Wow, it sure does seem like Mark Snyders whooped it up while spending a whole week at our famous Mall of America! I knew that tidbit about no heaters inside of MOA, that just body heat is used because our famous mall was a feature on the Discovery Channel a while back. That’s really weird to think that a place that enormous in the dead of Minnesota winter does not have a heating system other than the heat wafting off the thousand’s of bodies milling around the mall. And most of us savvy Minnesotans do not want to be bothered with carrying around our winter parkas while we are shopping, so I guess the next time a tourist cuts you in line while you’re paying for your coffee at Caribou, instead of being mad, thank him/her for their body heat!
Back to the article…I enjoyed Snyders references to Southdale and EP mall. Like my title says, you MUST be in the “mood,” or have relatives from out of town, or be on a mission to brave MOA. Any other quick trips to the mall can be sufficed by Southdale or EP Center (if you are southwest of the cities). There is no such thing as a quick trip to MOA…even on an off day, it takes 30 minutes to find a parking spot and 30 more minutes to find your car when you are tired and carrying too many bags! I live in Eden Prairie, and we have all the choices we need between Southdale and EP Center, but it was not always that way. I laughed out loud with Snyders’ reference to Kevin Smith’s movie, Mallrats.
Mallrats debuted in 1995, and at the time I was 14 years old. The whole community was so excited that our mall had been chosen for a movie. The only issue was, our mall was kind of, well OK, it was a dump! We were not all too bothered during the filming of Mallrats, because it was not a very cool place to be. I looked at clips from YouTube, and I have to laugh when I remember how simple and old our EP mall used to be! (Let’s just say, with all of the renovations, we now rival Southdale, and it better fits the high standards us EP people have!) Take a look at this YouTube clip of Mallrats and you will see what I mean about our mall being really old and simple. (I tried 10 times to upload the video clip right into my blog, but Blogger was having technical issues and my videos were not uploading. Sorry, but still click on this link!
While reading Snyders’s article, I found myself many times laughing out loud and saying, “Yeah, I have seen that too with my very own eyes!” I have experienced a meal or two at Rainforest Café. I love animals and nature, so I was enamored with the surroundings because it made me feel like a kid again, and of course, I wanted to buy one of just about everything in the conveniently located gift shop as you exit the restaurant! I have seen popular celebs in the rotunda in the middle of the mall performing, and I will be honest, I was mad that I did not know when New Kids on the Block stopped by MOA to perform (I got over my sadness real quick, because I went to their reunion concert at Excel last spring…NKOTB fan 4ever!) I have seen and even babysat for the “stay at home mom” so she can run errands without being bogged down by her own offspring…so the story on “Ashley” with her fake bake and frosted tips hunting for bargains made me laugh until I was in stitches! I have eaten Buba Gump at the MOA, and while they promise the seafood is fresh, I have to admit, I loved the Buba Gump in Honolulu. I think it had something to do with the ambience of being outside, right by the water…and I’m thinking the seafood was a bit “fresher” in Hawaii! I have not had a manicure or pedicure at the MOA, but I am always intrigued by that eyebrow threading place…you know the one, the Indian Salon on the second floor I believe, and they have customers laid way back in reclined chairs, and the workers are busy threading, pulling, and swooping over the eyes of their customers?! I always think, how does that even work, and how could they even be accurate with what they are plucking from the face?! Look at this YouTube Clip so you know what I am talking about…(darn, Blogger, one more time, please click on link)
While the old EP mall was not the cool hang out spot prior to its renovations, the MOA is certainly a cool hang out spot for teens. It is here where any teen can find a group or clique to belong to; there is space for all walks of life under one roof. Teens can find the latest accessories to fit their style whether it be preppy, jock, or Goth. There is plenty of entertainment to be had at MOA with Nickelodeon Park, Movie theaters, and food courts, if you had earned your allowance for that week, as a teen why would you not get to the mall and spend it?! I know malls are hot spots for teen because I have been known to babysit for that age group. I hear it from both the parents and the teens that spending time at the mall is ok. The parents think the malls are a safe place for their teens when they have their cell phones so they can be tracked down, and teens want to go to the mall because that is where all of their friends will be. But are malls really a safe place for teen?
The MOA began a new law when I has in high school that anyone under the age of 16 had to be accompanied by an adult past 8:00PM. This made our fun nights out at the mall a little trickier to do. You could still go to a movie, but there was one specific door and if you did not walk through there, the security guards made you feel as if you had just robbed a bank with all the questions they probed you with. Regardless, the new rule put a kink in our plans most Friday nights, but I guess it was for our own safety. This new law came out right around the same time as the talk of gangs, and shootings, and violence at MOA starting appearing in the evening news.
Article: Two hurt in Mall of America stabbing; Tape catches image of suspect; janitor injured trying to break up scuffle.
So this friendly family place has now turned into clear battle grounds. This is one major point that Mark Snyders casually forgot to bring up in his article about MOA…or did he forget on purpose?! The mall was once a place where groups of teens went to explore their independence, but now some of those cliques have turned bad…they have turned into gangs and certain gangs have specific territories inside of MOA. I have a friend who works at the Bloomington Police Department. He has told me that there are police that only work at MOA, because the gangs keep them so busy. The flashing of their colors, the marking of territories, the shootings over starter jackets, and stabbings because another gang member got too close to the “wrong” territory…the list is endless. And while no one doing a positive story about MOA will mention the gang situation, you have to be aware that it is real and it does exist…not just at MOA, but other malls as well. I was shocked to hear about these stories, but at the same time, my family has had a not-so-pleasant experience at MOA back when I was younger due to some kids who did not care about the safety of others.
My Mother, Brother, and myself were spending a fun day at MOA, and had seen and bought lots of new things. It was the afternoon, so we decided to take a rest on a bench, have a snack (our favorite Cinnabun), and fuel up to finish our fun day at the MOA. While the three of us were innocently sitting on the bench located on the first floor, a group of teens way up on fourth floor threw a marble down at us. It hit my Mother’s wrist, she cried out in pain, and I looked up to where I heard giggling. I could not fathom doing such a horrible thing to a complete stranger and laughing about it. They took off, and my guess, looked for their next victims. At first, my Mother, Brother, and I did not know what my Mom had been hit with, and then we spotted the marble rolling away from the bench. My Mom’s wrist was in severe pain, but she just was happy none of us were hit in the head. Needless to say, our fun day at MOA was cut short, and left a bad taste in our mouths. We don’t rest on benches on the first floor anymore, now as an adult, I keep my eye out for teens “looking for trouble.”
Fortunately, no in my family has been permanently hurt when shopping at MOA. All the females in my family still go there to shop on Black Friday, but we are more cautious then we were in the past. We do not want to be part of the next story in the news paper about a gang stabbing, or fight at the mall, so we keep our eyes peeled and stick together. Malls are a way of life when a teenager is trying to figure out what he/she wants to become in the ways of clothes and friends, but how can we make the malls a safe place again where gangs and reckless teens are not having fun at the expense of others? I’m all ears if you have the answer…
So while I am sitting here at the Bar enjoying the Packers game with my boyfriend, I figured it would be the perfect place to take observations for the last part of my blog due today. The assignment is taking observations on men…well, that will be an easy one in here right now! There are a bunch in here dressed in their Packer gear, drinking beer, and eating greasy food. ..unfortunately, my boyfriend is also in this category!
I am a sports nut too, but it’s funny how sports brings guys together. These two random guys in Packer gear saw my boyfriend’s green and yellow, asked if the seats were taken next to us, and when we responded with “No,” they were quick to sit down and become our new best friends. My boyfriend and his two new best buddies are enjoying the Miller Lite specials and deals food, all the while cheering on The Pack.
I also find it funny, that guys take wins and losses to heart. I swear, when my boyfriend’s teams don’t win, it’s like someone ran over his dog. But when his teams win, it’s like he was there on the field with his team helping them get a “W!” Has anyone else ever noticed that, or is my boyfriend just that special? Don’t get me wrong, I love watching football on Sunday’s and I’d rather go to a baseball game, then watch one on TV, but I am not going to cry when my home team does not win, nor am I going to slap high fives to complete strangers when my favorite player hits a base hit!
Last weekend, I had an awesome Belated Birthday weekend…a quick recap: My boyfriend and I drove to Milwaukee for a weekend of fun. Friday night, we got front row at Sugarland (our favorite Country group), on Saturday we tailgated at Miller Park and watched an outdoor baseball game as the Brewers won, and finally on Sunday, we drove to Green Bay and watched the Pack outdoors at Lambeau Field. Pretty great weekend for two people who love country music and sports, but I think my boyfriend enjoyed MY birthday weekend more than I did. At both sports venues, he would spark up sports related conversations with random strangers, and high five the people we were sitting next too when the Brew Crew or The Pack did something slightly well during their games. I swear, I think he thinks he’s out there with the players and all of his blood, sweat, and tears go into a win for his favorite teams!
Back to the article…I enjoyed Snyders references to Southdale and EP mall. Like my title says, you MUST be in the “mood,” or have relatives from out of town, or be on a mission to brave MOA. Any other quick trips to the mall can be sufficed by Southdale or EP Center (if you are southwest of the cities). There is no such thing as a quick trip to MOA…even on an off day, it takes 30 minutes to find a parking spot and 30 more minutes to find your car when you are tired and carrying too many bags! I live in Eden Prairie, and we have all the choices we need between Southdale and EP Center, but it was not always that way. I laughed out loud with Snyders’ reference to Kevin Smith’s movie, Mallrats.
Mallrats debuted in 1995, and at the time I was 14 years old. The whole community was so excited that our mall had been chosen for a movie. The only issue was, our mall was kind of, well OK, it was a dump! We were not all too bothered during the filming of Mallrats, because it was not a very cool place to be. I looked at clips from YouTube, and I have to laugh when I remember how simple and old our EP mall used to be! (Let’s just say, with all of the renovations, we now rival Southdale, and it better fits the high standards us EP people have!) Take a look at this YouTube clip of Mallrats and you will see what I mean about our mall being really old and simple. (I tried 10 times to upload the video clip right into my blog, but Blogger was having technical issues and my videos were not uploading. Sorry, but still click on this link!
The food court was so cheap and I remember playing in that pet store and wanting to buy all of the puppies. The mall was not very populated, and as a result, for the 1999 graduating class (and many other Senior Parties), we were able to shut down the mall and have our Senior Night Lock-in Party. I think the mall made more revenue with the 650+ high school seniors and the fees we paid for our senior night, than they would have made being open! When looking at the YouTube clip of Mallrats, I noticed that the area where the stage was for the game show “Truth of Dare” was the exact same place our Hypnotist was set up on stage during our senior party. I was one of the lucky chosen few, who was able to get up on stage be hypnotized! If you have never been hypnotized before, I highly recommend it! It was a blast; at least what my friends told me about was a blast. I swear, I do not remember shooting at aliens with a zapper gun or crying because I felt like I was being pinched over and over…but there are pictures to prove it!
The mall does not look anything like that now, it’s much more high class catering to the “stay at home Moms” who have more money than they know what to do with (I’d like to help them spend it!) Take a look at this YouTube clip to see shots of a new and improved EP Center. I guess seeing our drab mall on the big screen in such a bomber of a movie got all the city board executives on the fast track to renovate our mall…and we are certainly happier with the more posh setting! (Again, Blogger not helping my cause to make this blog more user-friendly, please click on link below)
The mall does not look anything like that now, it’s much more high class catering to the “stay at home Moms” who have more money than they know what to do with (I’d like to help them spend it!) Take a look at this YouTube clip to see shots of a new and improved EP Center. I guess seeing our drab mall on the big screen in such a bomber of a movie got all the city board executives on the fast track to renovate our mall…and we are certainly happier with the more posh setting! (Again, Blogger not helping my cause to make this blog more user-friendly, please click on link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BqWZUOM-cA
Now, onto the Mecca of coming to Minnesota…The Mall of America! Anything you could think of to buy for yourself or as a present could be found under this enormous roof! I mean anything, fresh Wisconsin cheese, hair extensions, Goth Accessories, diamonds, Gucci, legos, oversized-puffy slippers, caricatures, John Deer model tractors, flat screen TVs, iphones, and Disney stuffed animals to just name a few. Not only can you buy just about anything, you can eat and do just about anything while roaming around the grand 4 floors. You can pretend you are Buba Gump and pose with his box of chocolates, you can scream while riding Sponge Bob’s Rock Bottom Plunge rollercoaster, you can tap into your creativity at Lego Land, you can travel to far off exotic places and eat at Rainforest café or Kokomo’s Island Café. If you do make it to MOA, then you will have to experience one of the following: touching, feeding, or having a sleepover with the sharks and fish in Underwater World! It seems as if Mark Snyders was able to experience most of these fun things during his week long stint at the MOA, but it could take a life time of trips for the average person to experience all of what MOA has to offer.
Now, onto the Mecca of coming to Minnesota…The Mall of America! Anything you could think of to buy for yourself or as a present could be found under this enormous roof! I mean anything, fresh Wisconsin cheese, hair extensions, Goth Accessories, diamonds, Gucci, legos, oversized-puffy slippers, caricatures, John Deer model tractors, flat screen TVs, iphones, and Disney stuffed animals to just name a few. Not only can you buy just about anything, you can eat and do just about anything while roaming around the grand 4 floors. You can pretend you are Buba Gump and pose with his box of chocolates, you can scream while riding Sponge Bob’s Rock Bottom Plunge rollercoaster, you can tap into your creativity at Lego Land, you can travel to far off exotic places and eat at Rainforest café or Kokomo’s Island Café. If you do make it to MOA, then you will have to experience one of the following: touching, feeding, or having a sleepover with the sharks and fish in Underwater World! It seems as if Mark Snyders was able to experience most of these fun things during his week long stint at the MOA, but it could take a life time of trips for the average person to experience all of what MOA has to offer.
While reading Snyders’s article, I found myself many times laughing out loud and saying, “Yeah, I have seen that too with my very own eyes!” I have experienced a meal or two at Rainforest Café. I love animals and nature, so I was enamored with the surroundings because it made me feel like a kid again, and of course, I wanted to buy one of just about everything in the conveniently located gift shop as you exit the restaurant! I have seen popular celebs in the rotunda in the middle of the mall performing, and I will be honest, I was mad that I did not know when New Kids on the Block stopped by MOA to perform (I got over my sadness real quick, because I went to their reunion concert at Excel last spring…NKOTB fan 4ever!) I have seen and even babysat for the “stay at home mom” so she can run errands without being bogged down by her own offspring…so the story on “Ashley” with her fake bake and frosted tips hunting for bargains made me laugh until I was in stitches! I have eaten Buba Gump at the MOA, and while they promise the seafood is fresh, I have to admit, I loved the Buba Gump in Honolulu. I think it had something to do with the ambience of being outside, right by the water…and I’m thinking the seafood was a bit “fresher” in Hawaii! I have not had a manicure or pedicure at the MOA, but I am always intrigued by that eyebrow threading place…you know the one, the Indian Salon on the second floor I believe, and they have customers laid way back in reclined chairs, and the workers are busy threading, pulling, and swooping over the eyes of their customers?! I always think, how does that even work, and how could they even be accurate with what they are plucking from the face?! Look at this YouTube Clip so you know what I am talking about…(darn, Blogger, one more time, please click on link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gAK8im1ITk
Back to Snyders’ article…I am a little bit leery of the Oxygen Bar. I grew up being a swimmer, and still coach the sport year round, so the lungs were a very important part of the body to take care of. I can proudly say I have not smoked a single thing in my entire life, and I love the no smoking in public places law! My hair is very thick and it would trap the smoke from others making me smell like a walking ash tray…yuck! So for the oxygen bar, I would be hesitant to try that, but I do the aqua massager! It does kind of feel like you are in a human car wash, but it does work out some of your kinks. I have pet the sharks in Underwater World, but I have not had a sleepover with them yet…next on my to-do list. I have eaten at Hooters…great wings and cold beer, what could be better?! Funny thing is, some girls who I graduated high school with have found promising jobs being “Hooters Girls”…the only change from high school is their cup size…most have tripled in size so I barely recognized them! I have eaten at Kokomo’s Café, and the island food is really good (sorry I did not try out the alcoholic beverages there, but it sounds like they passed Mark Snyders’ test!) So I guess I have had similar experiences as Snyder has had, I just have experienced them over the course of my life time with the mall being open, not in 7 crazy long days.
Back to Snyders’ article…I am a little bit leery of the Oxygen Bar. I grew up being a swimmer, and still coach the sport year round, so the lungs were a very important part of the body to take care of. I can proudly say I have not smoked a single thing in my entire life, and I love the no smoking in public places law! My hair is very thick and it would trap the smoke from others making me smell like a walking ash tray…yuck! So for the oxygen bar, I would be hesitant to try that, but I do the aqua massager! It does kind of feel like you are in a human car wash, but it does work out some of your kinks. I have pet the sharks in Underwater World, but I have not had a sleepover with them yet…next on my to-do list. I have eaten at Hooters…great wings and cold beer, what could be better?! Funny thing is, some girls who I graduated high school with have found promising jobs being “Hooters Girls”…the only change from high school is their cup size…most have tripled in size so I barely recognized them! I have eaten at Kokomo’s Café, and the island food is really good (sorry I did not try out the alcoholic beverages there, but it sounds like they passed Mark Snyders’ test!) So I guess I have had similar experiences as Snyder has had, I just have experienced them over the course of my life time with the mall being open, not in 7 crazy long days.
While the old EP mall was not the cool hang out spot prior to its renovations, the MOA is certainly a cool hang out spot for teens. It is here where any teen can find a group or clique to belong to; there is space for all walks of life under one roof. Teens can find the latest accessories to fit their style whether it be preppy, jock, or Goth. There is plenty of entertainment to be had at MOA with Nickelodeon Park, Movie theaters, and food courts, if you had earned your allowance for that week, as a teen why would you not get to the mall and spend it?! I know malls are hot spots for teen because I have been known to babysit for that age group. I hear it from both the parents and the teens that spending time at the mall is ok. The parents think the malls are a safe place for their teens when they have their cell phones so they can be tracked down, and teens want to go to the mall because that is where all of their friends will be. But are malls really a safe place for teen?
The MOA began a new law when I has in high school that anyone under the age of 16 had to be accompanied by an adult past 8:00PM. This made our fun nights out at the mall a little trickier to do. You could still go to a movie, but there was one specific door and if you did not walk through there, the security guards made you feel as if you had just robbed a bank with all the questions they probed you with. Regardless, the new rule put a kink in our plans most Friday nights, but I guess it was for our own safety. This new law came out right around the same time as the talk of gangs, and shootings, and violence at MOA starting appearing in the evening news.
Article: Two hurt in Mall of America stabbing; Tape catches image of suspect; janitor injured trying to break up scuffle.
Article from: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
Article date: February 1, 1999
Author: Graves, Chris
Article date: February 1, 1999
Author: Graves, Chris
After a shooting at the Mall of America less than a month ago, officials increased security, including installing more surveillance cameras.
Early Sunday, videotape from one of the mall's cameras likely recorded the image of a suspect who stabbed two men, including a mall employee who received minor injuries while trying to break up the scuffle, said Mall of America spokeswoman Maureen Cahill. The incident took place in the east rotunda on the mall's first floor just before 1:30 a.m.
A 29-year-old man remained in serious condition from stab wounds he sustained during the fight at the Bloomington mall.
Early Sunday, videotape from one of the mall's cameras likely recorded the image of a suspect who stabbed two men, including a mall employee who received minor injuries while trying to break up the scuffle, said Mall of America spokeswoman Maureen Cahill. The incident took place in the east rotunda on the mall's first floor just before 1:30 a.m.
A 29-year-old man remained in serious condition from stab wounds he sustained during the fight at the Bloomington mall.
So this friendly family place has now turned into clear battle grounds. This is one major point that Mark Snyders casually forgot to bring up in his article about MOA…or did he forget on purpose?! The mall was once a place where groups of teens went to explore their independence, but now some of those cliques have turned bad…they have turned into gangs and certain gangs have specific territories inside of MOA. I have a friend who works at the Bloomington Police Department. He has told me that there are police that only work at MOA, because the gangs keep them so busy. The flashing of their colors, the marking of territories, the shootings over starter jackets, and stabbings because another gang member got too close to the “wrong” territory…the list is endless. And while no one doing a positive story about MOA will mention the gang situation, you have to be aware that it is real and it does exist…not just at MOA, but other malls as well. I was shocked to hear about these stories, but at the same time, my family has had a not-so-pleasant experience at MOA back when I was younger due to some kids who did not care about the safety of others.
My Mother, Brother, and myself were spending a fun day at MOA, and had seen and bought lots of new things. It was the afternoon, so we decided to take a rest on a bench, have a snack (our favorite Cinnabun), and fuel up to finish our fun day at the MOA. While the three of us were innocently sitting on the bench located on the first floor, a group of teens way up on fourth floor threw a marble down at us. It hit my Mother’s wrist, she cried out in pain, and I looked up to where I heard giggling. I could not fathom doing such a horrible thing to a complete stranger and laughing about it. They took off, and my guess, looked for their next victims. At first, my Mother, Brother, and I did not know what my Mom had been hit with, and then we spotted the marble rolling away from the bench. My Mom’s wrist was in severe pain, but she just was happy none of us were hit in the head. Needless to say, our fun day at MOA was cut short, and left a bad taste in our mouths. We don’t rest on benches on the first floor anymore, now as an adult, I keep my eye out for teens “looking for trouble.”
Fortunately, no in my family has been permanently hurt when shopping at MOA. All the females in my family still go there to shop on Black Friday, but we are more cautious then we were in the past. We do not want to be part of the next story in the news paper about a gang stabbing, or fight at the mall, so we keep our eyes peeled and stick together. Malls are a way of life when a teenager is trying to figure out what he/she wants to become in the ways of clothes and friends, but how can we make the malls a safe place again where gangs and reckless teens are not having fun at the expense of others? I’m all ears if you have the answer…
Part 2 – Location Bumper’s Sport Bar & Grill in Burnsville, MN
So while I am sitting here at the Bar enjoying the Packers game with my boyfriend, I figured it would be the perfect place to take observations for the last part of my blog due today. The assignment is taking observations on men…well, that will be an easy one in here right now! There are a bunch in here dressed in their Packer gear, drinking beer, and eating greasy food. ..unfortunately, my boyfriend is also in this category!
I am a sports nut too, but it’s funny how sports brings guys together. These two random guys in Packer gear saw my boyfriend’s green and yellow, asked if the seats were taken next to us, and when we responded with “No,” they were quick to sit down and become our new best friends. My boyfriend and his two new best buddies are enjoying the Miller Lite specials and deals food, all the while cheering on The Pack.
I also find it funny, that guys take wins and losses to heart. I swear, when my boyfriend’s teams don’t win, it’s like someone ran over his dog. But when his teams win, it’s like he was there on the field with his team helping them get a “W!” Has anyone else ever noticed that, or is my boyfriend just that special? Don’t get me wrong, I love watching football on Sunday’s and I’d rather go to a baseball game, then watch one on TV, but I am not going to cry when my home team does not win, nor am I going to slap high fives to complete strangers when my favorite player hits a base hit!
Last weekend, I had an awesome Belated Birthday weekend…a quick recap: My boyfriend and I drove to Milwaukee for a weekend of fun. Friday night, we got front row at Sugarland (our favorite Country group), on Saturday we tailgated at Miller Park and watched an outdoor baseball game as the Brewers won, and finally on Sunday, we drove to Green Bay and watched the Pack outdoors at Lambeau Field. Pretty great weekend for two people who love country music and sports, but I think my boyfriend enjoyed MY birthday weekend more than I did. At both sports venues, he would spark up sports related conversations with random strangers, and high five the people we were sitting next too when the Brew Crew or The Pack did something slightly well during their games. I swear, I think he thinks he’s out there with the players and all of his blood, sweat, and tears go into a win for his favorite teams!
In general, sports seem like a way for males to show their power, dominance, and status. Guys not great at sports are not as “tough” and thought of to be “wussy.” While here in the bar, you would be amazed at the “way back when” stories you can hear…especially after these guys get a few cold Miller Lites in them! I have heard from the “fastest guy in the Midwest,” the guy who has the records on Golden Tee at Bumpers, and the guy who can out drive Tiger Woods in golf. When the beers wear off, or when you push for more information, you finally get at the truth. The fastest guy in the Midwest was the fastest guy in his eighth grade middle school gym class, the guy who has the Golden Tee record at Bumpers can only play golf on a video screen, he has never been to real golf course, and the guy who can out drive Tiger Woods, has never even met Tiger, but can beat Tiger when he plays against him in video game. Funny how the core of the story could be seen as truthful, but when their masculinity is at stake…the details can become fuzzy, and the bigger, the better when telling past sports stories to strangers you are trying to impress! Guys, and my boyfriend fits into this “stereotype” of embellishing stories to man up, but the truth is, I know when my boyfriend is bending the truth, and you better believe I just hung him out to dry in front of our two new best buddies, the Packer Fans here at Bumps, and they are enjoying every minute of this!
The pictures at the top of my blog are of the following:
(Top Picture) A picture of Lambeau Field taken from my seat with my iphone
(Middle Picture) A picture of Miller Park taken from my seat with my iphone
(Bottom Picture) A picture taken at Sugarland concert when my boyfriend and I were front row, bellied up to the stage. Picture taken with my boyfriend's cell phone. Sugarland: Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Busch
Shauna: This was a very thorough look at this topic.
ReplyDeleteI want to first look at your part about Eden Prairie Mall. I grew up in that area as well, and I, too, remember when Mall Rats was filmed there. I remember the blue neon palm trees, and the crappy sunken food court. When I went back there a few years ago I could not believe what the mall looked like ... I didn't even recognize it!
It looks like you really had a lot of fun with the Snyder article. I was hoping to hear a little more analysis from the Transforming Social Spaces: Female Identity and the Mall article. I think it takes a lot more critical view of the mall and asks deeper questions about what sort of socialization is occurring, how it is perpetrating homogenous culture, is it a spot for community interaction, etc. I think as educators and as humans we are more valuable to ourselves and our communities when we ask these questions. What do you think? Is it important to look at the deeper issues, or is a mall environment for enjoyements sake and we shouldn't take it so seriously?
You brought up some good points about how Snyder neglected to look at the crime component at the MOA. I suppose it would make his article less fun if he did. :)
Nice work. I look forward to reading more from you this term!
Thanks Megan for your feedback :)
ReplyDelete