Alice in Wonderland Movie

May I dare say that Hollywood could’ve done better! The movie version of Alice was entertaining but disappointing. I was expecting a lot more from the film, but rather, the rewriting of the story was a bit of a turn-off, and some characters were rather annoying. The small screen did better with a TV version of Alice which also strays from the book, but in fact, is quite entertaining to the last second! Hollywood with a multi-million dollar budget could’ve easily managed to top that, but at last, not every movie is a success.

Comedic Characters


The Cheshire cat was extremely annoying to me. I don’t know why in particular, but I would blame the animations and the voice and basically everything about the cat except the part where it saved the Mad Hatter that was pretty cool, but back to point, the cat annoyed me. Tweedledum and Tweedledee were really cool though. I thought they were awesome, and they would’ve saved the film for me at least had it not been for the caterpillar. I was always fond of the caterpillar in the book, but in the movie, he looks so old and speaks so little. That was horrible in my opinion. And I mean the Indiana Jones smoke screen entrance followed by an old caterpillar was simply horrible. Caterpillar needed more swagger, and this was a major disappointment. The white queen was too weird throughout the whole film. I’m not sure if people would agree on this, but I thought that she would do more in the beginning. Towards the end, her role was much better, but she started off poorly.

Not Exactly what I was Expecting


Now to some pros. The Mad Hatter was good partly due to Johnny Depp! The Mad Hatter was Mad Cool.. [Johnny Depp Voice] “aHAHAaHAHA.” That laugh was absolutely hysterical. It’s like that time when we all tried to imitate the Coocoo bird (I think that’s the name but might be wrong). The best part about Alice was of course Alice and the Rabbit. That scene was pretty cool, and when she falls down the rabbit hole, that portrayal was utterly amazing.

The Laugh


Overall, the movie was a failure. I didn’t like the story variation. The graphics were cool and the movie was fun to watch, but I wouldn’t do it again, even if I got paid! Now that’s saying something… Hollywood can do better. Creativity is your forte, yet in the story with the most creative leeway, you fail... Why?! But you’ll bounce back Hollywood with like a sequel or some bizarre play on the story, but you will bounce back… guaranteed!

Letter to Incoming Class

Dear Incoming Bumpsters of 2010-20111,

Hi, my name is Sharad Sharma. First of all Congrats! For making it into UT, into Plan II and into Bump’s class! I’m sure we’ll meet someday, but here are some pointers for y’all so that you have an idea of what to expect this year. First of all, this class is more of a creative class, so don’t even worry about the course load and just worry about having fun! I know that I didn’t listen to any of the “just relax” speeches that the upper classmen gave me, but I’m telling you, “just relax.” This class does require a time commitment for the readings and some experiential learning, but honestly, you can get by with Sparknotes if you wanted to.

The most important thing in this class is most definitely time management. Make sure you stay on top of things because they will pile up if you don’t. I can attest to that literally. Another thing, please don’t be late. I tested this restriction, and well, just don’t do it. If you have an academic reason or something credible as an excuse, let Bump and someone in class know the moment you know as that will help your cause, but avoid being late at all costs.

Another very important factor is to make friends. It’s your first year at UT, and you probably don’t know a lot of people. Go out and be social. Say “Hi” to people you recognize and stay connected. Communication is so much easier in today’s age. Facebook is great. Text is better! Just chilling is cool, but being active is so much better! You will enjoy your first year a lot better if you’re able to connect with the people around you. Almost all first years are in the same position as you. They don’t know a lot of people. So in those first few weeks, go out. Get to know people on your floor. Learn the landscape of UT and Austin. Find places to eat and hang out! All of this will go a long way to help getting you settled in.

That’s basically it on my part. You’re all smart people and you’ll do better than fine as long as you don’t procrastinate… guaranteed! Don’t be afraid of Bump. He appreciates conversation, and you can talk to him about whatever… he does not mind! You can most definitely talk to me if you’d like, my email is (13shad@gmail.com). Any time y’all need advice or want to hang out, just let me know. Once more, don’t worry, especially about this class. Stay on top of things and don’t get lazy like me (but I’m a professional so I can pull it off)! Make friends!

Sincerely,

Sharad Sharma

Holi

Holi is my second most favorite festival ever (first one is Diwali)! The festival of colors is a unique and amazing tradition. First of all, it’s a chance to spread some joy in the form of colors, and secondly, it’s mad fun! The best part about it is that nobody is off limits (at least in India), and the mood everywhere is one of joy and bliss. And if all that wasn’t enough, the HSC also had Bollywood music playing in the background, and I got to do some Bhangra!

Holi at UT


Festivals such as Holi are merely an excuse for me to show my roots! I am from India and proud of it. The culture and the tradition found there are unique and the ideology of India is somehow limited to its borders and people of the region. It’s this ideology that allows for Hindu festivals like Holi to bring joy to people across the globe, and to the hearts of those, who possess it within their souls. For me, Holi is more than just colors. It represents friendship! The jovial mood is the optimum environment to make new friends and to settle disputes. There is nothing that powdered color can’t redecorate. At the end of the day, everybody gives off a different glow!

Holi at Barsana Dham


Another important feature about Holi is that it allows me to share my culture with my friends. I am able to show them how it’s like in India. Who believes me when I say, “Oh! In India, there’s a festival where we throw color at everybody and don’t stop until there’s color EVERYWHERE!” I had no luck in Laredo, but a few YouTube Videos always help settle the argument. It’s a global world and people ought to be know what the second most populous country does for fun every year. Austin however is a different scene. People literally know what I mean when I say Holi, and that’s a significant aspect of the festival for me. Plus, there’s nothing funnier than to see people of a different culture end up as a mix of blue, pink, green… etc. The color wars are most definitely brilliant as well. There’s so much fun to be had!

I think the Sound Malfunctioned... :(


Actually in such manners, Holi is just like any other festival. It’s unique due to the traditions, and it gives people an excuse to gather and be happy. It educates those who don’t know and gives a break from the norm to those who do. Holi is colorfully wonderful and its bliss is ever present. Even now, as I type, I’m smiling and giggling over the memories created. And looking back, these memories wouldn’t have been possible without Holi, so there’ll never be another festival as exciting unless of course that festival happens to be Diwali!

Coetzee

After reading his book, I thought of Coetzee to be a very boring person. His tone would always manage to put me to sleep. In person, he’s quite the opposite. His speech upon censorship was very well received at least by me. He has had many honors including a Nobel Prize which UT celebrated by making the Tower glow red in his honor in 93. Immediately, an accolade such as that increases the gravity an individual holds within a room. All of a sudden, everything they do makes sense and is amazing, so before Coetzee started, I told myself, “Don’t fall for the Nobel-Trap… hear him for what he says.”

My Camera died so y'all have to settle for Online Pics :(


So I took to my gut and strapped down to listen. His whole thought process about censorsh8ip started when he read a book titled “The Literary Police” by Peter McDonald. He claims it’s absolutely eye-opening however I have yet to be a critic there. Still, Coetzee himself was significantly affected by censorship in South Africa as during the peak of his writing career there were bans placed on many books trying to get published in South Africa. Of course, the censors were anonymous, but years after these incidents, Coetzee managed to get a hold of the report upon his books by the censors. His books were almost always deemed to be “read only by intellectuals” (Michael Kay, one of Coetzee’s censors) and therefore, Coetzee posed no threat to South Africa, and his books enjoyed the privilege of being published.

This made me laugh


Later on while reading these reports, Coetzee learns that he personally knew almost all of his censors. Which makes him wonder… why do people censor? The most similar and sound comparison I found to Coetzee’s conclusion was a parent. I know that every time I was forbidden to do something it was for my own good. For example, my mom would say, “Sharad don’t touch that plant… it’s poison ivy!" Things are censored from kids by parents not because parents are trying to be mean, but they simply have their child’s best interest at heart. A censor works the same way except for an entire nation. They don’t want a literary document floating around that will inspire civil unrest, and they don’t want to ban all literature as that is an important art form that inspires people to achieve their best. So censors are analogous to parents in that sense. Coetzee didn’t make this analogy, but it just dawned upon me naturally at the same time as Coetzee’s argument.

Parents shield their child the same way a Censor shields the nation!


Coetzee’s style of speech and tone of voice were everything but boring! I enjoyed his speech very much and was thrilled that I will receive extra credit for it. It’s sort of like going to Nam Le back in the Fall. I went in with zero expectations and left enlightened! It is funny how in college that seems to happen more often than one can count to three. Immediately, I understood from the quality of his speech that he was a Nobel Winner. His gravity in the room grew after his speech and I applauded from the bottom of my heart. That’s right! It wasn’t a fake applaud… that was real! The Honor bestowed upon him 93 most definitely manifests itself in his speech. Coetzee is brilliant!

UT vs PETA

I would like to believe that UT always wins, but that debate went to PETA for sure. Partly because the PETA-guy was a much better speaker than the UT State Champion Debaters... I have for the majority of my life been a vegetarian, so I was naturally inclined to support the PETA argument, however I never saw an argument against eating meat other than me seeing it as unethical. There is another argument as proven by the PETA spokesman and it's an economic argument. The UT team didn't refute this at all which sort weakened their support, and all they said basically was that eating meat isn't unethical but only natural. Maybe it's a little clearer now why the debate winner is crowned as PETA who actually debated with UT instead of agreeing with them.

A Pun that Would've Helped UT


So going into some form of detail about the PETA argument. First Point: There is no ethical meat. Even on farms where animals are cared for and killed "gently," the act of killing itself instills an environment of fear within the other animals, and with the EQ of animals, it's obvious that it's not a pleasant environment for them as they know they're not safe. UT would say that it's only natural state of being considering that chickens ans such animals aren't at the top of the food chain, and to that I say, "How much fun is it to be the buffalo in front of a pride of lions?" That's such a stupid argument on the UT Debate Team's part. They weren't debating; they were being diplomatic. "Umm.. PETA guy I agree with you but you can't say that..." I mean there was no tact in their argument whereas the PETA guy had charts, videos and statistical figures that gave the "legit" status.

Legit Status


Main Point: It costs more to society to raise and slaughter animals than to go vegetarian/vegan. Apparently in terms of food, animals are fed a lot, and for every pound of meat, the return on that investment is substantially less. Therefore, the slaughter industry is an expensive one at a macroeconomic level. Using alternate options for our nutrition (vegetarianism) would significantly increase the food supply in the world which in turn could save many humans who are dying from hunger. PETA guy argues that human life is more valuable than animal life. UT guys basically ignore this as they most probably agree with it. But this is the most economical and rational reason I have ever heard to go vegetarian and at this point I was blown away by PETA's argument. UT in my books lost right there... Sorry longhorns!

Human Life is valuable


The argument was still interesting, especially the questions that followed as some "got really heated" (quote from Maysie Ocera). UT lost which is sad, but the result was fair in my opinion. Members of the crowd that supported meat were more enthusiastic about defending the subject than the UT guys; I mean either they went there with the intention of bending over and pulling their pants down or they totally sucked. I doubt it's the latter since no one at UT sucks! PETA hats off to you for a great debate and great speaking; I learned a few pointers.

LBJ

Hands down, my second most favorite president (First one being Lincoln). LBJ pushed a lot of legislation through during his term that would help resolve problems within his day and age. Since then, these projects have grown much bigger and their need has never been greater. Still, the library was a very enlightening experience. The transfer of power from JFK was never really that important an issue to me until I was standing in front of the model of the car JFK was said to be in. What an experience that must be for any individual! My respect for LBJ grew right then!

El Presidente!


The most enlightening experience was the short film that we watched. OMG! That film was so informational. I had no idea that LBJ grew up in such living conditions. No electricity in the winter and other poor conditions. Plus, the man was an absolute workaholic. Even before presidency, he was always working like a million and one hours per week. It was a shock to him and many others when party leaders elected JFK as the presidential nominee, but LBJ was definitely the most logical choice for a VP, and such being the case the duo ran the race and rest as they say is history.

LBJ in his natural habitat


So let's examine some of LBJ's legacy here. During his time, the Civil Rights acts were pushed through and so was Medicare, Welfare... etc. LBJ was a visionary and all in all, his life's work is a legacy. The most important characteristic that I learned about him through the museum was commitment. His commitment to the people was extraordinary, and I hope to be just as committed to my visions so as to at least reach the bar that has been set. LBJ was committed to the people of the US and to the people around him. I read the letter from Jacqueline Kennedy to LBJ and the gratitude that was reverberating through her words was absolutely astounding!

Kind of like LBJ- content with himself but always doing more for the people


LBJ was great and we all know that some critics disagree, but there are always going to be haters in this world. Einstein once said, "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." LBJ worked hard to get around this opposition, lost one election, became VP later on and eventually, President. He was a great mind, and to hear his inaugural address was a wonderful experience to say the least. I always wanted to be a lawyer, and LBJ inspires me to follow this passion of mine. My action upon his will is still tentative, but there's a growing commitment to the idea. LBJ is still changing the world through the bits and pieces he left behind.

Who Are You?

Well, I'm still looking for the answer to that question, but I know that I'm most certainly not who I was before. That is to say that since this past Summer, I've most definitely changed throughout my first semester at UT. For one, I'm much more aware of my surroundings at all times. It's amazing at how much one can observe when the desire to learn arises! I've grown into a calmer and, I would like to think, much wiser person. In the summer, I sort of focused upon my experiences which have shaped my relationship with most animals (save monkeys), but in this essay, I want to focus on me! Who am I indeed?

There's still No Monkey Business about me!


The very first response is my name. I am Sharad Sharma. Not this Sharad who was always used to just running around doing as he pleases, but a Sharad who is a bit more patient. I'm able to listen to people on a whole different level. I think primarily due to the emphasis on empathy in World Lit. The Earthlings video surely affects my opinion about animal slaughter, but the analogy that was drawn to the holocaust suggested to me that humans practice ignorant emotions more often than they should, and I for one have chosen to reverse that particular humanitarian policy. Help should be wholehearted, not meticulously planned for PR sakes, but here the patience within me helps me to realize, that help is help, it's motive isn't that important.

People who need Help should get it!


The most dramatic change in my persona is my temper. Pre-college I had some anger issues; I wasn't by any means a candidate for Adam Sandler in Anger Management but I had my days. However ever since the very first day in Austin, I have been able to suppress this side of me, no matter how far the situation escalated. For instance, one day while walking to class in the fall on a rainy day, this particular white BMW drove by a huge puddle of water going about 30 mph with no regard for pedestrians on the sidewalk. I was one of the unlucky individuals. Normally, I would've chased down this vehicle and offend the driver somehow, but for some reason, I just let go. It's as if I was able to step outside of myself and observe this situation from a third person perspective. Of course, this is Austin, and this girl walking by comes up to me and says, "What an Asshole right?" That statement however did piss me off because she was mocking me and my situation which was sort of rude, but again, I stepped outside of myself and let the annoyance walk on by. This methodology is a whole new mental model on how to perceive things, and it has been wonderful for dealing with my frustrations.

It's Nice to Make a Positive Impact


At the start of college, I would've never thought that I would change so much. I'm a member of a fraternity for one, and I never planned on that coming into college. The things that happen in college. I guess it's our bubble to experiment with who we want to become because there are so many opportunities to just get up in the morning and say, "I am not going to this particular activity from now on...." or "I am going to be more ____ from now on." College is our change bubble. We change and see who we've become. If we like the result, we keep that aspect of our persona. If not, then we change again. It's sort of like we transform into our very own ambassadors! We hire and fire ourselves every semester or every week or however often as we chose.

The President Supports the Change that happens on UT