HW . 58

I talked to 3 different people one person my age who hasn’t experienced prom yet, one who’s a little older and has experienced prom and the oldest person and their views on prom.  

One person I talked to has been to a prom already, they just explained everything that the movies show. They said “everyone’s grinding even when the teachers are there and tell you to stop and then that one person who cant handle their alcohol or have to much and throws up which ruins the whole mood”.  Then everyone going to a after party smoking, drinking & then the hooking up and,”. Prom is treated as just another party for some and for others its really an experience that they don’t want to ruin with alcohol and drugs and feel that it is a “rite of passage”.

The next person I talked to is 17 in 11th grade and they’re excited for prom they feel that its something that everyone should experience when growing up. They also feel that everyone should go to their prom because it might be the last time that you ever see any of those people again. This person is all for the typical prom and having fun but the things like prom queen & king and voting are unnecessary because “your supposed to be having fun at prom not worrying about if you get voted to be something that’s not going to benefit you anyway”. They also mentioned that they might drink at prom but not enough to not be able to remember the night but when I asked them why they were going to drink they didn’t give an answer. I asked about their views on other peoples decisions on prom like wearing gowns, wearing expensive jewelry, the after party.  They feel that a long gown is too much and to dressy and all the jewelry “its likes your playing pretend wedding by doing all of those things”. Basically they want to go to prom and enjoy it but feel that some of the prom aspects are unnecessary.

The last person I talked to was my dad and he go to prom because he was to shy and nervous to ask someone , which I found funny because the worst they could do is say no. He actually still wishes that he had gone to his prom and asked the girl he wanted to be his date. Even though my dad hasn’t been to prom he did give me some advice I guess from seeing what other teens or just remembering how he acted when he was younger. “I know you’re going to be drinking, just make sure your mother doesn’t find out & that you don’t get so fucked up that you can’t find your way home. Don’t get in a cab if you don’t know your way home, one of my friends actually had a card that had their address on it for reassurance” Im glad that my dad actually understands because my mom would never say something like this to me. But instead of telling me not to do this or that he actually talked to me and were able to come to a understanding. Which I think is good because the reason I think teens probably don’t make it home or get kidnapped or any of the other things you hear happens on prom night because they get so drunk & don’t know what to do or get so drunk on purpose because their parents told them not to. So instead of telling kids what to do and not to do they should help them to understand ways they should go about doing what there going to do because telling someone what to do will only go so far.  

HW . 57

I've had the experience of going to prom in 8th grade and I had a date, a dress went to the after party, but i didnt have my date pick me up and take pictures. But my prom wasnt like usual proms we technically didnt go with status quo it was in our cafeteria but it was decorated we didnt vote for prom or queen, there wanst the special slow dance it was like a regular party with people dressed up. But the after party went wwith the script of prom night, we all went to a house of a friend's who parents werent there and their was alcohol & drugs and people hooking up.

I think my prom was a little bit more laid back then what you normally see on tv, and after already experiencing it once I now see that its not that big of a deal. Prom is supposed to be seen as a "rite of passage" into adulthood but after that i didnt feel any different or that i accomplished something big in my life and ready to take on more. But maybe it has to do with the age that I had mines at if I had it when I'm a senior and 18 then my view on prom probably would be different then what it iss now.

Personally I think prom is a waste finacially but it also is a gain in memories and experience but its not something that will affect you for the rest of your life if you dont go, like some people claim it does. I also find it interesting how everyone tries to go against what they normal things are for prom but in the end your still going along with the "script" and when I watch movies of prom scenarios or any highschool scenarios people criticize what's going on and why would they do this or that. But in reality they dont realize that there going along and doing the same thing and everyone is following the script if they do or dont want to.

1. When did the idea of prom start?
2. how has  prom changed over the years?
3. why does society follow along with the "script" for prom when they already know whats going to happen?

HW . 56

Larche

http://larchegnormalisweird4.blogspot.com/

The information you researched about home burials was very helpful to me because recently it has became one of the alternatives I was thinking about doing for when I die. One quote that I found interesting was “There’s something about touching, watching, sitting with a body that lets you know the person is no longer there,”which explains just how intimate they are.I also liked how you explained more in detail of what a home burial is because most people probably don’t even know or heard one before.

Megumi

 http://meguminormalisweird.blogspot.com/

I like your essay and all of the research you did to find out more on home funerals in New York. I also found it interesting that New York is the only place were a funeral director is required which I didn’t know. I’m wondering now though why was it so hard for you to find more detailed info on home funerals in New York, why is it kept a secret? Personally I think its something that should be able to be accessed publically.  
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Stephanie:

Your pamphlet was amazing, not only the visuals, but the material inside. It was nice to read about the alternatives and not only have a price range for each alternative but also a number we could call for extra help/ resources. It would have been interesting to read why you chose to pick those alternative choices to talk about instead of the others that might be available but other then that I thought your project was amazing and really helpful for when I think about my further plans when planning the way I want to be handled after my death.

Michelle:

Kristen,

You had a brochure with overview of each type of funeral: sea burial, home funeral, cremation and memorial reef, and it was nice to just look at a brochure on it like the ones given to you in funeral homes. I valued that you taught us more about the sea burial and memorial reef something we didn't touch upon much during this unit and had never heard of before. Also visuals for a reader like your brochure filled with new knowledge but a quick read, allowing the reader to not lose interest. A reason why this project matters to me is because it lets me know there are more options than having a simple burial. So that when I make my decision i have all this prior knowledge to help me make my decision. Only thing could have done was talk more about each burial on your post besides the pictures but other than that great job!

COTD2

 I watched the movie Harold& Maud and observed how they deal with death. Harold and Maud are the only ones that don't seem to have a problem with death and are comfortable with the idea of death and funeral unlike the mother.

 Harold even takes the idea of death just being a joke. In the movie Harold tends to joke around and try out different ways of dying around his mother to scare a reaction out of her. Maud is also comfortable with death and more relaxed about it, I believe she sad  "its a big circle of life" which shows her view which is were born and we all die life is just a cycle from beginning to end. She also tends to go to funerals and attend them as if its an everyday thing and shes doing it just for fun.

 I think Harold wants to die but he doesn't have it in himself to take the courage to actually go along with it and I guess that one day one of his jokes will actually kill him. How your able to deal with death might be impacted by how you are as a person because Harold is anti social and likes to be by himself. There's a quote I've heard that states "Its dangerous when someone is alone because all they have are their thoughts" and I think this quote is significant to Harold is because when your alone your mind can just wonder to different places and can take you to wherever and Harold was probably alone so much when growing up that he started to think about death.

Maud seems to be the type of person who is trying to live their life to the fullest or the best they can before their die. She has made her own way of getting "high", she drives fast  and without a care that when she could easily get into a car crash and die on the spot, she also tend to do other things that you wouldn't find women doing at her age."they grow they die into something else I would like to grow into a sunflower" this is significant because Maud compares the plants she see to herself and how when you do you will come back as something else which what she would like to happen.

Harold's Mom doesn't feel comfortable with death and when she sees her son acting "dead" she just ignores it like its normal which shows how she deals with death by being in denial and not showing any emotions. I find it interesting that when before he put on his act of being dead he put a mat down on the ground so none of the blood will get on the carpet. She doesn't feel comfortable with death especially when its really gory and bloody. Harold likes to play around with death so much and so comfortable with it that if he was to actually kill his self nobody will take his death serious or believe him they'll just think its another one of his jokes.

Harold enjoys being dead and he's scared of living feels like right now he's dead. Rather be dead and even took the new car he received and turned into a Hurst since hes "dead". Harold doesn't care about all the material things that the Sargent is telling him he will receive by going into the army. The only thing he finds appealing is the gory stories that he tells him about the killings he will probably be able to do when he joins and he's so fascinated about being able to kill someone and have no care about it.

HW . 55a

HW . 55b

For my project I decided to make a brochere of some of the alternative burials that most people dont know about or are rarely used. In the pamphlet it explains what the burial is, the cost of it, specifications and also tips to how it compares to the "traditional burial" of being embalmed and burried.

Some of the Alternative ways i wrote about are sea burial, home funeral, cremation, and memorial reef. A sea burial is when your body is cremated and the ashes are then scattered over the ocean usually perferred byt the navy or marines or those who have a found love for water. The next one was a home funeral which gives you the chance to take care of your loved one all the way to the end. In the confines off your home you get to care for the dead and spend as much time as needed with them compared to the "traditional" you dont have 24 hr. access. Another alternative I chose was cremation, since its not commonly used; the body is cremated and the ashes are put in a urn to keep around. This alternative doesnt take up land space or cause damage like the "traditional" way does. The last alternative I chose was a memorial reef when the ashes are put into a concrete reef ball that will sank to the bottom of the ocean.

HW . 52

Beth had a home funeral for her daughter Alison, who died from an impact of a air bag. Alisons friends and family all came to her bedroom to see her and bring gifts. By having an home funeral everyone felt closer to Alison and where able to spend thier time with her and say their goodbyes. The organization Crossings is ffor those who would like to be a death care midwife and Beth started it two years after alisons death.

• "To the degree that death can be ameliorated by love"
• "For more than a century Americans cared for their own dead as a matter or course"
• "By the third day the deceased begins to look like an empty shell and its often at that point that a family may be ready to let go"
• "The bouquets brighten this place of final repose but also serve to perfuse the room with a fragrance that could later mask any odors of death"
• "Later that night she'll sit in this room on the chair she setss next to the bed. In the quiet of the night, alone with the woman she held such afffection for"

Compared to the other ways to go about caring for the dead to me a home funeral seems like it deals with the spiritual part of the dead while the others were just the dealing mainly with just body. Home funerals are also less stressful and easier for friends and families to say their goodbyes. While in a funeral home you only have a certain amount of time to spend with the deceased before they need to be taken away to be embalmed and also you dont know everything that goes on with the body. While with a home funeral your in charge and you get to decided what you want to do or happen to the body which I think is easier for families because then their not worrying about whats going on or they could of said one more thing.