LINK TO MY E-PORTFOLIO

https://sites.google.com/site/thealpahblu/

Proposal/ Storyboard Reflection

For our group proposal, I believe we did really well communicating with each other about what work was to be done and how to do it, as well as execution of our roles. I do believe, however, that we could have done a better job with visual aids in our storyboard, and personally I could’ve definitely worked harder on time management. Im very proud of how our proposal turned out as well as our group cooperation. We put in the effort and it paid off. Through our proposal, I hope to clearly convey the issue at hand and how awareness can be raised, so that even if someone hadn’t thought of the dorms as problematic before, that they would see it now and be wary of the problems at hand.

Freewrite 3/3

Dear William,

Hello, It’s me, your backpack. You may be wondering how I am writing this letter but that is irrelevant. I am writing you because I am concerned with the lifestyle choices you are making. You use me, but show no appreciation for what I can do. You stuff me full of papers and clothes to the point of nearly bursting and never once apologized.  Secondly, I recently found out that you’ve been seeing someone else. I have always been faithful, yet you cast me aside for some Camelbak when you feel like a change of pace and to me, that is upsetting. Im just like you, Im a skater, I love to hold boards, whether they’re short, long, street, or snow, I love them, but your stupid camelbak can’t even hold one which is pretty dull if you ask me. I want to stay in your service but we must come to a compromise, as to better our relationship.  I hope you can see the error of your ways and eventually stick with me, but until then, good day.

Regards,

Your Backpack

Speech reflection WRD111

  I believe I did well on my speech considering the amount of effort I put into preparing it. There are a few things I could have done better.  First of all, dressing up for the presentation should have been a no brainer, and considering my topic, if I had given this speech at an actual pitch, I probably would’ve been shut down in the first thirty seconds.  Secondly, My sentences could have been more eloquent and direct.  As I watched the video of my speech, I cringed every time I heard myself speak in a choppy sentence, or whenever I spent too long between words.  Lastly, my body language and movement could have used some improvement, I feel like I didn’t move around enough.
Other than that I feel that I did well.  I didn’t use too many filler words such as “like” or “um,” and I feel that when I paused intentionally, it made a positive impact on my speech.  Although I feel I could have moved around more, I did a good job of not standing still. I feel I maintained a good level of eye contact with my audience that kept them attentive.  Furthermore, I believe my speech was solid in the fact that I presented all the information that was asked of me including extra background info that I tied in with my speech.  The topic itself was interesting and I feel that even that was enough to get the attention of my audience, and with their attention I was able to convey in the clearest way I could, what exactly my vision and my skills were for my project to become a success.
Next time I need to work on my diction and body language, and perhaps, next time I’ll dress in more “professional” attire.

freewriting 2/5

The best public speaker I have ever heard was the valedictorian for my older sister's graduating class. Oddly enough, she spoke about people's fear of public speaking, and she spoke in a way that encouraged people not to be afraid, but to embrace it.  She began with the fact that world-wide, the number one most common fear people have is public speaking, the second most common being death.  She spoke about how she was at first nervous, but the fact that people would rather die than speak publicly was absurd, so, this girl, who everyone had known to be straight laced, average, every day over-achiever proved that public speaking was not as bad as it is made out to be, by performing her very own rap about the school and it's faculty. The logic in her words was eye opening and I believe it was one of the best presentations I've ever personally witnessed.

Freewriting 1/29

Freewriting 1/22

Short Essay

Currently, I believe that one of, if not, the most prevalent issue on UK’s campus is the abuse and the illegal distribution of “study drugs” such as vyvanse and adderall.  As a stimulant, this may seem ideal for college students who decide to spend the whole night cramming for an exam, but at what cost?

As a Student Wellness Ambassador, one of my jobs this semester will be to educate students on the effects, dangers, and legal repercussions of abusing and distributing prescription medication such as adderall.  A testament to the problem: While studying in the library alone one late evening, a guy set his things down across from me. At first I thought nothing of it, but then I heard him.

“Psssst.” I took out my headphones to ask him what it is he wanted, thinking he was going to ask if I had a spare pencil or something. I was wrong. He pulled out a plastic baggie with two tablets of adderall and asked if I’d buy it from him.  All I could think was “Are you serious?”  Of course, I turned him down, but in that moment I came to a realization.

I realized that there were probably five more guys just like him, one on every floor of the library, and in the larger scope of things, I came to the conclusion that with 30,000 students at UK, there have to be hundreds of drug deals like this that go down every day.  The students that buy these drugs are, of course, unaware of the dangers of what they’re about to take.  If they don’t know who they’re getting it from they could even get harder drugs that the dealer gave to them.

Addiction is a serious problem, and when taking a class II drug like adderall, a large chance presents itself for the user to become addicted, due to the high levels of dopamine and serotonin released.  The user then becomes deficient in these neurotransmitters and can experience depression and anxiety as well as a much larger range of possible side effects.

I believe that the student wellness ambassadors will do a good job of tackling this major issue and I’m honored to be able to warn students about the dangers of  illegal substances before it’s too late for them to make the right decision.

My dual entry journal

In class free writing 1/20

Horsing Around (Final Cut)

Final Reflection Essay

Final Reflection Essay

This semester was a challenge to say the least, but I believe that our final product was worth all the hard work we put into it.  I believe the largest struggle I faced during this project was time management, as I easily could have used much more of my time editing the video. I spent a total of six hours editing film, and the final result is what I am most proud of after all the effort I put into it.  I would have liked to go more into depth about Tiffany, a rider from Honduras, and followed her story leading up to a major event, but the time to do so just wasn’t there. I was personally responsible for the storage and editing, and the recording of film.  I feel like I contributed my fair share of effort towards the completion of this project. I edited in my free time so that we wouldn’t have to stress over it, but I wish I helped communicate more effectively with my group.

I believe I have gained the critical thinking skills necessary during this semester to see the underlying issues and stigmas that are apparent in different arguments and opinionated articles.  I thoroughly enjoyed the way we went through different communication skills, and by doing this, I feel I am able to convey and my thoughts clearly in any way I may have to.  I believe the way class was conducted was a very good way to bring out our individual abilities and I think the public speaking and presentation is the most important part of communicating with others, therefore there is nothing I would do to change this class.  If I could change just one thing about the course, it would be how often we do activities, such as the feet wet speeches we did.

Madeon - The City (MUSIC VIDEO)

The Longest shot in this video starts at 3:43 and lasts about 12 seconds

Rise of the NBA Nerd

In the Article “Rise of the NBA Nerd,” I believe that author Wesley Morris is not just making a statement about a new fashion fad that includes dressing like a nerd, but he is making the argument that these changes which are taking place are affecting all areas of black culture and popularity.  

As an Example, Morris uses actor Sammy Davis Jr., better known as “Carlton” from the T.V. show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Morris makes the statement that the idea of “a rich black kid” was still quite an unsettling thought to most folks in the 90’s and Carlton was the ideal example of the kind of rich black kid that white people wanted in the 90’s.  His style and demeanor related to, “selling out” or accepting white idealism to many.

Many characters, such as Carlton, and Urkel left a legacy which has even affected today’s culture.  The fact is, many black celebrities, such as basketball players and rappers, have embraced this trending geek sheik, I believe, to convey to the rich black kids out there that wearing nice clothes and acting in a dignified manner is not equivalent to selling out to white idealism, but it is rather an acceptance of self and individuality.  The clothes we wear reflect our personalities, and are used to express ourselves.  

Take for example, the rap group Odd Future or the rapper Childish Gambino. They are a group of rappers who definitely do not fit the rap stereotype, yet they are one of the most distinguished rap groups due to their refusal to conform to the norm.  Due to this refusal, they have become widely known and widely admired by the public, all due to their self representation, and their willingness to act and dress in a manner that does not fit the racial stigma of a “rapper.”

Morris, at least to me, is making the argument that breaking away from the norm has actually helped in expanding developing black culture into something that is not normally thought of, and I strongly agree.  Black culture is more than fighting, rapping, and basketball, it also has a dignified and refined element to it as seen by the statements in fashion and demeanor shown by these individuals.  Black culture will never be the same as long as there are those who are not afraid not to conform.

Scandal or Crime?

I agree with Scott Mendelson in saying that the nude photo leak of Jennifer Lawrence is a "crime." In fact, I believe that the degradation of  any person is wrong, and would even go so far as to say that it is a violation of her basic human rights.

Many people have put the blame on Jennifer Lawrence herself, and have made outrageous claims on the truth behind this issue.  Many people claim that she had leaked them herself in search of media attention. This is not the case. Sensitive photos like these are never meant to be leaked to the public,  to eyes that they were never intended for. The criminals who stole the photos are hailed as kings on the internet, while Jennifer is being mocked by people saying "It's your fault for taking those kinds of pictures." This statement is ignorant in almost every aspect, and is extremely ignorant in it's view of the victim herself.  

The victim of this crime is seen as a "slut" or a "joke," but She did not intend for her photos to be leaked. This is a robbery of personal property and has been seen as a faux pas rather than an actual crime. She should not have to apologize for taking such pictures. If there is an apology to made it should be by the ones who committed the crime.

In conclusion the treatment of this “robbery” has been overall inappropriate by both the media and the 

public eye. Jennifer has not been seen as a victim, which in reality, she is, and the criminals should be punished and not praised.