tenebrism
Caravaggio, The Taking of Christ, 1602
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Rotunda blog
When presented with the opportunity to educate the population of our school on any social issue, I immediately knew that I wanted to discuss processed foods. From a young age, I've known that there was something bad about processed foods, because my mom's nutritionist had cautioned her to steer clear of "foods" that came in bars, bags, or boxes. Yes, that includes your "healthy" granola bar and my "strengthening" Quest Bar. For many people, this is a baffling notion, because consuming products that are packaged in this manner has become the norm in our society. However, we often fail to step back, look at the big picture, and reevaluate what exactly we are putting into our bodies.
The purpose of eating is to provide our bodies with various macronutrients that are broken down and used as energy sources. Still, most processed-food companies are not interested in efficient energy storage and release. Instead, they combine various chemicals and artificial substances in order to trick our brains into wanting more, which ultimately increases their profits. For example, many companies in the processed food industry play with the principle of "sensory-specific satiety."Big distinct flavors overwhelm the brain, which then depresses the desire to have more. Knowing this, companies will create complex formulas that pique your taste buds just enough, without overwhelming them, thereby overriding your brain's inclination to say "enough."
It seems that recently there are thousands of articles on the internet about various substances that are claimed to cause cancer. Personally, and I speak without much knowledge on this specific subject, I feel that the ambiguity of the conversation about cancer can be at least partially attributed to the consumption and usage of all these synthetic products. Human organisms are made up of organic substances that occur naturally on the Earth, so it makes sense that we are "designed" to run on fuel that is also organic in nature. When we choose to consume manufactured and processed foods, there is a good chance that our bodies will respond negatively in one way or another.
I usually try to eat a healthy and nutritious diet, but am included amongst the millions of people who eat processed foods. We are all human, and will all fall prey to the processed food industries tricks and trades. However, it is important to have a basic understanding of the science that is being utilized for manipulation of the masses. It would be very beneficial for everyone to follow a diet that is at least 90% whole foods and 10% processed.
The purpose of eating is to provide our bodies with various macronutrients that are broken down and used as energy sources. Still, most processed-food companies are not interested in efficient energy storage and release. Instead, they combine various chemicals and artificial substances in order to trick our brains into wanting more, which ultimately increases their profits. For example, many companies in the processed food industry play with the principle of "sensory-specific satiety."Big distinct flavors overwhelm the brain, which then depresses the desire to have more. Knowing this, companies will create complex formulas that pique your taste buds just enough, without overwhelming them, thereby overriding your brain's inclination to say "enough."
It seems that recently there are thousands of articles on the internet about various substances that are claimed to cause cancer. Personally, and I speak without much knowledge on this specific subject, I feel that the ambiguity of the conversation about cancer can be at least partially attributed to the consumption and usage of all these synthetic products. Human organisms are made up of organic substances that occur naturally on the Earth, so it makes sense that we are "designed" to run on fuel that is also organic in nature. When we choose to consume manufactured and processed foods, there is a good chance that our bodies will respond negatively in one way or another.
I usually try to eat a healthy and nutritious diet, but am included amongst the millions of people who eat processed foods. We are all human, and will all fall prey to the processed food industries tricks and trades. However, it is important to have a basic understanding of the science that is being utilized for manipulation of the masses. It would be very beneficial for everyone to follow a diet that is at least 90% whole foods and 10% processed.
Rotunda Response
According to a recent Gallup survey, the number 1 issue in America today is not marijuana legalization, it is not immigration, nor is it homosexual rights. No, the one thing Americans take the greatest umbrage in is the American government. Our government has been perhaps the least effective in it's young history than it has ever been. The country faced a catastrophic shutdown in the wake of our politicians' petty bickering. No major laws have been passed, however hundreds have been blocked. Why is it that we elect these representatives who don't seem to represent us at all?
Monday, March 30, 2015
Rotunda Response
One project that stood out to me the most was Anthony DeFeo's video on Health care. I would say that it shocked me how little teenagers seem to know about health care, however I feel like I learned more through his five minute video than i did in my four years of high school.
Through out my high school career i have learned tons of things from the quadratic formula to the purpose of a zeugma. But never have I learned about health care, health insurance (or any type of insurance for that matter), or even how to pay taxes. We would think that in a place where they claim to be preparing us for the real world they would be teaching us at least some of these things. It boggles my mind how little we actually know about the world around us and how to survive.
Something i would suggest doing to improve our knowledge on these things is to implement a higher level home economics class. I understand that we take home ec in both seventh and eighth grade, however i personally remember very little of what we actually did. It may be of some immense assistance to all of us if the school was to at least offer a higher level of education n this subject matter.
Through out my high school career i have learned tons of things from the quadratic formula to the purpose of a zeugma. But never have I learned about health care, health insurance (or any type of insurance for that matter), or even how to pay taxes. We would think that in a place where they claim to be preparing us for the real world they would be teaching us at least some of these things. It boggles my mind how little we actually know about the world around us and how to survive.
Something i would suggest doing to improve our knowledge on these things is to implement a higher level home economics class. I understand that we take home ec in both seventh and eighth grade, however i personally remember very little of what we actually did. It may be of some immense assistance to all of us if the school was to at least offer a higher level of education n this subject matter.
Rotunda Response
One rotunda project (among the many other wonderful ones) that really stood out to me was Laura Kesnig's "Get the Facts". This board showed what many honors students that you and I roam the halls with knew, or perhaps didn't know, about issues that relate to the country we live in. I was surprised by some of the results. It's a bit unsettling that a percent of the so called brain trust of ESM doesn't know who the vice president is.
This board made me think about how many people today make assumptions or form opinions when they are not even apprised of the situation at hand. I saw this video once (linked below) that really reminded me of her project. It featured an Australian news person going to America and asking Americans questions. Some of the questions are silly and just to make you laugh, but a lot of them are things that have to do with politics and foreign affairs. At one point he tells people that he is the prime minister of Australia and people go with it. Though the video humors the "Dumb American Stereotype" that other countries perceive, it does make you reconsider how much you think you know, or it at least sparks a sudden interest in who the prime minister of Australia is. (It's Tony Abbott.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5I4oY7zj-w
Response to Rotunda Project-GET THE FACTS
While I could respond to many of the wonderful projects put up in the rotunda, one really caught my eye. This was "GET THE FACTS-Common Misconceptions Among ESM High School Honor Students" which was made by Laura Kesnig.
In her project, she exposed how many honors students failed to correctly answer simple questions concerning popular issues. These questions ranged from "Why did the United States go to War with Iraq in 2003?" all the way to "Is Global Warming really happening?".
The main reason that this project caught my attention is that it made me laugh. I mean, its hard not to think that "Honors" students get these questions wrong is a bit funny. Malicious, maybe. Funny, yes. Regardless, I believe this brought up a major problem. Despite normal students not being educated about popular issues, the students ESM deems as "special" and in a way "smarter" still don't have the right answers to questions that are, or at least in my opinion, common knowledge.
It supports the idea that the labels given to certain students like "Honors" are completely meaningless. These labels also help create a divide in the student body of all grades. For example, the National Honor Society is talked up to be some prestigious organization when in reality, it's only purpose is to use its student members to further their own agenda. But that's a completely different conversation to have.
Regardless, I tip my hat to Laura for her work and research concerning our "Honors" students.
In her project, she exposed how many honors students failed to correctly answer simple questions concerning popular issues. These questions ranged from "Why did the United States go to War with Iraq in 2003?" all the way to "Is Global Warming really happening?".
The main reason that this project caught my attention is that it made me laugh. I mean, its hard not to think that "Honors" students get these questions wrong is a bit funny. Malicious, maybe. Funny, yes. Regardless, I believe this brought up a major problem. Despite normal students not being educated about popular issues, the students ESM deems as "special" and in a way "smarter" still don't have the right answers to questions that are, or at least in my opinion, common knowledge.
It supports the idea that the labels given to certain students like "Honors" are completely meaningless. These labels also help create a divide in the student body of all grades. For example, the National Honor Society is talked up to be some prestigious organization when in reality, it's only purpose is to use its student members to further their own agenda. But that's a completely different conversation to have.
Regardless, I tip my hat to Laura for her work and research concerning our "Honors" students.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Rotunda project response #11
I found the rotunda project videos to be the most appealing. They caught my intrest quick. The first one I saw was Anthony Defeo's piece on healthcare. It was interesting to see what some of our fellow students knew about the current healthcare system. I thought it was really smart to get such a wide view of subjects not just seniors or juniors. It was really professionally done and was very interesting . I was surprised to see how little I knew about such a broad topic. This is a very important subject and must be treated as such.
It's great to finally make younger people aware of struggles they must face. I agree that such important information should be taught in high school. We are mature enough to learn information that will one day soon greatly affect us all. Adults need to teach this in the ciriculum whether it's a social studies class or health class it shouldn't matter. There are many useful things that students will need to learn to survive in the real world that we are never taught. No teacher teaches us how to invest our money or balance our checkbooks,but that's important stuff. I think this video clearly demonstrated this and is eye opening. Teachers should make a stronger push for this type of information. Anthony did a great job in that aspect of his rotunda project.
This video just stood out to me, but the others were great. I thought the milk alternatives video was also very interesting. It really made people rethink such simple things as milk. All we hear about is that milk is really good for you, but this seems to disprove it. There were many interesting facts they presented I never knew.
The last video was also good. It seemed to coincide with what I thought about Anthony's video about what should be taught in schools. They got real students and teachers prospectives that I thought was nice. All the projects there were very informative and interesting. I was just so immersed in the videos.
It's great to finally make younger people aware of struggles they must face. I agree that such important information should be taught in high school. We are mature enough to learn information that will one day soon greatly affect us all. Adults need to teach this in the ciriculum whether it's a social studies class or health class it shouldn't matter. There are many useful things that students will need to learn to survive in the real world that we are never taught. No teacher teaches us how to invest our money or balance our checkbooks,but that's important stuff. I think this video clearly demonstrated this and is eye opening. Teachers should make a stronger push for this type of information. Anthony did a great job in that aspect of his rotunda project.
This video just stood out to me, but the others were great. I thought the milk alternatives video was also very interesting. It really made people rethink such simple things as milk. All we hear about is that milk is really good for you, but this seems to disprove it. There were many interesting facts they presented I never knew.
The last video was also good. It seemed to coincide with what I thought about Anthony's video about what should be taught in schools. They got real students and teachers prospectives that I thought was nice. All the projects there were very informative and interesting. I was just so immersed in the videos.
Rotunda Project (blog 10 or 11 ????????)
For my rotunda project I worked with Christi Raia. We did gender rolls. When Christi was like "lets do gender rolls i was like what even is that? (which is probably the question youre asking yourself). But gender rolls are a set of social and behavioral norms, that basically say what is/ isn't appropriate for certain genders in different cultures to say and do. Basically its stereotypes. We collected info from the websites below and put it all together. I think it was cool to see all the different topics, it was like blog posts but in real life
https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/gender-and-sexuality-15/introduction-to-gender-and-sexuality-75/gender-roles-and-differences-296-12831/
https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/gender-and-sexuality-15/introduction-to-gender-and-sexuality-75/gender-roles-and-differences-296-12831/
Rotunda Project response
Reading and looking at mostly all of the projects a lot perked my interest but the project explaining school lunches really got me interested. I have always questioned school lunches, there are posters that show a plate broken into the quantity of the food groups you're supposed to eat but we don't get some of those options.
I understand that getting quality food is expensive but maybe we use the food in different ways. The chicken doesn't even look like chicken and the chicken that somewhat looks like chicken tastes worse than the "chicken" that doesn't look like chicken. We don't get offered fruits and vegetables everyday, what grains and protein do we get? The only thing we get is the dairy, and I am lactose intolerant so I can't even drink that milk.
I bring lunch to school and it is great. I don't have to spend $1 on a snack or a water. I can actually eat a sandwich instead of "chicken", I bring fruit everyday and sometimes vegetables but I have a vegetable everyday at dinner so i am not missing out and I bring almonds, or a yogurt with granola.
I hope I am not the only one who thinks about this....
Rotunda Project Response
I really enjoyed the project of media consolidation. Demonstrating the change in network ownership and who really owns the channels was pretty unsettling. In a market where only 5 or 6 massive corporations own tens to hundreds of channels, there is no other viewpoints besides those of the owners. It also gets way too commercially driven, but the interest of their sponsors before that of the public. When all of the T.V providers offer hundreds of channels, for all we know we could only be getting a couple hundred. If one company owns 1/5 of those channels, we only receive what the company wants us to, so the themes and shows may be very identical. Consolidation of media is an issue all must be aware about, and I feel like most don't take the issue as seriously as it should be taken. Thank you to whoever did this to spread awareness of the issue
What triggers Conspiracies to Arise?
That is something that always caught my attention. Sometimes the theories are arguable, such as the J.F.K magic bullet theory. While some are just plain stupid and very oddly specific, like how some believe that no planes were used in 9-11. To the oddly specific, how lizard people rule the world and are in disguise. Why lizard people? Why not ducks or ants or birds? So now, instead of me writing a page on speclation on what we discussed in class and what Professor Harris has said, here is an interesting article I found on why conspiracies exist and how they arise.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-people-believe-in-conspiracy-theories/
Personally, i think the theories arise from a lack of believe, something that we don't want to happen has happened. The death of J.F.K was so tragic, people did not want to except the fact that he is dead and tried to find other explanations. But with the lizard people, i have still have no idea
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-people-believe-in-conspiracy-theories/
Personally, i think the theories arise from a lack of believe, something that we don't want to happen has happened. The death of J.F.K was so tragic, people did not want to except the fact that he is dead and tried to find other explanations. But with the lizard people, i have still have no idea
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
#9 Pixar Theory
So Sam Quinn Showed me this video that explains the Pixar Theory. This theory explains that all pixar movies from the movie Toy Story to the movie Brave are all connected. Some characters are in other movies but we never find out their names. Like the witch in Brave is really Boo from Monsters Inc. like what?! I am a huge Disney fan because well I grew up with it and i just love those kinds of movies! But hearing how all these different movies are related is crazy. There is apparently a Human, Animal, and Machine struggle where they try to invade each others way of life. It explains it better than i can in the video. I highly recommended you watch it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SQcrVoAsVQ
Link to the Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SQcrVoAsVQ
Link to the Video
Rotunda Project: Walking into Adulthood Blinded #10
I analyzed Anthony DeFeo's project on healthcare and Gabby Calise's group project on addicting junk food, both to be found very interesting. but I'm going to talk about Anthony's project.
Even though I was in Anthony's video it's weird to see that other people don't know the same stuff I don't know. I find it kind of ridiculous that the school doesn't provide a class that is mandatory in order to learn about the future. Things like insurance healthcare taxes mortgages, people our age know nothing about and are going blind into to as we become adults.
I learned so much from just an interview with Anthony. Like I didn't know that when you turn 26 that you are dropped from your parent's healthcare plan. LIKE WHAT! What if that age was 18? Then in a year I would be without healthcare and have no idea what to do and what to consider. Anthony also mentioned a Healthcare Marketplace, where you can go and speak to other healthcare providers.
The point of his project was to show how little adolescence know about healthcare and probably about a lot of other things that we don't think or hear about. I think it was a very well put together project and has a very clear point that happens to be true.
Even though I was in Anthony's video it's weird to see that other people don't know the same stuff I don't know. I find it kind of ridiculous that the school doesn't provide a class that is mandatory in order to learn about the future. Things like insurance healthcare taxes mortgages, people our age know nothing about and are going blind into to as we become adults.
I learned so much from just an interview with Anthony. Like I didn't know that when you turn 26 that you are dropped from your parent's healthcare plan. LIKE WHAT! What if that age was 18? Then in a year I would be without healthcare and have no idea what to do and what to consider. Anthony also mentioned a Healthcare Marketplace, where you can go and speak to other healthcare providers.
The point of his project was to show how little adolescence know about healthcare and probably about a lot of other things that we don't think or hear about. I think it was a very well put together project and has a very clear point that happens to be true.
Project Review: Misconception of food
The McDonalds Sugar Misconception Project was totally up my alley. As of lately I have been paying some serious attention to the foods that I consume simply because i want to be in the best shape possible, so I thought that is why this project peeked my interest. Seeing studies that revealed McDonald's Big Mack had less sugar in it than their SouthWest Chicken Salad wasn't all that surprising. In no way am i saying a Big Mac is healthy, but you would automatically think that a salad is the smarter choice right from the start. In truth the amount of dressing, cheese, croutons, ext., compromises the "healthiness" of the salad itself. On the poster board there was a comment about how it is such a common misconception that people hear the word salad and they automatically think that its healthy and i can totally agree with that statement. A salad is as healthy as you make it. I did some research on the matter for myself and discovered that a Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad from Mcdonald's with grilled chicken and absolutely no dressing is around 230 calories. On the same website it showed the amount of physical fitness that you would have to participate in in order to burn the salad off and a variety of activities were given; 60 minutes of walking, 26 minutes of jogging, 31 minutes of cycling or 19 minutes of cycling. Now keep in mind that is still without the dressing, croutons, and all the extra goodies that make salads taste good. Although the calories may look like a decent number, you must also take into consideration that there is 700 mg of sugar in the salad as well. Now for McDonald's Premium Southwest Salad with grilled chicken. There are about 110 more calories in this particular salad and about 200 mg more sodium as well. So in total that comes to 340 calories and 910 mg of sodium. Now given the fact that most people don't eat their salads without dressing, these estimated numbers truly mean nothing. As i said before all the extra additions to the salad jack up the calories big time. Just by adding ranch dressing to the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken makes the calorie count shoot up to 530 calories and the sodium to 1440 mg! The calorie count is the exact amount of McDonald's Big Mac, and the sodium level exceeds the Big Mac's by approximately 200+ mg! If you are serious about turning around your diet, you should cut out all fast food as a whole. Perseverance is what separates the strong from the weak and when you are on a diet self discipline is whats going to get you to where you want to be.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Rotunda Project Response
Gender Roles:
The "Gender Roles" poster really stood out to me the other day because the subject ties into a recent unit that we covered in my english class. I found the poster to be very informative.
It's crazy to me that gender stereotypes are so common in our society, but what's even more unbelievable is that women are still treated as if they are inferior to men in certain ways. Inequality between males and females is something that still largely exists in our society today. One example that the poster gave is that most men still earn a higher salary than women. If the reason for this was that men on average had higher paying jobs then it would not be a problem, but the truth is wage discrimination favors men over equally qualified women.
Certain other gender standards are just not acceptable in our society anymore. For example, females being considered "home makers" and being expected to do all of the housework is a role that no longer fits into our society. Sure, there are plenty of women who still stay home and take care of chores around the house, but many women today have jobs which leave them less time for these things. In the past, it was not common for women to work, so they were left with the responsibility of cooking and cleaning, which was acceptable back then. Now, women make up almost half of the U.S. Labor Force, which means that this role should no longer be accepted in our society.
There are so many unfair stereotypes and gender roles in our society that need to be changed, which is why I thought that this poster was very interesting.
GMO Foods - Rotunda Project
I took to looking at the rotunda project on GMOs and their effects on human health. While this study took a neutral standpoint in stating both the purported positive and negative aspects of genetically modifying organisms, I wanted to do my own research.
I had heard that very little proof had come to light that GMOs negatively effect the health of consumers, but proof that they were positive didn't exist either. What I found was instead quite different:
The project said that, in defense of the argument that they are detrimental to one's health, that GMOs could cause allergic reactions. I read that, over the past 15 years, studies have been done to prove this untrue and that any allergens associated with genetically modified foods come from the foods themselves; i.e., if I have a peanut allergy, I am just as likely to have a reaction to a GMO peanut as I am to a non-GMO peanut. And the same goes for if I didn't have an allergy; the GMO peanut wouldn't induce a reaction either. It just comes from the food.
One of the main arguments of those against genetically modified foods is that the studies and tests on them are conducted by the companies responsible for their sale, which produces bias. This may be true, but evidence further pointed elsewhere:
It was stated in the project that microscopic bacteria growing on GMO foods may cause decreased antibiotic efficiency. The bacteria would transfer DNA that caused antibiotic resistance into bacteria in one's own body, which would prevent such medications from treating infection. As it turns out, the chance of this occurring is as microscopic as the bacteria themselves, as we consume such organisms whenever we eat fruits and vegetables, yet this does not occur.
However, I did find two very compelling arguments against GMOs:
Firstly, the fact that, since their introduction, the increased use of herbicides has produced "super-weeds." While the GMO plants can survive the poisoning, weeds cannot, forcing natural selection. Weeds that have a certain resistance to the herbicide reproduce, requiring a stronger deterrent to be used. Presently, one that has been utilized as a result is 4,2-D. This is a major ingredient in agent orange, the chemical responsible for causing various illnesses and medical conditions in our Vietnam veterans.
Secondly, as GMO seeds are planted just like regular ones, they have a tendency to be swept up by the wind onto the farms of cultivators who do not grow GMO plants. If the company producing them finds their seeds on another farmer's field, they are free to sue - and they have. As a result, smaller farms are getting eaten up by larger ones (such as those run by Monsanto) and big corporations are monopolizing agriculture.
I believe that, in this argument, there are some very vague points in regards to the actual harm that GMO plants themselves can cause. However, their growth has definitely caused some issues that need to be ironed out, and I believe anyone weighing in on this debate needs to view those more carefully than those shrouded in superstition.
I had heard that very little proof had come to light that GMOs negatively effect the health of consumers, but proof that they were positive didn't exist either. What I found was instead quite different:
The project said that, in defense of the argument that they are detrimental to one's health, that GMOs could cause allergic reactions. I read that, over the past 15 years, studies have been done to prove this untrue and that any allergens associated with genetically modified foods come from the foods themselves; i.e., if I have a peanut allergy, I am just as likely to have a reaction to a GMO peanut as I am to a non-GMO peanut. And the same goes for if I didn't have an allergy; the GMO peanut wouldn't induce a reaction either. It just comes from the food.
One of the main arguments of those against genetically modified foods is that the studies and tests on them are conducted by the companies responsible for their sale, which produces bias. This may be true, but evidence further pointed elsewhere:
It was stated in the project that microscopic bacteria growing on GMO foods may cause decreased antibiotic efficiency. The bacteria would transfer DNA that caused antibiotic resistance into bacteria in one's own body, which would prevent such medications from treating infection. As it turns out, the chance of this occurring is as microscopic as the bacteria themselves, as we consume such organisms whenever we eat fruits and vegetables, yet this does not occur.
However, I did find two very compelling arguments against GMOs:
Firstly, the fact that, since their introduction, the increased use of herbicides has produced "super-weeds." While the GMO plants can survive the poisoning, weeds cannot, forcing natural selection. Weeds that have a certain resistance to the herbicide reproduce, requiring a stronger deterrent to be used. Presently, one that has been utilized as a result is 4,2-D. This is a major ingredient in agent orange, the chemical responsible for causing various illnesses and medical conditions in our Vietnam veterans.
Secondly, as GMO seeds are planted just like regular ones, they have a tendency to be swept up by the wind onto the farms of cultivators who do not grow GMO plants. If the company producing them finds their seeds on another farmer's field, they are free to sue - and they have. As a result, smaller farms are getting eaten up by larger ones (such as those run by Monsanto) and big corporations are monopolizing agriculture.
I believe that, in this argument, there are some very vague points in regards to the actual harm that GMO plants themselves can cause. However, their growth has definitely caused some issues that need to be ironed out, and I believe anyone weighing in on this debate needs to view those more carefully than those shrouded in superstition.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Rotunda Project Response
After browsing all the rotunda projects (all of which were insightful and thought-provoking) I noticed the one that struck the most refulgent chord within me was the photojournalism introspective. "We Are All Human" is a project that not only reflects on what I sometimes look past when making a first impression, but it shows the depth to every human who has ever lived. I am familiar with Humans of New York which is a catalogue of photographs which gives daily glimpses to the world of NY's citizens, and enjoyed that this concept was applied to a realm that is closer to home for me. This part of Long Island seems very slow and calm to me which is weird considering we live less than an hour away from the place with the fastest pace on Earth. Even with the slowness of our community, I still walk past people like I have somewhere important to be, or am on my phone rather than trying to connect with people by having deep conversations. Gossip is so easy. It is simple to talk about people, but I think it's a special quality to share with a person if you can sit down and discuss your thoughts about your philosophies, the universe, or what happens after life ceases to exist. These may seem like the hard hitting questions, but we look past these and settle for shallowness. Sometimes to get the true essence of a person, you have to get to their core and realize what keep them up at night to understand where they are coming from. Judging a book by its cover could be a dangerous thing. Asking a person to just let go and talk about what keeps them going can make them incredibly comfortable and a lending ear could give them worth. There is more to a person than just their look and material possessions, and sometimes the human race forgets that. If even just I make the effort to take a moment to have a conversation with a stranger, maybe I'll be adding joy to their lives that they needed.
Rotunda Project Blog
Media has always had negative impact on people since it was created. Violence,
vulgar wordson tv and video games was always a factor in adolescent behavior. I
believe media has the most impact on young teenage girls.
The project that showed negative impacts on girls in the rotunda had some great points. Even when we were little we were exposed to Barbie dolls that had the perfect figure. We always
wanted to look like them and as time proceeded models on tv are what we
perceived as the ideal look. 42% of Girls that are between ages 6-10 wish they
were skinner. Anorexia used to fall under ages 13-17 but now it's gotten to ages
9-12. As technology increased the ages of anorexia decreased.
Also, media has portrayed a disturbing way of life for young girls. 16 and pregnant is a show
about irresponsible 16 year olds who are having kids and living the life as a
reality star. Back in 2009 when the show was created an astonishing 410,000
girls were having kids at the age of 16 which was the highest rate ever.
This project really affected me being that I've experience life as a teenager
clearly. The pressure it is to be pretty and to impress other is agonizing. All
tv shows have pretty skinny girls and after awhile it gets in your head.
Though I've never watched 16 and pregnant I always knew that is was a bad
show because it glorified teen pregnancy. That is a very difficult life to live
and no teenagers show have to go through it. But, the media keeps showing it
even though they know the negative impacts it has.
vulgar wordson tv and video games was always a factor in adolescent behavior. I
believe media has the most impact on young teenage girls.
The project that showed negative impacts on girls in the rotunda had some great points. Even when we were little we were exposed to Barbie dolls that had the perfect figure. We always
wanted to look like them and as time proceeded models on tv are what we
perceived as the ideal look. 42% of Girls that are between ages 6-10 wish they
were skinner. Anorexia used to fall under ages 13-17 but now it's gotten to ages
9-12. As technology increased the ages of anorexia decreased.
Also, media has portrayed a disturbing way of life for young girls. 16 and pregnant is a show
about irresponsible 16 year olds who are having kids and living the life as a
reality star. Back in 2009 when the show was created an astonishing 410,000
girls were having kids at the age of 16 which was the highest rate ever.
This project really affected me being that I've experience life as a teenager
clearly. The pressure it is to be pretty and to impress other is agonizing. All
tv shows have pretty skinny girls and after awhile it gets in your head.
Though I've never watched 16 and pregnant I always knew that is was a bad
show because it glorified teen pregnancy. That is a very difficult life to live
and no teenagers show have to go through it. But, the media keeps showing it
even though they know the negative impacts it has.
Rotunda Project Response
There were a lot of really great projects on display at the rotunda, many of which I would have liked to have been able to spend more time looking at, but one project really caught my attention.
I found "Sugar Misconception" particularly interesting because it challenges the idea that just because something is marketed as a "salad" doesn't necessarily mean that it's healthy. Seeing that the McDonald's salad contains 12 grams of sugar, 3 grams more than a Big Mac, came as a shock to me because like many others, I always assumed that getting a salad from McDonald's was a healthy alternative to typical fast food, however that is clearly not true. Not only does he salad have more sugar than a Big Mac (often considered the most unhealthy item on McDonald's menu), it also posses almost as many calories, just as many carbs, and 19 grams of fat! That's insane!
Another thing I really liked about their project was how they made it easy to get a grasp around just how bad these items really are for you. 12 grams may not sound like a lot to unknowing patron, but when it's presented right in front of you like so it's impossible to dispute. Just thinking about eating that ziplock bag full of sugar makes me sick to my stomach and yet people actually eat that every day unknowingly whilst believing that they are eating something healthy for them. Additionally the fact that they included regarding how much exercise it would take to burn off the calories gained by eating the salad blow my mind. 3 miles. It takes running 3 miles to actually burn off one of these salads. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to have to run 5280 yards ( the length of over 52 football fields) to justify eating my meal, I wouldn't exactly consider it healthy.
I found "Sugar Misconception" particularly interesting because it challenges the idea that just because something is marketed as a "salad" doesn't necessarily mean that it's healthy. Seeing that the McDonald's salad contains 12 grams of sugar, 3 grams more than a Big Mac, came as a shock to me because like many others, I always assumed that getting a salad from McDonald's was a healthy alternative to typical fast food, however that is clearly not true. Not only does he salad have more sugar than a Big Mac (often considered the most unhealthy item on McDonald's menu), it also posses almost as many calories, just as many carbs, and 19 grams of fat! That's insane!
Another thing I really liked about their project was how they made it easy to get a grasp around just how bad these items really are for you. 12 grams may not sound like a lot to unknowing patron, but when it's presented right in front of you like so it's impossible to dispute. Just thinking about eating that ziplock bag full of sugar makes me sick to my stomach and yet people actually eat that every day unknowingly whilst believing that they are eating something healthy for them. Additionally the fact that they included regarding how much exercise it would take to burn off the calories gained by eating the salad blow my mind. 3 miles. It takes running 3 miles to actually burn off one of these salads. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to have to run 5280 yards ( the length of over 52 football fields) to justify eating my meal, I wouldn't exactly consider it healthy.
11. Domestic Violence
For some odd reason no matter how I try to images will not post correctly so I guess I'll just have to deal with it.
I was incredibly drawn to the Domestic Violence visual representation, as well as moved by their factual presentation. Even when incorporating the silly dress meme that went around to convey a very important message. "Why is it so hard to see black and blue?" Well the answer might be that violence isn't always obvious. Domestic violence does incorporate physical signs, but not always is it taken to that extreme. In some cases those who cause physical abuse don't always mean to take it to that extreme. Substance abuse such as alcohol, inhalants, and prescription drug abuse can egg-on these behaviors to the point they get too.
This group did a wonderful job in there presentation of social issues, the use of flowers in the artwork to symbolize the bruising and the pain inflicted on her is just a creative take on it. Especially in the sense that flowers are usually used to symbolize beauty and fragility, something that most individuals are, no matter how much physical pain they may have inflicted on them, they still are as precious as a flower.
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