Who do you think you are

Hello, 

My name is Victor Moya I am a Graphic Design Major at NJCU. I  enjoy sports, movies, and documentaries. I am hoping to graduate soon and start my career as a Graphic Designer.

My role in media is mostly consuming information from the internet to find out what is going on in the world. I use websites like Yahoo, CNN, social media sites and occasionally I watch tv. As  a Creative person and someone who is pursuing a profession in the visual arts field  I can’t ignore the value of social media and what it can offer me, not in only in terms of promoting my work, but also for building relationships. A good  example of this media is Facebook. 

In addition I also believe in media injustice which has created many issues on the black community in the United States since at least the 18th century. The black community has been a target for the media since the slavery years. They were depicted as criminals by newspapers and even used for presidential campaign ads to cause fear on citizens . Now a days this type of media injustice is not present,  but I still can see a lack of Interest by the media to cover race related issues or civil right movements such as the Black Lives Matter Movement.  A good example of bad media coverage  took place on Fox News when Bill O’Reilly  accused the Black Lives Matter Movement of being extreme and dangerous instead of focusing on the problem of police brutality.

However, thanks to Internet and social media sites like Facebook we can now challenge the traditional media coverage and give greater attention to all communities  whose stories often go untold.

My relationship with social media

Me and Social Media

Hi everyone,
       My name is Stephanie Ramirez, I'm a transfer student, this is my second semester at NJCU pursuing a bachelor in biology. I'm planning to apply for a Rutgers program in nuclear medicine after  two more semesters in NJCU. I work full-time in a non-profit organization called CEUS  that offers help to the immigrant community on legal service, education (English classes), support and information about issues that affect our society; it is available for any ethnical background.
http://www.ceusnj.org/   

      My experience with social media and technology is catching up. I must say I'm not a big fan of social sites, I started using Facebook in my senior year in high school because other friends talk about it and I really didn't want to stay behind. As I become more familiar with the site I started socializing more with people abroad. I was introduced to chess room, I kind of became addicted to them. I'd played two games daily. National Geographic Facebook page is one of the pages that I visit more. I read comments and I communicate with people, I have to say most of the comment people post are interesting to me. Nature and science are two things I'm passionate about. I think National Geographic has broadly expanded resources and information so people can be educate about our planet; newspaper, website, TV has allowed us to see many beautiful places around the world. Places or living organism that we thought it didn't exist. Perhaps I may not be in some of them but I can stimulate my imagination to pictures myself on one of those photographs that this media of communication shows to its audience.

If I wouldn't have read the description photo I could have said the significance of this image at simple glance. For instance, I see two different forms of life. One just starting to live its life ahead and the other retrieving from the life it has lived. For me both need the care and help in order to be safe.

   The media has turned and changed the way today society communicates. It has give individual the power to express themselves. It has facilitate an open door for people who want to contribute and have the opportunity to become active and more informative in social matter that affects us all. The is also a risk in using social media. I didn't know much about how it was control what people view on their devices their favorites channels or followers.
         I have never had a twitter account. Honestly I didn't understand what was the reason behind. the hashtag portion of it took me months to understand it. One excellent user of twitter is president Trump. Although I have my own opinion about this presidency I come to realize that it allows an easy and more effective way of communicating. It also, can be use as a tool to agitate and  manipulate individuals to do things that have never done. I feel that this social sites has giving the public an advantage, in how we express ourselves and a disadvantage how isolate people are becoming. The face to face interaction is being affected by the online post and pictures that many share through those social sites.
So, what do I think about Social media? Well, as a tool of communication. I welcome it. As a primary source to live a normal life I just keep my distance from it. 

Who Am I? - T'ana S

Hello,
My name is T'ana and I am currently a freshman. Some interesting things about me is that I play soccer for the school and I am from California; this is my second year in New Jersey. I am majoring in Digital Design and Illustration and want to minor in Animation. I am a big fan of  Disney

My role in media consumption, critique and/or media making is close to non-existent. I do have Instagram but mostly to keep in touch with a majority of my friends, and I also have Facebook but do not use it. When communicating with someone I prefer to talk with them face-to-face because I like seeing who I am speaking to. I do shop online though because it is easier than going to a store that is far away, and there is exclusive stuff only sold online. When I do go on Instagram for the most part I see what new things Disney has out such as their: events, merchandise, and what is coming to the theme parks. Other than shopping or listening to music, I do not use media that much.

Media tends to take things that are happening in society that affect everyone and talk about for days and days. They look for the next new big thing to advertise or a juicy story to tell the world about. Such as the women protests which happened just last weekend, and thanks to media their protest was shared and viewed. Whats Next? Thanks to media small things become big, The media helps activists causes become known on a bigger scale and the media get a story to tell. In this way they compliment each other.

I do think media over covers news, for instance when Trump was running in the election he was basically the only one they talked about, besides some Hillary stuff, and giving Trump all that publicity really backfired on the media. In a way the media helped Trump become president because with the media, Trump gained voters.

Who do you think you are? - Reuben Mejia

Hi, I'm Reuben Mejia and I'm a freshman in Music Business. I feel that I've been integrated into social media ever since I was in middle school, which is when I opened my FaceBook account. It was pretty cool back then, where FaceBook was just a chill place with no news feeds and less political arguments or advertisements. I used FaceBook to communicate with my friends and keep them posted about my gaming achievements through Playstation integration. I felt that I was contributing to my social media feed by sharing what I was able to do as a gamer and I felt a little accomplishment in that, even though now it doesn't have value except for its numbers.

As time passed by, I started to use FaceBook as an outlet to promote myself as an electronic dance music artist. I haven't posted too much on that page recently but I was very active on it as a freshman in high school. In addition to using FaceBook, I've used Twitter and just a little bit of Instagram to promote myself. I believe that I stand in the social media realm as a figure that is ready for an examination of my accounts (because sometimes employers check these) and that I represent a musical act which should be treated with respect, so I'm careful with what I say. I've had to go back through pages of what I posted to make sure I didn't say or post anything meaningless or in bad taste just so my page would look professional, because sometimes I would post memes or things that I found funny that weren't actually funny to others.

I haven't dabbled too much in posting about anything political because as a media brand I feel that my fanbase would be split if I present something like that. However, the solution to this would be to understand both sides. A lot of media coverage nowadays leans more towards one side, for example, Fox leaning towards now President-elect Trump and CBS leaning towards Hillary. Media has become more biased than ever and it mainly covers more of the sadder stories or revolutions and protests that occur almost every week. This past week, the Women's March was spread across all social media, and a couple of friends actually marched in it, as well as in the one in New York. Perhaps this specific revolution may come to an end within the coming 4 years, but the negative coverage of any revolution will not stop because of the attention it brings to a news station. 

I feel that this matter is necessary to cover particularly because America hasn't seen something like this in a while, probably not since the Civil War. Our country seems to be split with the decisions of the electoral college and the popular vote, which essentially caused this revolt to spark. I think if we put aside our differences as other races and come together to fight the corrupt power in political systems, there will be change. However, this is easier said than done. In the next few years, any revolution will be put down by police as much as possible and misogyny, racism, and other racial tension factors will be more present than ever. Let's hope that we can persist and unify as a nation again.

Intro Who do you think you are? Oscar

        Hi, My name is Oscar Martinez I am sophomore at NJCU. I am currently a health science major. Some interesting things about me are I am a Mcdonalds, store Manager. I've been sent to multiple states and a couple countries because of my job. I am currently working on an internship in a hospital setting, and as for my career, I hope to become a doctor.

       As for my role in media consumption, critique and/or media making its a pretty big one. Being the major that I am, current trending medical topics are always being criticized and broadcasted on all forms of media for the public - from movies to newspapers to online resources to even communities of people generally concerned about the issue. I stand with this group, as I am constantly updating myself on the issues and getting involved in the discussions to have and provide clarification as needed. A lot of people use mass media to get into the known it practically makes up who we all are. Whether you're with friends, family school, and work. The tools to produce share and view mass media are there and ready 24/7. People's relationship with media ties in closely with everyday tasks. When you wake up, some people get daily news as well as pop-up notifications. It's as easy as a retweet or a share spice it up with some words, and it's gone viral all from your phone and is now considered media.

Ways that the media covers activists, acts of resistance and protest can vary depending on what side they take or the audience they want to portray too. It can be both in bad and in good ways. For example with elections media shares and films people protesting but the one that seems more interesting or includes violence is the one that gets the most attention.People are attracted to violence, not some much the actions. Today in age most media is broadcasted on twitter and youtube and facebook they attack the people where they all are and what they all like.Here is A Example Of Something that got a lot of attention. Where a Trump supporter got her hair set on fire.

Its people and media like this that makes up most of the internet. I personally don't like it and feel it is wrong. Media doesn't show the good that people do standing up tot the man or protesting out the street. All people seem to care about is the idiots who take things too far and ruin it for everyone else. As far as this day in age who face an issue between people who know how to protest and get the word out and extremists and its not right.

Intro: Who Do you think you are Charielle

Hey My name is Charielle ( SHARE-E-ELLE) I'm in my second year at njcu and I just recently
turned 21. I'm in my second year at NJCU an majoring in Illustraion. I like to sometimes stray from
the norms and be as different and creative as I can. I want to make my own comics in the future, and tell and illustrate amazing stories to share with the world.

My role in media is probably like any others. I use facebook, twitter, instagram, read books, and watch tv. As much as communicating with friends and family is nice, I like it better when I get to see them in real life. The media has helped built much of who I am as person by exposing to me all that's being created and what's happening. I think the media is both an ally and enemy to the public, or depending on how one chooses to use the media. Media images are expressions of one's views, thoughts, expressions, and opinions like memes for example.

But also media helps people to get creative, this is what I like to use types of media for, to be creative, and spread my artistic flows to others. Like this quote from David Bowie relates to me alot, because even though I don't have my whole future mapped out perfectly, I want to have a fulfilling and fun life while I'm getting there.

People use the media for anything, to get ahead. Like the regretable President Trump used mass media attention to get where he is now because he became a spectacle for people to want more of him. The media just ate him all up and now there's the thing with his inauguration audience. The media likes to mock the fact that there were more people at Obama's inaugaration than Trump's and people know this. However the new white house officals like to say otherwise like this guy saying there were tons of people at the new presidents inaugaration.  http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/21/media/sean-spicer-press-secretary-statement/index.html
But those images wont go away, the media resisting the age of Trump will make sure of that.

Who do you think you are?

Hello class, my name is Jose Ruiz and I am 20 years old who was born in Queen, New York. I'm currently a sophomore at NJCU and I am most likely thinking about majoring in Computer Science. A couple fascinating things about me is that my favorite sport is soccer and I actually played 2 years of it for this school. I am a very active person that loves to stay fit by working out and running when it is nice out. I am a hard working person that refuses to give up on anything and my goal in life is to strive to be the best i can be.

I think my role in media consumption, critique and/or media making isn't too bad. Just like the majority of people today, I also use the the main social media apps such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc. I do my best to not be too caught up with all of these social media apps because it can be stressful. Especially when I read a bunch nonsense tweets on Twitter that makes me want to chuck my phone out the window. One thing that really annoys me about this generation is that kids today can never get a break from their phones. Every single time either when I'm driving or walking around, I would see a group of kids hanging out, but with their phones in their hands. Not one conversation would be brought up. The thing about this generation is that kids today do not know how to have fun without having to go through their phones. 

I believe that people today mostly rely on the news on either Twitter, Facebook, or even the internet rather than watching it on television. Also, people today will believe anything they will see or read off the internet. It gets me mad when I read tweets that are not true at all, and of course there are ones that will say, "It's true because it is on the internet." Social media today plays such a big role in this generation that people will literally go insane without it.

Over the weekend, the Women's March was being talked about literally everywhere. After Trump was elected president, women from all around the world took part of the Women's March movement to send a message about women's rights to the new government. The Women's March made history by making it the largest protest in US history.

Intro Who do you think you are? Imane Bougtab

Intro

Who do you think you are?

What is your role in media consumption, critique and/or media making. How much of who you are is measured against media examples and images? How much of our common experience involves shared mass media images, events and stories? Use several media examples to illustrate your description of your relationship to media.

Can you think of ways that the media covers activists, acts of resistance and protest? How do you feel about this relationship? Use examples to illustrate your answers. Your blog post must be at least 4 paragraphs and you must include at least one link and one image.

Hello, my name is Imane Bougtab and I am a full-time criminal justice student at NJCU. I am hoping to be a police officer out in Texas, or anywhere warm really. I spend a lot of time on my computer, playing computer games on steam or binge watching Netflix and browsing Reddit. I have recently taken up running as a distressing activity and I enjoy it, even though I can barely run for five minutes. I am a bit shy at first, but really like talking to people in my classes once I get to know them. 

My role in media consumption is limited. I do not have Instagram/twitter/snapchat and I never use my Facebook.I would much rather talk to people in real life. I stick to websites like Reddit/YouTube to get my news and communicate with other people. I have become wary of Reddit ever since the Boston bomber fiasco, where an entire community started a witch hunt and accused innocent people of the crime. To me, that shows how easy it is to ruin someones life and how a mob like mentality will form on the internet. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-falsely-accuses-sunil-tripathi-of-boston-bombing-2013-7

I feel, at times, social media can be incredibly dangerous. If you share an opinion that is controversial, then be prepared for a barrage of insults and threats from thousands of people. This is a huge problem as people are getting their information stolen and posted online for people to harass them. This is a big reason as to why I do not get involved in social media and would rather lurk and read than contribute. 

The media covers protests with a mostly negative light, depending on who is protesting. If it is BLM, then they are shown as rowdy hoodlums tearing up the streets and causing havoc. If it is the Woman's March that was recently done, they are shown as positive, peaceful events. The media is biased and will try to alter our views based on what they want us to think. I do not really watch the news all that much, I typically read articles on the internet and always check the source to make sure that it is not a far right or far left group posting it.

Who do you think you are?

Born in Queens, New York on December 30^th, 1996 as Kristie Lauren Perez I am currently a sophomore enrolled at New Jersey City University pursing a major in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Biology. Upon graduation my goal is to become a Forensic Technician and ultimately collaborate with women who have been victims of domestic violence. After joining the Criminal Justice club on campus as their secretary I began to apply to other interesting organizations such as the National Society of Leadership and success, working as an orientation leader over the summer, and becoming public relations for la Federacion de Estudiantes Latino Americanos.

As my life progressed from a child to a young adult the media drastically expanded and developed into more than just characters and images on a screen. From the perspective of a teenager the media viewed how people lived, fought, loved, hated, and everything in-between. It ranged from family and friends to complete strangers that lived on the other side of the country. At that young age my role in the media was to connect, observe, and be another factor in supporting its expansion. As my teenage mentality began to mature and grow, the diverse perspectives of the media did as well. The media was not just getting to know strangers, nonsense statuses, and unnecessary images. It became a place for the voice of millions of people to fight for a cause, demonstrate talent, and even become business oriented.

In present times as a Hispanic American female my persona is highly defined by media portrayal. Based on the views of stereotypical social media through images, comical videos, and reported statistical rates I am great at cooking, have children at a very young age, and am inferior by determination of gender. Social media can define people, make them, or destroy them. The media is used to sell objects, images, and perceptions of people, places, and situations. As a consumer the media portrays the latest fashion trends, newest cell phones, and best places to travel to. On any network there are people constantly telling me what to look like, how to speak, and what to think. When on vacation, a new location, or even the dinner table everything is shared on the web from images, to videos, and even boomerangs. People often live their lives through the web instead of through their eyes. As generations pass technological advances have begun to take over in very positive or negative aspects.

For decades the media has been used in ways to promote social change, justice, and equality in different forms. Although much of the media is used for income, others are capable of using it for greatness. The media has covered acts of the public resisting political issues such as gender inequality, segregation, and same sex marriage. Fighting for black lives matter, for an end to war, or for the right to consume illegal substances, are portrayed through the media even when the stories try to get covered up. Fanny Lou Hammer, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X were all documented and portrayed through the media aside from the political tension and those who fought against them. They used their voices, crowds of people, and microphones to promote social change. Today Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and blogs are used to portray the voices of those fighting for the rights they believe in, not just comical posts and stereotypical quotes.

Social media uses hashtags, images, and video clips to convey the ideas of Barack and Michelle Obama, Teresa Cheng campaigning against sweat shops, or Marisa Graciosa fighting for fair immigration rights. Not all of social media is used to show how celebrities live, popular parties, or the next best television series to be released. There are people who are aware of the power the media can provide and use it to fight for political problems that many are too afraid, lazy, or ignorant to acknowledge. Social media should not be used to harass others, make them feel inferior, or spread hatred. The media should be used for empowerment, advancement, and social justice among other positive topics.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/first-lady-michelle-obama

Intro: Who do you think you are? Kat Harris

Hello, my name is Katherine and I am currently a senior at New Jersey University. I have transferred from Long Island University to pursue my major in illustration. I'm slowly getting used to the move and adjusting to the new program. So far I am enjoying the classes at this school and I feel as if I'm learning a little more compared to my last university.

I believe I don't have a very big role in media making. I normally use social media such as Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook to share my artwork and costume work to the world and friends. I have gained some followers who enjoy seeing my work but I don't see this as something that can affect mass media in a way that relates to this class. By using social media it has helped me gain commission work in costumes and art but mainly costumes. I see this as more of a hobby for me if anything rather than a career choice but I'll see what happens in my future.

 On Facebook and Tumblr I see many users sharing stories, news, and events that happen all over the world I find it more efficient to me than watching news on television because with our busy schedules there's not many of us that have time to sit down and watch television every single day.

 One of the ways that media can cover protests and etc. On sites such as Facebook it shows the current news that is trending by clicking on the search bar and as of late the news has to do with the inauguration and many activists protesting against our current presidential news.  On Twitter depending on who you follow many of those users will tweet about the same issues and it comes up as “this person is tweeting about this.” I rarely see news on television cover news that is actually affecting our society so I tend to rely more on the internet and social media but at the same time I feel as if everything now is about protesting and rioting because of our presidential candidate and there's so many other issues in our country that's not getting addressed as well.

The media likes to focus on rioting and the protests cause lately some of the protests have not been peaceful and it leads to violence. This article talks about a group of people who call themselves the "Black blocs" and they are postesting against Trump but at the same they have been causing property damage to windows at Starbucks locations and several other buildings. I believe in peaceful protesting but I really think protesting like this is unacceptable and ridiculous. The Women's March that happened a few days ago was peaceful and powerful in my opinion and I feel that if more protests follows this example then their voices would be heard.

Photo by Collin Anderson

Who do you think you are?

Hello my name is Robert Velardi, and I am currently a sophomore at NJCU. Currently my major is
Fire Science, and I am minoring in Computer Information Systems. One thing interesting about me is besides being a full time student at NJCU, I am also a volunteer firefighter, and volunteer EMT in my hometown of Wayne, New Jersey. I attend school four days a week, and am also taking two online classes (one of those being a winter class).

My role media consumption, critique and/or media making is just like every other college student. I have a Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. I do not have a Twitter though.  I don't go on Facebook or Instagram to preach to the world about my views on certain things, I go on Facebook and Instagram to share things that I am passionate about. Social media pages are measured tremendously on a person's character because what you post on your social media defines who you are, and what you like. Character is how the way you live your life when nobody is watching. I especially like Facebook the most because I can connect and chat with people that I necessarily do not get to see anymore. For example, people that I have met at camp or on vacation. I also tend to use Snapchat quite a bit because I like to send and receive funny videos from my friends with all the different filters that can be applied through the app. My favorite filter to use on Snapchat is the one that replaces my face with someone else's.

Personally, I think social media is a great tool. Social media allows people to spread news at the speed of light. Social media is also a great tool for people who are trying to start a business. Through social media such as Instagram or Facebook companies can create an Instagram account or Facebook Page displaying their products and company.  One thing I do not like to see on social media is negativity. Recently with everything going on, half the time I open the Facebook app, or Instagram app, and all I see are a bunch of disturbing videos.

Media does nothing, but cover activists and protests/riots. Personally I think it is ridiculous that the media is more interested in covering the protests/riots than the inauguration of the President of the United States. I did not watch the television the other day to see people of military not being able to enter the Presidential inauguration because people were forming human walls not allowing them to pass. We live in the United States which is nicknamed the "melting pot" for a reason. People are going to have different views, and opinions about certain ideas. That being said that does not mean that you freak out when things don not go your way. There was a lot of people that were not happy with Obama, but you don't see them rioting and burning things down to the ground.

The Presidential Inauguration in Pictures

Intro: Who do you think you are? by Bridget Benitez

Bridget Benitez

Intro: Who do you think you are?

What is your role in media consumption, critique and/or media making. How much of who you are is measured against media examples and images? How much of our common experience involves shared mass media images, events and stories? Use several media examples to illustrate your description of your relationship to media.
Can you think of ways that the media covers activists, acts of resistance and protest? How do you feel about this relationship? Use examples to illustrate your answers. Your blog post must be at least 4 paragraphs and you must include at least one link and one image.

About Me: My name is Bridget Benitez, I lived in Jersey City my whole life. I am a part time student in NJCU and full time employee at JCMC. I am an animal lover - my favorite living beings are dogs, cats, pandas, elephants and many more. My major is Biology - I was influenced by my employment to go into the medical field. I like shopping, painting, photography, dancing, music and much more. We are all here because we have a purpose -  I know my destiny is to make a difference in the world but I am too young and can't seem to figure it out yet.  

Media has evolved greatly throughout the years and has always played a major role in our society. Media can be looked as a positive or negative influence. Newspaper, book, radio stations, podcasts, videos, social media - it was all designed to help us be more aware in what is going on in different parts of the world (local, national or global). As Americans we have the freedom to see what is going on around the world, not everyone has that advantage such as North Korea. Technology has become part of our community - we are more connected than before. I personally use media every single day for entertainment, information, communication, research and personally. 

Selena Gomez and The Weekend New Romance

From my perspective, social media is a good way to communicate and it's a knowledgeable tool, however, people have been using it to their advantage to use media for bullying. This is the major disadvantage about social media - I thought people were very judgmental before, now everyone is judging you if you are on social media. Social Media in general - there are a lot of hateful people out there. People like celebrities who are constantly being watched by paparazzi do get a lot of negative comments. For example, recently paparazzi took pictures of the famous could couple - The Weekend (Abel Tesfay) and Selena Gomez - we don't know if they are reading these comments and rumors and even care. Since those pictures appeared; rumors have appeared along with it. Saying that Justin Bieber (Selena's Ex) is doing whatever he can to get her back, The Weekend is just using Selena to get his Victoria Secret ex back, stupid rumors - that aren't hurtful to us personally but it could either be entertain to read or just annoying. I personally don't care, if they are happy great! I liked them both - they deserve to be happy. If they were just hanging out and caught up on the moment and aren't really dating, great! At least they had fun and were able to enjoy the night. Whenever I have time, I do read the comment people post under these articles - and I could tell you this much - there are so many disrespectful and rude people. There are girls threatening Selena or vise versa guys threatening The Weekend just for a pictures paparazzi took. It's not only celebrities but average people. They post a selfie before you know it, it's either bad or good - you could be the next celebrity walking the red carpet or you could the next meme. It could go either way.  

Our lives are now more publicized because of technology and social media. There are people who would never imagine themselves being famous are now famous because of a video or picture they've posted, a good example is Alex from Target. A regular teenager working in Target gets his picture taken as he was scanning some products - which lead him to be a celebrity on YouTube. Before Vine was removed - there people like King Bach, Brittany Furlan, Logan Paul, and many more who became famous because of us the audience. Many more celebrities like Justin Bieber, Carley Rae Jepsen, Cody Simpson and many more are famous because of social media. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat has given us the audience the power to comment and give our point of view. We have been given this power to make people famous because of social media. These celebrities wouldn't be where they are because of our power! It's great that people can be easily recognized for their talents. The reason I mention this about normal people becoming celebrities is because you never know when you could be the next one becoming famous because of a picture or video you've posted for the public to see.   

A Dogs Purpose Leaked Video

Years ago, if tragedy occurred across the state or even the world, it would take hours or even days to receive these updates - today, we are notified within seconds and could watch it live in our smart phones or tablets. It's amazing how we could watch everything live in our portable devices. A good example is the leak video of the dog actor who was forced into the water during the filming of A Dog's Purpose; majority of the audience is very upset and everyone is putting their opinions on the web. This is tragic because we have all this advance technology - they could of virtually made that scene - the audience is very upset off this incident. Maybe film crews would do this to other animals back in day, but that is animal cruelty - we are in the 21st century - things like this should not be happening anymore. Thanks to PETA justice will be served - not only are the crew members of the production are being taken to court - animal lovers will be boycotting the movie by not watching the movie and signing a petition so it isn't played in theaters. I personally love PETA - it's a great organization that fights for animals rights. I am an animal lover - I support this organization - I support animal rights but I am not vegan. However, hopefully in the future I can contribute to the animal society by becoming a veterinarian and make have affordable health care for pet owners.      

Social Media became popular when I was probably in the 5th grade - MySpace it was a big deal - if you had it, you were popular - if you didn't, you were consider a nerd. I made a MySpace by the end of 6th grade and Facebook came out - created an account for that too. So I've been using social media for majority of my life - it's the worst addiction - I can control it, I could go with days, weeks and even months without. Now Facebook posts News Feeds base on your likes. That is why every time I read an article or watch a clip it's based on my interests and it very satisfying. I do comment on the negativity but I prefer giving compliments to family and friends - celebrity rumors it could depend. All I know is that I have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and a Google account - I do like sharing my moments with family and friend, I do like sharing my point of views publicly. 

It's amazing how media has evolved throughout the years. When you have family living on the other side of the country - back in the day it would take days for them to receive a letter from you - now it's just a click away. We are updated constantly about what is occurring around the world within seconds. All our questions could be answered in the palm of our hands. Nothing is the same - we have evolved. Life isn't the same either - nothing will ever be the same. I've noticed that my childhood is totally different from my younger sister's childhood. The positive things about media - its a great research tool, good for long distance communications, informative, entertainment and much more. The negative things about media - there is a lot of bullying in social media, there are rumors and false information in the web.  

Who Am I? - Cristina G

Hey!
I'm Cristina and I'm currently a sophomore majoring in psychology. Some interesting things about me are that I work part time for a private preschool as a teacher's aide throughout the week, and I'm a dancer. I serve as a dancer in my church's dance ministry and recently picked up a position teaching young girls in our girls ministry, which we call the Daisies. Oddly enough I'm not going into teaching, but I am going into child psychology to hopefully treat children with mental distress and disorders in the future.

My role in the media consumption, critique, and media making could be seen as extensive. I've always been a shy girl since I was young. Later on I developed a form of anxiety known as social anxiety, where it becomes hard for me to be around a crowd of people let alone speak to anyone. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Tumblr are the only sources of social media that I'm very active in. Growing up the internet became my escape and I saw value in it because social media gives people a platform to speak their mind freely to the public on various topics they're passionate about. Facebook became the place I spoke my mind of religious tolerance and to promote the values, specifically, Christianity teaches after becoming one when I was 18. Instagram was where I shared my passion for photography of everyday life. Tumblr is where the bulk of my personality was created, such as my style, music, outlook on life, art designs, dancing, etc. Social media can be a very useful tool, but only when used right.

The media, especially mainstream media, does a great job on covering the events taking place but not so much the whole story. For example, one of my favorite authors Christine Caine and her husband have became first responders for a campaign called the A21 which is to stop human trafficking in the 21st century all over. Caine happens to be an Evangelistic Christian who simply tries to help these young girls and the religion talk stays in the closet. There are various secular news sources neglect to mention, not her faith, but the motivation that started the wheels in motion for taking part in this campaign project. It covers the general story of how they have a passion to do God's will and help give refuge to these girls who have been put into slavery. But what caused the passion to spark in their hearts? People have began to boycott these kinds of media sources. The Real Passion Behind The A21 Project

I find it all terrifying. How do we know what the media is covering is the full story on situations that are serious and concern us? How do I know that the bomb that went off in central America is simply an unfortunate event and not one event that will turn into a series of unfortunate events? How do I know that pro-life activists aren't just protesting peacefully but are making women who have had abortions feel as though they created the ultimate crime or even trying to shut down these useful planned parenthood facilities? These things are important to know the who story, but only obtaining half of these events won't help us in the long run. They tend to not only exclude, but to fabricate. Last semester my English class were going on a trip to the MoMA in New York which happens to be near Trump Towers. I was hearing all kinds of crazy stories of it being dangerous to walk by and to be around, as I'm walking to go home I realized I didn't even hear or see a single protestor. When walking by Trump Tower I saw a simple protest which looks mainly peaceful, no rioting.

Who do you think you are? Liz D

Hi everyone,

My name is Liz and I am a sophomore this year. An interesting thing about me is I played volleyball for the school my freshman year. In addition, I work within our school in various departments. I work in the Undergraduate Admissions Office as a Student Ambassador and I also work within the Athletics Department working various sporting events. 

My role in media consumption, critique, and/or media making is not too severe. I use various social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat but I try to refrain from using all forms of social media as much as possible. Reason being is I feel as if our generation is so caught up on using social media that we lost touch with physical face to face contact with other people, it's a shame to see how glued to cell phones people are nowadays.

I believe a lot of common experience involves mass media images, events, and stories because at the end of the day that is something everyone shares. We all will see the same posts on Twitter and then ask a friend "hey did you see that video, article about so and so"...it is how people start conversations in todays society. If it wasn't for social media, I truly believe a lot of people would be out of touch with what is going in the world because not many people would watch the news if social media did not exist.

There are various ways the media covers acts of resistance and protest and one example I'm going to talk about actually just surfaced on Twitter, yesterday I believe. There is a movie called "A Dogs Purpose" coming out in theaters January 27, 2017. The title is pretty self-explanatory however the video that is going viral on twitter is of a dog forcefully being put into turbulent water. People are now boycotting the movie and telling others not to see it because of the alleged dog abuse. The whole purpose of this boycott is to send a message that dogs should be treated humanely rather than being abused just to film certain scenes of a movie. I think it is still up in the air whether this was truthfully from this movie or not, I am not 100% sure. This also is a huge issue with social media, people are so quick to believe everything that they read and truthfully they do not even know if it is true or not.
Boycott a Dogs Purpose

Phone Addiction

Syllabus

Acts of Resistance: Activists, Interlopers and Pranksters  SP 2017 

263:01 3312

Wednesdays 9:55am-12:35pm   

Prof. Doris Cacoilo                      

Course Description

This is a course about media subversives: people working outside of mainstream media institutions who nonetheless find creative and provocative ways to use the media for cultural, political, and/or economic critique and resistance. Over the course of the semester, we will examine a range of "alternative" media phenomena.

This is a general education course that is paired with the Tier 2 course, DIY + Making.

Activists + Interlopers + Pranksters will engage social analysis and cultural critique to examine and reflect on the media influences that effect (or distort) and inform (or misinform) our communities and culture. This course places value on being meta-aware of the relationship between culture and creative production within communities, as well as the necessity of being socially conscientious citizens.

This course uses culture studies and social analysis to investigate the myriad ways in which individuals, groups and subcultures use creative productions to perform and manifest ‘acts of resistance’ against the hegemony of western Eurocentric culture, dominant societal institutions, and class/power structures. The course will examine the American consumer culture and unpack the influence capitalism can have on communities and the production of culture and sub-culture.

The goal of this course will not be simply to romanticize "outlaws", nor will it merely condemn them as criminals or troublemakers. Instead, it will focus on how and why such figures struggle against the global "media monopoly" so that students might come to a richer understanding of the nature of the media's considerable political and cultural power, and the ways that ordinary people can engage with powerful cultural institutions as active participants, innovative creators, and powerful critics. 

This course encourages a broader consideration of citizenship by thinking critically about the relationship of images, values and ideals in a highly complex visual world. Conscientious citizenship is also honed by examining cultural forces and the effect they have on personal and social values and ideals. Students will think critically and complexly about issues of media, culture, politics, and how creative productions can influence these.

Course Requirements and Grading

Our class time will be split between discussion, lecture, and presentations.  While in discussion please be respectful of the opinions of others even if they stand diametrically opposed to your own. You must be in class ON TIME and prepared for class each week. Failure to do so will be reflected in your participation grade. Failure to do so consistently can lead to failure in the course.

READINGS Various weekly reading assignments will be assigned from your required texts and linked on the blog. The full reading schedule will be distributed on the class blog. Readings are due each week. All readings are REQUIRED unless otherwise stated.

CLASS PARTICIPATION Attendance and participation in the class discussion when appropriate and in critique and comments on the blog and twitter is part of your participation grade. For each week’s readings you must select two quotes or passages from the readings and write a brief description of one art project that strikes you from that week’s readings. You must briefly describe the project, the context and the artist/collective/collaboration that created the project or work and why you responded to it. I will often collect these. Please have them written or typed on a sheet of paper you can hand to me with your name on it each week. I will call on students each week during discussion to read and discuss these quotes. You must have these prepared for each reading. 

  TWITTER You must create a twitter account (if you do not have one already) we will share links and comments with each other using the class hashtag: #actsofresistanceAIP

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS You must consult the class blog weekly (even several times per week) to check for announcements, readings and to post your writing assignments. The blog is crucial to the course and completion of the requirements. You MUST have access to the blog to complete assignments, readings, post work and comment on students’ posts. All writing assignments will be published to the blog.

CLASS PRESENTATIONS: Students will present in pairs the work of an artist from the Agitprop! exhibition, from the readings or students can choose to present an exhibition past or current that presents specifically activist artwork. Presentations must be between 10-15 minutes maximum and should include a short discussion with the class. Students will present once throughout the semester. This schedule will be determined in class on the second week of classes. Presentations will be entirely collaborative, all students must participate equally and will receive just one grade per group. 

SEMESTER PROJECT

Mapping Social/Cultural Hot Topics and Interventions: Art, Movements and Civic Action

The goal of this assignment is to get you to take a stand on a significant issue related to the course material and then to highlight and support a past or current act of resistance. In order to be a conscientious participant in community and society, one must attend the current events and important social/political struggles of current times. Race relations, gender equality, social justice, health care, reproductive rights, privacy, corporate regulation, marriage equality, religious tolerance, LGBT rights, etc. are all examples of issues citizens have engaged in acts of opposition and resistance, using any number of creative strategies.

From the database of current events and social issues that we have been discussing during the course, choose an issue, artist, movement or citizen action that exemplifies an act of resistance as we have outlined throughout the semester. Using one (or more) of the readings and resources we have used as a way to make a critical argument, create a writing project that encourages or supports the artist or movement and presents their work to a larger audience. Make a case for why this act of resistance is important, timely and worth engaging in and promoting. Be sure to research extensively and thoughtfully in choosing and supporting your artist or movement. Be sure that your project coincides with your own political motivations, ideas and your professional ambitions.

Consider and research extensively and thoughtfully the history and development of the issue you have chosen. The themes and topics of the course have had a recurring history of friction within America’s culture and institutions.You will need to describe and explain the strategies that have been used and are now being used to engage this issue currently and explain how the example you have chosen to highlight fits into the larger issue. The writing project can take the form of an online article, an essay, a blog, a website, tumblr, or even a podcast. Students can present ideas outside of this list if they would like to propose other ways of presenting their writing for this assignment. All students will propose their final projects at midterm and must have their project topic approved by the professor.

In addition to the writing project, each student will do an oral presentation, with visual support materials that summarizes your project. Be prepared to facilitate a discussion with your peers by preparing questions that will be topics of discussion.

Grading

Attendance is mandatory and all assignments must be finished and handed in on time to receive a passing grade for this course.

30% semester project 

30% 4 blog posts 

20% group presentation

20% attendance/participation (Contributions to class discussion, on the class blog + attendance)

Attendance

Attendance is, to put it simply, mandatory.

Attendance is taken at the beginning of each class, and will be considered when determining the final course grade. Absences affect your participation grade. More than four (4) unexcused absences will result in an 'F' (failure) for the class. No exceptions. Class begins on time, so you must be punctual. Lateness, leaving early or leaving class unexcused for an extended period of time will also be recorded. Two of these instances will count as one absence. You must bring documentation to class and hand in to me for any absences to be excused. 

You are required to make up any and all work that is missed if you are absent. Notify the professor if you will be absent. As work will not be accepted late, please contact the professor to hand in work on time. It is your responsibility to get any missed work or notes from other students in the class and to discuss any problems or questions you have with the professor.

NOTE: BACK-UP your work frequently, even as you are working on your writing assignments and on your projects. Write and edit your posts locally before uploading them to the web. No excuses.

Required Texts 

The Interventionists: Users’ Manual for the Creative Disruption of Everyday Lives edited by Nato Thomson and Gregory Sholette, MIT Press, Cambridge: 2004

Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls by the Guerrilla Girls, HarperCollins: New York 1995

On Blackboard http://blackboard.njcu.edu/ and linked online.

Course Objectives

Students will:

1. Develop an objective understanding of visual communication practices.

2. Value judging, appropriation, and cooperation as strategies for creative problem solving.

3. Correlate the role of information and visual design to cultural production as a means of mass influence.

4. Interpret the difference between cliché and archetype, cultural construct and stereotype, representation and signification.

5. Create alternative strategies for cultural interactions as a means to disrupt common interpretations.

6. Integrate social and empirical research into projects.

7. Consider creative problem solving as a way to invent solutions to real world problems.

8. Engage substantially with a significant social, cultural, and/or political issue.

Health and Safety 

You are not to risk the health or safety of yourself or any of the other people in the Art department. To ensure safety strictly follow all safety procedures explained to you as well as the New Jersey City University regulations. If you have any concerns or questions or are ever unclear about proper safety and health procedures, then ask the instructor or appropriate authority.  

If you feel you have any special concerns or problems that you would like to address please feel free to bring them to my attention. If there are any health concerns, either physical or psychological, that may affect your ability to fully participate in the class or complete assignments I am available to discuss possible solutions or address any of your concerns. If you have health or disability concerns that you would like to address but do not feel it is appropriate to discuss them with me there are services on campus available to address your concerns; contact Student/Health Services (Vodra Hall, Suite 107, 201-200-3456), the Art Department Office, or feel free to see me for contact info.

Class Schedule

ALL READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE SPECIFIED WEEKLY IN CLASS AND ON THE CLASS BLOG 

It is the student’s responsibility to check the blog each week for required readings and assignments. All readings can be found in the required texts, online (linked from the blog) or on Blackboard.

If you ever have questions or concerns about the schedule, due dates, changes or anything else please ask me after class or e-mail me: dcacoilo@njcu.edu

Students are required to read the appropriate readings for each class BEFORE class, complete all assignments on time and post 2 links to twitter each week.

Class Discussion Topic	Readings/Assignments due
1/18 Introduction to Acts of Resistance Introduction of the course syllabus, class blog and themes
1/25 Identity, Self and Media messages	On BLACKBOARD  John Berger Ways of Seeing Ch7 And ONLINE  Susan Sontag excerpt from On Photography (linked from the blog) INTRO POST
2/1 Agitprop! Political art	Read through the website for the Agitprop! exhibition and two additional article linked from the blog
2/8 Collective - The Experimental University	Post 1 Due Anarchy in the Ruins pg 143-146 and  Encyclopedia Entries pg 147-154 Interventionists *check the blog for additional readings Group 1 presents
2/15 Collective - The Experimental University	Chapter 4 The Experimental University pg 111-132 Interventionists Group 2 presents
2/22 The Guerrilla Girls	Confessions of the Guerrilla Girls pgs 7-95 (the whole book)  Group 3 presents
3/1 The Guerrilla Girls	Project topics due  See blog for readings due.
SPRING BREAK!
3/15 Intervention - Nomads: rethinking individual space for public discourse	Chapter 1 Nomads pgs. 25-60 Interventionists Group 4 presents Full project proposal including resources due
3/22  Intervention - Nomads: rethinking individual space for public discourse	Post 2 due See blog for readings due.
3/29 Interlopers - Reclaiming the Streets	Chapter 2 Reclaiming the Streets pg. 63-94 Interventionist Group 5 presents
4/5 Interlopers - Reclaiming the Streets	Project updates on the blog and presented in class at random See blog for readings due.
4/12 Pranksters - Ready to Wear	Post 3 Due Chapter 3 Ready to Wear pgs 97-108 Interventionists  *check the blog for additional readings
4/19 Pranksters - The Yes Men	Project updates on the blog and presented in class at random  See blog for readings due.
4/26 Resistance and Protest - new works	NO new readings.  Work on your final projects.
5/3 PRESENTATIONS OF FINAL PROJECTS	All projects must be posted to and linked from the class blog on 5/2 before 11pm.
5/10 NO CLASS!