In terms of my passion blog, I’ll probably end up using the same passion topic I did last semester: video game reviewing! I honestly had such a blast writing all of the reviews and evaluating different games I was playing, and I couldn’t wait to do it again this semester. That I got to play video games for school was also definitely something that made me less guilty about spending my break time playing them.
If I did do any other passion blog, here’s some ideas:
-Going around to different art exhibits around campus and downtown and writing a little bit about them and what I thought about the pieces! One of my Art History classes gave examples of a bunch of different places I could find exhibits, so I wouldn’t have to go back to the Hub every week for something. I probably will be taking a look around exhibits even if I don’t do this- apparently there’s a place downtown that has regular art (visual and performing) exhibits that change often! You can just go in and see something new every time, which is really exciting.
-This one is a little out there, but I enjoy music and curating different playlists for the week. I could make different playlists for occasions or just for the week, link them here, and explain why I put on there what I did. I think this would be super fun, and if I’m talking about every song on a 10-20 song playlist I don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to hit the word count even though it’s a little out there. However, if we’re doing the same commenting on other people’s blogs as last time, this could get a little tiring for the people reviewing and I wouldn’t want to make something if nobody was going to listen to it.
Some ideas for my civic issues blog:
-How schools are dealing with COVID-19. A lot of people seem to want students to go back to school, even through Omicron. Some schools are closing, some aren’t. Some schools are making young students pay for tests if they’re unvaccinated, and it can become an easy way to contract the disease. However, some argue that it’s good for students’ mental health to not have classes online again.
-Pressure in high schools for students to participate extracurriculars, multiple AP classes, and participate in sports at the same time all while juggling personal life and potentially jobs. Because of college applications, students often have to take on a heavy courseload and have extra things to “recommend” them in order to have a better chance at getting into the schools they want. Could also look at higher tuition costs in comparison to what it used to cost students.
-Lack of support for (and demonization of) houseless people, to the point of architecture deliberately designed to keep people from sleeping on the ground or on benches. Could look at the lack of support systems here as well, as it’s hard for people to get back on their feet. It can be harder to get a job as a houseless person, and you need a job to get money for food and housing.
Finally, my This I Believe podcast ideas:
–Not everything is going to work out. Sometimes things are supposed to end, and all you can do is enjoy them while you have them. Not every relationship lasts forever. Sometimes you fall out of contact with friends. You lose interest in hobbies. That doesn’t mean that these experiences aren’t worth living. Even if things aren’t eternal, you can still get valuable knowledge and experience during them. Things can make you happy and not last, and that’s okay.
–Try not to assume things about people. You might see someone and not like them at first glance- think they’re uncool or self-centered. However, everybody has their own things that make them interesting, and you might have more in common with someone than you think. You just need to be open to possibilities (and a little conversation).
These are really cool ideas. I think the passion blog idea is about going to different art exhibits around campus and talking about that… it would be very interesting to read about. As for the This I Believe Podcast ideas, I think “not everything is going to work out” would be really cool to work on. I think that there is something extremely validating in this phrase, and it brings a sense of closure. I’m excited to see what you do!
I love your current passion blog topic – it’s super unique and something that I don’t know a lot about, so I’m looking forward to reading your opinions and learning!
For your podcast, I like your idea of how schools are dealing with COVID-19, but I’m not sure if this would have enough meat in it to use as a full blog topic. I think the second one is the best option, because a lot of people have opinions on the homeless population and it would be interesting to see real research and facts about it!
And lastly, I love the idea of not everything’s going to work out. I’m a big believer in this, so this is the clear winner for me. Super excited to see what you do!
All of your civic issues blog topic sound interesting, but I definitely think that your third idea would be a brilliant one to write about. I think that is an important topic that is very rarely spoken about.
I would be interested to read about playlists for different occasions or your music taste in general. Music being subjective and different for everyone is fun to see.