Author Archives: Alejandra De Leon

Blog 2/22

For this podcast, it was interesting to specifically talk about the Titanic as a system. Like it is a system and I knew that but it would not be the first example that I would say. The fact that so many individuals decided to do what was necessary to keep women and children alive along with people that were more wealthy. People who were more wealthy were seen as more valuable meaning they had more of a right to survive and get on the boat. I think this can be seen in a lot of students as they seem to look at grades as a value system and making them better if they are able to receive a higher letter grade. Many look towards grades for validation and a way to measure success, while in reality grades are not what define each individual. You can be a great person who volunteers and lends a hand to many individuals while also being productive in society. So other individuals may have that as a system they base how they view themselves in the world. There are many different ways that can be similar to my college student example and it can also vary depending on how each individual views themself and what perspective they choose to look at.

Grades was something that came to mind first because it is all around us especially in a college campus. I wonder if there will be a change to grades in the future or if more perspectives will change to view other things as the same determinant. I honestly hope that more students are able to look beyond grades since in reality they will not matter as much once we are in our 40s.

Blog 12

I personally am listening to music 24/7. it has become my background noise that I sometimes forget is even on. Even when new songs play, it sometimes does not faze me that these lyrics and songs portray a message. Music can reach a broad audience and it is interesting how emotions can be expressed through lyrics and how the works are presents such as if they are stretched out or said fast, or their could be a key change, so much can happen in a song that you can go on a roller coaster with your emotions. One song that I remember vividly on how I could feel the emotions that were being expressed by the singer was Dolly Parton singing Coat of Many Colors. The story was sung in a way where when I was listening to the lyrics  I could feel the emotions Dolly Parton had written in the song and portrayed for the listeners. I highly recommend that video if you have not seen it already!

It was my  first time watching the Beyoncé music video. As I watched the music video, it made me realize the props and settings can influence how the lyrics and emotions are interpreted by the listener. So I wonder how I would have interpreted the music if her presentation in the video would have been different. It was definitely not what I was expecting but it was very interesting and a lot was going on in the video as different scenes were being rotated and flashed all throughout the video. One question I have is that when an artist switches their vibe or song genre/ what they sing usually about, how different could the message be interpreted or would there be a reaction to the change regardless of the message presented to the listener and audience?

 

Blog 10

At the beginning of the podcast, Dr. B stated that entertainment has never been just entertainment. This struck me because I knew that but have never fully admitted the phrase. I am someone who does say to my friends that entertainment is entertainment meaning that it is not always real. I am someone who will add some perspective of the fact that it is just used to add some excitement to our lives or distract us from our own problems for the moment but also do not provide much benefit to our lives. Now benefits or particular roles that literature and overall entertainment play is more than just entertainment. Dr. B mentions that there are lessons  that come from them whether they are complex or not varies, but there are lessons that are conveyed through narrative form or through some kind of median. The morals taught do not have to come from just one story. There can be multiple perspectives taken that convey the same moral or lesson.  It is interesting to think how we can learn so much from various literature and that I can learn the same lesson as someone else even if we read different stories as the root of the lesson remains the same. The literature I read may be different than what my children will read but that does not mean we will be learning completely different things.

As Dr. B started to discuss symbols, it made me think about how interpretations can change depending on the persons own understanding of a word or the symbol itself. As symbols are put together, the order matters. Order can change the whole meaning of the narrative whether it is intentional or not which makes a difference. I wonder how current literature could have shaped our world differently if the slightest words were flipped or changed. How could our lessons have changed? How different would out perspective of the world be?

Blog

One of the questions I am curious about is what low culture will become high culture.  As Dr. B said, many high culture was not viewed as high culture when they first came out. I wonder what specifics are needed to become high culture and if there are requirements that need to be met. Also who chooses what is considered low culture and high culture in our current society. How would our society look if some low culture was viewed as high culture in our current society?

Pop culture means that it is trendy for the current time. For time in this scenario, it is always changing meaning that there are always things coming out changing what the new pop culture would be. And the fact that with our current technology, we are able to have the same pop culture across different areas as the same information is shared and can have similar resources. Before there were many individuals that would receive information through others such as word of mouth. There used to be people who would get paid to deliver news to other towns and family members living in other areas when they could not deliver the news themselves.

Blog 8

This podcast has been my favorite. The fact that there are so many things that are taught in school but the focus of their impact is what “really matter” without looking at their faults. In order to understand history and gain a clear perspective, we need to know the overall image meaning the positives and negatives and what falls in between or else we have a false understanding.  Dr. Bezio started discussing the Civil Rights Movement with Rosa Parks taking a stand for the injustice, yet she was not the first individual to do that. I knew that this was not a spur of the moment decision, or the first time but I will say I myself did not know who had done it previously. I could not tell you it was Claudette Colvin, but the name did ring a bell for me. Then I had never thought of Rosa Parks being a better choice for the Moment to begin with. I had never viewed it as a strategy, I just viewed it as Rosa Parks was the one to take it on  without thinking of her past or how she was light skinned and could be a better representative ans relate to the white individuals.

After hearing about the Movement, I had thought about the UR Black Student Coalition as how they had to strategize or where they started to (as in events) to gain momentum. In order for them to be so focused and ready to go, they had definitely planned for the many uncertainties of “what if” they could think of and see what approaches could be necessary. Also, after attending the teach ins, you could tell they saw the impact other schools had when this happened on their campus and are dedicated and passionate to see that change occur here.

Blog 7

Leadership can always been portrayed whether it is through a message, ad, in person, short interaction, etc. Besides the actions taken by individuals, the perception of others has also played a major role, specifically the media. If we focus on the campaign used during election season, there are many different takes the ads can deliver such as following the candidate and giving their mission, share a little but about themselves, share negative aspects pf the other party or opponent, etc. They also focus on specific problems or concerns they not only want to address but the issues the public wants to hear about.  After their take, many celebrities or people of authority and power will also share their beliefs or endorse candidates which can persuade people to choose one candidate over another. And we can not forget about the candidate’s slogan/ music jingle that stands out to constantly remind the public to vote for them.

One of my favorite ads was the one with Carter that shared information about himself like he is a southerner, and his concerns for the people/ who he was working for justice for to give a voice. The ad was short and to the point allowing the public to see who he was and what he was working to achieve without dragging it out. The ending also had his name and a slogan “A leader, for a change.” The ending reiterates who the candidate is and what he can easily be associated with (the slogan). There were many that were similar to this ad but the one from 1976 with Jimmy Carter stood out to me the most.

Blog 6

I am not going to lie, as I read the article, I already knew I would be confused during the game. The article stated, “The fate of the environmental conscious town demonstrates how human planning and decision-making process can go awry if we do not pay attention to possible side effects and long term repercussions, if we apply corrective measures too aggressively or too timidly, or if we ignore premises we should have considered.” The fact lies that we are not able to just make a decision in the moment without thinking about the effects and difficulties that could come into play and hurt in the long run. It was also said that human beings tend to deal with situations and problems as they happen in the present moment also referred to as “ad hoc basis.” There is always a chance to choose an action that will result in causing negative impacts to the world since small mistakes can occur but if enough continue to be made, they will make an impact by adding up and can equal the same as one big mistake.

It is important to note that even well thought out good intentions are able to result with negative impacts that can harm us in the long run if we miss some visible or invisible holes in the action being pursued. I am excited to use the simulator and see not only what actions I will take but also how many blind spots or holes in my choice can exist and impact the simulation in  a positive or negative manner. I have a feeling that after reading the article, I will be overthinking any action I take during the simulation as I will attempt to figure out what will come out of the decision especially how the negative affects will be hurtful in the long run of the simulator.

Board’s Response

I am very disappointed with the boards email. I think it shows a lack of concern and what they are prioritizing. In the email, you are also able to see how President Crutcher is clearly sating that it was the Board of Trustees decision and he has to share their choice by stating in the email, “The Board of Trustees has determined it will not remove names from campus buildings.” I felt bad for President Crutcher as I am sure that is not the response he was hoping for and he has to in essence be the messenger and puppet of what the Board of Trustees wants him to do.

Blog 5

After reading the article and listening to Dr. Bezio’s podcast, I knew exactly which ad I was choosing for my blog. The Pure Michigan Radio ads have always been my favorite ads as they painted a picture and bring back a feeling that is peaceful. Many ads aim to accurately depict your fantasy or daydream as it was mentioned in the podcast and the article even quoted some common phrases use such as “The happiest place on earth” or “You can’t leave home without it.” Tim Allen brings a soothing energy to the Snow Days ad (#8 from the link attached) as he describes a winter day that brings us back to a happy time. He talks about school being cancelled, the day being free and full of possibilities, the first time you go outside with snow all around you being “fresh,” etc. The pure idea of winter excites me, with the snowflakes falling down and the crisp cold air surrounding me, that is the perfect way to target me. This ad makes the connection of winter and all your happy memories from years ago, using its advantage by bringing back a feeling that is indescribable but present in every person. This positive association leaves a great feeling with you and that will be recalled when the ad comes up again or Michigan is brought up.

The same goes for the rest of their ads that vary with activities and seasons. Another ad that always stands out to me is when Tim Allen says we should be answering the call of the wild, which is the first video from the link. As he begins by describing the busy day of answering calls and emails leading into a ti me of relaxing and not worrying about work. This sense of relaxation and time off work is then associated with Michigan and bring a feeling that comes up every time I hear the ad or Michigan is brought up. All the great memories of Michigan are portrayed through the many different ads with talking about a possible experience that you can have as Michigan provides the towns, people, nature, etc.

I am not sure if anyone else looked up the goldfish ad, but I know its a snack that not only smiles back but produces these positive experiences associated to them that makes them stand out. That is definitely something that would persuade me to buy them, however I am not a goldfish fan. Another one of their ads that came to mind when Dr. Bezio brought up goldfish was the one where many of them are racing and then the rainbow goldfish are introduced. I wonder which is Goldfish’s most popular ad…

Blog 4

This topic on numbers is one that I always find really interesting and that is probably because there are different perspectives that can be taken. The podcast started talking about different examples where numbers can be misrepresented. The perspective of understanding how others report the data is something I have never really thought of as I always would look at how to understand and interpret provided. The fact that topic and presentation is key when coming to numbers, you need to also look at the bigger picture. By this I mean that many will truly believe the statistics without having a holistic perspective. There are many companies that have data that they use to their advantage even when the numbers are the best as the key element is how they share the information with their consumers and the public.

When it comes to collecting data, there are a lot of factors that play a role. The group represented or where data is collected on can be bias which is why many studies will use a random sample. Random sample can prevent bias and also provide more accurate results. The accuracy of information and data gather also comes from multiple studies/ trials. Now once the data is collected, the next step when sharing the data is finding the best way to present it to the public so that the information is appealing and can favor what is trying to be sold or something you try to persuade the public on.

I am currently taking Bstats and we focus on how data is presented and used. And my professor repeatedly states that his goal by the end of the semester is to get us to question the data presented and see if it is actually true through our own curiosity.

The chart I decided to use is pictured below.  I think one of the first things I noticed was how Netflix’s bar was so much higher and a different color of course. However, you can see that the chart goes to 80% not 100%. This can create a misconception as most associate it as higher which it is but in other circumstances can deceive the consumer of the numbers with this small minor detail.Netflix crushes rivals when it comes to subscriber exclusivity: CHARTS - Business Insider | Netflix, Hbo, Current movies