Hashtag Yolo Swag

Hey I'm Sarah and I'm probably one of this biggest nerds you will ever meet. I like drag queens. Enjoy.

[comicbookgurl]

The logo I chose was the Batman logo. Now, you may be thinking, "that's a logo, Sarah, but it's not a logo, like for a company or something." But let me ask you this: you see this logo, and you immediately think of Batman, right? Batman is a product, you buy the comic books, action figures, movies, etc. and you know what? You're gonna recognize this logo wherever you go, at any time. See a version that looks slightly different? "Oh, that's just the [new/old] Batman logo." You see this on a t-shirt you're gonna instantly know that it's Batman. It sticks with you, it's simple, it's effective, it's memorable. That's a good logo.

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For my interesting topic, I chose, you guessed it, DRAG MAKEUP!! This video is by Miss Fame and I love it (and her) so much because her makeup is always absolutely flawless and gorgeous. In this video, she gives a super detailed step-by-step process for her drag makeup routine, and all of her personal tips for creating a flawless makeup look.

I guess why I like drag is hard to pin down to any one reason, it's definitely a combination of things. First of all, I have always loved fashion and beauty, and that is obviously one of the main focuses of drag. I also love the crazy personalities and attitudes that a lot of drag queen exhibit, as I feel like these reflect my own. And even beyond drag, I love the gay community because it is so full of acceptance and love, and honestly, that's what I'm all about. Acceptance, love, fashion, glitter, makeup, and sass. There you go, that's me in a nutshell. That's why I love drag.

[comicbookgurl]

While I was doing my research for my essay, I learned the Monique "Fauxnique" Jenksinson was the only biological women to ever win the Miss Trannyshack pageant, which is incredibly interesting because it's a title given out to drag queens, and Jenkinson is a faux queen. I managed to find her winning performance online, and really, it's quite moving. You can see how beautifully she dances, and how meticulously she plans her choreography. I recommend watching the whole thing, the ending is quite something.

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How "The Hunger Games" Uses You to Advertise

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Lipsyncing for Your Life: A Highly Detailed Survival Analysis of RuPaul’s Drag Race

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I'm a big fan of RuPaul's Drag Race. The transformation, the glamour, the sheer eleganza extravanga is something my life needs to interrupt the monotony of grad school. I was able to catch up on nearly four seasons in a little less than a month, and I've been watching the current (fifth) season religiously every Monday at Plan B, the gay bar across from my house.

Because my topic is so "underground," I really struggled to find any graphs, charts, etc. related to it, so I had to expand my scope of research to just drag queens in general. It's not really related to my topic at all, but I found it quite interesting. A UW-Madison student, Alex Hanna, did an in-depth analysis of the success rates of the contestants of RuPaul's Drag Race. Hanna examines the success rates of the contestants based on age, number of challenges won, number of lip-syncs participated in (indicates being in the bottom two for a challenge), as well as various other smaller statistics such as the size of the queen and whether or not they are Puerto Rican (the significance of being a Puerto Rican queen would take to long to explain in this brief...explanation). He does find some significant data, such as queens who participate in 3 lip-syncs always go home on their third time in the bottom 2, and if a queen has one 4 or more challenges she is guaranteed to win (although this has only been achieved by the flawless Sharon Needles). Overall, it's actually really, really interesting to read, but probably more-so if you are familiar with the queens and the seasons of the show.

[comicbookgurl]

If The Wig Fits: Female Drag Queens

âWomen have existed in the art of drag for a very long time as object, as that which is imitated,â explains California-based drag performance artist Monique/âFauxniqueâ, âbiological females performing in lady drag are claiming a place both as performed object and as performing subject.â Bio Queens, Faux Femmes, F2F (female â to â female) drag queens, whatever anyone wants to call them, one thing remains the same: these are biological women (born with lady bits at birth) who were also born for glitz, glam, and drag. Long the domain of men masquerading as women, or women masquerading as men, a new perspective has been developing at the arty fringes of the conventional drag scene for well over two decades, but only in the last few years have these women started to gain their rightful acknowledgement as Female Drag Performers.

This article discusses female drag impersonators, otherwise known as "faux queens" or "bio queens." It explores what it means to be a biological female working in the typically male side of drag, as well as the controversies it brings up amongst the community itself.

This article has literally nothing to do with my major, but seeing as I've always wanted to be a drag queen, I feel a strong personal connection to this subject matter, so that is why I am choosing this topic for my research paper.

[comicbookgurl]

Most Parents Like Their Child's Education, But Not The Common Core

Even as American students continue to post underwhelming results on international exams, most parents are pleased with the education their child is receiving. A poll from Gallup released Thursday found that 75 percent of parents would describe th...

This article briefly discusses the approval rating from parents across the country about the American k-12 system, and the approval ratings of common core standards, which are quite low. Common core has received opposition from parents across the country due to it's overreaching control on the educational system and the standards that it hold the children to.

This issue relates to my future career because common core standards are something that I am going to have to adhere to. I'm not only going to have to be able to incorporate these standards into my lesson plans, I'm also going need to be able to discuss and defend common core standards to the parents of my students.

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Kids Are Substantially More Likely To Take ADHD Medication During This Time Of Year, Says Study

While the number of children medicated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) continues to rise, a new study shows that the number of kids who actually take such medication varies by season. According to research published this month ...

This article discusses how research has shown that students are more likely to take ADHD medication just during the school year, as opposed to taking it continuously year round. These rates, however, are higher in states with high academic pressure and students from high-income families.

This is important to my major because, as a teacher, I will likely have to teach students with ADHD. With ADHD diagnoses on the rise, it's inevitably going to become a larger issue within my career. This also related back to teaching because a lot of these students are being misdiagnosed because they lose interest during school...what can I as a teacher do to help them remain actively engaged in my classroom?

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Courtship? Meh.

The New York Times: The End of Courtship?

Slate: Technology Killed Courtship. Good Riddance.

If I had to choose which of these two articles I agreed with more, I would have to say the one from Slate. Gender roles are something that I am very passionate about...particularly about breaking them. NY Times' article seems to very strongly enforce the typical ideas of a "traditional" dating situation, and this is just not the case anymore. Today's society in particular lacks a need of definite gender roles like it used to...and as such, just like gender and gender roles, dating can no longer be viewed as such a static, one dimensional thing.

On the other hand, the NY Times article brings up some other valid points. While there is nothing wrong with using technology as a form of communication when it comes to dating, there are certain standards and a certain amount of effort that should be taken into account. If you want to go on a date with someone, don't send them a text the day-of that just says "sup" or "what are you doing later ;)" Send them an invitation, and please, please, PLEASE use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. "Hey, are you free next Friday? I was thinking maybe we could grab dinner together. :)"

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Why we should love material things more – Nick Thorpe – Aeon

The problem with our society is not that it values material things too much but that it doesn’t value them enough

In Nick Thorpe's article, "Why We Should Love Material Things More," he discusses we should cherish our material possessions more. He notes that in today's society, more and more people look to material objects as a source of satisfaction and happiness, but this is not what Thorpe is talking about. He wants people to appreciate the things they own, as opposed to either totally removing yourself from material goods (as with some religions) or having too many. Thorpe seeks a balance of appreciation for what you own, and occasionally splurging on important, possibly necessary items.

I would say that I mostly do agree with the author. I admit, I am a lover of things, but I try not to buy things excessively, although I do feel good when I buy new things. Similar to Thorpe, I try to cherish what I already have. I rarely throw things away, partially due to my OCD, partially due to my love of my possessions. Some things in particular that I cling to are my clothes. I will admit that I have way too many clothes, but I can at least say that I wear all or most of them on a semi-frequent basis. One thing that I truly cherish above all of my possessions though, is my baby blanket, the aptly named "Blankey." I have had her my whole life and I refuse to let go. She comforts me when I am upset, she makes me feel happy, and she's always around when I need her.

[comicbookgurl]

Hey, my name is Sarah, and I am currently a student at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. I'm 19, and in my sophomore year with a double major in English for Secondary Education and studio art.

I grew up in Deephaven, MN, with my parents and two older sibling, Karina and Kristian, who are 24 and 21 respectively. We are all super close, and a bunch of nerds. 

My interests include art (specifically drawing and painting), music, comic books, movies, TV shows, reading, hanging with friends, and generally spending most of my time on my laptop. My favourite movie is Inception, my favourite TV show is BBC's Sherlock, and my favourite band is My Chemical Romance. I'm kind of known for wearing my signature red lipstick, and lots lots LOTS of black clothing.

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An investigation by ProPublica, PBS

This article discusses the issues that are currently (or at least at the time this was written in 2011) running rampant through the coronary field in the U.S. Many offices are underfunded, understaffed, or inappropriately staffed. Many deaths have been misreported or un-examined at all, and murderers have gotten away totally free. The tone of the article is sort of a plea for reform. You can sense the direness of the situation, and the need for change in the field. Sometimes it felt accusatory, and others it felt full of pity. These feelings they create help you (the reader) sympathize with the author's argument and feel the need for change in the coronary field.

[comicbookgurl]

This is the music video for the song "Helena" by My Chemical Romance. I chose this video because My Chemical Romance is my favourite band, and this song was the one that introduced me to them, so it has a very special place in my heart. The video also does a pretty good job of summarizing my style, as I wear a lot of black and red. I could honestly just talk about this video/band forever, so I'm gonna stop here.