Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
IMHO #2
As the semester is coming to a close, I cannot stress how horrible this fall term was for me at San Jose State University. All of the students and faculty felt the effect of the budget cuts. Due to increases in tuition, budget cuts, and furloughs it was as though I paid for half of an education.
I cannot emphasize how important the California AB 656 Bill is to current and future students and faculty. This bill will allocate revenue back into the University of California system, California State Universities, and California Community Colleges. In retrospect, each and every one of these schools, big or small, will produce the future of our state of California. If we continue with half an education, there is no way we will have great doctors, lawyers, businessmen and women, or even journalists in the future. The graduates would be thrust into the world unprepared and unskilled. I feel as though the bachelor’s degree would no longer hold any credibility.
This semester, I was especially angered by how difficult it was to submit my graduation application and speak to advisors. When I went into the Admissions and Records building I was told that there was no longer a line for soon-to-be graduating students to discuss the last few steps of their college career. I basically had to turn in my graduation application blind and not know if I was missing anything else needed for my bachelor’s until halfway through the spring semester. By the time I will be informed of any missing components for my degree, I would be pushed back another semester! Who’s to say it will not happen for two semesters?
Speaking to an advisor was insanely difficult this semester because of campus furloughs, faculty furloughs, and holidays. The San Jose State University’s school of Mass Communications and Journalism has only one advisor for the whole department, Dr. Kathleen Martinelli. I tried speaking to her about my upcoming graduation but realized she had campus furlough and faculty furlough consecutively so it was impossible to even see her! In addition, she places a sign up sheet to speak with her for only 15 minutes each time.
Hopefully the California AB 656 bill will pass and education will be restored back to the way it should be.
(word count: 382)
I cannot emphasize how important the California AB 656 Bill is to current and future students and faculty. This bill will allocate revenue back into the University of California system, California State Universities, and California Community Colleges. In retrospect, each and every one of these schools, big or small, will produce the future of our state of California. If we continue with half an education, there is no way we will have great doctors, lawyers, businessmen and women, or even journalists in the future. The graduates would be thrust into the world unprepared and unskilled. I feel as though the bachelor’s degree would no longer hold any credibility.
This semester, I was especially angered by how difficult it was to submit my graduation application and speak to advisors. When I went into the Admissions and Records building I was told that there was no longer a line for soon-to-be graduating students to discuss the last few steps of their college career. I basically had to turn in my graduation application blind and not know if I was missing anything else needed for my bachelor’s until halfway through the spring semester. By the time I will be informed of any missing components for my degree, I would be pushed back another semester! Who’s to say it will not happen for two semesters?
Speaking to an advisor was insanely difficult this semester because of campus furloughs, faculty furloughs, and holidays. The San Jose State University’s school of Mass Communications and Journalism has only one advisor for the whole department, Dr. Kathleen Martinelli. I tried speaking to her about my upcoming graduation but realized she had campus furlough and faculty furlough consecutively so it was impossible to even see her! In addition, she places a sign up sheet to speak with her for only 15 minutes each time.
Hopefully the California AB 656 bill will pass and education will be restored back to the way it should be.
(word count: 382)
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Blog #10 – Fish Out of Water
As a fish out of water, I was completely in awe of the classical Indian dance I watched called “Nritya Sangati: Dance Expressions.” The Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose promotes classical dance forms of South India through instructional classes and professional performances like this one, which was held at San Jose’s Mexican Heritage Theater. Throughout the year, they also continue to host various shows outside San Jose, but within the Bay Area.
Since I am a fish out of water, there is no better way for me to explain it to another fish out of water without comparing it to something familiar. I would compare it to a traditional symphony equipped with singers, an orchestra, and dancers. The Abhinaya Dance Company, like a symphony, depicted South India life through their music and dancing. In our own symphonies, I feel our musical greats do the same, they depict nature, love, and life.
This dance was presented in the traditional Indian Bharathanatyam style. Nritya Sangati’s artistic director Mythili Kumar incorporated this concert with variations of all aspects of Indian dance such as laya (rhythm), bhave (expression), and raga (melody). The first half of the show portrayed progressions in relationships and present day Indian life. The clothing that accompanied each performance was amazing! The style and color of the garments seemed to express each individual’s own personality and the jewelry gave a glimpse into their culture and lifestyle. The second half of the show focused more on the history and methodology of their rich culture. The music for the second half was grimmer, but still as lively, like their culture.
I truly enjoyed doing this assignment because I would have never discovered such an entertaining concert. I feel as though I learned something new and witnessed a beautiful culture express itself. Nritya Sangati: Dance Expressions was like taking a trip to India because I was able to see their beautiful national costumes, jewelry, listen to their music, and watch their exotic dance. I would definitely see this show again, and maybe even sign myself up for their dance courses!
(word count: 352)
Since I am a fish out of water, there is no better way for me to explain it to another fish out of water without comparing it to something familiar. I would compare it to a traditional symphony equipped with singers, an orchestra, and dancers. The Abhinaya Dance Company, like a symphony, depicted South India life through their music and dancing. In our own symphonies, I feel our musical greats do the same, they depict nature, love, and life.
This dance was presented in the traditional Indian Bharathanatyam style. Nritya Sangati’s artistic director Mythili Kumar incorporated this concert with variations of all aspects of Indian dance such as laya (rhythm), bhave (expression), and raga (melody). The first half of the show portrayed progressions in relationships and present day Indian life. The clothing that accompanied each performance was amazing! The style and color of the garments seemed to express each individual’s own personality and the jewelry gave a glimpse into their culture and lifestyle. The second half of the show focused more on the history and methodology of their rich culture. The music for the second half was grimmer, but still as lively, like their culture.
I truly enjoyed doing this assignment because I would have never discovered such an entertaining concert. I feel as though I learned something new and witnessed a beautiful culture express itself. Nritya Sangati: Dance Expressions was like taking a trip to India because I was able to see their beautiful national costumes, jewelry, listen to their music, and watch their exotic dance. I would definitely see this show again, and maybe even sign myself up for their dance courses!
(word count: 352)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Targeting Audience
The target audience for the Olay Professional skin care product is middle aged women between 30 to 50. Those who would be interested in this product could have any occupation and any educational level because this product is advertised as inexpensive and easily found in drugstores. This advertisement’s selling slogan is “As effective at wrinkle reduction as what THE DOCTOR PRESCRIBES. At half the price.” To express that this product works great at half the price of a doctors prescription, it is really telling audiences that you do not need a lot of money to look better, so therefore, you can have any income to buy this product. The advertisers for this ad are trying to target women who either work or are stay at home mothers that want to feel sexy about themselves by making their skin look younger at a low price. I would say this ad is information rich because it shows the product and describes it in detail for the audience.
The target audience for this ad, women’s new Rolex watch, focuses on wealthy women who are more established in their careers between the ages of 35-65. In the advertisement, the woman is dressed as a pilot and wearing the Rolex watch showing class and elegance. It would take a woman with a lot of money to afford this watch (which I researched and found out that it sells for about $10,000) meaning that she must have a very strong educational background and her income is high. I would imagine seeing a married woman wear this watch at a fancy dinner party or country club. The ad’s slogan is “Rolex. For life’s defining moments,” which translates to a successful person will have this watch because they have reached a moment in their lives that make them great. I would say this ad feature more peripheral qualities and attracts a less involved audience.
(Word count: 316)
Word of the Week #10
1. Lascivious
2. Read in the textbook Cases in Communications Law by John D. Zelezny.
3. "The key to that holding was the Court's rejection of the claim that obscene materials were protected by the First Amendment. The Court sustained a conviction under a federal statute punishing the mailing of 'obscene, lewd, lascivious,or filthy...' materials."
4. Adj. Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd; arousing sexual desire.
5. Playboy magazine publishes lascivious photographs of women.
2. Read in the textbook Cases in Communications Law by John D. Zelezny.
3. "The key to that holding was the Court's rejection of the claim that obscene materials were protected by the First Amendment. The Court sustained a conviction under a federal statute punishing the mailing of 'obscene, lewd, lascivious,or filthy...' materials."
4. Adj. Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd; arousing sexual desire.
5. Playboy magazine publishes lascivious photographs of women.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Copy Edit the World
I found this copy edit at a restaurant I always eat at. The menu reads "am" and "pm" when it should be "a.m." and "p.m."
I found this at Endless Beauty where I always get my eyebrows waxed in downtown San Jose. "Hi-light" should be "highlight"
I found this error in a shopping center down Hedding Road at a salon called Day Spa. "Higlight" should be spelled "highlight"
I found this at a Vietnamese grocery store on 4th Street called Throng Hung. "Russett Potatos" should be "Russett Potatoes"
I found this error in the Alvin Center on Tully Road. "Fasion" should be "Fashion"
Blog #9 - Japanese Internment Essay
The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 was declared as a day that will live in infamy. The Japanese bombed United States soil and caused fear among Americans, which eventually pushed President Franklin D. Roosevelt to pass Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. The Executive Order forced the population of about 120,000 Japanese Americans into internment camps in hopes of preventing them from internally helping the true enemies abroad, when in actuality Japanese Americans have never caused such harm.
At the time, San Jose’s Japantown was completely devastated. All the Japanese businesses closed down as nearly 3,000 residents were being sent away to internment camps. Among the 3,000 residents, a handful of them were California State University students, some even attending San Jose State University at the time. San Jose State’s gymnasium once acted as a holding cell for Japanese American students before they were sent away to internment camps.
Among the 120,000 sent to internment camps, Ruth Asawa was one of them. At the tender age of 16, Asawa and her family were sent to a Japanese internment camp. Although she was fortunate enough to have been only subjected to a short stay, Asawa was opened to the world of art by fellow interned Japanese. There, she learned how to paint and draw from internees who were animators for Walt Disney Studios. All of her art today depicts what life was like for Japanese Americans during that sensitive time of the Pearl Harbor bombing and the rippling affects that came after.
Upon her release, Ruth Asawa pursued a career in art and became quite the advocate for Japanese Americans. Through her art, she shows the world what it was like to be an internee at the Japanese internment camps during a critical time in United States history. Her art, based on her experiences, created the Japanese American Internment Memorial at South 2nd and San Carlos Streets in San Jose, California. One of my favorite pieces was the bronze sculpture with images of people standing in lines and suffering during their stay at the internment camps. It touched me deeply because it felt like I was looking at a holocaust, however this was happening closer to home. During our trip to the memorial, I gained a more profound appreciation for life and compassion for those who had to go through such difficulties.
(word count: 395)
At the time, San Jose’s Japantown was completely devastated. All the Japanese businesses closed down as nearly 3,000 residents were being sent away to internment camps. Among the 3,000 residents, a handful of them were California State University students, some even attending San Jose State University at the time. San Jose State’s gymnasium once acted as a holding cell for Japanese American students before they were sent away to internment camps.
Among the 120,000 sent to internment camps, Ruth Asawa was one of them. At the tender age of 16, Asawa and her family were sent to a Japanese internment camp. Although she was fortunate enough to have been only subjected to a short stay, Asawa was opened to the world of art by fellow interned Japanese. There, she learned how to paint and draw from internees who were animators for Walt Disney Studios. All of her art today depicts what life was like for Japanese Americans during that sensitive time of the Pearl Harbor bombing and the rippling affects that came after.
Upon her release, Ruth Asawa pursued a career in art and became quite the advocate for Japanese Americans. Through her art, she shows the world what it was like to be an internee at the Japanese internment camps during a critical time in United States history. Her art, based on her experiences, created the Japanese American Internment Memorial at South 2nd and San Carlos Streets in San Jose, California. One of my favorite pieces was the bronze sculpture with images of people standing in lines and suffering during their stay at the internment camps. It touched me deeply because it felt like I was looking at a holocaust, however this was happening closer to home. During our trip to the memorial, I gained a more profound appreciation for life and compassion for those who had to go through such difficulties.
(word count: 395)
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