Word Count: 149
In the most recent issue of Access Magazine there was an article entitled, "We're #1 (Most of the time)," that really caught my eye. The article compared health care, architecture, shopping, education, and body image here in the United States with those abroad. I always knew Europe had a better system to provide universal health care to its citizens, but I never knew exactly how it worked. The article poked fun at our falling behind other countries, some of which are considered third world countries in various areas. It was definitely interesting to think the same way as the author, and try to understand how we fall so short in providing services even though we are one of the richest countries in the world. Although the article was rather short it did provide some what of an idea about our country and just where it stands along side others.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Blog #4
Suzzette Medina
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Blog #4
Word Count: 259
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Blog #4
Word Count: 259
Walking through the Journalism and Mass Communications building, you can see several posters, flyers, bulletins, etc. The topics range from classes to photography from the students, yet all of these make me wonder, "How can I go about doing that?" There are large posters with three covers for the magazine "American" or something to that effect, pinned up all over the walls of the building. Once I looked at the covers for a bit I realized that I actually knew one of the models on the front cover. The Mormon outfit and greased hair threw me off a bit, but yes, it was him, I was sure. Then a rush of jealousy overcame me. How did he land this role? I would like to be photographed for a magazine. Then I stepped back even more so, and asked myself what this magazine was all about. This new magazine didn't have much copy on it to explain the niche this publication was aimed toward. Then I noticed the words saying something like, "I am an American." "Don't judge based on religion." "Don't judge based on orientatation." I could be completely wrong about these titles but the overall effect left me curious. Was this a magazine about squashing stereotypical associations through race, sexuality, religion, etc.? That would be a first. I left the hallways wondering what was in store for that magazine, and trying to remind myself to look into that later on. SJSU is definitely touching upon some delicate issues here and I’m looking forward to the publication release date.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
In Class- Focus Story Structure Lead
Suzzette Medina
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
In class assignment- Focus Story Structure Lead
Word count: 170
After giving birth to a baby, Lillian Garland expected to return to her job at California Savings and Loan, but instead was met with a pink slip. After being granted pregnancy leave, upon her return to work she was denied her job back and decided to fight back.
This is a problem that many women who decide to start a family during their career are facing in todays world.
Under California state law, employers are required to grant paid maternity leave for up to four months and to guarantee their original job back upon their return.
Garland's legal case reached the Supreme Court before finding an answer. It took her five years to settle the matter, but the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state law, granting her job back.
This issue is a growing problem for women in the working world and must be settled once and for all. Women should not be afraid to lose their job if they choose to start a family during their career.
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
In class assignment- Focus Story Structure Lead
Word count: 170
After giving birth to a baby, Lillian Garland expected to return to her job at California Savings and Loan, but instead was met with a pink slip. After being granted pregnancy leave, upon her return to work she was denied her job back and decided to fight back.
This is a problem that many women who decide to start a family during their career are facing in todays world.
Under California state law, employers are required to grant paid maternity leave for up to four months and to guarantee their original job back upon their return.
Garland's legal case reached the Supreme Court before finding an answer. It took her five years to settle the matter, but the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state law, granting her job back.
This issue is a growing problem for women in the working world and must be settled once and for all. Women should not be afraid to lose their job if they choose to start a family during their career.
Extra credit #2 - News Opinion Piece
Suzzette Medina
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Extra Credit- Newspaper Opinion Piece
Word Count: 426
“Growth is California’s No. 1 problem,” Dianne Feinstein said a few years ago in response to the outrageous numbers of immigrants pouring into this state every year.
She could not have said it better.
California is a wonderful state, only because we have the means to preserve it and keep our own economy afloat. If anyone has been paying attention to the budget deficit plaguing this state, we clearly do not even have the substantial amount of money currently to keep even our California state school system growing and flourishing. Cuts are being made everywhere and many jobs are on the chopping block.
In the article, “Infinite Ingress,” it was estimated that the growth of California can reach 60 million people in the next 36 years.
That is an unacceptable answer.
Will the residents here be forced to live like animals, in tall apartment complexes, hundreds of people compacted into small square-footed buildings? And with the threat of earthquakes here, that is a dangerous idea.
The positives that come out of having illegal immigrants here do not outweigh the overall costs to the rest of the citizens here. The costs these immigrants provide on our state’s social welfare benefits and the overall poverty they add to the state levels greatly affect everyone in a negative way.
Barack Obama believes the government should issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrant. I don’t know if that is a good idea. Being able to drive legally is a privilege here in the United States, and I can see it offending many citizens to see the government so freely give out state licenses. On the other hand, if the immigrants are here to work, they will probably buy a car anyway and drive around illegally regardless of the law. That is a tricky situation and definitely is frustrating as well.
Obama also supports the building of a giant fence to separate Mexico from the U.S. That idea won’t fly very well I think, as it looks like we are clearly trying to separate ourselves from them and do not want anyone else attempting to cross the border. Exclusivity I feel like never settles well among countries.
Either way, something must be done with the extreme influx of illegal immigrants here in California. They use our resources the tax payers are funding, and it is really making the citizens angry. Hopefully this issue can be resolved and the state can be united in our future immigration policy.
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Extra Credit- Newspaper Opinion Piece
Word Count: 426
“Growth is California’s No. 1 problem,” Dianne Feinstein said a few years ago in response to the outrageous numbers of immigrants pouring into this state every year.
She could not have said it better.
California is a wonderful state, only because we have the means to preserve it and keep our own economy afloat. If anyone has been paying attention to the budget deficit plaguing this state, we clearly do not even have the substantial amount of money currently to keep even our California state school system growing and flourishing. Cuts are being made everywhere and many jobs are on the chopping block.
In the article, “Infinite Ingress,” it was estimated that the growth of California can reach 60 million people in the next 36 years.
That is an unacceptable answer.
Will the residents here be forced to live like animals, in tall apartment complexes, hundreds of people compacted into small square-footed buildings? And with the threat of earthquakes here, that is a dangerous idea.
The positives that come out of having illegal immigrants here do not outweigh the overall costs to the rest of the citizens here. The costs these immigrants provide on our state’s social welfare benefits and the overall poverty they add to the state levels greatly affect everyone in a negative way.
Barack Obama believes the government should issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrant. I don’t know if that is a good idea. Being able to drive legally is a privilege here in the United States, and I can see it offending many citizens to see the government so freely give out state licenses. On the other hand, if the immigrants are here to work, they will probably buy a car anyway and drive around illegally regardless of the law. That is a tricky situation and definitely is frustrating as well.
Obama also supports the building of a giant fence to separate Mexico from the U.S. That idea won’t fly very well I think, as it looks like we are clearly trying to separate ourselves from them and do not want anyone else attempting to cross the border. Exclusivity I feel like never settles well among countries.
Either way, something must be done with the extreme influx of illegal immigrants here in California. They use our resources the tax payers are funding, and it is really making the citizens angry. Hopefully this issue can be resolved and the state can be united in our future immigration policy.
Extra Credit Obituary
Suzzette Medina
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Extra Credit- Personal Obituary
Word Count: 319
Suzzette Medina was born in Lima, Peru on Jan. 31, 1987 and has not stopped smiling and changing the lives of those she loves until she reached the grand old age of 120. It was always a goal of hers to become one of the oldest women alive, and she proudly accepted her $1,000,000 prize from the Guiness Book of World Records for accomplishing this impressive feat while still looking, feeling, and acting like a youthful 50-year-old. Suzzette was always a giver, and continued donating what she could all the way until her final days, when she wrote her final check for the American Diabetes Association for a substantial amount in memory of her father who passed away from this debilitating disease years earlier. Suzzette has created several foundations in conjunction with her college sorority, Delta Gamma, to assist the visually impaired over the years. Her contribution to her college sorority was admired many times by the organization nationally and has displayed her undying dedication to the elements in her life she truly cares for. Suzzette has spent countless hours of her days volunteering wherever she could and sponsoring impoverished children overseas. She returned to Peru and spent a few years there renovating some buildings that were deteriorating and assisted the capital, Lima, in rejuvenating the city. Thanks to her efforts, the city now draws in the highest amount of tourists in over a hundred years. Recently her husband of ninety-five years passed away, and she has spent her last remaining years in the company of her large and loving family. She leaves behind five children, sixteen grandchildren, twenty great grandchildren, eighteen great, great grandchildren, and two great, great, great, grandchildren. She remains very close with each and every one of them, and will forever be greatly loved, admired, and missed by her whole family.
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Extra Credit- Personal Obituary
Word Count: 319
Suzzette Medina was born in Lima, Peru on Jan. 31, 1987 and has not stopped smiling and changing the lives of those she loves until she reached the grand old age of 120. It was always a goal of hers to become one of the oldest women alive, and she proudly accepted her $1,000,000 prize from the Guiness Book of World Records for accomplishing this impressive feat while still looking, feeling, and acting like a youthful 50-year-old. Suzzette was always a giver, and continued donating what she could all the way until her final days, when she wrote her final check for the American Diabetes Association for a substantial amount in memory of her father who passed away from this debilitating disease years earlier. Suzzette has created several foundations in conjunction with her college sorority, Delta Gamma, to assist the visually impaired over the years. Her contribution to her college sorority was admired many times by the organization nationally and has displayed her undying dedication to the elements in her life she truly cares for. Suzzette has spent countless hours of her days volunteering wherever she could and sponsoring impoverished children overseas. She returned to Peru and spent a few years there renovating some buildings that were deteriorating and assisted the capital, Lima, in rejuvenating the city. Thanks to her efforts, the city now draws in the highest amount of tourists in over a hundred years. Recently her husband of ninety-five years passed away, and she has spent her last remaining years in the company of her large and loving family. She leaves behind five children, sixteen grandchildren, twenty great grandchildren, eighteen great, great grandchildren, and two great, great, great, grandchildren. She remains very close with each and every one of them, and will forever be greatly loved, admired, and missed by her whole family.
Japanese Internment Memorial
Suzzette Medina
MCOM 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Japanese Internment Camp
Word Count: 685
The Japanese Internment Memorial located in San Jose was a very impressive collection of art and history that greatly relived the feelings and struggles of the detainees during their years of internment. It is a bit unsettling to know that the entire Japanese population here in California was removed from their homes and forcibly placed into different camps throughout their years in captivity. The two camps called Manzanar and Tule Lake are just a driving distance away from San Jose, and create an eerie sense of closeness and direct connection to home here. San Jose State actually served as a location where the Japanese population could register for these interment camps; specifically Yoshihiro Hall was the prime location of these registrations. The anti-Japanese movement clearly hit home, and affected everyone in majorly the west coast after Pearl Harbor, approximately 110,000 people to be exact.
One of the most compelling vignettes that immediately caught my attention and also sent chills down my spine was the barbed wire that circled around the memorial, hovering above the various other scenes of life during the time. The wire so predominantly takes over the upper portion of the artwork and actually serves to instill the same fear and hostility of the situation to the viewers. The barbed wire provided a very threatening quality to the memorial and created a feeling of being trapped and isolated from the rest of the world. Especially because this particular element also wrapped around the artwork, like it would an internment camp, is really hit home when looking and observing the overall effect of the piece. There was also a paper airplane that was folded and flying right along side of the barbed wire. Imagine the small children that were playing around and enjoying themselves during such trying times. Seeing a playful symbol like a paper airplane right along side a hostile symbol like barbed wire was a very powerful decision of Ruth Asawa, and greatly helped the viewers understand life inside the internment camps.
Also, going along with the barbed wire I also focused on the large tower that overtook the attention on one side of the memorial. The army personnel were climbing or already located at the top of this enormous tower, armed and ready to shoot the population for whatever they seemed legitimate. This was also a very moving scene because of the plain threatening and dangerous nature of the tower. One would think the country was at war right in that very camp, with armed soldier aiming to assassinate the enemy.
Another vignette I paid close attention to was the scene of the family sadly having to burn their possessions prior to their imprisonment outside of their home. Their need to destroy any additional evidence of their ancestry was a very sad scene to see. The two older men were burning what appeared to be a vase of some sort, a sword, and a child’s small doll. The poor little girl was crying and trying to rush and grab her toy while her parents were holding her back. Her arms were extended out to the fire with all force. It was very upsetting to imagine the desperation and sadness of the family. Also, the mother had her hands over her faces, she was probably sobbing due to the unfortunate situation as well. This scene in particular was very upsetting because artifacts of ones ancestry should be treasured, valued, and passed onto future generations. It is a shame that so many beautiful pieces of art and history had to be destroyed because of the internment camps.
Overall the field trip to the memorial was very enlightening and a bit saddening at the same time. California defiantly has a dark past with regards to the Japanese interment camps, and San Jose State University is not excluded from this. The country panicked after Pearl Harbor and acted hysterically and without merit. It is unfortunate this imprisonment occurred, as so many lives, memories, and bits of history were lost in the process.
MCOM 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Japanese Internment Camp
Word Count: 685
The Japanese Internment Memorial located in San Jose was a very impressive collection of art and history that greatly relived the feelings and struggles of the detainees during their years of internment. It is a bit unsettling to know that the entire Japanese population here in California was removed from their homes and forcibly placed into different camps throughout their years in captivity. The two camps called Manzanar and Tule Lake are just a driving distance away from San Jose, and create an eerie sense of closeness and direct connection to home here. San Jose State actually served as a location where the Japanese population could register for these interment camps; specifically Yoshihiro Hall was the prime location of these registrations. The anti-Japanese movement clearly hit home, and affected everyone in majorly the west coast after Pearl Harbor, approximately 110,000 people to be exact.
One of the most compelling vignettes that immediately caught my attention and also sent chills down my spine was the barbed wire that circled around the memorial, hovering above the various other scenes of life during the time. The wire so predominantly takes over the upper portion of the artwork and actually serves to instill the same fear and hostility of the situation to the viewers. The barbed wire provided a very threatening quality to the memorial and created a feeling of being trapped and isolated from the rest of the world. Especially because this particular element also wrapped around the artwork, like it would an internment camp, is really hit home when looking and observing the overall effect of the piece. There was also a paper airplane that was folded and flying right along side of the barbed wire. Imagine the small children that were playing around and enjoying themselves during such trying times. Seeing a playful symbol like a paper airplane right along side a hostile symbol like barbed wire was a very powerful decision of Ruth Asawa, and greatly helped the viewers understand life inside the internment camps.
Also, going along with the barbed wire I also focused on the large tower that overtook the attention on one side of the memorial. The army personnel were climbing or already located at the top of this enormous tower, armed and ready to shoot the population for whatever they seemed legitimate. This was also a very moving scene because of the plain threatening and dangerous nature of the tower. One would think the country was at war right in that very camp, with armed soldier aiming to assassinate the enemy.
Another vignette I paid close attention to was the scene of the family sadly having to burn their possessions prior to their imprisonment outside of their home. Their need to destroy any additional evidence of their ancestry was a very sad scene to see. The two older men were burning what appeared to be a vase of some sort, a sword, and a child’s small doll. The poor little girl was crying and trying to rush and grab her toy while her parents were holding her back. Her arms were extended out to the fire with all force. It was very upsetting to imagine the desperation and sadness of the family. Also, the mother had her hands over her faces, she was probably sobbing due to the unfortunate situation as well. This scene in particular was very upsetting because artifacts of ones ancestry should be treasured, valued, and passed onto future generations. It is a shame that so many beautiful pieces of art and history had to be destroyed because of the internment camps.
Overall the field trip to the memorial was very enlightening and a bit saddening at the same time. California defiantly has a dark past with regards to the Japanese interment camps, and San Jose State University is not excluded from this. The country panicked after Pearl Harbor and acted hysterically and without merit. It is unfortunate this imprisonment occurred, as so many lives, memories, and bits of history were lost in the process.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Blog Post #3
Suzzette Medina
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Blog Post #3
Word Count: 874
Reading We The Media by Dan Gillmore online was very enlightening as I never truly understood how the internet and all of it components found its way into existence. I liked the flow of the chapter in which he described more or less in a historical time line events that shaped the internet and media in general into what we see it as today. Gillmore wrote about Hearst’ yellow journalism tactics and how in the past, stories would only be deemed newsworthy by the catchy phrase, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Gillmore seems to be very wise regarding information about different media, I agreed with several of his statements through out the chapters.
As Gillmore jumped into radio, it was interesting to think of talk radio also as an innovator in the world of audience involvement in the creation of information. For the first time, the audience could call in and add to the content of the radio and not only listen passively.
It was shocking to learn that the initial spreading of knowledge regarding the SARS disease was by SMS. Sending messages through phones was the initial way the public was informed of the situation! I cannot believe that the Chinese government wanted to not leak information out to the world. I agree with Gillmore that although big companies can attempt to control the audience and censor what we say, over the internet, the public cannot be silenced, and especially should not be ignored. An example of this would be the Microsoft/ Macintosh situation that sparked angry bloggers to protest a phony post.
Then hearing about all the weblogs that began popping up and the affects that came from their creation and support was surprising. McDonalds actually sued people who were creating negative publicity about the company. Although the company won the legal battle, they absolutely lost the public opinion battle as even people supporting the defendants sprang up.
I agree with Gillmore that the world would have been a much different place if we had the types of technology we do now in place in the past. Imagining the 9/11 attacks with even more graphics and recordings thanks to technology that would have been more wide spread a few years ago is shocking.
Regarding the “hackers” of today that take a product and manipulate it fix the problems that exist, Gillmore stated that large companies should not dislike or be threatened by smart consumers. When they tamper with a product and create something better, the company should simply say thank you. Trying to outlaw hacking and whatnot will not only produce negative feedback from consumers, but could hinder the development of a product. I completely agree with Gillmore regarding this idea as well. Be thankful of the consumers who are smarter than your developers.
Gillmore also spoke about the positives and negatives regarding the idea of constantly being under surveillance by the media, regular citizens, etc. In the case of Rodney King media and the surveillance by a citizen ended up being positive. He supposed it would hinder police malpractice. But at the same time, there is a bit of negatives that go along with that. With every hand held camera phone or recording device there are people who will use this at inappropriate times. Perhaps it is in the locker room, or dressing room of a store, etc. I agree with Gillmore in these cautionary words. Along with these developing technologies one must be responsible to ensure these new developments are not abused.
It was surprising to hear some of Dan Gilmore’s thoughts about corporate blogs and whether or not CEO’s and executives should be writing and responding to the concerns of the public. I agree with his list of rules that writers must follow in order to maintain a successful blog. I liked the part where he said to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. I would think this would be a difficult task for corporations to achieve, but it is a nice standard one would hope writers would follow. I also agree with the idea that trust is necessary for your listeners. It is definitely a good idea to link to a website or blog where they say negative things about you or your company and respond to it, instead of acting like it doesn’t exist. I liked when he mentioned that the public WILL find out anyway, so it is better to address it yourself, politely. I also thought it was impressive to read that a p0litical blog was able to raise over $80,000 for a campaign just through countless of small mostly $20 donations across the nation. It is interesting to see how one blog can reach a niche market and create a lot of support through that. I did disagree with something Gilmore mentioned in the sixth chapter about how professors or dean’s are not always as open to new technologies and keeping up with the times for the students with regard to this class! Our professor is much more knowledgeable than the students about new technology in the world. I laughed when I read Gilmore’s thoughts about that. Overall, I agree with Gilmore’s thoughts about new technology and the audiences that follow it.
MCom 100W- Tu/ Th 10:30 a.m.
Blog Post #3
Word Count: 874
Reading We The Media by Dan Gillmore online was very enlightening as I never truly understood how the internet and all of it components found its way into existence. I liked the flow of the chapter in which he described more or less in a historical time line events that shaped the internet and media in general into what we see it as today. Gillmore wrote about Hearst’ yellow journalism tactics and how in the past, stories would only be deemed newsworthy by the catchy phrase, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Gillmore seems to be very wise regarding information about different media, I agreed with several of his statements through out the chapters.
As Gillmore jumped into radio, it was interesting to think of talk radio also as an innovator in the world of audience involvement in the creation of information. For the first time, the audience could call in and add to the content of the radio and not only listen passively.
It was shocking to learn that the initial spreading of knowledge regarding the SARS disease was by SMS. Sending messages through phones was the initial way the public was informed of the situation! I cannot believe that the Chinese government wanted to not leak information out to the world. I agree with Gillmore that although big companies can attempt to control the audience and censor what we say, over the internet, the public cannot be silenced, and especially should not be ignored. An example of this would be the Microsoft/ Macintosh situation that sparked angry bloggers to protest a phony post.
Then hearing about all the weblogs that began popping up and the affects that came from their creation and support was surprising. McDonalds actually sued people who were creating negative publicity about the company. Although the company won the legal battle, they absolutely lost the public opinion battle as even people supporting the defendants sprang up.
I agree with Gillmore that the world would have been a much different place if we had the types of technology we do now in place in the past. Imagining the 9/11 attacks with even more graphics and recordings thanks to technology that would have been more wide spread a few years ago is shocking.
Regarding the “hackers” of today that take a product and manipulate it fix the problems that exist, Gillmore stated that large companies should not dislike or be threatened by smart consumers. When they tamper with a product and create something better, the company should simply say thank you. Trying to outlaw hacking and whatnot will not only produce negative feedback from consumers, but could hinder the development of a product. I completely agree with Gillmore regarding this idea as well. Be thankful of the consumers who are smarter than your developers.
Gillmore also spoke about the positives and negatives regarding the idea of constantly being under surveillance by the media, regular citizens, etc. In the case of Rodney King media and the surveillance by a citizen ended up being positive. He supposed it would hinder police malpractice. But at the same time, there is a bit of negatives that go along with that. With every hand held camera phone or recording device there are people who will use this at inappropriate times. Perhaps it is in the locker room, or dressing room of a store, etc. I agree with Gillmore in these cautionary words. Along with these developing technologies one must be responsible to ensure these new developments are not abused.
It was surprising to hear some of Dan Gilmore’s thoughts about corporate blogs and whether or not CEO’s and executives should be writing and responding to the concerns of the public. I agree with his list of rules that writers must follow in order to maintain a successful blog. I liked the part where he said to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. I would think this would be a difficult task for corporations to achieve, but it is a nice standard one would hope writers would follow. I also agree with the idea that trust is necessary for your listeners. It is definitely a good idea to link to a website or blog where they say negative things about you or your company and respond to it, instead of acting like it doesn’t exist. I liked when he mentioned that the public WILL find out anyway, so it is better to address it yourself, politely. I also thought it was impressive to read that a p0litical blog was able to raise over $80,000 for a campaign just through countless of small mostly $20 donations across the nation. It is interesting to see how one blog can reach a niche market and create a lot of support through that. I did disagree with something Gilmore mentioned in the sixth chapter about how professors or dean’s are not always as open to new technologies and keeping up with the times for the students with regard to this class! Our professor is much more knowledgeable than the students about new technology in the world. I laughed when I read Gilmore’s thoughts about that. Overall, I agree with Gilmore’s thoughts about new technology and the audiences that follow it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
