It's the big final four this weekend: arguably one the most exciting time of the most exciting sporting event of the year. More people watch the NCAA tournament than they do the Super Bowl, but did you know that, at the same time, there's also a women's final four tournament? Probably not, considering that the only people who watch it are the players' mothers and fathers.
My question though is why? Why is that people find woman's basketball a joke? What makes watching woman's basketball so undesirable? The other day I was watching tv with my dad and he was scrolling through channels on the guide menu, until he passed the channel that shows women's basketball. I merely suggested we put it on and my dad laughed in my face. When I asked him why, he simply said, "because no one really wants to watch women play basketball." My dad wasn't purposefully going against women playing basketball, (he has nothing wrong with women who play), he just has no desire to watch them play.
A lot of it has to do with the under-publicized players, unlike the NCAA where each team has players with personalities. You can get to know the players and feel like you have a sense of what kind of person they are not just on, but also off the court. You won't find that at all with women's basketball.
So tell me, what is so wrong with watching women play basketball?
Friday, April 3, 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015
The Blank Box
In this society, its hard to ever say something without offending at least one person's values or opinions, but that shouldn't mean that we lash out with accusations and aggressions...right?
This cartoon above was printed years ago by Charlie Hebdo, although I find it incredibly accurate. Of course, the cartoonist (Shaw) intended for the cartoon to be highly sarcastic and leaning towards offensive, yet I still find it blindingly true. It has become so difficult in this day and age to say your opinion with out someone finding you wrong or at fault, therefore the only thing left in this world that can't offend someone is a blank box.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Madness during March Madness
Why aren't college athletes paid? This year's March Madness has really emphasized the fact that talented, hard-working athletes don't get paid a cent for their efforts. Each year, the NCAA generates a whopping $771 million, none of which goes to the actual players. So tell me, where does it go?
It's time for dedicated athletes, like Shabazz Napier, to finally earn money for the amount of time and energy spent on playing basketball. The ends don't justify the means. Last year, Napier was awarded the highly prestigious Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, and he worked incredibly hard to maintain his ability and strength.
What people don't realize is that many of these student-athletes on scholarships barely have enough money to sustain themselves throughout the year. “I don’t feel student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars, but like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I’m starving,” Napier said to CNN. Even when Napier was starving, he would have to get up the next morning and go to class, and practice, and games where he had to "play up to his full capabilities," no matter what. I can also promise you that he's has not been the only college athlete to feel this way.
It's time for dedicated athletes, like Shabazz Napier, to finally earn money for the amount of time and energy spent on playing basketball. The ends don't justify the means. Last year, Napier was awarded the highly prestigious Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award, and he worked incredibly hard to maintain his ability and strength.
What people don't realize is that many of these student-athletes on scholarships barely have enough money to sustain themselves throughout the year. “I don’t feel student-athletes should get hundreds of thousands of dollars, but like I said, there are hungry nights that I go to bed and I’m starving,” Napier said to CNN. Even when Napier was starving, he would have to get up the next morning and go to class, and practice, and games where he had to "play up to his full capabilities," no matter what. I can also promise you that he's has not been the only college athlete to feel this way.
They put in their best efforts, yet the profit that is, literally, made off of them never makes it back to the players. The State Rep. Matthew Lesser stated that, "He says he’s going to bed hungry at a time when millions of dollars are being made off of him. It’s obscene."
Basketball scholarships cannot cover everything, so basically these students are left in the dark to figure out how to pay for their other expenses. It's especially difficult when all of your time is consumed by either class or practices/games, so there's almost no time they're able to get any type of job.
There are schools out there, like Northwestern, who are exploring ways to allow the athletes to unionize. The Northwestern union ruling seemed "kind of great" to Napier. At least its a step in the right direction.
The athletes who spend the majority of their time working insanely hard aren't getting paid one dime for all their efforts. The money is used for equipment, or is used to fund the school (sometimes not even the athletics program), yet the people who need it the most are completely overlooked.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
I heard it from CBS
What does credibility mean to you? Well, google defines credibility as the quality of being trusted and believed in. There are several interpretations to this word, but I'd like to focus on the importance of credibility in the news, pertaining to journalists, news casters, and especially talk show hosts.
The past several weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the news reporter/television host Bill O'Reilly, and that over the course of many years, he had been building up a story that has recently been proven false. He had made up accounts of being at a war zone in the Falklands, and that he had also heroically saved his camera man while escaping.
Starting on 1:56 and ending at 2:44, that section from the video above explains and shows Bill O'Reilly telling his fallacies on live television. The women who speaks at the end of the clip brings up the most important point: we rely on certain talk shows and news stations to obtain our information, but now its obvious and relevant that we shouldn't believe everything we are told. We must become more critical of the information we obtain, and importantly, where it is coming from.
The past several weeks, there has been a lot of talk about the news reporter/television host Bill O'Reilly, and that over the course of many years, he had been building up a story that has recently been proven false. He had made up accounts of being at a war zone in the Falklands, and that he had also heroically saved his camera man while escaping.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Its on us
President Barack Obama made a very special appearance at the Grammys tonight. His eloquent speech addressed that "its on us" to change how we treat each other, and how our generation has the power to spread the awareness of domestic abuse, especially through the means of music.
It was mentioned several times, throughout the show, how important the impact of music has on people, and its ability to change someone's life. Last year at the Grammys, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed the song "Same Love," as Queen Latifa stood as a temporary commissioner to marry 33 couples of varying ages and sexual orientations. They made an incredible statement that night, showing that we should accept everyone, and the choices they make with their life.
This year, after President Obama spoke, a woman who was a victim of domestic abuse spoke bravely of her traumas, and following this was an enrapturing performance by Katy Perry. At the end of Obama's speech, he asked the artists to spread his message, and I felt this was a very smart choice. Targeting music artists who have a significant impact on our culture in this society, and the power and the ability to send positive messages out to their listeners, expands his message world wide.
I was really pleased to see such a huge, widely watched program like the Grammys, to address such relevant issues going on in our country. It means people are actually paying attention.
It was mentioned several times, throughout the show, how important the impact of music has on people, and its ability to change someone's life. Last year at the Grammys, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed the song "Same Love," as Queen Latifa stood as a temporary commissioner to marry 33 couples of varying ages and sexual orientations. They made an incredible statement that night, showing that we should accept everyone, and the choices they make with their life.
This year, after President Obama spoke, a woman who was a victim of domestic abuse spoke bravely of her traumas, and following this was an enrapturing performance by Katy Perry. At the end of Obama's speech, he asked the artists to spread his message, and I felt this was a very smart choice. Targeting music artists who have a significant impact on our culture in this society, and the power and the ability to send positive messages out to their listeners, expands his message world wide.
I was really pleased to see such a huge, widely watched program like the Grammys, to address such relevant issues going on in our country. It means people are actually paying attention.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Old, White Men Love the Oscars
I'd like to continue the discussion of TV Tokenism, as I had talked about in my last post, and apply the topic to a more current and trending issue. This year's Oscar nominations have been highly disappointing, many people agreeing that the film Selma was seriously "snubbed". After talking about this in American Studies, I continued to wonder why no women directors were nominated, or no people of color to receive an acting nomination?
In the article "The Whitest Oscars Since 1998; Why the Selma 'Snubs' Matter," Kevin Fallon presents an interesting statistic: "94 percent white, 76 percent male, and average of 63-years-old— the nominations for the most prestigious and important awards in entertainment reflects the movie tastes not of a complicated, modern, and diverse culture, but a bunch of old white guys." Those numbers alone are incredibly alarming. How can this be ok? Last year, it finally felt like progress had been made, having several actors of minority nominated, (and who won oscars), while not a single person of color was nominated this year. Not one. Its hard to believe we're pretty much back to where we started, the year I was born actually.
The Oscars reigned in about 43 million views last year. I don't think all of those people watching were, like Fallon said, 63 year old men. A lot of the people that tuned in were probably excited to see some underdogs pull through, and finally gain some leverage in the entertainment world. I'm interested to see how many people will be watching the Oscars this year, and how many of those people will be rooting for Selma to win best picture just to throw the corrupt system of the Academy Awards a curveball. (Thats a whole other story though.) I wish there would be come consistency with racial diversity in the Entertainment business, and that instead, everyone has a fair shot at success with everything, but that would be too simple, right?
In the article "The Whitest Oscars Since 1998; Why the Selma 'Snubs' Matter," Kevin Fallon presents an interesting statistic: "94 percent white, 76 percent male, and average of 63-years-old— the nominations for the most prestigious and important awards in entertainment reflects the movie tastes not of a complicated, modern, and diverse culture, but a bunch of old white guys." Those numbers alone are incredibly alarming. How can this be ok? Last year, it finally felt like progress had been made, having several actors of minority nominated, (and who won oscars), while not a single person of color was nominated this year. Not one. Its hard to believe we're pretty much back to where we started, the year I was born actually.
The Oscars reigned in about 43 million views last year. I don't think all of those people watching were, like Fallon said, 63 year old men. A lot of the people that tuned in were probably excited to see some underdogs pull through, and finally gain some leverage in the entertainment world. I'm interested to see how many people will be watching the Oscars this year, and how many of those people will be rooting for Selma to win best picture just to throw the corrupt system of the Academy Awards a curveball. (Thats a whole other story though.) I wish there would be come consistency with racial diversity in the Entertainment business, and that instead, everyone has a fair shot at success with everything, but that would be too simple, right?
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Get out of the Woods
After recently discussing TV tokenism, (which is when cable and network channels have a "token" minority character in their shows so they have the ability to claim their shows are diverse), in my American Studies class. I started to pay more attention to the shows, and movies I was watching, looking for the types of thing we talked about in class. Such as how long the minority character is on the screen for, how well are they dressed, what type of role are they playing. I noticed that the new movie/musical to hit theaters, Into the Woods, had zero African American actors, (or other minority groups), in the entire movie. Correction; there was one black couple that was on screen for approximately 2 seconds. As you can see below, here is a picture of all the white cast members.
For the past several hundred years, we've been told fairy tales, as children, about princes and princesses, mystical creatures, and fables that usually have an important moral of the story. Most of these stories were created from 17th to 19th century, when black people were initially brought to America from Africa, mainly used for slave labor as America was forming as a nation. Since then, it's always been inferred that white people will usually play the princes and princesses, and end up happily ever after. As our society continues to modernize its beliefs, I feel like we've come far enough to ditch the old fashioned values that Hansel and Gretel have to be white. So why can't Repunzel's prince be black? Why shouldn't an African American actor play the Baker in Into the Woods?
Finally, for the first time (6 years ago), Disney created a movie with a black princess called The Princess and the Frog. It was a huge game changer that children would be introduced to a beautiful black princess, who was also a great role model. For once a Disney princess wasn't looking for a prince to save her, he just happened to be an outcome for her following her dreams during a whimsical adventure to reverse a spell cast on her, Tiana, and the prince. Another great example is the new rendition of Annie, where the main characters are all African American.
Should we start telling children new stories of characters in fables described as African Americans, or would that be too much of a jump? Why does it have to be that way, when we've made so much progress over the past 50 years, especially in entertainment. Its hard to try and re-write history, so why not create new stories to tell our future children?
For the past several hundred years, we've been told fairy tales, as children, about princes and princesses, mystical creatures, and fables that usually have an important moral of the story. Most of these stories were created from 17th to 19th century, when black people were initially brought to America from Africa, mainly used for slave labor as America was forming as a nation. Since then, it's always been inferred that white people will usually play the princes and princesses, and end up happily ever after. As our society continues to modernize its beliefs, I feel like we've come far enough to ditch the old fashioned values that Hansel and Gretel have to be white. So why can't Repunzel's prince be black? Why shouldn't an African American actor play the Baker in Into the Woods?
Finally, for the first time (6 years ago), Disney created a movie with a black princess called The Princess and the Frog. It was a huge game changer that children would be introduced to a beautiful black princess, who was also a great role model. For once a Disney princess wasn't looking for a prince to save her, he just happened to be an outcome for her following her dreams during a whimsical adventure to reverse a spell cast on her, Tiana, and the prince. Another great example is the new rendition of Annie, where the main characters are all African American.
Should we start telling children new stories of characters in fables described as African Americans, or would that be too much of a jump? Why does it have to be that way, when we've made so much progress over the past 50 years, especially in entertainment. Its hard to try and re-write history, so why not create new stories to tell our future children?
Friday, January 2, 2015
Where did America go?
I'd like to start off this post by simply stating my disappointment in America. With recent nationwide rioting of people standing up for the deaths of innocent people by police brutality, nothing goes better hand in hand with violence than a national distrust in this country. Several weeks ago, the Senate Intelligence Committee released vital information/documentation which showed the CIA had been using brutal, "and far less effective" methods of interrogation for terrorism suspects. The documents also show that the CIA's unethical tactics of interrogation have been going on pretty much since 9/11. For the past 14 years, there has been a major lack of communication between the Senate and the CIA, lying to public, and most importantly, embarrassed America by deserting our treasured values that we've firmly believed in for so many years. Now can you see my disappointment?
We (Americans) have been under the impression that our intelligence agency's do not use methods of torture to interrogate people, yet this has not been this case. Part of the American "way" is to stand up for your rights and what you believe is moral and just. What astounds me is the fact that the Senate Intelligence Committee had doubts and suspicions about how the CIA was handling business, yet they decided to investigate only recently. Published on their website, the CIA defends themselves by pushing back at the Committee. "Astonishingly, the SSCI Majority staff interviewed no CIA officers responsible for establishing, implementing, or evaluating the program's effectiveness. Let us repeat, no one at the CIA was interviewed."
With both sides attacking each other, its hard to know who is really telling the truth. Is that what this country has come to? We've lost America the Beautiful many years ago, and it's time to bring her back, along with all her values that started this country.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
#blacklivesmatter
A few days ago my mom came to pick me up from the Howard L station, on the border of Evanston and Chicago, and told me that she made an illegal U-turn right infront of a police man, but that he didnt even give her a warning. I can't help but think what would have happened if my mom had been a black person instead. Would they have gotten off "Scott free" like my mom?
With so much going on in the news about police brutality and the murders of non-threatening black people like Eric Garner or Michael Brown, its hard not to think that the police man would have fined a black person just because of their skin color.
How is it that it feels like we've made no progress with racism and the equality of all skin colors as a country, over the past 50 years?
With so much going on in the news about police brutality and the murders of non-threatening black people like Eric Garner or Michael Brown, its hard not to think that the police man would have fined a black person just because of their skin color.
How is it that it feels like we've made no progress with racism and the equality of all skin colors as a country, over the past 50 years?
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
America; Home of the Turkey and Tee-shirts
I love tradition and I love shopping. Put them together and what do you have? Black Friday. It's a perfect excuse to drag your friends along to participate in day where people are brainwashed to think they're getting much better deals then they actually are. The fact that I knew this, yet still decided that going to Old Orchard Mall while thousands of people were also going shopping at the same place, says a lot about how this society is persuaded by false advertisements.
A fellow blogger, Seth Godin, offers four steps for how he believes a marketing phenomenon is created:
1. Find something that people are already interested in doing (in this case, shopping)
2. Add scarcity, mob dynamics, a bit of fear.
3. Repeat the meme in the media. Press releases, B roll, clever statistics regardless of veracity
4. Do it on a slow news day, and mix in famous names, famous brands and even some hand-wringing about the plight of workers.
Godin's steps help prove that companies will take advantage of peoples interests and manipulate them to increase their own profit. Sounds kind of like Black Friday, which was created for the sole purpose of tricking consumers to think they're saving more money than they actually are.
Thanksgiving is one of the most (if not the most) American holiday this nation celebrates, yet the day after seems to have a greater influence on American lives than the holiday itself. Is that how Americans really want to percieved? I guess we've truly accepted our title as the worlds largest consumer nation.
A fellow blogger, Seth Godin, offers four steps for how he believes a marketing phenomenon is created:
1. Find something that people are already interested in doing (in this case, shopping)
2. Add scarcity, mob dynamics, a bit of fear.
3. Repeat the meme in the media. Press releases, B roll, clever statistics regardless of veracity
4. Do it on a slow news day, and mix in famous names, famous brands and even some hand-wringing about the plight of workers.
Godin's steps help prove that companies will take advantage of peoples interests and manipulate them to increase their own profit. Sounds kind of like Black Friday, which was created for the sole purpose of tricking consumers to think they're saving more money than they actually are.
Thanksgiving is one of the most (if not the most) American holiday this nation celebrates, yet the day after seems to have a greater influence on American lives than the holiday itself. Is that how Americans really want to percieved? I guess we've truly accepted our title as the worlds largest consumer nation.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Money solves all problems...
Although I'm no expert on the subject of football, the topic of domestic abuse in the NFL this year was too captivating not to notice. I'm speaking, of course, about the Ray Rice case. Yesterday, it was announced that Rice was officially reinstated back into the NFL, and is now eligible to sign with any NFL team.
I'm sure Rice is glad to be put back in the league, but what about his wife? I wonder how she feels, listening to him promise to "continue working hard to improve myself and be the best husband, father, and friend, while giving back to my community and helping others to learn from my mistakes." While this statement sounds quite enticing, its much easier said than done. The fact that Rice has returned to the NFL does not ensure the safety of his wife.
Janay Palmer, (now referred to as Rice), stated in a interview with Jemele Hill, that she was "sick to my stomach," so much that she could not bring herself to watch the second video of Ray Rice beating her. How could someone stay with a person like Rice after being physically abused by them, let alone marrying them?
Is it possible Janay Rice decided to stay, and then marry, with Ray for his money? I see no other logical explanation. Who knows if that was the first time he's hit her, unless he's that unlucky to have gotten it caught on camera the one and only time he's ever laid a finger on Janay. I know I have a naive perception of love, so maybe I just do not understand, but how could you ever stay with a person who could hurt you so much, and yet still says they love you?
I'm sure Rice is glad to be put back in the league, but what about his wife? I wonder how she feels, listening to him promise to "continue working hard to improve myself and be the best husband, father, and friend, while giving back to my community and helping others to learn from my mistakes." While this statement sounds quite enticing, its much easier said than done. The fact that Rice has returned to the NFL does not ensure the safety of his wife.
Janay Palmer, (now referred to as Rice), stated in a interview with Jemele Hill, that she was "sick to my stomach," so much that she could not bring herself to watch the second video of Ray Rice beating her. How could someone stay with a person like Rice after being physically abused by them, let alone marrying them?
Is it possible Janay Rice decided to stay, and then marry, with Ray for his money? I see no other logical explanation. Who knows if that was the first time he's hit her, unless he's that unlucky to have gotten it caught on camera the one and only time he's ever laid a finger on Janay. I know I have a naive perception of love, so maybe I just do not understand, but how could you ever stay with a person who could hurt you so much, and yet still says they love you?
Sunday, November 23, 2014
What's Your Number?
I'm just going to say what everyone is already thinking. Standardized tests suck. Evidently, I have a lot of issues with standardized testing, and, after taking a practice ACT this morning, it has only made me more fired up towards the entire system.
ACT and SAT scores do not represent students in an accurate way. For some people, they can study, walk in, take the test, and get a 30, (or above), without having to put forth much effort. For others, like myself, testing is much more of an ordeal. It doesn't come, I guess you could say, as naturally as I wish it did. This is my first red flag with the ACTs: just because I may not be an excellent test taker, should not mean that I am not a hard-working, intelligent individual.
The culture of the ACT and SAT encourages students to pour themselves over studying and taking practice tests all for a number that will help determine the college you get in to. How can we say that that is who we are? As students, we are letting ourselves be confined and limited from so much more than we are capable of. The former Dean of Admissions, Bates College, William Hiss, offers his experience: "I'm trained as an ethicist, so I wasn't trying to find the perfect formula to admit students when I was dean of admissions. Rather, I was trying to say, how do we understand human intelligence? How do we understand promise?" Hiss understands and values the fact that there is so much more to a student than just some test score. He searches for students that apply themselves to learning, and who embrace their education in other ways, for example, participating in sports or playing a musical instrument.
During this stressful time of tutors and ACT/SAT crash courses, I'd like to remind people of the fact that you are still a person, not just a number.
ACT and SAT scores do not represent students in an accurate way. For some people, they can study, walk in, take the test, and get a 30, (or above), without having to put forth much effort. For others, like myself, testing is much more of an ordeal. It doesn't come, I guess you could say, as naturally as I wish it did. This is my first red flag with the ACTs: just because I may not be an excellent test taker, should not mean that I am not a hard-working, intelligent individual.
The culture of the ACT and SAT encourages students to pour themselves over studying and taking practice tests all for a number that will help determine the college you get in to. How can we say that that is who we are? As students, we are letting ourselves be confined and limited from so much more than we are capable of. The former Dean of Admissions, Bates College, William Hiss, offers his experience: "I'm trained as an ethicist, so I wasn't trying to find the perfect formula to admit students when I was dean of admissions. Rather, I was trying to say, how do we understand human intelligence? How do we understand promise?" Hiss understands and values the fact that there is so much more to a student than just some test score. He searches for students that apply themselves to learning, and who embrace their education in other ways, for example, participating in sports or playing a musical instrument.
During this stressful time of tutors and ACT/SAT crash courses, I'd like to remind people of the fact that you are still a person, not just a number.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Ballet: Sport or Art?
In the world of sports, ballet has always been ignored as a "candidate", until recently. A few months ago, Under Armour came out with a brand new campaign and slogan, "I will what I want." (Below is their new advertisement with New York City Ballet's soloist Misty Copeland.)
Under Armour has developed a much greater understanding, and respect for ballet than any mainstream athletic company I've ever seen. Dance, ballet specifically, has been poorly misunderstood by the "non-dancers" of our society; they see dance as a heavily feminine activity that we do for fun.
I disagree with Brittany Kottler, who wrote the article Ballet is an Art, Not a Sport, because she says "Ballet itself is not a competitive sport; it's an art." Why can't it be both?
Not only are dancers competitive among each other, but even dance companies are competing to achieve the highest rankings, and to always come up with the best new and exciting ideas, so to say ballet isn't competitive would be false. As a dancer myself, I speak for many when I say that ballet is incredibly demanding both physically and mentally, its competitive, and highly time consuming. But above all else, ballet is beautiful, and the moment you step out on stage everything else is forgotten.
I feel as though Under Armour truly captured the intensity and strength that pertains to ballet, not sugar-coating their message to keep doing what you love, no matter how hard it may be.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
ALS doesn't scare him
I know we've all seen, or perhaps even been a part of, the ALS ice bucket challenge frenzy. All of the press and attention the organization gained made the disease seem almost like it wasn't a disease at all. Because ALS is so rare and fatal, I never thought it would ever personally affect me- until this past weekend.
My family's close friends from New Jersey came to visit us, and the husband was diagnosed with ALS about four months ago. I've known for a while that Arthur [Cohen] had been officially diagnosed with the disease, but upon actually seeing him, it was hard to wrap my brain around the reality that this despicable "thing" was actually effecting him now.
Now, I understand this may sound like a cliché blog post, but Arthur has truly accepted the idea of the "power of positivity." Not only does he face every single day with a smile and a thumbs up, (his trademark sign), but he refuses to let the disease keep him from doing the things he loves including his successful career as a photographer, or running his non-profit organization called Pickals. (They make pickles and sell them to donate money for the ALS foundation.)
It's terribly sad, and even ironic, to see the most energetic and talkative person I know, deteriorate before my eyes, although he refuses to see things that way. Even though he can't tie his own shoes, put on his watch, or cut his own food, he smiles and winks at me, his thumbs up high in the air. Instead of giving up, Arthur has chosen to live his life the way he wants to, embracing his disease, and the many bumps in the road that will follow.
My family's close friends from New Jersey came to visit us, and the husband was diagnosed with ALS about four months ago. I've known for a while that Arthur [Cohen] had been officially diagnosed with the disease, but upon actually seeing him, it was hard to wrap my brain around the reality that this despicable "thing" was actually effecting him now.
Now, I understand this may sound like a cliché blog post, but Arthur has truly accepted the idea of the "power of positivity." Not only does he face every single day with a smile and a thumbs up, (his trademark sign), but he refuses to let the disease keep him from doing the things he loves including his successful career as a photographer, or running his non-profit organization called Pickals. (They make pickles and sell them to donate money for the ALS foundation.)
It's terribly sad, and even ironic, to see the most energetic and talkative person I know, deteriorate before my eyes, although he refuses to see things that way. Even though he can't tie his own shoes, put on his watch, or cut his own food, he smiles and winks at me, his thumbs up high in the air. Instead of giving up, Arthur has chosen to live his life the way he wants to, embracing his disease, and the many bumps in the road that will follow.
Sunday, November 2, 2014
The Power of No Power
Several weeks ago, the power went out at my house. When I was younger, I remember it being this exciting thing; no power meant an adventure. Now? A burden, to say nonetheless. At first, it was just awkward, sitting in silence with my parents by candlelight, because we didn't know what else to do. That moment was followed by the realization that I wouldn't be able to charge my iPad or iPhone, and slight panic set in as I considered the fact that my phone might...die. The next morning I woke up to the power working in my house. Although I was relieved, it made me think- if I couldn't even last 5 hours with out technology, what would happen to an entire society without technology for a week?
This world we live in, based on human desire, revolves around the use of technology. We are "satisfying each impulse in the physical world with the ease and speed of digital tools... Hit a button and something happens in the world (that makes life easier for you)." Alexis Madrigal provides a good point- with the use of smart phones, we have access to pretty much everything we want in the palm of our hands. "With all the powerful social technologies at our fingertips, we are more connected- and potentially more disconnected- than ever before," says Susan Tardanico, as she explains that 'on-hand' technology makes it easier for teenagers [specifically] to live in two different worlds. Taken from a nationally representative survey, out of 802 teenagers ranging from 12-17, 78% have cell phones, one in four teens have a tablet, and nine in ten teens have access to a laptop/computer at home. Those are three ways for teenagers to become wrapped up in a virtual world, where you don't necessarily have to be yourself, so much that teenagers today struggle having face-to-face interactions with people.
We have "broken the barriers of space and time, enabling us to interact 24/7 with people with more people than ever before." The fact of the matter is that is this honest communication? In our society we no longer require face-to-face communication, therefore will we even utilize human interaction 30 years from now? What would happen if the power went out then?
This world we live in, based on human desire, revolves around the use of technology. We are "satisfying each impulse in the physical world with the ease and speed of digital tools... Hit a button and something happens in the world (that makes life easier for you)." Alexis Madrigal provides a good point- with the use of smart phones, we have access to pretty much everything we want in the palm of our hands. "With all the powerful social technologies at our fingertips, we are more connected- and potentially more disconnected- than ever before," says Susan Tardanico, as she explains that 'on-hand' technology makes it easier for teenagers [specifically] to live in two different worlds. Taken from a nationally representative survey, out of 802 teenagers ranging from 12-17, 78% have cell phones, one in four teens have a tablet, and nine in ten teens have access to a laptop/computer at home. Those are three ways for teenagers to become wrapped up in a virtual world, where you don't necessarily have to be yourself, so much that teenagers today struggle having face-to-face interactions with people.
We have "broken the barriers of space and time, enabling us to interact 24/7 with people with more people than ever before." The fact of the matter is that is this honest communication? In our society we no longer require face-to-face communication, therefore will we even utilize human interaction 30 years from now? What would happen if the power went out then?
Thursday, October 16, 2014
The Up's and Down's of Social Media Today
This past weekend I watched the film "Chef", which John Favreau wrote, directed, and starred in. It was an incredibly uplifting story about a critically acclaimed chef who realizes he needs to get his passion and inspiration back. He turns to the food truck business where his love for food is instantly revived. Much of this movie is based on the use of social media, and how many positive aspects there are when you fully embrace the opportunities Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many more, provide.
After finishing the movie, I couldn't help but think about how our generation (of teenagers) uses social media, and the impressions we allow people to believe. For starters, we use Facebook and Instagram mainly to display ourselves-who we are, the things we like, etc. The selfies and the constant updates of what we're doing, that no one actually cares about in all honesty, persuades people to believe all teenagers are innately selfish and and self-involved. I don't deny what Sharon Nton-Ntan said in her article about teenagers and social media and how we search for "validation and recognition from total strangers," and "feeling satisfaction, temporary sense of belonging." She feels that we've made everything "about us," and although I can't disagree social media has changed how we think and feel about other people and ourselves, I don't believe it automatically makes all teenagers needy attention seekers. We use social media as a way to express ourselves. Because you only see our side of the conversation, it comes across as self-involved, when in reality we simply send things out into the vast world of social media in hopes that just one person will see us for who we are.
The hilarious clip above is one of many examples in the film that show how social media isn't as trivial as some may think. Throughout the movie, you see the father, played by Favreau, and his son grow closer together. The son teaches his dad how to use twitter, (the short scene above), takes videos and pictures to document their trip with the food truck, and even promotes his father's business. Social media offers a sense of connectedness between people, and is able to bring to people from all over the world together with one cohesive idea. This is a huge contribution to why small businesses, food trucks to be specific, are able to thrive utilizing Twitter and Facebook. (Especially when this kind of advertisement is free.)
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Gender Steryotypes Still Prevalent in the 21st Century
Julia Pierson resigned from her role as the Director of the United States Secret Service, after 30 years of devotion. While Director, The service made several huge mistakes that could not be over looked, including letting an armed intruder break into the White House, making it through three rooms before being apprehended. In addition, another event was reported that a private contractor with a concealed gun had been cleared to share the same elevator with President Obama. Pierson had failed to acknowledge the President of the situation, even though she had the opportunity. These incredibly dangerous mistakes were not excusable by Pierson. I don't disagree with her resignation, although I do not agree with Bryce Covert--that being a woman had anything to do with Pierson's failure.
Women are "thought to have qualities associated with cleaning up messes," Covert explains, so when a company's success begins to plummet, many times a woman will be brought in to 'clean up'. For hundreds of years, women were percieved as the cooks and cleaners of the household. It wasn't until the 1960's that women actually had a fair chance at getting a job in the work force. We say times have changed, although men still see us as the "cleaners" of the world, picking up after the messes they've made. Pierson was the first woman to become the director of the Social Service in its "149-year history," and will probably be the last due to her failure.
People fail all the time...including men. Why is it that when a woman fails, the fact that she in a WOMAN is brought up? Is it fair to judge a person's actions based on their gender?
Women are "thought to have qualities associated with cleaning up messes," Covert explains, so when a company's success begins to plummet, many times a woman will be brought in to 'clean up'. For hundreds of years, women were percieved as the cooks and cleaners of the household. It wasn't until the 1960's that women actually had a fair chance at getting a job in the work force. We say times have changed, although men still see us as the "cleaners" of the world, picking up after the messes they've made. Pierson was the first woman to become the director of the Social Service in its "149-year history," and will probably be the last due to her failure.
People fail all the time...including men. Why is it that when a woman fails, the fact that she in a WOMAN is brought up? Is it fair to judge a person's actions based on their gender?
Sunday, September 21, 2014
The Question of Independence for 16-year-old Scots
This past week, Scotland held a momentous election - to vote whether or not it should become an independent nation after 300 years of living under British rule. But after the vote on Thursday, Scotland maintained its position as a part of the United Kingdom (55% no, 45% yes). Alex Salmond, now former leader of the SNP, had specifically lowered the voting age to 16 and 17 year olds, primarily because the younger generations of today tend to be more progressive and open minded when it comes to breaking old traditions and accepting new ones. He had been sorely mistaken. A majority of the teenagers had voted against Scotland's independence, their decisions shocking both Salmond, as well as myself.
As a 16 year old myself, I can understand why many of the teenagers voted against such a huge change to their country. These voters have the most at stake in this situation. Their youth means that they will have to live with the consequences and implications longer than any other voter. "I'm part of the next generation of young people who will be left with the legacy of this referendum where the ramifications of the result will be felt throughout our lives," said Stephen Anderson, 17. Their youth also means they still have an authoritative figure making decisions for them and taking care of them-- sort of like how Britain takes care of Scotland in a sense. They're not ready for "independence" as 16 year olds and their votes show similar feelings for Scotland. Putting myself in their position, I would have voted against independence as well, opting for the safer choice. It's easier to chose what you know rather than the unknown, especially when it determines the fate of your own country.
Sunday, September 7, 2014
She's done it again.
Today I was able to witness the "legendary" Serena Williams take home her 18th Grand Slam at the age of 33 years old. (Her first win at the young age of 17). Everyone knows that Serena is a great champion of the sport, but the more I thought about it, I was staggered by how someone can be at the top of a highly competitive sport for so long.
First of all, tennis is highly competitive sport. Especially when you're number one; everyone wants to knock you down. There's always someone younger, someone just as good as the more seasoned players, with just as much focus and drive. Serena has dealt with people like that for almost a generation now, yet she manages to stay on-top, constantly fighting them off as they seem to get younger and younger. As a dancer, I can relate to that feeling of not only competition against your self as well as competition with everyone surrounding you. There are the younger girls slowly creeping up from the levels beneath you, as well as the higher levels where the girls know they're better than you and love rubbing it in your face. There's so much more that goes on underneath the surface between tennis players and ballet dancers that the 'audience' never discovers, although I like to think of competition as a healthy way to keep you going.
Something I truly admire about Serena is the singular drive that she possess to keep her going, even when the game isn't going in her favor, she always manages to push foreword. Many stars her age feel they can only push themselves for so long, until they've reached their tipping point. They'll decide when they've had enough, retiring from the exhausting lifestyle of tennis. Serena on the other hand has accomplished pretty much everything she's ever wanted, yet still strives for more. She's never been ready to throw the towel in, to call quits and say "eh, I think I've had enough". Watching her play tennis is so incredibly inspiring, showing the world what a fighter she is, each game at a time.
Serena is truly a one of kind athlete, the kind who always accepts a challenge, the kind of athlete who always pushes herself to be the best she can possibly be, the kind of athlete who doesn't just quit while she's ahead. After watching her play, Serena showed the world today how amazing she is, for the 18th time. There are many reasons as to why Serena Williams is who she is, but the main reason why she has been untouchable for so long, is that she is fearless. She doesn't let anything get in her way from what she wants, and its that razor sharp drive for success that lead her to where she is today.
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