Mass Communications at Lincoln High School

 While choosing a story to tell, I considered what would be the most entertaining to listen to, as well as what would be interesting for me to tell. In the end, I chose a moment that has stuck with me for many years. I was at a neighborhood block party with a couple of my friends in 5th grade. We decided to walk up into a little patch of trees next to the street. We didn't know this then, but this was actually somebody's property. We were walking around when we saw this thin piece of wood that was probably 10 ft by 10 ft in front of us. Curious about this mysterious slab of wood, one of my friends stepped onto it. Immediately, she fell straight down. The mysterious piece of wood was actually the ceiling of a garage.  I'm not great at public speaking, or speaking in general, so this project was difficult for me. It helped me hone skills in speaking without a rehearsed speech. I wouldn't say I enjoyed this project, because public speaking is extremely anxiety-inducing for...

 Choosing a story was a little difficult. But after some thinking, I settled on a time when I was pressured by my friends to ride the tallest roller coaster in Germany. It was scary at first but ended up being a really fun experience. I choose this story because it helped me to not overthink things and helped me to take risks. This project helped me with public speaking even though I was only in front of two people. That is a good thing because it is a skill I need to practice. I enjoyed the storytelling project because it took me out of my comfort zone and it was also fun to hear other people's stories. I learned that some people had similar experiences to me with taking risks and trying new things. I also learned that I need to get better at storytelling. I am glad that we did this assignment.  

  When I was choosing a story to tell, cooking popped into my mind. This was because I had recently prepared a meal for my parents.  The plot of my story is how I came to cook chicken marsala for the first time.   What I learned from this unit was that there are different ways to tell your story to your classroom and to your friend when they aren't in class. This can be done by using literary techniques and vocabulary. Secondly, I learned that connecting with the audience in storytelling is important, but it can also be difficult.  I enjoyed the storytelling project. The best part about the storytelling project was listening to other classmates' stories. I learned that my classmates all have different stories to tell. I found it interesting to hear these stories because it reminded me that people have a lot of  character.  I got to know myself better because I learned about how I tell a story. I notice that there were parts of my delivery that can...

 Storytelling was one of the most challenging assignments I have had so far in this class because there were so many stories that I wanted to explain about. However, I haven't entirely told people about one particular story about the time: I injured my back at a Ropes and Jesus Camp. I never went on that swing and swimming hole ever again.  I learned how to write a good story and learned how to tell a good story to show people that I am pretty good at both skills. I have never spoken to a group of people or a classmate, which was a new experience. I enjoyed this project, and it was kind of difficult for me to come up with ideas.  When I got a chance to tell a classmate, it felt kind of surprising to hear some of their stories and what they did. I learned that some of them had to make sacrifices and had overcome something. 

Storytelling was harder than I first thought. It's a story where you talk about having a bad friend, one that your whole family likes, one that you want to care about, but you learn deep down that isn't going to happen (over the course of the story) how hard could it be? But then you have all these expectations, to be entertaining, to make sense, and most importantly, giving details in an order that makes sense. And worst of all, no notes! Bullet points? Nope. Teleprompter? No. Stitching the words into your eyelids? What? Why... why would you do that? But this is good, it forced me out of my comfort zone. It wasn't about writing the great American novel, making every sentence clever, having the prose to elucidate every reader into a deep sleep. It's about boiling it down into the key elements. But was that fun? No, not personally. It's limiting, and I generally don't like writing about myself to begin with.  I don't know if hearing other people's stories...

 When choosing which story to tell for this project, I had a lot of options, but none were quite as exciting or interesting as when I had emergency surgery in November of 2019. The story also impacted my life in a big way. In short, last November I had to get an emergency appendectomy after being rushed to the ER. I rode in an ambulance and everything, and looking back at the memory now it was actually a very cool experience.  I've always been a pretty good public speaker, but I'd never had to tell a story to a classmate in this way before, so this was a new experience. Even with such an important story, it was hard for me to slow down and tell all the details, as I found myself rushing through it. When I told it to a second classmate, I was able to add in more important aspects of the story and lengthen it. I enjoyed this project because it introduced me to a different kind of public speaking that I needed to work on. I also got to hear some exciting stories from my classmate...

Trying to pick a story to tell was pretty difficult, not because I have too many stories, but because I don’t have any. My life is quite boring, but I chose this story because it literally relates to borders. My story is about coming home from a vacation and missing a flight because my grandpa’s green card expired.  When telling this story to classmates I had to learn to leave out the less important parts. Originally my story was 10 minutes long so I had to practice removing things that didn’t add to the story. I really enjoyed the storytelling project because I enjoyed hearing my classmates stories and enjoyed the process of actually telling a story. Both stories I listened to were very interesting and I learned that a lot of my classmates have similar experiences to mine. As for me, I learned that my life isn’t as boring as I thought it was.

    When I was thinking about what story to tell, I had the moral being a growing up moment in mind. I thought of this kind of story because some of the best I've heard before followed this format. Since this was part of the rules, it worked out well. My story was about the first time I went to a party which was in 2017. Before, I always didn't like the idea of them because I thought they were "dangerous". The growing up moment was when I made the decision to go since I was finally taking a chance to see what parties were all about.     I practiced public speaking by telling my story to some classmates. Since I think it's a skill everyone should have, I've been working on it ever since middle school. Today, I'm much more confident with myself when speaking in front of a crowd and times like these help me with that. I enjoyed the storytelling project because of how diverse the stories I heard were. They spanned from one's about taking a risk to one'...

When choosing a story to tell, I eventually settled on an experience that has made me grow as a person and influences my everyday actions. Nearly 5 years ago, I knocked over a cup of hot coffee onto my leg, which ended up sending me to the ER. While I’ve always been fairly open about the experience, I’ve never thought about the lessons I’ve learned from it until I started brainstorming my story. By telling my story to my classmates, I’ve learned the importance of connecting your experience with others. I genuinely love how storytelling offers an opportunity for different, unique perspectives into a person’s character. Along with that, I found it easiest to set a few mental checkpoints in my mind as I’m telling the story to make sure I hit all the key details. From listening to my classmates’ stories, I’ve noticed connections to my own experiences. Although I might not have gone through the exact same situations, the lessons and morals that people have picked up one way or another are b...

Jonas: Ski Trip to Utah                                                                                                         2.19.21 I chose to write about a trip to park city Utah where I stayed at an airbnb with my family and family friends. It was really fun. It was during the sundance film festival and we all had a great time. I went skiing almost every day for a week and a half at the famous park city resort. Its one of the largest and most memorable ski resorts I've ever been too and I cant wait to go back some day. I learned not only how to write a story, but also how to share a story  so the other person will remember it or be amazed somehow. That is t...

When deciding what story to tell, I wanted to tell one that would be interesting, and that I could tell a million different times. I decided on a short story, more of a ten-minute period of time that I could stretch out and add details and dialogue to. My story is about how one of my best friends convinced me to ride on an amusement park ride that I was very hesitant to go on. It's about what I was thinking in that time period and why I ended up getting on the ride.  By telling my story to my classmates, I was able to practice speaking from my memory and not worrying about making sure I was perfect. I also got to practice being comfortable with adding some humor and dramatic pauses into my speaking. I did enjoy the storytelling project because I was able to visit an old memory and practice speaking on the spot with limited preparation.  When I listened to my classmate's stories I got to learn about either a large event in their life or a small event that changed them. It was r...

Choosing a story to tell was difficult for me. I thought about whether a long and meaningful story would fit a 5-minute time limit, or if a shorter, more relatable story would give me more creative freedom to add humor and sarcasm. I ended up picking a memory from maybe two years ago, in which I was peer-pressured into doing something I wouldn't normally do. I had never been on a rollercoaster with a loop or a corkscrew in it, and I had always been a nervous nelly when it came to intense rides. In telling this story to my classmates, I had to practice leaving out parts that weren't necessary, and I had to wrack my brain to remember exactly how I was feeling. I really enjoyed telling my story to other people, and it was fun to see how they reacted. It put a massive smile on my face. I think that listening to other classmates' stories helped me get to know them better, and it was a fun way to connect with others. I learned about important parts of these people's lives, li...

      When deciding what story to tell, I had a lot of interesting and unique stories but none of them really clicked in my mind as a story I should tell. I decided to ask my mom for some help. She reminded me about how I went from being such a scaredy-cat with snorkeling to getting certified for scuba diving. This is the story I decided to tell. In my story, I speak about going on a few scuba diving trips with my family where I wasn't certified so I just stayed on the boat. I didn't even get in the water because I was scared. Then one day, we were in Australia on a dive trip on the Great Barrier Reef I decided to get in the water and try snorkeling. This kick started my journey to becoming a certified scuba diver.      While telling my story to classmates, I learned quite a few things. I learned a lot about how engaging and strong you need to be while telling a story. I learned about how you shouldn't rush when you are telling a story. I mostly enjoyed thi...

      I chose this story to tell because it's a story I haven't previously shared openly with people. For the longest time some of my closet friends didn't even know about my story. I decided to share this traumatic story because of the advice my mom gave me. She said that sometimes the best way to get past a fear or a trauma is to talk openly about it. My story is about a plane crash I was in almost 8 years ago. I tell my story by talking about what happened the events of the day, and the repercussions I have had to face as the result of being in a plane crash.      The skills I learned from the storytelling assignment is when i'm telling a story I have to pick the details that mean the most to me. I also learned that when telling your story you are forced to become vulnerable.  I really enjoyed the storytelling project. I feel like it gave me some valuable lessons that I can apply to writing also.      From listening to my cl...

      When I was deciding which story to tell, I wanted to choose one that was still fresh in my mind, and one that I could tell easily. In the end, I decided that the best story to tell was that of the time we moved from our longtime home in the suburbs of Michigan to Portland, a place where we had only been for two days.  I learned that eye contact was important, and that the tone you use can set how people react to your story. I am not the best public speaker, so I was pretty nervous for this unit. In the end though, I enjoyed it.  I learned that I have a lot in common with my classmates, like pets and what interests we have. I learned that I need to focus when I am speaking or else I get distracted really quickly, and I need to have points to focus on. 

For me, choosing a story was simply looking at my past experiences and picking out one that seemed the most interesting to me. I had made a list of possibilities and, after consulting my sister, I chose the one that I was going to tell. In my story, I talked about the time that I went white water rafting and was presented with the opportunity to jump off a 30-foot cliff. Instead of doing what I usually did, backing down, I took the risk and made the jump.  While partaking in this assignment, I learned a lot about how to tell a story. I realized that to make a story good, you have to be engaging, have some sort of a layout, and also be able to not be scared to tell your story. I really enjoyed this storytelling assignment as I was able to hear a bunch of interesting stories and learn more about the lives of my fellow peers. I also thought it was fun to think back on my previous experiences and tell them to people.  As I listened to my classmates' stories, I learned more about t...

 When choosing I had compacted a list of possibilities, however with all the options the one that stuck out was the most personal to me. I wanted to feel like I could be open about something I felt was hidden and blocked out. I finally want to share my transition from my life in Vancouver into what it is now in Portland. It doesn't seem like far but there was a lot that I feel was left behind from certain friends to my school. I learned a lot about connecting to the audience and the importance of telling your story while having points of interaction with others. I genuinely really liked this project, I felt like I was opening up and becoming more comfortable with my classmates. I think through storytelling it can tell the unique bits about a person you may not have assumed so It was a good opportunity to get to know one another.  I learned some of the habits and strengths my classmates have gained through certain life experiences. For example, Ursula used to procrastinate but ...