Project Idea

For my project I am still very up in the air, but do have one idea. Basically I plan on on recreating a Proactiv skin care adertisment. Proactiv is all about using celebrities to promote their skin care. I want to recreate a print ad where there would be a comparison between celebrities being plastered all over the ads compared to regular people, to show the effectiveness of Proactiv's advertisements.

Ads

When it comes to advertisements in the media and frankly all around us, I am not one that really pays to much attention to them. With certain advertisements that may be annoying or completely stupid, some people find themselves extremely irritated by them. When I am watching a television show my main concern during commercials is about the show coming back on, not about the commercials and advertisements being shown. I am not saying that advertisements do not catch my eye or make me want to buy something, I am just saying my focus is usually not pertaining to them. In class, when we have been asked to actually look at advertisements and analyze them I have found it to be difficult. Mostly because my thought process while viewing them is never toward the intent of the actual ad. I have tried to be more conscious when it comes to advertisements and have noticed more of the aspects of them...target market, context, picture, tone.

Research Papers

Whenever a teacher brought up the term research paper it was almost as though my stomach dropped to the ground. I hated everything about them. I cannot say I am a fan of them by any means now but I also view them a little differently. It seems that most people view them as a punishment instead of an opportunity to become extremely knowledgeable in a certain area. When I was in sixth grade I had my first experience with a research paper. My teacher taught us everything about them and we turned one research paper into a long process with so many different aspects. Although it was not easy and very annoying at times, I am now able to view writing a research paper much differently. I had this same english teacher for grades seven and eight as well and it was the same thing, just more difficult. I learned a lot about english and research papers over those three years and am happy I was forced to become very familiar with research papers. It has definitely made things much easier for me throughout the years.

Response to Class Debate

When I reflect back on how I feel about our in class discussion, I feel my opinions toward the issue shifted a bit. We have been heavily discussing diversity and multiculturalism mainly in terms of education. I feel that diversity is extremely important in terms of education but also am a firm believer that universities and other educational systems should not have to constantly bend over backwards to come across as "diverse" to the public eye. I do feel that many students of different foreign backgrounds have an easier time being accepted into universities partly because of their ethnicity. I'm not saying that Universities should not be diverse or anything along those lines I just do not fully understand this trend in many educational systems. We also looked at two highly educated women's perspectives with two different view points with diversity and multiculturalism. After reading both women's feelings on the issues, I mainly agreed with Linda Chavez who also feels that many accommodations have been made for nonwhites in this country. On the other hand, the speech given by Nancy Cantor I can agree with certain parts. Nancy Cantor feels that diversity and preserving cultures in a very important job of universities. Being able to work through issues and situations with people of all different backgrounds is a huge tool to be equipped with in todays world and vital to a high educational experience. However, I do stand firmly that it is not the job of work laces and universities to have to take all of the issues into their own hands.

Diversity and Multiculturalism

Although I have not attended Western Michigan University for a great length of time, I have most definitely learned a lot about the many different cultures and personalities I am surrounded by daily. When it comes to diversity and multiculturalism within this campus, I do not feel this University is lacking. Western strives to fulfill all cultures and backgrounds and has many groups and organizations within the University. From my personal perspective I have learned a great deal from the array of student's I am surrounded by in class and even around campus. Having diversity in an education system is vital. In the real world it is now a necessity to be able to succeed and be open to the many different opinions surrounding you. Some people may feel differently but the reason this country has become so dominant is mainly because of diversity and multiculturalism.

Reflection of Peer Reviews

When we were asked to do peer reviews last week, I immediately went back to my high school experiences. I always hated peer reviews in high school, they were always boring and a waste of time I thought. However, when we did them last week in class my attitude changed towards them. The writing was more mature and much more enjoyable to read in this case. We were asked to also read our papers aloud to our fellow peer reviewer. I was't necessarily a fan of this but I understand why we did it. By hearing the person read their story aloud it gives the listener a chance to feel what the writer is trying to say, and in this case that was very helpful. Each peer reviewer was given a list of questions relating to the person's paper you just read. These questions made myself as a peer reviewer examine the paper much more in depth which is the main point of a peer review.

"Why My Mother Can't Speak English" (short story)

After reading the short story "Why My Mother Can't Speak English" my eyes were opened to the many challenges immigrants face. I cannot imagine leaving my country for a completely new one in hopes of a better life. So many different aspects come into play while living in an entirely different country. In this story the writer's mother faces the challenge of not knowing the English language, and at the age of seventy  learning it is close to impossible. Her huge road block in becoming a citizen is learning a new language...this makes me think of certain comparison's to my own life. Although I am a believer in everything is possible through hard work, there are certain things I would find extremely difficult for myself to accomplish. For example, I have tried to sing my entire life and I am fully aware it is not a quality voice people would enjoy listening to. Some people are just born with a talented singing voice, I however am not and never will be. I am aware though that their are certain talents I have been gifted with and choose to focus on those a little more. When I think about Gary Engkent's short story, it definitely reiterates to me that everything is possible, and that is why his story is such a great one.