Blog Assignment 4: My Online Persona

I have 2,282 facebook friends. This huge number is composed of my friends, friends of friends, family, and a lot of other people! In the developing online social world, it is hard to distinguish the different subgroups within my “friends” and control what I do or do not want them to see. When composing my page, it is also hard to find a common equilibrium between the different subgroups. However, privacy settings are available to control this problem. Initially, I had certain people, such as family members and professionals, on limited profile. With this enabled, they were not able to see my pictures. Recently, I changed my settings to friends only, now only people that I am friends with can see my information. I was ambivalent at first as to what I was going to disable and enable people to see. The persona manifested of myself does not properly show who I am. To those that only know me by my page, it may seem as if all I do is go out with my friends and drink a lot; however, in a face-to-face confrontational setting I am not perceived like that.

In this picture, it looks as it I am going to have a good time. The sunglasses, bathing suit, and gators t-shirt emphasize the strategic ability to capture my “party” persona. This picture is specified for the subculture of my real friends. The exclusion of details, such as my academic interests and extra curricular activities prevents others from seeing that side to me. This negatively affects my persona created by my facebook page. Without this part of my life shown I’m perceived as a person who does not regard academics and prioritize.

This next photograph is of my pledge class for my sorority. This represents the emphasis on friendship and bonding in society. This picture can appeal to all of my different subcultures because it shows the strength of my friendships with my sisters. 

Project 1: Multimedia Blog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqOO1o0JFQY

        When I stepped onto the plane on February 17, 2008 I was not aware of what I was moving towards, my mind was overwhelmed with intransigent, selfish worries. What if my cell phone doesn’t work there? 

Why did I have to leave on my 16^th birthday? What am I getting myself into? My views, engrossed by these pessimistic thoughts, disappeared the second I stepped off the plane and I have yet to see them since. A long, bumpy, ride and we had arrived. It may sound cliché, but from the second I walked into “Mama Heaven’s” home, where I would be living for the next week, I knew I would never be the same. 

Our mission was to clean up their community, but my mission was to change this community the way they had changed me. We spent our time cleaning up parks and tutoring the children at local schools. The school I remember most vividly was the Petersfield Primary School.

            We were in Petersfield, Jamaica, West Indies; living in a community where running water was destitute and electricity was a commodity, the incessant smiles and happiness may come as a shock. Did they not like us or were they just afraid or our differences? What could I do to get these kids to trust me and understand I was just there to help them? All it took was a formal introduction before over a hundred kids were surrounding us giving huge hugs. These children ran to us with open arms, yet submersed in bewilderment by our presence. Who were we? We were an intimidating group of Caucasians. 

I was shocked at the children’s ability to welcome us without the slightest bit of bias. After the first initial greeting was over, looked down to see that this was only the beginning of an amazing journey.

His name was Demar and he was five years old. He wouldn’t let go of my hand. I looked at him, and in his eyes I saw an empty sadness. He took me to his classroom. With a look of confusion, I pointed to a belt on the teacher’s desk. “She hittin’ us when we bad.” Before I could fully grasp the implications, the bell rang—recess time! This was the students’ escape from the brutal conditions in the classroom. Looking around, I saw smiling, ecstatic kids and tons of vibrant, exquisite flowers; however, there that exuberant image was littered with garbage.  Literally. The field was the liberation from the classroom, yet it was completely covered with garbage. Despite this, the children walked barefoot among the trash and flowers, seemingly oblivious to the differences. 

So I put on my gardening gloves and spent the next three hours picking up trash. Suddenly, I was in shock. Yes, about the work I had to do, but also about the dynamic of the field. From the second they ran out of their classrooms, the kids had become animals, violent animals, each trying to out do the other. Why were they acting like this? Was it something they observed and picked up on or was this how they were taught to survive and be strong? My goal: teach the children how to embrace one another through compassion and ardent friendships, and stress the dangers of violence.

I was recently reviewing the journal of my time at the Petersfield Primary School in Jamaica, West Indies. Interestingly, I came across a quote by Pico Iyer. “We travel, initially to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves.” During my travels, I lost an ignorant part of myself that was unaware of certain unpleasant circumstances that exist in the world. I also found a part of myself that I will take with me in my future. I will bring a degree of sensitivity to understand differences and improve people’s circumstances. I will bring a breadth and depth of perspective that I will use to explore, serve, and understand the individuals and the community that comprise this world. As strangers, the Petersfield community opened their arms to us and I will open my arms to others throughout the world. I will never let go of the memories and knowledge I achieved by reaching out to people and connecting through education.

         For many, Jamaica is considered a vacationing spot. On the other hand, for me, all it took was a minute off the plane before my views completely turned around. When I understood what I was about to experience my appreciation and compassion for my journey had been immediately elicited. Jamaica, West Indies is no long just another tropical island for a possible vacation, but a place where I made a difference and changed my views on the world.

         This narrative on my experience is written through my own adventures and encounters. By embedding the pictures throughout the text, the reader has the ability to visualize my experiences with their own opinions and judgments. The explicit comparison and contrast between the two cultures I lived through is seen through the pictures to further clarify the disparities read within the text. The order and combination of the images strengthen the comparison. The manifested images help the reader feel as if they are seeing what I saw. Working together, the narrative and the images help to describe each other more effectively. The images I included throughout this post add to the expansion of idiosyncratic views, which would not be possible with either the text alone or the images alone. The pictures serve to emphasize the happiness and emotions associated with the community. However, the text further accentuates the ephemeral smiles even during times of hardship. As a semic code, my position throughout the narrative is changing. Initially, I did not reveal the motives and location of my trip, evoking a sense of confusion within the reader. The role of the images is to induce sympathy and compassion throughout the reader. On the contrary, the role of the narration is to tell the story of my journey. By juxtaposing the two points of view, I was hoping the reader to see my experiences through their own eyes.

Assignment 3: Clip Analysis

There are police cars and a flare is lit indicating the scene of a crime. *ACT: The question is proposed as to what had just happened. The initial point of view is ambiguous; as the viewer is unaware as to whose eyes they are watching through. When focused on the man in the car saying, “I’m okay… I don’t know what happened,” a partial answer is revealed. Once the answer to what has just happened is revealed, the focus is turned to Cole and his mother in the car. **HER: What is Cole going to tell his mother? Cole is confiding in his mother to tell his secrets. Her perplexed facial expression indicates her anxiety awaiting Cole’s confession. However, there is the promise of an answer to what Cole is experiencing through the shot reverse shot dialogue between him and his mother. There is fraud when the viewers see the dead woman and we know Cole can see her too; however, his mother cannot. Equivocation is evident when we see Cole and standing behind him is the dead woman. This combination of fraud and truth evokes bewilderment within the viewers. However, a partial answer is revealed also through the shot reverse shot dialogue. When his mother says, “Cole, you’re scaring me.” Cole responds, “They scare me too sometimes.” This interaction is unique because his mother is worried about him and he is worried about himself, indicating a common concern. The climax of the conversation between Cole and his mother is when he talks about his interaction with his grandmother. The validity of this conversation leads to the disclosure of the question that is what are Cole’s secrets and what will his mother think. ***ACT: another proairetic code is when Cole and his mother are talking about her missing his play. This is a minor part of the conversation; however, it relates to the conversation Cole had with his dead grandmother about his mother’s dance recital. ****SYM: It is obvious that the mother is disconcerted with this information about her son and doesn’t know how to deal with it. The focus on her wedding ring symbolizes loyalty, however, this is contrary to her conversation with Cole, which is focused on abandonment and the reasoning behind it. *****REF: There are many cultural references in the initial scene of the crime, including: the obedience to a higher authority (the police), the reaction of the guy who had just been in an accident, and mainly the interaction between Cole and his mother, resembling the son or younger person approaching his mother, the higher power.

Image Analysis

http://nt-michaeljordan.blogspot.com/2009/10/michael-jordan-i-believe-i-can-fly.html

The image posted above is of Michael Jordan from the 1988 slam dunk contest held on February 7, 1988 at the Chicago Bulls’ home stadium. It was from this moment seen in the image that Michael Jordan was regarded as the one of the greatest slam dunkers of all time. The point of view of this image intensifies his perpetual influence over society and basketball. As seen in the background, all eyes are focused on Jordan’s one shot. The thrilling apprehension of his next move is captivated in the viewer’s eyes. The proportion of Jordan relative to the audience shows the impact his shot had on the crowd. When looking at this image, an observer feels as if they are watching Michael Jordan slam dunk in front of their very own eyes, enhancing the conventional aspects of this photograph. However, the popularity and manipulation of this single slam-dunk through media serves as an unconventional twist to his winning shot.

http://www.culture-buzz.com/blog/Nike-Branded-Sports-Rituals-2025.html

Michael Jordan making the winning shot for the slam-dunk contest

 in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game at the Chicago Bulls' home stadium.

By adding text to the image, the viewer could truly understand the talent and significance of this momentous shot without judging based on the popular knowledge of Michael Jordan. The addition of text to this image can draw the interpretation away from notorious facts and towards his prodigious talents. When following a narrative pattern, the viewer’s thoughts are dictated and guided, which takes away from the potential power the image has. The incessant changes of an image signify the constantly changing observations of the viewer. Adding text about the time period, Jordan’s biographical background, or his competition guides the audience to assess the athlete not only based on what is seen in the image.

Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963 (my birthday!!) in Brooklyn, New York. However, it was after moving to Wilmington, North Carolina where he was cut from the varsity basketball team for being too short. Luckily, his dreams had far exceeded his height. Knowing that it did not always come easy for Jordan helps the observer judge him not only based on his skill, but on his tenacious goals and determination. Driven to win back-to-back slam-dunk contests, Jordan had to weigh his chances in an ambitious battle versus Dominique Wilkins. Explaining this aids to the admiration for Michael Jordan and his talented nature. The French philosopher Roland Barthes argues that, “writing defies adherences to a single interpretation or perspective.” I agree with this theory because the way that words determine how we view an image, changing the image lets us interpret based on our own assumptions. Narration of an image enforces conformity to the text.