Project 3 Reflection: Pleasant

This project was my favorite out of all of the projects we did this semester. It was different to the type of essays I am used to writing and it made me learn new things. I had fun working with audacity and trying to figure it out. Even though it was not the easiest thing to learn to use it helped that we had to do a smaller and shorter podcast about the NPR article. Like usual, it took me a while to come up with my idea. I had first come up with the idea of talking about the dorms but I had a feeling a lot of people know about that and I really wanted my project to inform people about something about ASU they might not know about. I decided to do it on the orbit bus system since one of my friends frequently rides it. It was a little difficult to get my rough draft done during thanksgiving week because I went home and wasn't really in contact with the people I wanted to interview. In order to solve this problem I sent my interviewers the questions through email and they wrote back their answers. The hardest part of this project was probably getting the recording of their voice. Since they had their answers ready it was hard for them to talk normally and not like they were reading something. It took a lot of tries to get the final audio because I had constant interruptions and we kept messing up but I felt very accomplished when I was done.

I learned a lot during this project, probably more than any other project. I learned how to use audacity and convert files to mp3 format. Another thing that I learned throughout this project is to manage my time because the time I had with my interviewers was limited and I had to get everything done during that time. I also learned more about interviewing people and getting them to answer in a way that would help my argument.

I don’t really think I did a good job at establishing my argument in my rough draft which is probably why I struggled with the interview questions at first. I didn't really know what my point was and had a difficult time coming up with questions that would lead my interviewers to answer the questions in the direction I wanted.  After researching more on my topic and going to workshop I was able to get a better understanding of what my argument should be and how it should be established on my script. Overall I think my argument in my final product was strong and well crafted. 

Script Draft: The Orbit Bus

CASSANDRA ALVES: The Orbit shuttle bus is a form of public transportation that picks up at various locations around the Arizona State University campus and is free of charge to everyone including students. The orbit bus system provides small blue buses that transport people around residential areas, shopping centers, and other bus stops. This service is important to many students especially those who live off campus and commute to school, work and other recreational activities.

CASSANDRA ALVES: Britney Linzy is a freshmen student at Arizona State University. She says the orbit shuttle has been very helpful in getting her around the campus and town since she began the school year.

BRITNEY LINZY: I live about 5 miles away from campus and the orbit bus makes it so much easier and cheaper for me to get to school every day. There is a bus stop a couple of blocks from my house and it is so convenient for me because I can wake up later and I don’t have to walk a lot to get to class.

CASSANDRA ALVES:  The orbit is free, so how much money do you think you are saving per year by taking it to school every day?

BRITNEY LINZY: Parking at Arizona State University is at least 300 dollars a semester (which is ridiculous) and this is in the furthest parking lot at school which means I would have to walk a lot to get to my classes. Add the gas I would use every day and that is at least a thousand dollars a year!

CASSANDRA ALVES: That seems convenient! Doesn’t it take a long time to get to where you want to go through?

BRITNEY LINZY: I’m not going to lie, it does take at least 20 minutes to make a trip that would originally take about 10 minutes because it goes around the neighborhood and stops at about 6 places before it gets to where I need to be.

CASSANDRA ALVES: What are the other places the orbit shuttle takes you to?

BRITNEY LINZY: The shuttle system has 5 routes; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Jupiter and Mars. Each route has different bus stops and takes you to different parts of town. Mercury takes you to east side of town, near the 101 freeway; Venus takes you to the west side of town, by the interstate 10; Earth takes you to the north side of town, to the tempe market place, where most people go to hang out; and Mars takes you to the south east side, near the golf course; and Jupiter takes you to the south side of town, near the 60 freeway.

CASSANDRA ALVES: How often do the shuttles stop at the bus stops?

BRITNEY LINZY: The shuttles usually run every 15 to 20 minutes during the day and afternoon and every 30 minutes at nights and the cool thing is the schedules are posted up on the bus stops for each route. It tells you about what time it will arrive at the different bus stops it takes you too so that people can estimate their arrivals and their travel time.

CASSANDRA ALVES: Do the shuttles run all day?

BRITNEYLINZY: No! It would be great if it did then I would always be on it! From Monday to Saturday the route for Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Venus starts at six in the morning and ends at about ten pm.  On Sundays, it starts at eight am and ends at 7 pm. The Earth shuttle which is the one I take most of the time is a little different. From Monday to Saturday it runs until eleven pm and but it only picks up every thirty minutes from 7 pm to 11 pm.

CASSANDRA ALVES: That sounds pretty flexible. How did you find out about this service?

BRITNEY LINZY: I’ve been taking the shuttles since I learned about it on the ASU website. It has the information under the Parking and Transit links and it provides everything you need to know from the schedules to the route map. This information is also provided to students during Orientation and the informational meetings at ASU in the beginning of the year.

CASSANDRA ALVES: Why do you think the school provides this information if the shuttles aren’t provided by Arizona State University?

BRITNEY LINZY: This service is very important because it has allowed me to be more involved in school even though I don’t live in the dorms! It gives me freedom because I don’t have to rely on my parents or friends to pick me up from school at certain times and it allows me to go back and forth from school and home throughout the day.  I have a terrible memory and the flexible shuttle schedules have saved me so many times when I forget my homework or my laptop and have to go back home to get it. It also makes it easy for me to get to dance practice during the weekends. With so many tuition fees I can not afford to pay more money for gas and the parking and I am pretty sure it is not only me who thinks this way

CASSANDRA ALVES: Do you find the buses safe to ride?

BRITNEY LINZY: Yeah it is a completely safe environment! The buses are clean and well maintained. Most of the people who ride it are college students or people that work around the school and live close to campus. I also often run into many people that are in the same classes as me. I can actually say it is an enjoyable ride.

CASSANDRA ALVES: Many people use the orbit shuttles but many don’t realize how important it is to the Arizona State University community and also to the Tempe community. It is an easy and accessible way to move throughout the town and get to places in a matter of minutes.  The information and schedule are provided online in the City of Tempe website under Bus information.

ASU Reacts: "Veterans Struggle to Find Jobs, Piece of Mind"

ALVES: Hello this is Cassandra Alves reporting on NPR’s article “Veterans Struggle to Find Jobs, Piece of Mind.” The article presents the argument that veterans that have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan are struggling to find jobs and return to their civilian lives. In the article we hear from solder Brian Cannava as he talks about his struggles to return to his normal life. He states that he has applied to hundreds of jobs since he came back from deployment and that he misses being deployed because he no longer feels that he has a purpose.

ALVES: The unemployment rate for veterans is currently standing at ten percent. But veterans are not the only ones struggling. According to the United States Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for college students also stands at about ten percent. Here is Charlinsky Erickson, a student at Arizona State University speaking for many of the unemployed students on campus.

ERICKSON: I was given Work Study by FAFSA and I have probably applied to twenty jobs in the past 3 weeks and I haven’t even gotten a call back for an interview.

ALVES: Why do you think you are struggling so much in finding a job?

ERICKSON: Most jobs require experience but I’m young and I haven’t really had much experience and it is frustrating because in order to get experience I need to start somewhere and no one is giving me that opportunity.

ALVES: If the problem is lack of experience, why do you think veterans are also having such a hard time finding employment?

ERICKSON: Well, they’re probably struggling because they don’t have experience in a certain work area. If they want a job in a store they’re military training has probably not provided the skills needed to work in retail.

ALVES: The struggle of unemployment is frustrating many people including veterans and students. Hopefully with time things will get better for all of these hard working individuals.

Genre Analysis: Veterans Struggle to Find Jobs, Peace of Mind

The story I listened to on NPR’s Morning Edition is titled “Veterans Struggle to Find Jobs, Peace of Mind” and was hosted by Rachel Martin. This called my attention because many of my family members are deployed and I could relate to the story through them and also through myself because as a college student have also been having a hard time finding a job. In this story the host talks about how difficult it is for returning veterans to find jobs and get used to their new lives away from the battlefield.  She uses an interview as her source and asks a veteran about their lives during deployment and after they come back to their civilian lives. While analyzing this story I looked at the different aspects of it and found out this is an informative essay that provides information on the lives of veterans who come back home and have to make the transition from a soldier to a civilian.

[cambridgema.gov]

                The story is organized in the way that most news articles are formatted. It starts by the host who gives some back up information about the issue. Then she speaks about the man who she is interviewing and talking about the men and women who have come back from deployment who they have been helping in their series “Home Front.” The host, Rachel Martin, introduces her interviewee, Brian Cannava of the National Guard’s 182^nd Infantry Regiment.  She then continues to talk about how hard it is for veterans to come back to their lives and find a job. When she is talking about this she brings up a statistic when she says “The unemployment rate for veterans who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan currently stands at ten percent despise all the programs out there designed to find work for vets.” This evidence shows us how this issue is affecting many people and it helps her become a credible source. The only thing she is missing is the place where she got her numbers from, this is what prevents the speaker from being completely credible. After she introduces the issue, the host then starts the interview which is another type of evidence she uses in the story. In her interview she backs up her numbers when she asks the veteran about his experience in job hunting.  The veteran mentions that he has applied to “hundreds of jobs” and that many people are not interested in his stories and experiences from his deployment. This proves to us that veterans like Cannava are really struggling in getting their lives back together after the war.

                Even though this story is not completely reliable it does show us a struggle that a lot of veterans face through the eye of a veteran. This audio essay is formal and structured just like a written informational essay would be written. 

http://www.npr.org/2012/11/11/164894057/veterans-struggle-to-find-jobs-peace-of-mind

This audio essay I listened to inspired me to make my audio essay on student unemployment. Im not sure who I would interview yet so I am not sure about my topic! Any ideas??

Project 2 Reflection: Discovery

When I was given this assignment I thought it was simple and that it was going to be fun and easy. As I started working on it I realized it was a little more complicated than what I had expected but it was still fun. At first I had an idea for what I wanted to write about but then I realized it was going to be really hard to find sources that could be related to my topic, so I ended up changing my topic to places to exercise on ASU. I enjoyed having to go to the different areas and experiencing them. I hadn't gone to many of the places I wrote about so I learned a lot about my school. One of the things I struggled with the most was finding an academic source to back up my information. Another thing I struggled with while doing this project was making my introduction 800 words. At first I didn't know what type of information I had to include in this and what the criteria was supposed to be like. Because of this I went to a workshop and one of the teachers was able to explain to me what they meant with criteria and gave me some ideas for my introduction. Once I did this the rest of the project was pretty easy. I think I did well in the evaluation of all of my places and on laying them out on blogger. Considering that I wasn't able to attend the workshop that talked about how to set up the map on blogger I did pretty well figuring it all out and setting it up. . I really liked the way we were supposed to set up the map and posts on blogger because it allowed us to be creative with the design of each blog. I liked having to look for pictures and take pictures of the campus and getting to know and explore the campus. It also helped me figure out different places where I could potentially work out at and informed be about something I had wanted to get more information on, the tennis center. The only reason why I struggled was because I left everything for the last minute. I didn't focus a lot on my rough draft and therefore didn’t have much to work with. I basically had to write everything at one time. For next project I will focus a lot more on the rough draft and take it more seriously. I think this will help me with the editing process and will make these projects less stressful. It will also give me more time to go to different workshops and get feedback from different teachers which will probably make my final draft ten times better 

Research Sources: Places to Exercise on Campus

When I was given this assignment I was lost as to what topic I wanted to do. I had nothing in mind but after a couple of days of thinking about it I came up with my idea. Earlier in the week I had been thinking about all of the areas on campus where it is good to exercise and I decided to research it and use this topic for my second project. I think exercise is a very important aspect of a college student’s life because it helps us relief stress and stay healthy but many don’t realize that exercise can be done outside the gym and in many different ways. I am aware that the most obvious place to exercise on campus is the Student Recreation Center, but I really wanted to evaluate and analyze this place along with three other (not so obvious) places that are commonly used to exercise. In order to evaluate this topic I will walk around campus and locate where most people are exercising and probably even use an interview or survey.  

The first place I am going to evaluate is “A” mountain. This is a popular place for students and others who live near the mountain to take a nice hike and enjoy a great view. In order to evaluate the hike up to “A” mountain I will hike it myself and use the newspaper article “Take a Hike” by Kate Rew from the Sunday Times. This two page article mentions that walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise because it is considered to have low intensity and show quick increase in muscle toning, strength, and stamina.   This article interests me because it shows statistics and because I can relate it to my life. It states that walking also reduces stress, improve our self-image, and reduce depression which are aspects that many college students need help with.

Another place I am going to evaluate is the intramural fields by Hassayampa and the Student Recreation Center.  I have noticed that in the evenings many people go out there to play sports and run around the field. In order to evaluate these fields I am going to reference to the observations I make and to the book Sports Nutrition: A Practice Manual for Professionals 5^th Edition by Christine A. Rosenbloom. This 499 page book talks about all the important aspects of being an athlete and exercising to your full potential. Even though I haven’t read the entire book I have read sections and it seems like it gives a good understanding about sports and how this type of exercise can help your health.

The last place I am sure I am going to write about in this project is the Student Recreation Center which is the most popular place to exercise on campus. This is the place I mostly go to which will allow me to use personal experience in my evaluation. Along with my experiences I will also reference to the newspaper article, “Reflecting on gym culture while huffing and puffing: Focusing on the exercise, not the mirrors, proves to be a challenge” by Karina Roman from the Ottawa Citizen. This two page article goes into detail about the culture at a gym and it was interesting to me because it brings up the point that people mostly go to the gym because of vanity and not for their health.

I am still not sure about my fourth place that I am going to evaluate but am still looking for ideas. 

Evaluating Beastly

Today I watched the movie Beastly. It is the modern retelling of the fairytale The Beauty and the Beast that aired in March of 2011. It is directed by Daniel Barnz and features Vanessa Hudgens as Lindy Taylor (from High School Musical) and Alex Pettyfer as Kyle Kingsbury (from I Am Number Four).

[Theatrical release poster]

In the story, Kyle is a rich, conceited, good looking high school boy who makes fun of his class mates and thinks he is the best. He makes fun of a “gothic” girl who was actually a witch in disguise. Since he is so mean and arrogant she puts a spell on him and makes him bald, tattooed, and scarred. She then tells him that he must make someone fall in love with him within a year or he would look like that forever. His father hides him in an apartment in the suburbs outside of New York City with his maid and a blind tutor. He is alienated from everyone for a few months and his father begins to neglect him. He later decides to leave his apartment and go out saves Lindy, a girl from his former school, from drug dealers who were after her dad. She moves in with him for protection and wouldn’t talk to him at the beginning. As time starter passing by, Kyle asks the witch for more time and she refuses but tells him he will make his tutor’s vision come back and would bring his maid’s kids to the US if he got Lindy to fall in love with him. He goes back home and reveals himself to Lindy and as they bond he begins to fall in love with her. Lindy’s father is put in the hospital for overdose and Kyle takes her to the train station and lets her go see her dad. Before she leaves he gives her a letter telling her how he feels about her. In the end, Lindy comes back, tells him she loves him and leaves again. He then changes back into his old self and when Lindy comes back she doesn’t believe it is him. She calls Kyle’s phone and when she hears it ring she believes him and they kiss. At the very end of the movie the tutor can see again, the maid gets three visas in the mail for her kids, and Kyle and Lindy live “happily ever after.” This movie is very cliché; it has an obvious moral to it that people shouldn’t “judge a book by its cover” and that we shouldn’t be so superficial. Even though this movie is very predictable and has many bad reviews I did enjoyed watching it. I think both of the main characters are good and likable actors who fit their characters and did well in establishing the plot of the story.  

Project 1 Reflection: Persistance

Writing this essay was a struggle for me. At first, I didn’t understand what it meant to use a lens and therefore didn’t know what to look for when I went to make my observations at the Memorial Union. Once I made my observations and looked them over I began writing my rough draft. I struggled a lot because I hadn’t understood that I needed to quote the authors of the readings. I had initially thought that we were supposed to make our observations in a similar way to the authors and write our essay in a similar way as theirs. After we got feedback from the professor and went to a workshop I understood what we were supposed to do with our essay. This is when I realized the type of observations I needed in order to write my essay. I went to my place again and re wrote my observations which allowed me to focus on the lens that Frank Vanclay used. Once I understood exactly how I was supposed to write my essay, I began writing again. I pretty much had to start a new essay because my rough draft was only a list of observations I had made and it had no argument or lens in it.

 

Writing my final draft was a little easier because I knew and understood how I was supposed to use the author’s lens. I wrote for a while but couldn’t seem to get the full length required. I went to the editing workshop and got help from a professor. I was told my final draft was only a discussion and that I needed more observations and details. This is when I realized I had to put my rough draft, which was only a list of observations, with my final draft, which was only a discussion of the lens.

 

Through this entire process I learned how to deeply analyze a place and find something unique about it. I learned that everything has other purposes aside from their main functions but we really need to pay attention to notice it. I also learned that the workshops are very helpful and it is very important and helpful to get other’s input on your work. Next time I have a writing assignment I will make sure that I understand what I am supposed to do before I write the rough draft so that I don’t have to write my final draft basically from scratch. I need to put more effort in my rough draft so that I can just tweak it and edit it at the end. It took a lot of persistence and focus for me to complete this project but I have learned from it.

Analyzing a Place Worksheet

Your Place: Memorial Union Patio

What are the intended functions of the place?

The main functions of the Memorial Union patio are to provide a place for people to socialize, eat, and do their work.

What overt messages does the place send (i.e., openly communicated through signs)?

Some signs that you can see while sitting on the patio are one that says “Memorial Union: Your Campus Community Center”, another with the dining and retail hours, and another with the building hours. Another sign you can see on the Memorial Union door is one with the rules of the building (no smoking, etc.)

What covert messages does the place send (i.e., hidden messages)?

Some of the hidden messages the patio sends is one that encourages people to socialize and use this place to meet people. I think this is one of the most important messages of the patio and this is shown through the movable chairs and tables that are placed in the patio. Another hidden message is to keep the place clean. We can see this by noticing the multiple trash cans placed around the patio.

[source: Tom Tingle/The Arizona Republic] 

Have previous users left traces behind in the place?

Previous users have definitely left traces behind. The most common thing left behind by previous users is trash! Many people leave the tables messy, with soda spills and even some food. On the floor there are many cigarette buds and pieces of paper. Another trace that people leave is the tables grouped together. People move the tables and chairs around and don’t put them back where they are supposed to be.

Has the place been re-appropriated (i.e., beyond its original functions)?

???

What social or cultural customs did you observe (i.e., rules governing appropriate behavior)? Part of the patio is located in the middle of the walkway. On its right side people are walking in one direction and on the left side of the patio people are walking the opposite direction. People ask if it’s okay for them to take the chair from another person’s table (politeness). Some people hold the door open for the people behind them. Everyone is sitting on the chairs, nobody is sitting on the tables or standing on the chairs. A lot of people clean up after themselves when they are done, but not all. 

Who has access to the place?  Are there insiders and outsiders?

Anybody has access to the Memorial Union patio. Students, teachers, parents, or any other visitors are welcome here. Some are insiders and some are outsiders. 

Who owns the place?

Arizona State University owns the place 

What is the place’s value (i.e., monetary or otherwise)?

This place cost $300,000 to build. It has many tables and chairs, umbrellas, and some unique and abstract shade panels. It also has another type of value. This place is very important to the university because it can be considered the heart of the campus. This is where most people hang out after and before class and where most people eat.

Are there official representations of the place (i.e., online, in promotional materials)?  Do they accurately capture the place as you experienced it? On the ASU website they have a page especially for the Memorial Union. Even though they have this and it explains everything that is offered inside they barely talk about the patio. They don’t have pictures or explain what is going on outside of the Memorial Union.

Is the place in transition, a changing place? This place doesn’t look like it is changing any time soon. The last time it was renovated was in 1990 and its been the same since then. From this place you can see and hear some construction going in another part of campus.

What conflicts or tensions are there in the place? Although there isn’t any obvious tension or conflict I feel that there are often conflicts and drama going on in this place due to the fact that so many people come to socialize here. You can also feel the tension when there are groups of fraternities and sororities sitting with their friends. Another kind of conflict or tension we can see is in the tables around the memorial union patio where people are recruiting people for religious events or political issues.

What is the place’s history?  Do you see evidence of the past there in the present?

The Memorial Union was built in 1956 but has been renovated and extended a few times after that. Most of the patio looks new and futuristic the only thing that looks like it’s been here for a long time is a sculpture that looks corroded. Another object that could be considered old are the trees, based on their size.

How does this place differentiate itself from other places?  What other places is it similar to, but how is it different from those places? This place is different to any other place on campus because it is one of the biggest common areas and is right next to the building that has almost everything you can ask to eat. It is somewhat like the dining halls, except that this place is outside and its in the middle of the campus where a lot of people are walking around and riding their bike. This place has a bit more going on than the dining halls but serves almost the same function.

What questions do you have about your place?

Who designed it? Has it always been a part of ASU? What is the meaning of the rusty sculpture? Who paid for this? Why is it called Memorial Union?

Key Features / Profiles (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 165-166)

An interesting subject.  What is unusual about your place?  Alternatively, is there something ordinary about it that you can show in an intriguing way? Even though the MU patio is considered a place for people to socialize, it is also a very calm and serene place. It is next to a water fountain and the experience a person has depends entirely on the time they go. In the middle of the day it is hectic and loud but later in the afternoon it is more peaceful and quiet. Many people only see this place as a hectic and socializing place but it can also be a place to think and reflect on anything you need to. 

Any necessary background.  What background information will you need to include about the place in order to situate readers? The Memorial Union was built in 1956 but after that they have added many new features to it.

An interesting angle.  Rather than trying to tell readers everything about the place, what angle(s) might you use? What I want to focus on this place is on the afternoon and mostly on what you hear and some of the things a person can see. Another thing I want to focus on is people experiences in the MU Patio. 

A firsthand account.  Did you interact with people in the place or participate in some way?  What experiences did you have there that you can write about using “I”?  (Yes, first person point of view is encouraged, especially for this paper.) While sitting on the Memorial Union Patio I interacted with many people. First, as I was sitting down a guy approached me with a flyer about a concert. Another person approached me and asked if he could use one of the chairs that were in my table.

Generating Ideas and Text (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 168-169)

Explore what you already know about your subject.  Why do you find this place interesting?  What did you already know about it? I knew that this place was in the middle of campus and that it was right next to the Memorial Union. I find this place interesting because even though it is one big place everyone uses it for a different function. Some people come her e to socialize, some to eat, others to sit and do work, and others to sit and smoke.

Do additional research.  Does your place have an online component?  How else might you gather additional research? There are many articles about the Memorial Union on the internet. Even though there is a website there isn’t a website for the patio. 

OBSERVATIONS OF MU PATIO

Little American flags all over the dirt/rocks –representing 9/11; a tragic event that affected many Americans 11 years ago.

Sitting under circular shady things—14 white big structures that allow people to sit outside & avoid the sun

Guy handing out flyers- offering jobs; he has earplugs on which doesn’t make him approachable, that being said he probably won’t get many participants.

     There are a lot of the flyers he is giving out on the floor. Most people aren't interested but take the flyer anyways to just leave it on the ground. Why?!

Weird cactus, unlike the typical ones you normally see. It has about 20 saguaros and it’s short.

White railings all over the tables outside the memorial union

ASU tents promoting and selling things to students. They have huge speakers and a band playing, this attracted the attention of a lot of people because when people hear the noise from far away they wonder what is going on and they come close to the tents, where they are giving flyers and promoting events and clubs that are going on at ASU.

The band is playing and they hold the microphones right on their mouth and they are aligned like a triangle. 

One of the singers is in the front and the other two are behind the one in the middle.

A is girl wearing a sweater in 100 degree weather. Either she’s from a place where the weather was way hotter than the weather in Arizona or she had nothing to wear that day!

Lady with an umbrella, this allows her to block the sun on such a hot day.

There is a truck in the middle of the sidewalk. This is odd and against the norms of our society. Cars shouldn’t be on the sidewalk.

Signs all over the place advertising different clubs and job opportunities. The signs have vibrant colors like red and yellow, which attract the attention of others.

Big umbrella on the tables giving shade to people eating and working; has white rope hanging from the top part

The same bike parking warning all over the place- they probably put so many to emphasize the importance of the announcement.

MEMORIAL UNION STRUCTURE- orange/red bricks with dark green cement walls & pillars holding the structure up.    

Glass side walls with metal outlines & plain gray cement floor

Outside on the patio there are many tables and chairs. The tables can be moved which many people have done in order to sit and socialize with a big group of people.

Some people are socializing, some are eating, some are by themselves on their computers, and some are eating by themselves.

The main function for this area is for socialization

Girl walking around with green hair, could represent a unique personality since it is not very normal to see this.

Girl wearing no shoes, this is definitely not normal, everyone is used to seeing people wearing shoes. It is a normal thing to do, yet she’s not wearing any.

Middle Eastern girl covered from head to toe. This is a cultural and religious tradition for Middle Eastern women to do.

A guy is smoking by himself at a table with his feet on the chair. He finishes his cigarette and throws it on the floor. I look down and I see so many more of these cigarette buds. This shows how people don’t care about their environment and their school. Why throw it on the ground when there are plenty of places to throw them away?

On my right side there is an abstract looking structure. It looks like it’s made of metal but it is oxidized. The top part consists of two arches (half circles) stacked on top of each other. People can rotate this figure and it will continue to rotate for a long time. Why was this created this way? Is it supposed to be oxidized?

The purpose of the Memorial Union is to bring students, teachers, and possibly families and have a place for them to hang out, eat, and enjoy each other’s company. The MU in a way brings people together and allows them to interact outside of their dorms and classrooms. 

Vanity Fair Magazine Analysis

 

In this July 2012 magazine cover, Vanity Fair has attempted to illustrate the Columbian actress and model, Sofia Vergara, as a modern sex symbol.  She is pictured sitting on a vintage looking chair with her legs open, wearing a long, red, strapless silk dress and holding a cigarette in her right hand near her mouth. The actress and model is positioned in the middle of the page covering a little bit of the magazine name. Her name is almost the same size as the magazine name and bigger than the other two pieces of text on the cover, making it obvious that she is the most important element of the cover. This magazine issue could be targeted at both men and woman because it shows a sexy side of Sofia Vergara which appeals mostly to men, but also a powerful and demanding side of her which appeals to woman because that is the type of woman most want to be like.

 

 

In my opinion, Vanity Fair chose Sofia Vergara as the cover model for this issue in order to represent the women of today’s society. Over the years, women’s roles have changed significantly. Now, women are considered to be equal and sometimes even more successful than men. In today’s society, women have been seen as powerful because of the multiple roles they play in their daily lives. While being housewives and caring for their children, most women are also professionals, just like the actress, Sofia Vergara who is a mother of a 19 year old boy. In addition, women are also expected to have time for their own upkeep, in order to look beautiful and sexy, which is also something that is represented by this cover. This cover also symbolizes equality between men and women because Sofia Vergara is holding a cigarette and seating with her legs open, which is mostly seen as a manly habit.

To cut a long story short, Sofia Vergara is on the cover of Vanity Fair to compare how women were seen before to the powerful, sensual, and successful woman of today’s society.