A Woman’s Flower: An Examination of “Jane the Virgin”

The moment the CW’s show, “Jane the Virgin” hit televisions, it was praised for the show’s humor, magic realism storytelling, and its diversity and representation of a family of Hispanic women. At the center of this critically acclaimed show is Jane, a pregnant virgin who seems to do anything to protect her virginity, no matter how many handsome admirers or unexpected pregnancies life throws at her.

Tracking Your Thoughts

This blog was created as a school project. For my English class, every student had to create a blog and post on it weekly. My teacher advised us to make our blogs about something we are interested in or something we like to do, such as a hobby we have. For me, picking the topic of my blog was very difficult, because I do not have any hobbies, at least not any long term hobbies. Deep down, I do not know what I like to do. As for my interests, I have too many, in such a variety, to commit to writing about just one. 

Country Music’s Time to Shine

Country music evokes powerful emotions in just about everyone who hears it. It is no secret that country music has a strong, dare I say cult-like following. Proof of this is easy to find; search ‘country music quotes’ into Google Images, and you should receive countless pages of quotes about country music and what it means to their listeners (as opposed to song lyrics, which is what I expected to find).

Have We Lost Our Privacy?

This week is the last week of my four-week free trial to the New York Times, so I have been taking advantage of it. My eyes have gone dry reading as many articles as I could before my subscription expires. Most of what I read was on current events, the White House, and the Muller Investigation. However, one piece really stood out because it raised an issue I have never spent too much thinking about: privacy.

Is ‘Free Time’ Really Free?

Spring break. MTV might have you thinking that it is a week of wild partying on an exotic beach. However, as a sixteen-year-old homebody, my spring break is very different than how most media portrays showcase it. My spring break consists of organizing my closet, all night movie bingeathons, and indulging in creative projects (to name a few activities). Spring break is when I try to accomplish all the things I claim I don’t have time for during school. Spring break, for me, is one entire week of free time. Knowing this, when I got home on the Friday before my break, I made a giant to-do list of all the things I planned on doing during my week off. I was optimistic about crossing everything off my list since I had absolutely no obligations.

Sleep: How Much Is Too Much?

Sleep: the sneak peek to death. Sleep is blissful and sometimes the only bit of peace we get. Humans do not agree on much, but everyone agrees that sleep is magical. Sleep is essential for humans to function properly. Too often, people seem to not get enough of it. Today, I would like to discuss the bigger question at hand: how much sleep are we supposed to be getting?

Eighth Grade: Surprisingly Relatable

My all-time favorite genre of just about everything is coming of age. Movies, books, poetry, all about growing up and maturing into better people, really appeals to me. So, when I heard about the coming of age film Eighth Grade, written and directed by Bo Burnham, an internet comedian who I have watched since he was making videos in his bedroom, I was very excited for many reasons. First, the story centers around a young girl who is in (you guessed it) the eighth grade. As someone who didn’t have a very positive middle school experience, I was interested to see which aspects of the young woman’s journey the story would follow. Second, I wanted to support Bo Burnham, who holds a special place in my heart for multiple reasons. He is a woke, talented comedian who graduated from youtube to professional films and he is probably my very first internet crush.

Selfishness and Greed Know No Bounds

This week, I have been more pissed off than usual. The cause of my anger: Operation Varsity Blues. Operation Varsity Blues is what they are calling the recent college admissions scandal, where members of elite, rich, famous families paid millions of dollars to get their students in top universities. What has been the most shocking to most people are the families involved in the scandal. Most notable is Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, two famous Hollywood actresses. To me, it is not who is involved in the scandal, but the actual scandal itself. Families paid millions of dollars to get their kids into schools. To actually get into the schools, they paid for test scores, fake athletic portfolios, and straight up bribes.

What is Success?

I might be biased, but I think I work hard. I work my hardest and try my best every day because I want to be successful. It feels like sometimes, all I am striving for, all I am working for, is this idea of success. Getting into a good school, landing a good job, earning lots of money, and working your way to the top of your field is what we typically associate with a successful person. Today was The Academy Awards, where Hollywood insiders give out the most prestigious awards anyone in the film industry can receive. Anyone who goes into the movie business imagines receiving an Oscar. Winning an Academy Award is the epitome of someone’s career and is the ultimate mark of success in Hollywood.

Jack Ryan: The Wokest Show on Terrorism?

For a few months, my family and I have been watching The Office for the first time. All of us have taken a liking to John Krasinski who plays Jim, the loveable office prankster. Even my dad appreciates John Krasinski, although I’m pretty sure we like him for different reasons. My dad thought he was a good actor, and when my dad takes a liking to anyone in entertainment, the first thing he does is reads their IMDB page. IMDB, or International Movie Database, is a website that has all information available on everything entertainment. From cast and crew lists, filmographies, this website is the best resource for anything film or tv related.

You Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone

Thursday night at 11:47 pm. I was sitting on the floor of my bedroom while listening to music and procrastinating on my history homework. I had the materials I needed to complete my homework out in front of me, ready to be used. My laptop was open with the homework loaded, and I had my history textbook open to the pages I needed to read. Then, “Alone” by the Seattle Rock band, Heart, started to play on my phone. For some reason, one that I cannot explain, this song motivates me. I think it is because I would never want to disappoint the Wilson sisters.

Roller coasters are Terrifying and I Don’t Like Them

Roller coasters are the backbone of the amusement park. With fun food, awesome rides, and many photo opportunities, amusement parks are a form of entertainment for many people, of many different ages. Attending any park, you will see the many faces of happy park-goers who are enjoying their experience at the park. I am not one of those people. I despise amusement parks. Just the mention of a single amusement park name is enough to have my skin crawling. Yes, even the mention of Disneyland, for me it is less the happiest place on Earth, and more like a nightmare come to life.

Sixteen Candles Make For Great Light

I have never been one to live in the moment. To me, the future has always been too exciting, too intriguing, for me to sit in the present. In my mind, I have continually planned- or more like daydreamed- about the future. I have always done this. For as far back as I can remember, I have sat in my room and thought about every aspect of my future life, from where I work, to different conversations I would have, and even how I would decorate my Manhattan apartment. My daydreams have become more sophisticated the older I’ve gotten, with more details and more advanced plots, I still remember my very first daydream and the person who ignited my excitement for the future: Hannah Montana.

Instagram is an Instasham

Instagram might be the sixth most used social media platform in the world, but it is the preferred site for brands, celebrities, young people, and anyone photogenic. There is a wide variety of different style posts, so there is a little something for everyone on the platform. Social media has become a career path, with thousands of people’s day jobs involving the management of social media. Most of these people are creating content and posting on corporate social media for brands, as social media has become an extension of marketing, advertising, and PR firms.

New Year, But It’s Still the Same You

The new year has become synonymous with New Year’s Resolutions. Getting fit, saving money, and studying more are just a few of the countless resolutions many people set at the beginning of the year. All over social media, I saw many people proclaim what they were trying to accomplish in 2019. Scrolling through Twitter, seeing so many people inspired, trying to improve their lives and themselves, was heartwarming, and it almost made me set resolutions. Then, I remembered that it would be pointless because most resolutions fail.

The Unfestive Season

My favorite memory of Christmas was when I was five years old. There was a knock at the door. My Dad opened the door and quickly called me over. I went to the door and saw that on the doorstep, there was a present. I picked it up and read that it was for me, from Santa Clause. I remember that feeling: warm, excited, joyous. Though there is not a proper word to describe it, I call it the ‘Christmas’ mood. I think it is the same mood that people in Hallmark movies feel. When I was younger, I used to love Christmas. I would spend hours perfectly crafting my letter to Santa.

Homesick

When I was in the second grade, I was assigned to make a family tree. When the other kids presented their projects, they had large trees going back many, many generations. My classmates were able to explain who everyone on the tree was, sharing stories of what they were like, what their hobbies were, and even personal anecdotes of their time spent with said relative. When I saw my peers’ projects, I remember feeling embarrassed. Although my project spanned three generations, I could only explain four leaves on my family tree: my mom, my dad, my sister, and my dog.

Freddie Mercury: The Greatest Performer of All Time

Music is essential in my house. Whenever we need to clean the house or drive anywhere, we put on music and sing our hearts out. Recently, my parents started producing live concerts, and I have had the pleasure of attending some of these concerts. In my house, there is round-the-clock talk about tech riders and sound checks. It is no wonder why music is always on my mind.

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones But Words are Everlasting

Words are a double-ended sword. The things we say have the power to impact people in ways we probably do not consider before we speak. With one sentence, you could destroy someone’s dreams, ruin their spirits, and break their heart. But words also gives us the power to lift someone to new heights, inspiring a new way of life, planting new beliefs, or igniting new passions. The power of words is indescribable. Even words themselves cannot convey their own impact.

I Hope Fear Is Temporary

I would not call myself a fearful person. I am not afraid of clowns, the dark, or heights. Death, injury, and government collapse are things that concern me. Still, they do not horrify me. I do have three fears that make my spine tingle whenever I think of them. The first one is isolation. In my life, there have been times where I was isolated- namely from my classmates. When I started puberty two years before everyone else, a period of about three months when I had no friends, and when we did PE and I was the last one to be picked. These moments made me feel uncomfortable and caused me a great deal of unhappiness. I never want to feel that way again. Plus, I did not like being singled out socially.

My Little Sister Who Could

I have never been good at sports. In the past, I have tried (really hard) to be athletic. Alas, I have not proven to have a little athlete inside of me. My inability to play sports has been something I have been insecure about since I was in grade school. PE felt like public humiliation. My classmates would talk about the baseball game they saw the previous night, and I could not follow the conversation. As the last attempt, I tried out for every sports team my school had. I did not earn a spot on any team.

A Lazy Perfectionist

The definition of irony is, “The expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.” However, the irony that is inside of me is not humorous, but a daily battle. Every day, I have to fight myself to get tasks, big and small, completed. I have so many ideas and zero will to execute them. I am a lazy perfectionist. If you know me, then you know that I am a perfectionist. Last year, when I was a freshman starting a new school where no one knew me, one of the first comments a teacher made to me was, “You’re a bit of a perfectionist, aren’t ya?”

My First Step Into Adulthood

Adulthood is something every young person looks forward to. Ever since I was a kindergartener, I have imagined every aspect of my adult life. My favorite game growing up was ‘adult’. It is a very simple game. All you need is a room and your imagination. I would just sit, daydream, and sometimes act out my life as an adult. From when school let out until my head hit my pillow before I went to sleep, my house was not my house, but a New York City apartment. My bike was not a bike, but my Mercedes-Benz. My backpack became my briefcase, which I used as a New York City attorney general working under Jack McCoy. I would plan out lunch meetings and pretend to give closing arguments to a grand jury that was composed of my sister and my dog.

Will I Regret Not Having A Quinceanera?

Culture and ethnicity have always been a touchy subject for me. Before I was entered school, I never thought about either one of those subjects. This may be because in my household these subjects don’t matter. I live in a mixed-race household. Before my parents met, they practiced different cultures, had different native tongues and followed different religions. When they met, it was almost like they both gave up those pieces of themselves; they gave up their cultures. Now, my family lives in a pretty neutral household.

The Power of Cinema: “BlacKkKlansman”

Although everyone consumes media, it can seem like teenagers do it the most. Maybe it is because teenagers do not yet have adult responsibilities, allowing them more time to watch hours of television and movies, or maybe because these forms of entertainment are exciting and provide some kind of an escape for teenagers who feel that their lives are mundane. Whatever the reason, it is clear that people, but especially teenagers, are heavily impacted by movies.

Welcome to “Deep Thoughts of a Teenage Girl”

A teacher once told me, “15-year-olds might not have much, but they have their opinions.” As a fifteen-year-old, I would say this is very accurate. Plus, like every other teenager, I believe my thoughts are different. Not because I am unique, but because of the world I live in. 

I am a part of Generation Z, we are sometimes referred to as Centennials, or iGeneration, as a homage to the technological world we were born and raised in. Not to sound cliché, but Centennials have an extremely different experience in this world than other generations. We grew up in a post 9/11 world. We have always had access to television, computers, and internet. We have created a new and growing ‘internet culture’.