Sanders- Avatar

My avatar, while I have depicted it here in a picture of Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada, is actually more a trait of her personality than her entirety that I wish to project in myself.  It is the concept, or idea of having the type of individuality/success/independence she maintains that I wish to embody. Miranda Priestly’s character, a high-power fashion magazine editor, is based on a book’s description of Anna Wintour, real life Editor-in-Chief of Vogue magazine. In the film, Miranda is feared by mostly everyone she comes into contact with, especially the new employee Andy (played by Anne Hathaway). Miranda knows what she wants, when she wants it, and how to get it. She is always beautifully put together for any occasion. You can tell within the first few minutes of being introduced to her character that this woman lives and breathes her job. The film offers very little into Miranda’s personal life. One exception to this is the intense care she takes for her twin daughters. Even this admiration she incorporates into her job, demanding her employee Andy to find the new copy of Harry Potter for them, an almost impossible task. The fashion world is heavily dependent on deadlines, which, with little to focus on outside of work, is something Miranda is able to meet.  I have always been someone very driven to achieve my goals and go beyond just mere success. I have the ability to do this; however, I have a hard time letting go of everything else going on to focus primarily on this goal. I admire her ability to do this, although I desire to achieve it on a much smaller scale. I am inherently an incredibly caring and empathetic person, which helps with many aspects of my life. I do sometimes let this get in the way of my own success. My mother always told me that sometimes I need to just worry about myself, yet I continue to have a hard time doing this.  At the end of the film, it is revealed that Miranda does something very nice for Andy, whom she has been very hard on before. You think after this that perhaps she has had a sort of epiphany, but instead she goes back to being the demanding and powerful woman she has always been.  She still maintains kindness deep in her heart, but she doesn’t let it control her.  Miranda is able to do this with absolutely no problem in an effort to achieve and maintain her success, and it is this aspect of her life that I wish to have a little bit of in my own. While my avatar may sound like an insensitive aspiration, it is really just a way to deal with and disperse all the sensitivity I live with now in an effort to achieve my goals.

Seither Avatar

If I were to designate an avatar to be representative of myself, I would choose Schroeder from the comic strip/ cartoon Peanuts. Schroeder is the striped-shirt wearing beau of Lucy, and she is always leaning on the piano while he is playing. Schroeder, who is one of Charlie Brown's closest friends has an appearance that is not all that dissimilar from my own. His blonde hair is the main physical characteristic that allows me to see him as my avatar; however, it is Schroeder's personality rather than his physical appearance that I see as important in choosing him as my avatar.

Schroeder has a precocious talent for playing the piano, and I also have a talent for the piano that was developed at an early age. Schroeder and I both have an knack for playing the piano at odd times and in odd places. Even more coincidental than that is the fact that Schroeder's favorite classical composer is Beethoven, who is also my favorite. In fact, Schroeder is often depicted with a bust of Beethoven gracing the top of his piano, I have a similar bust in my house, and though it is not on my piano, it is close. The final characteristic that I see in Schroeder that he is the epitome of a loyal friend to Charlie Brown. Though I may not always succeed in my quest to be a loyal friend, loyalty is perhaps the quality that I most wish to emulate.

Cooper My Avatar

If I had to pick an avatar it would be this image of Boba Fett wielding a light saber. I see myself as Boba Fett because I feel like we are a lot alike. Boba Fett is possibly one of the most awesome people in the universe because he spends his time chasing down the most dangerous Jedi's in the galaxies and killing them for money. He is a bounty hunter. He is the best.
This particular image shows him being so awesome that he is wielding a light saber. He most likely had just slain a wimpy Jedi and is now proceeding to use his sacred weapon to combat more Jedi's. And all Boba Fett has is a blaster pistol and rifle.
Jedi's can use the force. This terrible unbalanced fight could only possibly go in favor of the Jedi...except Boba is so well trained and dedicated to his craft that he overcomes this and almost always wins.
If he doesn't its okay. He has his clone being raised and trained as his own life progresses.

Jonas' Avatar

Much like Marina Abramovich, my avatar is a performance artist. I am a 35-year-old woman, ethereal and fiercely introspective, replete with a rich inner life. I am a Pisces: emotionally fluid, impossible to capture and loose myself in moments of sublimity, often when encountering the earth’s natural beauty. My hair is long and thick; my eyebrows arched dramatically. I wear handmade clothes, voluminous and rich and deep in color. I travel the world to share my performative art by staging events to provoke social questions and make political statements. I eat onions raw and weep. I sleep on nails and bleed. I am a gypsy, a vagabond and am sought out by reporters who try to make sense of my work. I hold intensive workshops for eager and open students of performance art in a remote camp to teach them meditation and my work’s craft.

Cardon - Personal Avatar

If I had to choose an avatar for myself I would have to go with Annie Hall (1977). Many consider her ditsy compared to Alvy’s neurotic disposition, but I find her to be refreshing. She is unconcerned with what others think, and most importantly she is sincere. Annie finds joy and wonder in life’s simplest things. She is definitely quirky, but that only adds to her air of intrigue. Another important aspect of her character was the manner in which she dressed. She didn’t feel the need to expose a lot of skin or leg; instead she chose a very androgynous look. She doesn’t appear manly at all, but in a sense sort of innocent almost in a make believe way. Annie’s wardrobe in the movie was actually Diane Keaton’s. The costume designer on set disapproved of Keaton’s attire, but Woody Allen defends her by saying, “Leave her. She's a genius. Let's just leave her alone, let her wear what she wants.” That was a very smart move on Allen’s part, because Keaton’s individual style sparked a huge craze in women’s fashion during the late 70s. Not many people realize that Diane Keaton’s real name is Diane Hall. Her nickname in real like is Annie, which explains the title of the movie. Another admirable quality of Annie's is her consistent optimism regardless of the situation. Her optimism and Alvy's humorous negativity is what adds to such great comedic relief throughout the movie.

Thomas-Avatar

My avatar would Effy from the British television show, Skins. Effy doesn’t say much, but everyone knows who she is and her reputation. She always marches to the beat of her own drum regardless of what anyone thinks. She has killer style and doesn’t give a fuck what people think about her. Effy comes off as hard, but she would do anything for her family and her small circle of friends. She holds her family together and acts as a counselor to her friends when they need help.

I don’t do hard drugs like Effy, but I can relate to her in many other ways. I deeply care about those that are close to me, but I don’t take bullshit from other people. I’m constantly doing my own thing and going against the crowd. I want people to see me as different. I think it’s extremely important to stand out so people will notice me and listen to me when I have something to say. It’s also important that my friends and family see me as strong I want them to know that they can come to me with any of their problems. It’s important to me that people see me as someone they can lean on when they don’t know who else to turn to.

I want people to see me as hardworking. I work 25 hours a week and go to school and I love when people acknowledge how hard I work at both. I look up to people that work hard and it’s important that I embody that quality as well.

Kozaites, Mikey Avatar

For my avatar, I chose the character Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin) from the 1985 film 'The Goonies'. I feel as though his character is a representation of myself because of his desire for adventure and relentlessness in his pursuit. I share this quality with him among others. For instance, he has a fascination with the romanticized past almost to the point of delusion. He is easily frightened if the situation calls for it, yet his determination stays in tact. He has a close knit group of friends and a strong older brother. Though at heart, Mikey, like myself, is just a kid with a big imagination who wants to have fun with his friends. Mikey isn't the smartest guy around, but he gets the job done, and he has fun while doing it. These are all things that I admire about him, and similarly share with him.

As of now I don't think I would want to be anyone or anything else, as I am comfortable with who I am. But if I could be (or could have been) anyone, it would be a kid from the Eighties who goes on a grand adventure most kids dream of.
This video shows some of Mikey's flaws and strengths (blind optimism, courage, asthma, hope, etc.)

"Goonies Never Say Die"

Gevry, Avatar

It is hard to find one picture that is able to encompass everything a person is. And nearly impossible to select one image from the millions upon billions that are out there. An avatar is something that not only has to represent me but in doing so has to make sure that the message is not misconstrued. It has to have the innate ability to portray an aspect of myself without a lengthy explanation or essay as to why it does. For me even selecting one aspect of myself to represent in a single effort was a truly daunting task. It forces one to investigate himself in a fashion that otherwise would not happen.

Having said that, for my avatar I selected the New Orleans Saints logo. I remember you touching upon the Saints as an avatar for New Orleans in general and it got me to thinking about how much the Saints and New Orleans mean to me. Being in the Air Force my family moved around a lot. Switching between so many towns, states, and countries no place every really felt like home except for New Orleans. My mother was born and raised here and all of her family (pre Katrina) lived in New Orleans or close enough to call it. So for Christmas we would always return to the Big Easy and somehow it just felt right. Of the three siblings I have out of the house all but one have returned to Louisiana. In essence we all returned home. This avatar reminds me of everything I love in life: my family, my city, and my Saints.

Bienvenu, MY Avatar

In our last class we discussed an avatar as being “another version of the self,” “a virtual representation in a simulation” and/or “an embodiment of a concept.” There was however one specific explanation of an avatar that struck me most; an avatar is an image of yourself you want to project to others. When I started thinking about what I wanted my avatar to be I realized I would first have to figure out how I wanted people to see me.

One of the main things I want people to know about me is how creative I am. As a graphic design major I thrive on the creative visuals backed by complex concepts I create. Another thing I would want people to know by looking at my avatar is that I am a strong and unique female. Lastly, I would want people to know how intricate and crazy my thought process is. My head is always running with ideas, questions, and answers. One of my favorite things to do in design is to show my process and how I got from the beginning to the end.

For my avatar I chose a picture I drew in class of a nude model. The drawing is not of me but it still shows my artistic skill and my love for creativity through it’s use of color and figure drawing. The drawing also shows that I am a strong and unique female because this is not a perfect woman drawn but she is still beautiful and unique. Lastly, the wandering thread in the background shows the ever going journey that my brain is taking me on. This is the same journey I want my avatar to convey.

Kehoe-My avatar

I chose this avatar because it reminds me that I must always be challenging myself in order to improve. In any aspect in life it is important to always be pushing the limits of what you think yourself capable. I feel that this is very important in life, a person should always be challenging themselves in some aspect of their life. Whether mentally or physically, I feel that the only way that people grow is by making themselves go outside of their comfort zones. This is also a reminder that I am my own worst enemy, and that when something is going wrong in my life i should look to see what I am doing wrong. It is easy for me to blame other people when things are not going my way, but ultimately I know that I must look to my self to improve my situation.

Westerfield - Avatar

As the ruler of the land of Oz, the Wonderful Wizard is venerated by all his subjects, for without him their lands would fall into a state of anarchy. He is very powerful and a problem-solver, which is why Dorthy and her companions set out to find him. If he were to take a strengthsquest test he would probably be deemed to have restorative, input, and strategic attributes. It is for the general cerebral nature of these qualities (cerebral in a very literal since he is just a magical floating head) and for those qualities themselves that Oz is my choice for an avatar. I feel that kind of presence, the kind of command of authority the can cause Dorthy and her companions to cower back as flames shoot up from the ground, is very representative of my personality.

Iqbal, Avatar: Queen Rania of Jordan

The avatar I chose to represent whose characteristics I would like for myself to embody is Queen Rania of Jordan. She is the advocate for diminishing oppression of women not only in her own country but as well as others. She is the front runner in developing a better education for the children of Jordan and also of other developing and third world countries. She runs a project called One Goal which is trying to provide primary education for every child by the year 2015. Queen Rania is also well known for her acts in diminishing the stereotypes of Muslims as by her videos she posts on youtube. She also fights for the education of girls and for the empowerment of women. Queen Rania has also become a fashion icon in the world. She was placed in People’s 100 Best Dressed List. She represents a moderate Muslim woman who is a mother, a Queen and a defiant woman. She has become a symbol for every Muslim woman. I chose her to be my avatar because she is everything that I hope I can be. I am a practicing Muslim and deny the typical stereotypes that have been associated with my religion. Her willingness to fight for the empowerment of women is astounding. Also her continuous strive for the betterment of education around the world is also very striking. She embodies courage, respect, strength, intelligence, beautiful and fashion. She defies every stereotype that is associated with Muslim women across the world. She transmits a sense of hope for every young Muslim woman, even myself, that defying stereotypes will empower us more. 

Here is an interview with her from The Situation Room:

Nolley- Avatar Blog

Cicadas

The avatar that I have chosen is an image of a cluster of cicadas. Cicadas have an interesting life cycle that produces powerful, yet vulnerable insects. My connection with cicadas stems from multiple layers of meaning they represent to me. A cicada starts its cycle underground and remains there for years of its life. When they finally do emerge, their skin is shed and life as they know it is over. Cicadas and I have grown up in similar situations. Like the cicada, I have emerged from my life as a child into the adult world where things are immensely different and my opportunities to grow are endless. The exoskeleton of an emerging cicada is similar to the barrier I put between me and new acquaintances. It is only when I am truly comfortable with someone that I allow them to see me for who I am. Although cicadas are powerful insects, they have weaknesses just like every other insect. This is true for me as well in that while I am strong in times of need, I am still affected by problems just like every other human. Cicadas are truly magnificent creatures with a certain uniqueness that can seldom be rivaled in the insect world, and they are the perfect representation of how I feel as a person. From their birthing habits to their means of developing, their rituals are relevant to my own life and provide a beautiful interpretation of the trials and tribulations that have molded me into the person I am today.

Barkley-Avatar, Wonder Woman

My Avatar would be Wonder Woman.

I chose Wonder Woman because we share the same beliefs. When she was first featured in the comic All Star, in the early 1940s, her main goals were to bring love, peace, and sexual equality to the amazon. These 3 ideals are still very much needed in the world we live in today.

Wonder Woman also possesses many super powers including: superhuman strength, flight, super-speed, super-stamina and super-agility. Wonder Woman not only possesses the super powers I would want but she also has firm beliefs in changing the world for the better. I believe that Wonder Woman has all of the abilities needed to combat evil and change mankind for the betterment of the world we live in today. 

Glickert - Avatar

The avatar that I chose is ideal because Bob Barker is a God among men.  He has been a television icon for 50 years, 35 of which on the hit game show The Price is Right.  His cool, charismatic style is one to be idolized by all.  I made sure I watched the show every chance I had growing up, whether it was a holiday or a sick day from school.  Despite how sick I may or may not have been at the time, the show always brightened the day.

Barker has long been loved by the ladies, even up until his retirement at age 83.  He never missed a step throughout his career and retired at the top of game.  Throughout his tenure at CBS, he never lost his values as he stood strong for his beliefs.  As a vegetarian and outspoken animal-rights activist, he refused to allow leather goods as prizes, and ended every show with the same sign-off, "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed of neutered." While I could never be a vegetarian, Barker's persistent activism is admirable nonetheless.

Lastly, he is hilarious, as illustrated in his cameo role in the movie Happy Gilmore.

Knoepfler, Avatar

If I had to choose something or someone to be my avatar, I would choose the ever smooth, always awesome Keith Stone. Keith Stone portrays the values of chivalry and confidence, and is a master of generally being a badass, all of which I strive to one day be. Keith Stone is a gentleman and a scholar who looks at a situation and says, “No problem.” He’s a no-bullshit, problem solving, do it all manly man.

The reason I chose Keith Stone as my avatar is because I one day strive to emulate the great Keystone Light spokesperson. I want to walk up to a tree and help an old lady get her Kitty out of a tree. I wouldn’t do it for the praise or the reward, but I would do it simply for my love of always being smooth. I want to one day see a crying woman, obviously shunned by her groom-to-be, and tell her that everything is going to be all right, all while brandishing my beef jerky stick with confidence.

Not all of can be as smooth as Keith Stone. He’s one of a kind. His excellency is far out of reach for any mortal human. I strive to one day live up to the glory of Keith Stone.

Slan- Avatar

My avatars are three different characters. They are Ice Cube (rapper), Baloo from the jungle book, and the Incredible Hulk. These three Avatars each represent different aspects of my personality.

Ice Cube is one of the founders of the gangster rap group NWA. He is one of the founders of gangster rap, an actor, and a mogul. Ice Cube is the part of me that is cool, real, and laid back. In his films, he either plays a hardcore badass or a family man. I feel like sometimes you have to be a badass and others times the family man. When I was young, I wanted to be a rapper and make people fall in love with my music. Ice Cube has put out many hits and films that people have fell in love with them. He is my first choice of Avatar because by looking at him I know what hard work and success can give you.

Baloo is the most memorable character in the Jungle Book. The Bare Necessities is the funniest song in the film. Baloo is the type of character who gives great advice but is also laid back about life. Sometimes we forget about how bare and naked we used to be and get wrapped up in the glamour of today. I would love to be Baloo to get back to the bare necessities and let go. It would be a privilege to get away from Facebook, E-Mails, and cell phones to be in the jungle enjoying myself. Baloo is the definition of Hakuna Mata (No Worried for the Rest of Your Days). In this digital age we need to remember to be free and let go of worries.

My third Avatar is the Incredible Hulk. The Incredible Hulk is the manifestation of rage that arises out of Bruce Banner. Sometimes we all are passive people and suppress our emotions. Then there are those times when we just want to let it all out. We want smash and break things. But the only thing we want the most is to live in peace and harmony. The Incredible Hulk to be is the result of when we cannot have that peace and harmony. I feel like the struggle of Bruce Banner to control the Hulk is a representation of man trying to control himself from doing wrong. The Hulk would be a fun Avatar because of his abilities. I could leap miles, possess amazing strength, and have a healing factor. Only downside would be having no actual control of my rage.

Falanga, My Avatar

My Avatar is a picture of Woody Allen because he is very close to what I want to be later in life. To be able to write, direct, and produce my own films that speak to the audience in a new way and includes large thought provoking motifs and symbols in the films. The characters would bring philosophical ideals to life and distort or magnify how we view certain things in the world and entertain a new view upon them. Travelling and working with different people would be a large part of my life while my luxuries would be writing and reading screenplays. Humor plays a large part in my character and would be a large aspect of my writing. The creation of dynamic relationships and making bold statements on comedic communities while also making my thoughts on politics evident in my writing. Woody Allen has won countless awards and even at the age of 74 is still making at least 1 movie a year.

Phillpott--My Avatar

My avatar is a famous writer who publishes at least six books a year. They are all bestsellers, and she is very rich from them. Her books have been published in over seventy-four languages and one hundred and twenty countries. She has dedicated her life to charitable works, and because of her popularity she has raised a lot of money for those in need.

She graduated with a degree in English with a concentration in Writing from a great university where she also graduated with honors. She published her first book a week after she graduated college and has been writing ever since. All of her friends work for her so they have great pay and work light schedules.

She travels most of the year and has houses in many different cities around the world. She is fluent in twelve different languages. She has a pilot license, and is a skydiving enthusiast. She takes life as it comes, but enjoys every minute that she can.

People aspire to be like her. She is often asked to give motivational speeches, even though she used to be nervous about speaking in public. Now she is very confident in herself and everything she does. She has been on the cover of many magazines, and has several friends in the entertainment and fashion industries.

She is engaged to be married in six months. Her fiancé supports her in everything she does. He owns his own successful company and is able to travel with her all year long.

My avatar enjoys writing her books, and is just happy that she has been successful at what she loves to do. She never loses sight of reality and is still very down-to-earth.

Isaacson: Avatar

My avatar is a graffiti artist. He has strong convictions and realizes that often what is legal or illegal is not the defining line between what is right and wrong. He avoids the authorities and knows that anonymity has a great strength. He works mostly at night and as quickly as he can, not having the time to consider and edit but accepting it as the reality of the here and now. He is attempting to publish work whose artistic status is debated on a mostly non-receptive public. While his artist can be seen as coming from the art of the past it has made a jump from old forms and old contexts to the urban and the fractured. His medium is variable, and he uses this to his advantage. Sometimes colours leap off the wall and sometimes they are greyscale or intentionally underplayed. He works with different nozzles, having no preference for any but as an instrument of communication. Still, he has a style and he has a goal. His works is political, cultural, social, male, female, gay, straight, obscene, humorous, serious, dark, light; it is anything that conveys himself or his feelings onto the walls of the city and into the collective consciousness of its people.