Project 1 Reflection: Intensity

The mere mention of having a four page paper due to a college student is similar to death. Needless to say, i was not thrilled. However, once i found out that it was on a fairly simple subject, and that the class would be taking it one step at a time, the project seemed a little less daunting. I really appreciated the fact that we had a certain amount of time to do each task. One week, the notes were due, another, a first draft was. The smaller pieces make the bigger one seem more attainable. I enjoyed the fact that we were able to do peer review with multiple other people. They gave me multiple ideas and branches that I would never have even though of it weren't for them, because they encouraged me to keep asking 'so what?' I appreciated it a lot because I got my paper looked at from multiple angles which is something I haven't had too often. As far as my own personal strengths and weaknesses, I feel I had more weaknesses. My notes lacked anything to do with a lens, which in turn made incorporating a lens the hardest part of the entire paper. I think my biggest strength wasn't even something I wrote. It was the place I chose. The Memorial Union building luckily has enough activity for a four page paper. Not only could I write about the people in groups, but also the individual. Along the same lines, i could not only talk about the entertainment value I got from sitting and observing, but also I now know to find a deeper meaning in the basic aspects of human behavior.  For future papers, I now know how important it is to pick a topic that not only interests me, but one that I have too much to say about. For me, it is easier to edit the unimportant, frivolous things out than to struggle to find more important ones. I also need to plan better. As I mentioned, my notes were inadequate and greatly affected my writing process. I am honestly not sure if i analyzed with enough depth. I feel as if I found some aspects of the MU patio that some people may not pick up on, and I tried to focus in more on those parts. Overall, I think this project could have been much worse. It was nice having guided points along the way. I think I am much better prepared now than I was when I began this project. I felt pretty much blind going into it and can now come away from it with more knowledge on how to dig below the surface and of course to always ask the so what question.

Project 1: Observations of the MU Patio

-time of day: 11:40-1:00
-the separate groups (age, gender, sorority, fraternity)
-lunch time
-woman sketching at the fountain
-longboarder waved at the girl sitting to my right
-Lambda Chi fraternity sitting together for lunch on the "fratio"
-also sororities in separate groups
-girls in different groups look over at others and talk about them
-some of them are friends
-i got interviewed about politics for a local radio station
-many people studying/reading
-a few skyping
-texting
-starbucks at 70% of the tables of people
-excitement over fraternity rush
-got surveyed about the meaning of life for a philosophy class
-new bids sitting on patio
-lots of people trying to get in a quick meal before class
-meeting up with friends before class
-religious groups wandering about, handing out cards
-political people by hayden library
-down towards palm walk there is some sort of protestors
--one with a giant cross
--one with a bullhorn
-chick fil a seemed to be the most popular food for the day
-certain times of day (specifically 1:00 range) people head out for their 1:30 class
-many times a biker or skateboarder narrowly missed hitting a walker
--they also nearly hit each other often too
-bells ring on the hour
-professors wheeling their briefcases
-scooters are rarely used, but still pass by occasionally
-many couples holding hands
-each time the door opens the air conditioning blasts the hot outside air
--some gave a sigh of relief when this happened
-the annoyingly loud chairs scoot back and forth with each new group of people
-people getting relief from either going inside or sitting under the umbrellas
-one couple talking about how excited they are to get the iphone5
-more familiar faces as the day goes on
-many people (primarily girls) condescendingly glance up and down at other girls walking by, most likely judging themselves against them

An Analysis of an Image: Time Magazine

[source: TIME Magazine]

• Surface Details: An older child, breastfeeding from an empowered-looking mother. They both are simply casually standing there as if it is completely natural.

• Explanation: A risky cover brings more readers. Since the controversial topic has surfaced, many people are curious to know just why some people continue this trend for so long. This cover also suggests that the magazine is taking the accepting side of the argument and portraying it in a good light.

• Question: Why did the director of the shoot position the models in this manner, and what does it say about them specifically?

• Answer: Time Magazine is trying to portray one side of the argument in showing that it is not a big deal. The mother is simply standing there with her hand on her hip while the child is nonchalantly looking around. 

• So What? This cover reveals a whole world of controversy between when a mother should stop breastfeeding her child. The media has taken this issue to another level by even proposing the idea for a television show. The series would have consisted of topics such as the benefits of nursing past infantry, the cons to that approach, slowly weening a child off of it, and so on and so forth. Some parents think that it should be the child's choice when to stop, but many disagree. TIME could have taken the opposite approach for the cover with something along the lines of a child reaching for the mother, but have her turning away. The effects of switching to that story may have caused a bigger spark than this, though. It is likely that when one says something is wrong or bad, it will cause a bigger splash than simply accepting it. The story then could have had interviews from parents that are against breastfeeding at any age, or ones that are only against it past a certain age. My personal views on whether to put that something is right versus something is wrong is to stick with the positives and be generally accepting. 

Analysis of a Writing Situation: In Bike-Friendly Copenhagen, Highways For Cyclists

In Bike-Friendly Copenhagen, Highways For Cyclists

Copenhagen has finally transitioned into the eco-friendly world. The city has decided to pave highways specifically for cyclists to get from place to place. This change will surprisingly do much more than solely removing some of Denmark's carbon footprint. It is estimated that fifteen thousand more people will make the switch to a bike from a car after the highways are completed. The goal is to have this change positively impact the air, public health, and finances, supposedly hoping to save Copenhagen roughly sixty million dollars a year.

This article gathered information from a variety of sources such as pedestrians, cyclists, and city officials within the Copenhagen region. While stopped at a red light, commuter Cona Endelgo says, "It gives you more exercise and motion, and it's more free, and it's quicker. When I pass the harbor, I wave to the cars." Another biker, eighty-three year old Soulva Jensen was also stopped on the highway, saying that bikes have lasted through the ages, which has clearly proven to be true to this day.

The content seems to be targeted at any person that commutes, drives a car, or even uses public transportation. The common goal of this project is to inform as many people as possible that there are other ways to go about getting to a destination. Any person that is interested in "going green" may also enjoy this article as it is greatly targeting the sustainability aspect if the future. Not only does riding a bike reduce air pollution, but it would reduce noise pollution. Living in a heavily populated area can be overbearing and disliked, but reducing those unnatural noises such as car honks and engines can make the space that much more enjoyable. Additionally, the space cars take up is extremely inconvenient for crowded places.

The elements that helped shape this article came from the author's personal experiences. He physically got on a bike and headed to the highway to test the process himself. Although the article does not specifically state that he is an advocate for all things green, he may be attempting to take a step in that direction with this project. The subject clearly interests him, so perhaps he wants to continue on in  the path of sustainability.

As Copenhagen starts the journey into making the world a better place, they hope to obtain a substantial amount of people that will take the journey with them. This project may spark an interest in many other places across the continent, or ideally the world.