Task #34: Attend the Chinese Fair at McMahon CGS (Rachael and Kim)

33. Attend the Chinese fair at McMahon CGS.

As one of our tasks, we wanted to attend a language class at the McMahon Center for Global Studies.  Norwalk High does not offer the variety of languages and the same cultural experiences offered at McMahon, so we wanted to try it out for ourselves.  Mr. Karl put us in contact with a person at McMahon, and we heard about the Chinese New Year fair.

When we arrived, we were exposed to a number of things, including calligraphy, tai chi, paper lantern making, using chopsticks, dumpling making, and Dragon Dance.

I really enjoyed learning calligraphy from a Chinese student.  It was amazing because although we could not communicate well with one another, she was able to teach us so much in a short amount of time.

John taught Rachael how to prepare a dumpling.

He also taught Rachael how to fill the dumplings with a mixture containing scallions.

Making dumplings in the kitchen.

Signs denoted each station. 

We practiced picking up M & M's and marshmallows with chopsticks.

A Chinese student tried to teach Rachael and I how to write "Happy New Year" in Chinese.  

A Chinese game.  McMahon students kicked lanterns and tried to keep them up in the air. 

Tai chi taught by a Chinese instructor.

Calligraphy done by other McMahon students.

Rachael and I attempted to copy the calligraphy on paper that divided the space and made it easier to follow.

The calligraphy table.

Task #33: Go Paddle Boarding (Rachael)

Task 32: Go Paddle Boarding

We started our Project Explore in the summer, but we did not establish our blog until the fall. Needless to say, I am a little late posting this task. This past summer, paddle boarding was on my "bucket list". My friends Hannah and Haley have a house on a lake as well as a paddle board, so it was a perfect match. Results shown below (P.S. we didn't fall off!).

Task #32: Attend a Hypnotist Show (Kim and Rachael)

32.  Attend a Hypnotist Show

Hypnotist and mentalist Ronny Romm visited Norwalk High School, and Rachael and I decided it would be interesting to attend the event to learn about hypnosis and be entertained.  Hypnosis is all about the power of suggestion.  We wanted to decide for ourselves what to believe.  Ronny Romm asked for volunteers, and these are the brave people who volunteered from Norwalk High School.

First, Ronny Romm demonstrated his powers of ESP.  He asked several volunteers specific details about their dream vacation, including the location, price, flight number, and airline.  He showed that prior to the show, he had written down exactly what they said.  This didn't exactly have me convinced because I figured he could have written it down some other way.

I thought the show became most interesting when he began the first phase of hypnosis - induction.  After speaking to the volunteers, periodically snapping his fingers, and asking the volunteers to focus on his voice, Ronny Romm asked them to stick their hands together.  After a lengthy description of the feeling of their hands being stuck, he told them that they would not be able to get their hands unstuck.  Sure enough, some of the volunteers could not get their hands unstuck.

From the stage, the show looked believable.  For the most part, those under hypnosis followed Ronny Romm's instructions.  However, I asked a few participants how they felt about it afterwards, and a few claimed they did not feel anything.  Whether or not the hypnosis was effective, it was an interesting show and entertaining to watch.  

Here is Ronny Romm putting the volunteers under hypnosis and a few of their actions during the experience:

Task #31: Volunteer at the Bear Flop (Kim)

31.  Volunteer at the Bear Flop.

I completed this task last month at Norwalk High's annual Bear Flop fundraiser.  This fundraiser raises money for a specific type of cancer each year through the Bears' Beating Cancer Club.  This year, the focus was all childhood cancers.  I sold tickets for this event at lunch, placed flyers around the school, and convinced several teachers to participate in the event.  During the Bear Flop, I collected tickets at the door.  I ended up being in a great spot to film the bellyflops.  I had trouble uploading and editing the videos from this event right away because my computer has a storage problem, but I was recently able to figure out a way to do it.  This event is a fun and unique way to fundraise; students love to come watch because it is comedic and competitive.

Here are some of the best bellyflops of the contest:

Task #30: Instructional Paint Session (Kim)

30.  Art Task:  Attend an art class and learn how to paint a painting.

As I have reiterated many times in this project, art is not my thing.  Project 52 has motivated me to attempt one art project, but I decided to further expand my art horizons and attend a painting session.  I went to a class at Muse Paint Bar in South Norwalk.  They host painting sessions with snacks and drinks, and an artist stands at the front of the room and teaches everyone how to create a specific painting.  We were given blank canvases, paint, and paint brushes.  Some people to chose to use different colors or designs from the artist, but my friend Olivia and I decided to follow the artist's instructions since this was our first time really painting. 

My blank canvas

The paint provided before all of the color mixing

Our pre-painting selfie

The painting being taught at this lesson was an ocean sunset.  It was completed in layers on the canvas.  An artist taught it in the front of the room, and this example was hanging on the brick wall behind her.

Artist's example hung up in the front of the room.

We started about one-third of the way up on the canvas with the yellow.  We then would paint layers of a darker color working up to a light red.

The sky came next.  The painting looked like stripes before we blended it together and added the clouds.

Clouds added in the sky.

Olivia's painting, the artist' painting, and the example on the wall.

Touching up the clouds.

Adding the reflections of the sun.

Finished product after adding reeds.

Finished products with the artists' example displayed behind us.

Going to Muse was an entirely new experience for me, but not only because I have no idea how to paint or draw.  It was also because it had a very different atmosphere than what I am used to in a regular class.  Talking, conferring, and even singing along with the music playing was encouraged. Making a complete mess was practically encouraged, too; as you can tell from my pictures, paint is on everything at Muse, and that isn't considered a problem. Though the instructors wanted you to concentrate and be proud of your painting, they really wanted you to have a great time.  My painting turned out okay, but I found the black reeds very difficult to get the hang of.  And, as you can tell, they are prominent in the painting so those mistakes are obviously on display.  However, it was a great experience overall, and I would definitely consider returning to Muse for another session.  It is much harder to find things to do for Project 52 because the weather has been so awful, but this was an enjoyable activity to do indoors on a freezing winter night.

Task #29: Contact Brandon Stanton - Say Thank You (Kim)

29. Send a thank you note to Brandon Stanton.

As stated so many times in this blog, Humans of New York was one of the biggest inspirations behind this project.  I wanted to reach out and thank Brandon Stanton.  Brandon's fame has increased exponentially in the past few weeks since he has raised over a million dollars for Mott Hall Academy in New York.  This fundraiser was all due to a particular portrait he took for the Humans of New York blog.  Because Brandon's fame has increased so exponentially in recent weeks, I would love a response to my e-mail but expect nothing.  Someone who not only receive thousands of comments and e-mails every day but also spends his days running around the entire city of New York to take fascinating portraits most likely does not have the time to answer most of his e-mails.

Brandon's book which I asked for as a Christmas present and absolutely love.

Task #28: Attend an Overnight Retreat (Kim)

28.  Attend an Overnight Retreat 

With St. Philips Church, I was able to participate in an Overnight Retreat and spend a night with the Confirmation candidates and other members of the Confirmation team.  Though the pictures may look more like a pajama party, prior to taking these pictures was a time of fun, meditation, and prayer.  We sang songs, read passages from the Bible, and team members lead small group activities like the Water of Life activity.  In the Water of Life activity, candidates created a target-like diagram to depict what people are closest to them in their lives and can guide them through tough decisions in high school.  Along with a team member partner, I lead an skit activity within my small group.  Each group was assigned one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which the Confirmation candidates will receive on Confirmation Day.  My group depicted wisdom in a humorous way comparing it to the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.  Though many of the activities were humorous and light-hearted, the meaning behind each of them was significant.  It was not appropriate to take pictures for Project 52 during these activities; however, after the retreat part of the night was over we took some pictures back in our room.  This was at about 1 a.m; the candidates had gone to sleep, and we had just held a team meeting about the evening's accomplishments.  The next morning, the candidates' parents arrived for a support session prior to a delicious breakfast.  Then, tired but feeling good about the experience simultaneously, we all headed home.

Task #27: Singing Grams

27.  Buy Singing Grams for friends and teachers; record reactions.  

Singing Grams are a Norwalk High tradition on or before Valentine's Day.  To raise money for the Music Department, Chamber Singers dress up and interrupt class to deliver "singing grams".  Students pay to have classmates or teachers sung to in front of their entire class. Rachael and I bought singing grams for several of our teachers and friends.  Rachael also received several singing grams and two are in this video.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Task #26: Accept the No Ice-Bucket Challenge (Kim)

26.  The No Ice-Bucket Challenge

I was encouraged to participate in the ever-popular ice bucket challenge in the summer but never did it.  What bothered me about the ice bucket challenge was video participants often did not donate the money to charity because the choice was either to donate the money OR post the video.  The point of such a challenge should not be the media attention but the awareness of a disease.

As Will Oremus satirically writes in "Take the 'No Ice-Bucket Challenge'", "Be warned, though, the #noicebucketchallenge is not for the faint of heart. It requires real fortitude to give away your hard-earned cash without the promise of receiving piles of Facebook likes in return.".  (http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/08/12/icebucketchallenge_you_don_t_need_an_ice_bucket_to_donate_to_als_research.html)

From February 28 to March 1, I will be participating in the 30 Hour Famine for the first time.  This event entails thirty hours of fasting to raise money and awareness for world hunger.  I recently gave a speech at church telling the congregation exactly how they can get involved because there are so many ways to participate in World Vision events.  The particular event features involves over one hundred and fifty teens from different parishes, and it something amazing to witness.

The 30 Hour Famine is sponsored by World Vision.  Because of the 30 Hour Famine, I accepted the "No Ice-Bucket Challenge".  This entails raising money for a charity you believe in rather than posting a video on social media.

With the help of family and friends, I have reached my goal of fundraising through the World Vision website.  The cost of large latte at Starbucks can feed a child for almost a week, and $35 is enough to support a child for a month.  This shows that even a small amount of money donated through this organization can make a significant impact in someone's life.

If you would like to support my cause, you can do so here:

http://youth.worldvision.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=5235

I also encourage that next time you are nominated for a challenge like the ice bucket challenge, you make sure to consider the true purpose of the challenge.  Getting caught up in tagging your friends on a video is not the point, but raising awareness and funds for a worthy causes is the important goal.


Thank you.

Task #25: Go A Day Without A Cell Phone (Kim)

25.  Go A Day Without A Cell Phone

Foregoing my cell phone for a day seemed like an almost impractical idea, so I decided to try it for Project Explore.  I've had a cell phone since middle school and have rarely gone an entire day without it.  At first, going without it was very easy.  I was busy; it was a snow day, and we had to shovel.  But after shoveling, I found myself missing not only talking to my friends but checking social media sites like Instagram.  I felt a little closed off from the world, so I distracted myself with hot chocolate and A.P. Euro notes.

Prior to this task, my phone was stolen and I had to go nearly a week without a cell phone.  However, I did not receive any reactions from friends about this because everyone knew why I wasn't answering.  I also used other forms of communication including emails and iMessage to talk to them.  So although I had experienced something similar because I didn't have a choice, I decided to go ahead with this task anyway.

Most of the reactions I received were not surprising.  When I opened my phone about 11:00 that evening, I had many texts repeating my name over again, and a few friends wondering if I was angry at them.  I shared some of screenshots of the messages and crossed out the names for privacy reasons. After explaining to my friends it was merely an experiment, most of them were surprised I had gone an entire day without a phone and said they would be unable to do that themselves.  Those who had actually gone an entire day without their cell phones did it for necessity or because they went somewhere for the day and forgot their phones.

My age group is incredibly attached to these devices, and no wonder: they can do amazing things in the palm of our hand.  However, the attachment is often considered unhealthy.  I researched the following article about teens' growing dependency on their phones: http://cell-phone-parental-control-software-review.toptenreviews.com/are-teenagers-becoming-too-attached-to-their-cell-phones.html.  Almost half of all teens can text with their eyes closed, and one-fourth of all texts teens send are sent during class.  Cell phones are not used as purely educational resources at school; students are distracted from class by their cell phones.

My own reaction surprised me.  After the initial discomfort of not having a phone in my hand or in my pocket at all times, I was just fine without it.  Granted, it is much more convenient to have a phone because it provides such fast access to the time, weather forecast, and Internet.  However, I was so focused on myself and what I wanted to get done for the day because I was not being distracted by anything else.  With that being said, I will not consider giving up my cell phone all together.  I would like to increase the productivity on my phone and decrease the number of  conversations I have with friends that do not necessarily have any benefits.