The controversial Oscar nominated film Whiplash confronts “tough love” or just tough teaching techniques as means of accomplishing greatness. The movie revolves around a freshman drum student Andrew Neiman (played by Miles Teller) who is recruited into the top studio jazz band at the fictional, elite Shaffer Conservatory. Arrogant and self-assured of his talents, Andrew encounters his match: the cold-hearted, rude, and impossible to please Terrance Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons). Fletcher does not only expect great things from all of his young charges, but craves perfection. His intense tactics and unattainable expectations quickly begin to consume Andrew’s world. Andrew’s determination and unhuman drive turns into an unhealthy obsession with his drumming. He slowly relinquishes aspects of a normal, teenage boy’s life from friendship to romance to family in order to focus on his music career.
Teachers can make a difference in their students’ lives. We all remember our favorite teacher who inspired us to pursue our dreams. Perhaps it was his or her kindness, patience, or encouragement when we wanted to give up that is engrained in our memories. Not all teachers, however, change lives through empathetic techniques. Some employ harsh, strict, and even degrading methods meant to motivate students to push pass their limits toward success.
The controversial Oscar nominated film Whiplash confronts “tough love” or just tough teaching techniques as means of accomplishing greatness. The movie revolves around a freshman drum student Andrew Neiman (played by Miles Teller) who is recruited into the top studio jazz band at the fictional, elite Shaffer Conservatory. Arrogant and self-assured of his talents, Andrew encounters his match: the cold-hearted, rude, and impossible to please Terrance Fletcher (played by J.K. Simmons). Fletcher does not only expect great things from all of his young charges, but craves perfection. His intense tactics and unattainable expectations quickly begin to consume Andrew’s world. Andrew’s determination and unhuman drive turns into an unhealthy obsession with his drumming. He slowly relinquishes aspects of a normal, teenage boy’s life from friendship to romance to family in order to focus on his music career.
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One of the upsides of being away from New York City in the autumn is that the pumpkin spice lattes are significantly cheaper. Other than that, I miss falls in the city. With the sweltering heat of the summer a blast from the past and the bitter frost of winter just a figment of the future, autumn is the best time to get out and about in the Big Apple. There is something absolutely magical about how nature intertwines with the urban jungle at this time of year. The trees with their newly colored robes are quite the inspiration and seem to have a profound effect on New Yorkers…yes, even the busy brokers seem to smile at the changing seasons. The line between the natural and the manmade is blurred as the hoods of taxicabs and the concrete sidewalk cannot escape the shower of red and orange that falls onto their surfaces. As you jump into the fun this autumn has to bring to New York City, be mindful of your wallet. Like I have said, all those pumpkin spice lattes from the hipster East Village cafes do add up! Try Personal Capital's free wealth management tools to help with budgeting this fall and to learn more about making the most with less. After all, though New York is definitely one of the most expensive cities in the world, you do not have to spend a bundle to take in all it has to offer. In the fall, especially, most of the best opportunities are actually free! New York City, in its efforts to “go green,” has implemented many new programs in the past to encourage biking. Citi bikes provide convenient access to bicycles all around the city. New bike lanes have been placed on many streets. However, while we may have lessened our carbon footprint by a bit, we have created plenty of new inconveniences and problems, collectively known as bikers.
I have developed a strong distaste for bikers in the city. Yes, I know this is quite a broad statement and I am sure most bikers are perfectly decent people. I would probably get along with most of them as long as they are off their bikes. Mounted on their annoying two-wheeler vehicles, they are not only obnoxious, but also unbelievably reckless and pose a great danger to anyone who steps foot on a New York City street. Every time I am in the city, I witness at least one close call or actual accident between a biker and someone else, either a pedestrian or a driver. In my own experiences, I have nearly been wiped out by speeding cyclists many times. During my freshman year, I suffered severely from homesickness. Moving from the big city to the countryside was a huge culture shock and really made me appreciate home a lot more. Even though I tried my best to acclimate to the new environment and immerse myself in the unique opportunities of Williamstown, I still gravitated to anything New York centric. During the chilly winter months when it was too snowy and cold to be outside, I found comfort in movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime, which I accidentally purchased after signing up for Amazon Student. One particular show I discovered was Smash, a musical drama that follows the production and development of a fictional Broadway show. There are quite a few reasons why I was drawn to this show. The obvious one is the focus on musical theater and Broadway. After watching tons of Broadway.com backstage 10 minute vlogs, I was thrilled to get a full 60 minute episode documenting the process of creating a Broadway show, even one that was fake. The series also had a cast made up of plenty of big theater names. Furthermore, at the time, Glee was probably the only other musical television series that was running and the pulled-thin storyline was getting a bit too much like one of a soap-opera for my tastes. Smash had a much heartier and believable plot and provided classy music covers performed in more honest situations, rather than huge unrealistic song and dance numbers on the streets of New York. |
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