Nat57 December 9th, 2007
This article brings up the point that we do not know what is happening in our conscience when we sleep. Dreams are so elusive to people because of their ambiguity and complexity in our lives. Dreams leave us feeling as though we have another life altogether when we sleep. This world we can only get to when we fall asleep. It cannot be visited when awake and is only a place our subconscious allows us to wander. We spend one third of our life asleep and it is amazing that we do not yet fully understand our brain and it’s function when we are sleeping. Hopefully one day science will figure out why we dream and what happens to our bodies when this happens.
Nat57 December 8th, 2007
When dealing with this subject I found it hard to choose one viewpoint entirely over the other. Freedom of speech is a very relative topic and all depends upon your viewpoint of the matter. There is a huge difference between social grace and not allowing studen’t their rights to feel free to say whatever they feel. I feel as though, for the most parts, students get the right to say what they feel. Although, in this day in age, if someone wants to say something that is extremely offensive and crude, they should not be able to publically voice their opinions. This should not be considered to be not allowing student’s their rights but rather a precaution in preventing certain group’s feelings from being hurt.
Nat57 December 8th, 2007
In the presentation in class about the dangers of Myspace, I think that the social network that has been growing exponentially in size since it’s creation in 2004 was misrepresented. Although there are sexual predators and dangers for children on this social network, there is nothing out of the ordinary in terms of the internet. There will always be dangers for children on the internet. I think the main responsibility for protecting children does not come from the website’s restrictions but from the parent’s supervision over the time their children spend on the internet. No blame needs to be put on the creators of Myspace. Their original intentions were good and cannot help the inevitable few people who use this network for the wrong reasons. In saying this, I do not believe that Myspace needs to worry about setting up any more regulations for children’s safety on their site because it is not in their hands whether or not children are going to get in trouble on the internet.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
In class we watched a few Burger King commercials and its interesting to see that most of the commercials were geared towards men. One of the commercials even said “Eat Like a Man” and showed a bunch of macho men eating big hamburgers. Although it is more likely that men would eat a huge hamburger, it is kind o f offensive to women that the hamburger would not be good for them. Another one of Burger King’s commercials was titled “Eat Like a Snake” and I found it to be very unusual.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
One of the advertisements in the portfolio shows a man in a suit holding a crying baby and dirty dishes while a woman is sitting at an office desk. The caption for the advertisement says “Madam! Suppose you traded jobs with your husband?” This advertisement was from 1956. If this advertisement was used in 2007, I feel that it would cause a debate. Women would probably feel insulted from this ad because it implies that men are the workers and women are the home-keepers. In modern days it is perfectly normal for both a husband and wife to work or have a wife work and a husband be a stay at home dad. Its funny to see how things change throughout time. I am sure this ad was very successful during the 1950’s because then most women did not have the oppurtunities to work.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
This article is about the research findings of a high school that changed the school’s starting time from 7:15 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. The study was done to see the effects of the time change on both the student and teachers at school. I feel that a later starting time would be beneficial to both students and teachers because students would be more awake and prepared and teachers would be able to teach to an alert class. The findings showed that the majority of teachers and students liked the time change because teachers were able to teach a class of students who were paying attention. In my experience with early highschool starting times, I noticed that I was never fully awake until my third period class, which was at 9:45. Starting school so early in the morning is hard for students who have so much to do at night, such as school work, job, and extra-curricular activities. I feel that schools should start later in the day to help both the students and teachers.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
In the article “Do Students Have Freedom of Speech?” the author brought up a situation in which a student was suspended for wearing a T-shirt proclaiming “Drugs Suck”. The student sued the school district for violating her First Amendment rights but lost. I do feel that the student should be able to wear that shirt if she wants to due to the freedom given by the first amendment. However, the shirt is slightly inappropriate for school but she still should not have been suspended. I feel that many people take advantage of the first amendment and use it as a reason for doing the things they do. In the courtyard at Turlington there are always people giving speeches about religion, etc. and they are allowed to do this because of the freedom of speech.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
I feel that the President of Columbia University was very inappropriate and unprofessional in his speech and attitude towards the President of Iran. In the president of Columbia University’s speech he tried to degrade the president of Iran by making remarks that belittled him. As a professional, it is important to treat everyone with respect even if you don’t agree with someone. As a president of a country, the president of Iran should have been welcomed to the school, not criticized. Instead of welcoming the Iran President, the president of Columbia University introduced him by making rude comments. The inappropriate welcome just made the Columbia University president to look like a fool and unprofessional.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
For some reason I was immediately drawn to the advertisement about coca-cola. I don’t know if it is because of my preference of coke over pepsi or what, but looking through the ads I felt that this was an appealing ad. The ad shows four men, maybe soldiers, hanging out of a window each holding a bottle of coca-cola. Each of the men have a big smile on their faces and they all seem to be very happy. There is a short paragraph that states that coca-cola is a refreshing drink that is “that extra something” to do the job. I feel that this is a classy ad because it does not have any insulting or inappropriate comments or pictures on it. Ads like these are ones that I find to be appealing and therefore would convince me to buy the product.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
In “A Portfolio of Advertisements” I found the ad about webster cigars to be stereotypical. The ad shows a rather elegant/rich looking couple sitting at a dining table drinking out of crystal glasses and holding a box of webster cigars. I feel that this ad is portraying webster cigars as a cigar for the wealthy and that middle class people could not afford it. Under the picture there is a caption that says “The Christmas Gift for Important Men”. I feel that this is not a strong advertisement and instead a slightly insulting one. Why does a man have to be elegant or wealthy in order to feel important?
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
I found this article to be very straightforward and I disagree with the opinions of the authors. The authors seem to believe that advertising for a product makes the world too materialistic and may be offenside and deceptive. I disagree with this. I feel that with or without advertising, the world would still be materialistic due to higher paying jobs and more shopping centers. Even if advertising for a product was banished, people would still buy unnecessary things when out running errands. People with more money tend to spend it on useless things and I feel they would continue to do that even if there were no advertisements. On a different note, I do agree that advertising perpetuates stereotypes. It is common to associate certain products with men and others with women, even if the product is unisex. In this aspect I feel advertising should change and incorporate both men and women in advertising a product that is unisex.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
I found this article to be very informative and interesting. When watching commercials or looking at paper advertisements, I sometimes wonder how the product being advertised has anything to do with what is presented in the commercial/ad. After reading this article I understand that advertisers have a list of how they can appeal to people. The first topic was the appeal to the need for sex. I was surprised that the article stated that this appeal is so little used. I would have guessed that it was a popular appeal because many commercials/ads have their products being displayed by people in revealing outfits. I was surprised by the appeal to the need to escape. I am unfamiliar with this one because I haven’t seen too many advertisements where the idea of “escaping” is expressed.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
After reading the article “America’s Sleep-Deprived Teens”, I feel that I may be overly sleep-deprived, or atleast I used too. This article made me aware of how bad my sleep habits are. In high school I definately did not get the right amount of sleep. With school, afterschool activities, studying, and work, I don’t think there was enough hours to do all that and sleep. I found myself getting at the most four hours of sleep atleast two days a week. This article is a good eye-opener in which it informs one about why sleep is imprtant to everyday life. The article is good that it gives tips for better sleep; however, its not that teens choose not to sleep its that they do not have the time to sleep. The quote “Remember: friends don’t let friends drive drowsy” made me realize that falling asleep at the wheel is just as bad, if not worse, then driving drunk.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
I found Susan Ince’s article “The Science of Sleep” to be very informative. In her article she describes the different cycles of sleep and what occurs during each cycle. It is interesting to learn what our body and brain does while we are sleeping. The author explains how the amount of needed sleep changes as we get older. As newborns we are expected to sleep for most of the day and then as children it may be seen as a problem if one sleeps too much during the day. As adolescences, it is recommended to get more hours of sleep than children, but with school and busy schedules it is hard to accomplish this. As adults and the later years, sleep becomes less. Sleep is very important to our health, and I feel that now-a-days it is very hard to get the right amount of sleep. Due to the competition in school and the work world, there is not enough time to sleep and do everything else in order to be successful.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
I found the article “A Third of Life” to be very interesting. I find sleep to be an interesting topic on its own because we as the people generally do not know what is going on in our heads while we sleep. Sleep is a big part of our lives, and for me I find naps essential in order to replenish my energy on a busy day. The fact that we spend about a third of our lives sleeping is bizarre because I don’t think one would intentionally want to spend that much time in sleep. I feel that nowadays people do no get as much sleep as they are needed. With school, work, families, responsibilities, etc. it is hard to get that recommended 7-8 hours of sleep. I know that in highschool I did not have 7 or 8 hours to spend sleeping due to my school work, sports, and job.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
George Lewis’ article “The Mall as Refuge” presents a very different view of the mall compared to James J. Farrell’s “Shopping for American Culture”. In Lewis’ article he focuses on two groups of people that constantly visit the mall, the elders and the teenagers. Although they are two completely different groups of people they share the same interest in going to the mall. Both the elders and the teens enjoy going to the mall to meet and talk to friends rather than to shop. Its nice to see that malls have created programs for elders in which they can come to the mall early and walk laps around the mall. Elders find the mall a good place to go where they can relax and socialize. It has become a part of many elder’s daily routines. On the otherhand, teens come to the mall as a place to escape from their homes and problems. Both groups are not preferred by mall managers because most of the time no purchases are being done, but managers have not had the need to kick either of the groups out.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
In the article “Shopping for American Culture”, James J. Farrell explains that malls are more than a place to shop, it is part of our American culture. I was surprised by Farrell’s comment “the United States now has more shopping ceneters than high schools”. Its funny to see that Americans would rather spend the money/land to build a shopping center over a school. After reading this article, I can understand what the author was saying. He mentions that malls are like art galleries, the way each store presents its merchandise, the design on the store bags, the package design, etc. It is simply amazing. Each mall is unique in the way that it is built and designed. Malls in a heavy populated area may be built differently than a small populated area. The colors and interior of a mall also differ depending on what area it is built. I’m sure not to many people go around and think about all of this when they enter a mall, but it is still very interesting to think about.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
Philip G. Zimbardo’s experiment shows us how having too much authority can change a person. I am very shocked that an experiment like this was allowed. I feel that some of the conditions were inhumane and not safe. I feel that the experiment may have gotten too out of hand. However, it is interesting to see how a prison’s conditions can dramatically change both a prisoner and a prison guard. It makes me wonder what happens inside a real prison, and if prisoners become so bad by being inside prison.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
In Stanley Milgram’s study of obedience to authority figures, I was very shocked by how far some people would go before stopping the experiment. It surprises me that people would continue to do what an authority figure told them to do so despite the amount of pain they were inflicting on another person. I feel that if I were in the situation I would not be able to continue with the experiment. I understand the importance of the experiment. It shows us why some people do wrong things because they were told by authority, such as the German Nazis during the Holocaust.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
This article talks about conformity. An experiment is introduced, one that involves individual’s responses compared to those of a group or authority figures. I am not surprised that so many people change their views/opinions based on other people. Conformity happens all the time in our lives because people go along with others in a hope to feel accepted. I am familiar with Solomon Asch’s experiment in which he experimented the effects of conformity.
rtennant22 December 8th, 2007
Cinderella has always been one of my favorite fairy tales, but I have never thought so deep into the tale as Bettelheim does in his argument. Cinderella does face a life of sibling rivalry, where unfortunately for her, she is usually wrong. I can see how many children can relate to the tale of Cinderella. Whenever a child feels like he/she has been pushed around by a sibling, he/she can reflect his/her life to that of Cinderella and achieve a new feeling of hope.
samyfern December 8th, 2007
This article is particularly interesting to me because I don’t feel the need to be get married ever. Most people get married for financial stability, for children, for religious reasons, or simply as a sign of monogamy, even though that usually doesn’t happen in today’s marriages. However, I plan on being financially stable on my own, I don’t want children, I’m not religious at all, and I’m not going to be with someone if I can’t trust them to be monogamous without a legal document on file. Therefore, I fit perfectly into this “single minded” category of people that the author has brought into light. Society is significantly changing to accept singles, and out of all of the reasons that the author poses as possible causes, I believe that the feminist movement has had the most effect. Lately, women have joined the work force and are no longer the stay at home moms that one would find in the past. Graduating high school and getting married is no longer the goal of every teenage girl. A good example would be the movie Mona Lisa Smile, which shows women that went to college simply to meet a husband. Women are no longer looking for a marriage, but are looking for their own individual life. However, with this longing for individualism, it seems that finding family values in today’s parent’s beliefs is difficult. Hopefully one day the majority of society will find a healthy balance between being “single minded,” yet still encouraging strong family values in their children.
samyfern December 8th, 2007
I never thought of malls in such a wide perspective as the author of this essay did. After being brought to my attention, it is very easy to view malls as art galleries, cultural institutions, or public architecture. Malls are a good place to view all of the different aspects of American culture in one place. Whether it’s age, gender, race, or even religion, one can find all types of people at an American mall. Therefore, it’s agreeable that malls are a very intricate example of American culture at work. However, when the author states that “malls are a manifestation of popular philosophy” it becomes a little farfetched. It’s hardly believable that the mall could answer questions such as “what does it mean to be human? [or] what are people for?” Humans were around long before shopping malls, and they had a meaning then. Therefore, it’s difficult to believe that a person could find the meaning of being human by buying a shirt at the mall.
samyfern December 8th, 2007
This essay discusses many situations in which someone was trying to legally hold a parent responsible for their child’s actions that usually ended in harm for another. I think that both parents and child should be held accountable. Often times, it’s teens that become violent, and at that age they should have a strong sense of right and wrong. When a child reaches middle school they should know that it’s wrong to handle any situation in violence. However, if they lack this moral, then is it really their fault? It’s the parent’s job to shape their child’s family values and be sure that they are aware of what is right and wrong. Today, many American families have lost this sense of family values and involvement in their child’s lives. Many parents have become too rapped up in their personal lives to bother entertaining or spending time with their children. So instead, they just buy them the horror movie and violent video game they wanted to fill up their child’s past time. American’s need to get a better grasp on family values if we expect our children to be successful later in life.
samyfern December 8th, 2007
It isn’t surprising how different people may act when being affected by a group. Everything a person does or says is influenced by social and cultural standards, called norms. When a person fails to succumb to these norms they are often times singled out by the group. There is a constant fear of being socially unaccepted by the group or being the outside individual, which helps to explain why someone would change their answer due to the group member’s answers. Humans can act very differently when being affected by group opinions or actions. For example, deindividuation is the loss of sense of self when group members are essentially anonymous. This often occurs in crowds, and it explains how situations can become riots when everyone is acting as one. For example, riots of European soccer fans during games is explained as arising from deindividuation. It’s truly amazing how the level of the group can affect an individual and their choices.
