Final Project

Auto-Biography. Best memory of my life so far was when I got accepted into JCOS

Mandy Applegate

Miranda

February 16, 2012

Justice and Literacy through Photography

Getting into the Open School was the best memory and was a major milestone in my existence so far. I love the Open School. I have never been so thankful for something in my life. I went through hell last year. The Open School was my dream. I always wanted to go there, and this was the perfect time to apply. I was a student at Dunstan Middle School and it was probably the worst year I have ever gone through.

It was my first day of middle school. But, I had confidence because I was going to be going to school with all my friends from elementary school, but of course there was also a bunch of new students. At first, I was considered one of the “popular” girls. I had a bunch of friends, and I dated all the cutest guys. I seemed happy, although I never was. But, then I realized these weren’t the people I wanted to spend my time with. I was acting like somebody I’m not. I was ordered around by girls that never even liked me. So I quit hanging out with the “popular” kids, broke up with my boyfriend and turned a new leaf. I didn’t really have any friends at this point, but I didn’t care. I made myself happy, being on my own like that. It was new and different. But the kids around me weren’t happy. They were angry I left the popular crowd. They were angry I was finally starting to express myself the way I wanted to be because some kids actually left the “popular” crowd to hang out with me. I was cooler than them so they wanted to hang with me instead.

Things started going downhill. I was hearing my name when I walked through hallways. My Facebook was blown up with all hate; “Ugly, emo, fat, whore, hideous, fake”, and so much more. People would throw things at me when I was on my way to class. They turned me in the office for things I wasn’t guilty for. They tried getting me expelled. Because they hated me, and still to this day I don’t know what I did wrong. I quite wearing make up because I found no use in it. I was going to get smeared off from tears anyway. I didn't know what i was going to do with my life if i had to stay there for a another year. I tried so hard getting through that year in one piece. I applied to Jeffco Open in April. I was waiting all through summer, sitting around and waiting for the call. And finally, the Sunday before school started JCOS called me and said that I got accepted. I have never been so happy in my life. It brings me to tears writing this because I’m so thankful for an amazing place like this. Where I can be loved.
Jefferson County Open School: You changed my life. Thank you. 

Self-Portrait.

Music Project. Song: The Funeral by Band Of Horses

The Life Of a Stick

Purple Equil Mountain

Purple mountain.
Equality.
You're on top of the world.
Nobody can see you, nobody can judge you.
Colors of the rainbow, purple means the most.
It shines so brightly, but yet is the deepest of them all.

Purple

Justice and Literacy Through Photography Goals

My goal for this experience in this class is to take some really awesome photos that I am proud of, to become more self directed when doing assignments, and to meet new students. I have seen a couple new faces in this class so my goal is to get to know them better. I hope to learn a lot about the art of photography, writing and any other activity that is in store for this class. I feel taking this class will be a really good experience because I have always been interestred in going further in amatuer photography and this class is a really good chance to do so.