playing lacrosse for 9 years of my life I decided not to play in college. But after rethinking and using these brainstorming ideas I have discovered that I truly miss playing lacrosse and being on a team. I have thought about it very hard and decided to email the coach here at Lasell College, to see if I am able to play on the lacrosse team. As of this week I have a meeting all signed up for to talk about me joining the team here at Lasell! I am very glad opened my mind onto something I love doing and miss.

RAMIN aka snookie #6

Tackled with this burdening question, I tried to think of all the times that I had used the creative process in my life. The ideas which came into my mind would all be inappropriate for classroom discussion, so I decided to discuss the creative process behind answering this question. First I identified that I did not have any easy way to answer the question, so I began to brainstorm past experiences in which I went through these steps. I came up with a few results, all of which, as mentioned, would not be something I'd be too thrilled to share, so I went back and tried to find a loophole in the system. After some pondering, I came to conclusion that I should write about how I came to write about what I am writing about. "But how should I go about writing it?" I asked myself. I decided that I would just wing it without concerning myself too much as to the structure since this is what I tend to do with everything. Upon reaching this step, I remembered that I had probably used this process to write an essay at some point in my life, and further brainstorming lead me to remember using this model specifically while taking the SAT's. It was, however, too late for me to go back and write about that, so I decided to finish writing about how I came about writing what it is I am writing about now.

Jill Palmer #3-Creative Process

As the president of my high school DECA program, I was responsible for running and being in charge of our many fundraisers, all of which required these stages. One event in particular where I encountered a situation that required these stages was our welcome back dance. Our major concern was making sure we raised at least enough money to break even. We needed to make enough money to pay for the cost of the DJ, police, custodians, chaperones, food, drinks, and other expenses before we even thought about making a profit. As a class, we brainstormed ideas and came up with different ways to advertise for this event. After the dance, it turns out we made enough money and made a profit as well. We surveyed the students and asked them how they found out about the dance, this way we would know which method of our advertisment was most effective. We analyzed the data and found that most students were aware of the dance from the facebook group we made. From then on, we used this form of advertisment. In hindsight, I don't think I would have done anything differently. The creative process worked out well for me and the dance turned out to be a success.

Erica Markle, #6

My good friend and I always wanted to have a big sweet 16 party together since our birthdays are so close in date. That party never actually happened due to our hectic schedules, so we decided we would plan a big 18^th birthday party. To begin our planning we got together and came up with a list of things that we needed to decide and buy. The first major decision we had to make was the theme. We came up with a list and narrowed it down to our top three. We then went to the party store to see what we could find, and our ideas for the theme completely changed. We had open minds upon going to the store, and this helped us to find our theme. We came across different displays of theses and decided to go with a Vegas theme. We got the decorations and color coordinated everything, cups, plates, table cloths, streamers, and decorations. Then we went back and brainstormed more ideas to enhance the Vegas theme. We decided we would have tables set up with poker chips, cards, and other casino games to give the full feeling of being in a casino. We then had to decide on food that would be served so we went through different restaurants and finally found one that was decently affordable. We chose the trays we wanted and ordered them a few days in advance. We had narrowed down the list of people so that we could accommodate everyone in my basement and the invites that we created on the computer were sent. The most rigorous part was cleaning out my basement so it was completely free of the toys that crowded it. We had to come up with ways to hide the toys and find all different nooks and crannies to put them during the party. Finally, the date of the party arrived and it was a success. Looking back I would not have done anything different, everything seemed to work out as planned and we had a great time. The creative process worked well for us and helped us to have the successful party that we had.

Allison Daigle, Extra Credit

The oil on painting titled, "Celebrating Monet", caught my eye at the Lasell Showcase. The painting was done by Maritza Cantero Farrell, who is a professor in the fashion department. This particular painting caught my attention because I have always loved Monet's work. In high school, my art class had to choose an artist we were inspired by, and recreate one of their paintings. I chose Claude Monet, and the painting turned out to be my favorite piece of artwork. Farrell's interpretation of Monet's style was quite different than the originals. She kept the lily pads on the water to a minimum, and focused more on the overall feel. She used vibrant, but cool colors to create a peaceful atmosphere within the painting. I think she captured Monet's style perfectly.

Allison Daigle #6

After completing my first two years of college at UMASS Boston, I realized that it was time to choose a major. I had completed all of my general education classes, and knew it was time to figure out what exactly I wanted to do in life. I often thought about majoring in accounting, sociology, or even economics. I had enjoyed these areas of study at Umass, but I knew that I had to be happy in whatever career I ended up choosing. I finally realized that just because I enjoyed those specific areas of study did not mean I should obtain a degree in that field. I found that what I enjoyed the most in life, and what would make me happy on a day to day basis, was fashion. I knew that Lasell had an excellent program, and I wanted to major in fashion merchandising. After being accepted and starting the program at Lasell, I realized it was a perfect fit. In hindsight, I don’t think I would have done anything different. Even though I did not enjoy Umass, I was able to complete the mandatory classes at a lower cost. I am grateful for not feeling rushed into choosing a major as a freshman, and being able to thoroughly think my career path through.

Gaby Piergentili #6

While not very creative I had to make the decision about transfering to a new school and a new major. I made the decision on a whim after becoming tired and bored of the school and location I was in. I came up with the idea to switch from psychology to fashion merchandizing because it seemed to suit my personality more. However in hindsight I should have done more research on the major and the classes entailed. Also I only applied to a couple of different schools. I should have spent more time to refine and analyze my ideas before acting upon them.

Mariah LeBlanc #6

My senior year of high school I was given the task of planning our school's Victory Dance. It is held the same day every year; the Friday after thanksgiving. Every student in our school attends the dance, and looks forward to the evening. With so much pressure on my shoulders, I wanted to make sure I took my time, prepared wisely, and did not forget anything. Planning began in September with our first meeting. I had made announcements the previous week, and there was a large turnout at the meeting. The biggest problem to figure out, is what would the theme of the dance be? At our first meeting we brainstormed many themes. They included jungle, beach, fairytale, Arabian nights, Hollywood, and a romantic evening. The following week I held another meeting where the committee voted on the top three themes. After the committee had narrowed down the top three themes, we brainstormed again, though more intensely. The committee took each theme and brainstormed as if that was the theme chosen for the dance. At the end of the meeting we took another vote and chose our theme for the dance. The theme chosen was beach. In the weeks following I mostly had to plan the dance. Week after week the committee was loosing members and a lot of the planing fell on my shoulders as well as my advisor's shoulders. I had to buy decorations, design the tickets, find a DJ and photographer, buy concessions and much more. The student council helped to set up for the dance the Wednesday before thanks giving, and Friday morning, the day of the dance. In the end, after a lot of hard work, it all came together. It was interesting that my vision for the dance in the beginning was completely different in the end. Though, it couldn't have been better. The dance was awesome, and everyone had a wonderful time.