A Semesters End

This class didn't teach me about civic action but it did instill in me a sense of Civic Responsibility. For a long time I have wanted to be involved in something bigger than myself, but never turned that desire into action. The first step is the hardest. But I want this class to be the first step. My Communication Ethic's class showed me how easy it was to spread my voice by using the Internet, which is why I have decided to take this lesson and teach it to those who need it. It is the culmination of a great semester, a great idea. My plans for developing a social network for the children i discussed in my Ted Talk are in the works because of the simple directive given in this course. It is the directive to spread your voice, and my hope is to help these children (with much better stories than I do) spread theirs.

I have had a wonderful time learning and growing in class. It has been a wonderfully fulfilling way to end my undergrad.

All Good Things Come To An End

First of all, not to honk my own horn or anything, but I have to admit I am very proud of myself for my presentation. I have been casually working on this project in India all year, but this was the first time I have been able to show off something that I am really passionate about. Plus I made another video! Working on the video in the beginning of the semester was such a challenge, I felt it was only right to re-attack the process for the finale. The only thing I am disappointed about was that I worried too much about the 5 minute time constraint that I ran too quickly through information I feel could use more emphasis. But hopefully my message got across, change and empowerment comes from time and empathy.

Couldn't get my power-point to work on the blog but it did match my outfit ; )
But here is my video! Check out the sound...it took forever to make it work!



The other girls - WONDERFUL JOBS. They were strong, interactive, and knowledable. Snaps for everyone!

Friend Request

Feminist, Ali Fordham, a senior English major from Saint Joseph's University, plans on taking her interest in social justice to the next level on Thursday, April 22. Her TED Talk will engage the audience on the topic of female empowerment through the highly popularized social system of Facebook. Through her year-long attention to the struggles facing women in India, Ali plans of expressing not only the need to empower these women but the need for American women to connect. These women need a voice, and Ali Fordham plans on bring it to them, one post at a time.

Better In Stills or On Screen

BOOK vs MOVIE

It is hard to tell which is easier to capture an audience's persuasion; A book of still shots rendering an action through page after page of dark ominous illustrations, or an action pack visualization of hot robot bods and electric streams of gun fire. Although, Bruce is one hot surrogate, I have to say I preferred the book.

Not only were the illustrations awing but they matched the author's dark intention with the novel. Surrogates is a dark tale about the miss use of technological innovation - best seen in dark tones and shadings. Obviously the movie was easier to get through, but I don't like the idea of the novels artistic integrity being compromised. Flashes of light and eye-catching stunts keep the audience involved but it doesn't deliver the same sour message as the graphic novel does.

Obsessed

Unfortunately, I was unable to participate in my groups EXTRAORDINARY discussion of the final two chapters of Surrogates. I had an interview that morning, in which i must admit i felt a bit like one of Robert Venditti's Surrogates. I think the story of my morning might help a little in understanding a bit of what Venditti is talking about in his comic book adventure...

Monday morning, I received and email from a prospective employer that he would like to formulate a second interview with me, that day, only a few hours later. My once peaceful morning routine was flip-flopped into a disgrace of morning rumblings and googlings. The job I am applying for is in New York City, but obviously there was no way they were gonna ask me to jump in my car and drive two hours on such short notice, so they asked me to "Skype in." First, i must admit, had I not studied abroad, there would be no way on this green earth that i would of been able to figure out this program in such short notice. But like a good surrogate, Alifordham@skype.com, knew exactly what to do. I logged in, and placed the computer on my desk, that way the video would only capture the well dressed half of my body (thus editing out the pj bottoms and matching slippers). At 2 pm the Skype session began.

The reason I bring this story up is because in Surrogates technology is questioned as to whether it is an accessory or the whole thing. In cases such as my Skype interview, technology helped this company not only get immediate contact with a prospective client, but also ensured that they were able to use new technologies (which had been noted on my resume). The problem here is, are you really getting the real interviewee? During the interview i had in an opposite box, Wikipedia "Forex Trading." So a lot of the questions I asked and a lot of the lingo i used, i was reading straight off of the website. Now for all those reading who consider that cheating, is it? Is it cheating to use the technologies that are in front of us? I wasn't being judged in my interview by how much i knew about Forex but i have to think it helped to hear me spitting terms that they might not have expected me to know or understand.

I sat in the comfort of my own home, "Spongebob Square-Pants" slippers secure, and applied to a fortune five hundred company. Times have definitely changed but i wonder if Venditti is on to something here, is our world just being reduced to data feed? Are we lazy, or have we just found a more efficient way to get by.

This is a Youtube of the Trailor for the Surrogates Movie : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd054cFpZiw

Struggling To Stay Human

What Makes Us Human....

In Nick Bostrom's TED talk, he discusses many of the different ways in which humans can "enhance themselves" to make them "better humans." I have to say...I STRONGLY disagree with much of what he claims, "Make humans better." Although, I am in support of life saving medicine, and scientific research, I am not in favor of the dependency of the human rave on those stimulants. At one point in the talk he discusses how scientists have been able to genetically engineer mole rates to be monogamous, claiming that one day this could be how marriages stay together. HELLO! Am i the only one out there that sees the lack of romance in that. In what Disney movie did you ever see the princess and the prince running off to be genetically altered so that they could live happily ever after. A micro chip isn't going to make marriages work. It is the poison apple, the narcolepsy, and they fact that they are from two different worlds -- that is what keeps them together. It is the struggles that lead them to happily ever after.

The struggles in our lives are what makes us human. The pain, the heart ache, the bad luck....all things that are uncontrollable, thus, all things that make us HUMAN. Although, we try to avoid these scenarios it is still a part of our lives. Love wouldn't be such a gift if it was always a match. And life wouldn't be such an adventure if you knew there was no risk to it. Life is a complicated web to struggles with a few moments of bliss. At least that is the kind of life i would want...

The Kees to Kenya

IT IS FINALLY FINISHED!!

Pheww! I thought this project would never end. 4 weeks and countless hours later -- but not i can finally say im done. I have never created a movie before, let alone used a mac for that amount of time but I do believe i created a movie worth bragging about. Through this experience I have run into many technical/interpersonal problems but now that it is over, i have to say i am pretty impressed.

Kees, the girl we profiled, now has a video honoring the selflessness that her fellow peers admire in her; which i have to say is pretty cool. Profileing her was an experience I will never forget. She is the same age as I am yet embodies such matuirty and world knowledge - it really is inspiring just to be around such a bright and passionate person.

The editing portion of the assignment was definitely the hardest part. Kees's friend Michael was an easy person to interview and his delievery of how he came to be friends with Kees was electric. But the process of editing everything together, especially with a group of girls with 0 knowledge of how to run the software was quite a battle. But i am glad that i took a leadership role in our group because although it took a lot of work I did gain a lot of skills through doing it.

I guess its like Kees said, "Dont go with the flow, flow with the go."

Here is our video - I hope you like it : ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxBGkFSRjVg

Special thanks for Michael and Britney for letting us invade their lives!