The first time I saw a "fidget spinner" was when one of my nieces was over at my house. I hadn't heard of them before, and didn't think a whole lot about it when I saw it. The toys apparently are this year's adolescent fad. My dad (who is not an adolescent) purchased the fidget spinner I'm holding in the picture above -- at a gas station. I told him I wanted to do a blog post about fidget spinners...so he dropped it by... There are claims that the spinners relieve anxiety and soothe the symptoms of ADHD. There are also claims stating that those claims are a load of bull. Fidget spinners have been banned at various schools for being a distraction. I saw a post today on Facebook demonstrating how the washer-like metal circles are a potential choking hazard (the "fun police" are never too far from a new fad). I've spent the last four days with this white fidget spinner. I must admit that I feel more anxious since it has been in our home. I'm not sure that is the fault of the spinner, but I feel obliged to be truthful about my current mood since the spinner and I are in close proximity.
I mean, I guess it's cool to watch it spin. I'm not altogether sure why they have become so popular. It doesn't really do a whole lot. My dad said he likes to start it spinning, and then take a pencil and see if he can perfectly thread it through one of the three spinning holes. Maybe this is how people felt about the Slinky when it was introduced in the 1940s -- "Look Ethel! That spring can walk itself down a staircase. Shazam!" The spinners retail online with prices ranging from a couple bucks all the way up to $15 dollars. (Pro tip: Don't pay $15 for one of these things.) I guess there are worse things your daughters and sons could be interested in. In a way, it is heartening that something so "old school" is so popular in 2017. Maybe that's the appeal. In a society that revolves around intently looking and tapping on LED screens, there is a certain retro charm in an item that is the epitome of analog amusements. Check out my previous post: These Kids Are "Sharp … Cheddar Sharp"
My favorite classes in school were those that were skill-based -- courses requiring the use of mechanical skills to create something. The photography class Bridget and I took at the University of Nebraska at Omaha ranks near the top of my list. This was before digital cameras permeated our culture. Everything was shot on Kodak T-Max 400 film. I captured my pics on a manual-focus Pentax camera my dad purchased for me. The course required us to develop our own film, then use those negatives to create black-and-white prints in the darkroom located in the Weber Fine Arts Building. As far as I'm concerned, it was the best class I took during my time at UNO. THE NEXT GENERATION OF CREATIVES ... My niece Julia has had a good time taking a similar type of course at the Omaha Public Schools Career Center (located in the former Omaha Technical High School building). She is taking Digital Video Production. The course allows Julia and her fellow students to learn the process of making movies in the digital realm. They write, produce, direct, act, shoot and edit their projects with a team. Julia has had the opportunity to learn the tools of the trade, and discover the ins-and-outs of using Adobe Premiere Pro CC to edit and finalize her films. As a graphic designer, I'm excited that she has the opportunity to experience the sort of "hands on" learning that is too often shrugged off in favor of a theory-based "college prep" curriculum. LOAD UP THOSE PEZ DISPENSERS Julia and her fellow students had the opportunity to compete in the first-ever Omaha Metro High School 7-7-7 Film Championship.
The competition was an opportunity for local high school film students to try their hand at making a seven-minute (maximum length) film in seven days. There were seven challenges included in the task (example: the students had to include a Pez dispenser in some creative way). The competition culminated with the "7-7-7 Screenings & Awards Showcase" (their own low-key version of an Oscar ceremony) at the Durham Museum on May 2.
HOW DID THEY DO? Julia's team created the film "The Robbery" -- a comedy about a nighttime heist in surburbia. She told me that the scripts of her two teammates (the two male stars of the film) were combined together to create the overall narrative structure (along with a dose of improvisation during the process). She wasn't sure how her team would fare, but the group finished in 6th place in the overall standings (out of 21 teams).
Here is the film. Our Oldsmobile Alero -- which Bridget let Julia borrow -- makes an appearance in the film:
These students are really talented, and I think they created a story that was funny and "cheddar sharp" (to reference a line from the film). In addition to "The Robbery," the other projects screened on May 2 featured some inventive stories and skilled production work. The top finisher ("Best of Show") in the competition was a thriller titled "Memorandum." The team who produced the film is also part of the Digital Video Production program at the OPS Career Center. Their film is dark, brooding and visually compelling. Take a look:
The video was also honored for "Best Use of #7" in the competition (another one of the 7 challenges filmmakers had to incorporate in their production).
What's impressive about these projects is that the students were dealing with difficult time constraints and requirements (considering all the other coursework busy high schoolers have to focus on in a given week). The film "Sweet Love of Mime" was one of my favorites. The team from Westside created a cute vibe and a whimsical style for their entry, and the team finished in 3rd place:
It was fun to see how the students included Pez dispensers in their videos. This team (also from Westside) won the award for "Best Use of Prop" and finished in 4th place:
