African Fashion Week Chicago

I had the amazing opportunity to audition (month of July) and be chosen to be a model in African Fashion Week Chicago this weekend. I am currently traveling back to Chicago as I write this updated post to you all. The fashion show is a two-day convention centered event. One of Chicago's most innovative designers Olivia has constructed a clothing collection worth the wait. She's usually inspired by vibrant earth-toned fabrics. The picture above is when I attended African Fashion Week's Launch Party. Olivia showcased a sneak peek of her collection with this one of a kind dress. It was an honor to wear. I honestly cannot wait to participate in the runway show this weekend. Be sure to check out their official website. Website: wwww.africanfashionweekchi.com IG: @AFWChicago

9/26 Class Discussion: Identity

Who are you? What makes you say that? Any influences as to how you are the way you are today? These are the kinds of questions that were answered in our class discussion along with other ways of how culture is categorized. I learned the meaning of being influenced by those around you during your childhood and how you could either gravitate towards or away from. I really enjoyed the interactive activity we had as far as sharing each others paper and it helped a lot in getting to know people in the classroom. Trying to categorize information about someone based on their writing and the given words is difficult when the writing is vague or excludes personality. Everything seemed to mix well together. From the writing 'Cultural Baggage' and 'Pet Milk', we are more focused to use the narrator's experiences and/or surroundings to understand the overall concept of what's going on. I love that because its almost like a mystery that needs figuring out with the use of the correct context clues. In addition to that, the movie we watched titled 'Carrie', was like the cap on top of the cultural bottle. Using repetition and certain emphasis on images made the director's point of view noticeable yet dubious in its attempt. Not establishing a consistent reason to recognize the innocent and guilty throughout the movie made it different and introduced a grey area of choice. The narrator in 'Cultural Baggage' didn't believe in sticking to one kind of culture or tradition. Instead, she realized how much her experiences growing up were from borrowing thins from several ethnic backgrounds. "Think for yourself" is a simple and powerful phrase.

Cultural Baggage & Pet Milk

Stuart Dybek's telling of the story and the narration throughout the word illustration reminded me of the poem titled "The Day Lady Died". Frank approached the poem in a way that let me know what was going on and how its relation was to the famous Billie Holiday. In similar comparison, Pet Milk went through a daily routine that described the way a day began and ended. Changing the setting for either piece is like changing the entire story. The swirls in the coffee that was described as being "ivory" could represent the cultivation of what happens when two different things mix. Barbara's Cultural Baggage brought to my attention how there is never always a black and white to a situation. The narrator grew up while adapting different cultures. Overall, I liked the reading of cultural baggage because it in a way described my view point of how it is not necessary to be put in a traditional box. "Think for yourself", "Always ask why", "Try new things", and "None" are all phrases and words I heard growing up in my Chicago household.

Strength & Skill

I recently finished a book called "The Road". One of the most prominent themes in "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy as well as in his interview with Oprah Winfrey is this ideal of strength and skills.Like most novels about survival, The Road exalts the resourcefulness of its protagonist. Resourcefulness becomes an enshrined skill, partly because it ensures the survival of loved ones. Resourcefulness also allows the protagonist to connect with a disappearing world. Fixing a stove or shopping cart is not only necessary for his survival – it's also necessary to preserve a few man-made artifacts that might otherwise quickly vanish. That said, resourcefulness can sometimes morph into violence or cunning. (In the post-apocalyptic setting of the novel, extreme violence is always just around the corner.)In one passage, The Man fixes their shopping cart while "[t]he boy sat watching everything" (22.1). McCarthy is a natural teacher, his thoughts on the craft of fiction simple and down-to-earth. Of his decision to eschew quotation marks and semicolons, he says, "You shouldn't block the page up with weird little marks. If you write properly, you shouldn't have to punctuate." At the same time, "You really have to be aware that there are no quotation marks to guide people, and write in such a way that it won't be confusing as to who is speaking." On a more inspirational level, he says that anyone with enough determination can manage to avoid day jobs and compromises just as he has. "You're just here once, life is brief, and to have to spend every day of it doing what somebody else wants you to do is not the way to live it."

Both McCarthy and Oprah clearly enjoy their conversation, showing a kind of opposites-attract chemistry as two people who have excelled at the highest level of very different fields. She catches him blushing as he admits that The Road is a love letter to his son, and chides him for his failure to understand women even after three marriages. As she leads him through topics from life to literature to personal finance, he never seems inclined to dumb down or dress up his answers, but gives carefully considered responses that show real respect for the questioner.

At the same time, the contrast can be striking between Oprah's can-do, The Secret-inflected positivity and McCarthy's drier, more humble philosophy. Early in the interview, she asks him about his passion for writing, the importance of being passionate about your work being a key theme in her message for young people. He answers with a shrug and characteristic shy laugh.
"I don't know. Passion ... it sounds like a pretty fancy word. I like what I do, and I suppose I ... some writers have said in print that they hated writing, it was a chore and a burden, and I certainly don't feel that way about it".

Sinners In The Hands Of God

Wow! That single word was my first expression after reading this passage about "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God". This passage is very intimidating and powerful, so much so it makes you think about what you've done as a child of God. This passage seems to be as if from a very devout religious group of Christians that are strict. So strict in fact, you can't even live life freely without being conscious of EVERY SINGLE MOVE you make throughout the day. Besides the fact that this was written about or for a devout Christian group, maybe Purtans, this passage elaborated a lot on detail. By giving the passage detail on each subject gave it life. Reading this passage gave me perspective on what it would be like to live under this type of fear. Overall the poem was informative and interesting. Being in a type of situation where some one is shoving down my throat what I should know and what I should do makes it already extremely hard to even believe or follow that person. If someone were to sermon me any message that goes like, "JOIN US OR DIE" or "IF YOU MESS UP, NO SECONDS CHANCES," I would not even think to believe a single word this person is saying. I would just tell them, "Just stop it all." then leave(although I must admit I'd probably be scared just a little) Now, if they power that if I told them that I don't believe to do "something" to me so I will confess that I "believe" so then I really wouldn't say anything. Tell them I believe when I don't, that's what I would do. In addition, the imagery helped me understand a lot of where the author was going with it too.I was brought to Fear a God that understands I was born in sin and realizes I'm probably going to make mistakes in this world,but seeking forgiveness through repentance. On the other hand, could it be that their reason(the Puritans) for being so straight-forward about being perfect all the time is to put people in a mind state that allows no room for mistakes even though (they know) there is?

Fast Forward

This week during our class discussion, I learned the technique of being able to write a story or poem describing a particular kind of person without actually saying it. Through style of wording and choice of action verbs, it helps the reader distinguish either the speaker or its audience properly. "The Day Lady Died" by Frank O'Hara was a great example of this style of writing in my opinion. Third stanza of the poem, "..I stick with Verlaine after practically going to sleep with quandariness..". I found it very interesting that there was even a reference to the amazing Billie Holiday. Recently just watched the biography movie of her very interesting life story. The narrator's daily routine was life changing for him because it would no longer be the same. In relation to the world we live in today, everything we do reflects the future lifestyle of ourselves and those around us.

Introduction: Getting to Know Me

My name is Amber Murdock and I'm a freshman studying Business: Management and Real Estate Marketing at Western Michigan University. Born and raised in Chicago, my experiences have taught me to appreciate life to the fullest. I love making, styling, and hearing about clothes that are fashion forward. I have a younger sister and 5 generations of my family still living. Truly a blessing. Most people would describe me as a very optimistic, relaxed, and humorous person. Seriously, I love at so many things. God is my number one support system. I am excited for what is to come and all my future endeavors. In this world, I don't see myself growing up doing one thing in life. Maybe it's because I have yet to commit to something fully. I am a multitasker and "3-dimensional" kind of person. On top of doing everything, I'm young and ambitious leader who desires a career path of becoming a successful entrepreneur in real estate, fashion, and filling the shoes of my parents owned and well established businesses. Exploring the fields of entrepreneurship is highly important to me. Mainly because of the interesting skills that are developed overtime. James Matthew Barrie once said, "Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else." With that being said, the future for me always consist of more than one possibility and end.