Facebook has become a social network for more than 500 million users worldwide. While Facebook is a diverse tool that taps into many subcultures and brings together generational gaps, it has the ability to create a distorted persona. Each page is customized to appeal to a certain subculture; however often times the pictures and text posted can be misinterpreted or offensive to other subcultures. Are your Facebook friends, really your friends? When is it appropriate to accept or send a friend request? Facebook is unlike any other form of personal representation that exists because one is able to incorporate multiple forms of media and text. Although the author of each page is known, information is constantly being updated by others. Privacy has become a huge factor to consider when displaying your personal information to the world. Facebook has ultimately turned into a second form of resume for highly competitive businesses; however separating your personal life from “strictly business,” is not an easy task. Putting out to much or too little information can raise suspicion. Facebook has ultimately caused many people to have dual personalities and break social boundaries.
It is important to maintain your personal and professional lives as separate entities and not fuse them into one Facebook page. Facebook pages are designed to appeal to the masses so it is crucial to realize that different subcultures may react differently to your profile. Because so many different forms of media are used on Facebook, it gives the public instant access to your mood or personality. I personally choose to delete pictures and videos which I necessarily do not find offensive but may be offensive to others. Facebook has become in essence a second form of resume. In seconds, your employer can pull up your page and find out what kind of person you are outside of the work setting. I strictly enforce limited visibility because in my culture it is common to drink alcohol from a young age; whereas it is scandalous and illegal to drink before the age of twenty one. This example has caused me to enforce strict privacy settings on my Facebook to avoid any misinterpretations between cultures. Bridging generational gaps is not an easy task. Relatives have connected to me that I haven’t seen in years. Although I am thankful that I can see how well they’re doing, often times I fear they will tell my parents “dirty little secrets,” (ironically I logged on to facebook during this post). Facebook has redefined and given another dimension to social networking.
Over three million students graduate from U.S. high schools every year, and most of these get the opportunity to test their dreams and live their own version of the American story. Unfortunately, approximately 65,000 other youths do not get this opportunity; instead, they’re profiled as an illegal immigrant and denied the right to higher education. These youths have lived in the United States for most of their lives and want nothing more than to be recognized as Americans and be given the same opportunities as their peers. The Dream Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation that can solve this social injustice. The Dream Act would allow undocumented youths to be eligible for a 6 year long path towards citizenship that requires completion of a college degree or two years of military service. A man by the name of Juanma Trigo was able overcome this obstacle at the University of Florida.
Juanma immigrated to the United States at the tender age of four and shortly after his arrival was enrolled in the local public high school. Living the majority of his life in the United States, he felt no different from the rest of his peers; he was an “American.” The American culture was what he knew and was surrounded by. Coming from a low socioeconomic neighborhood, Juanma encountered drugs and gang violence on a day to day basis. However, his positive outlook on life and strong character steered him in the right direction. He was able to graduate in the top ten percentile from his high school and was recognized for his outstanding academic achievements. After school, he worked a part time job at the local coffee shop to financially support his single mother and four younger brothers. His friends and teacher admired his work ethic and ability to defeat his circumstances. This was all Juanma knew how to do, live the American dream.
His accomplishments in high school were recognized by school faculty and local officials from Alachua County. Juanma began the college application process but was shocked to have been rejected by every school he applied for. His academia was impressive and one would only imagine any Ivy League school would accept him. Juanma was confused by the outcomes and did not understand why every school rejected his application. After consulting with admissions, he was told that he was not even considered because he was not a citizen of the United States of America. He explained his circumstances and told them that his single mother of four was unable to afford his citizenship.
He appealed their decisions and told them he was just as qualified as any of his peers.
“How many in your applicant pool; migrated to another country, learned a second language, worked part time to support four younger brothers, and above all, excelled in school?”
Although he tried his hardest, his appeals were ultimately unsuccessful. He was discouraged by the fact that the only thing holding him back from becoming a productive member of society and living the American dream was a piece of paper.
Many would have given up at this point, but Juanma did not accept failure this easily. His resilience led him to achieve what few believed was possible. He had learned that there was no such thing as a free lunch, but was there such a thing as a free education? For four years Juanma began attending live lectures at the University of Florida. He would simply walk into the large lecture classrooms and take notes as if he were a registered student, listening to the professor’s words of wisdom that would help him reach his American dream. At nights after work, he would complete homework assignments and would read and prepare prior to class. His work ethics significantly surpassed that of his classmates. However, Juanma would never participate in class or interact with his classmates in fear of being caught. His unnaturally introverted personality made him feel ostracized.
He would think to himself, “I’m an illegal immigrant, why am I doing this if know one respects me?”
His drive was simple, to give his mother and younger siblings a better life.
After four years of educating himself, he had completed the entire academic curriculum to graduate with an undergraduate degree in Economics without ever enrolling into the university. He faced the challenge of proving he was qualified to enter the work force without U.S. citizenship. Although Juanma was qualified for every job he applied for, again a simple piece of paper was holding him back from getting hired. He begged the employer to give him a proficiency test because he knew that he was highly qualified for the position. Months passed and his dreams were coming to an end. Becoming desperate to work he ended up finding a job at a warehouse unloading packages. Since he was undocumented, he was getting paid in cash and had to work the night shift. Tragically, all of his hard work in class had resulted in working long physically demanding hours and was getting paid just below minimum wage.
As a result, Juanma would not achieve the American dream. His goal in life became to provide financial stability for his mother and younger brothers. He became an expert and activist on the Dream Act, as he does not want the approximate 65,000 undocumented youths to go through what he had to. Living in fear and working without seeing any results was extremely disheartening. The Dream Act is considered to be one of the most controversial pieces of immigration legislation that exists. This bill has not yet been passed, but through Juanma’s example and many more like himself, there is proof that a large number of illegal immigrants are simply chasing the American dream and do want to become productive members of U.S. society.
The narrative is told through Juanma Trigo's perspective. Through the images one can ultimately see that he is immigrating to the U.S. in search of a better life but questions such as, why and how this is achieved are not answered without incorporating text. Purposefully placing images within the texts gives the audience an appreciation for Juanma's struggles and ultimately facilitates their comprehension. The story is told in chronological order allowing the protagonist to develop and mature throughout the narrative. Strategic placing of the images was important to not reveal or distort the reader's interpretation. As a result, one can see how important adding a description to an image can be. An image and video can tell a lot of information that text cannot. Different senses gives the reader an alternate and often times more affective way of conveying a message.
*REF. A certain atmosphere of suspense is created when we hear the sirens in the beginning of the clip. We tend to associate sirens with a crisis of some sort. Visual cues such as smoke, fire, and police officers walking around makes one believe that an accident took place. The police officer is interviewing the man who was victim of the accident and it’s interesting to see him put his hands up in the air (putting your hands up in the air represents surrender and sometimes guilt in our society) and say “its ok officer I’m ok, I don’t know what happened.” The victim shows signs of uneasiness leading us to believe that the accident just took place. Eyewitnesses are shown trying to figure out exactly what happened. It’s common for people to become intrigued and give the impression of being concerned or often stop to see an accident out of curiosity when driving.
* Throughout the movie the director chose to add the color red during significant moments of the film. The color red is easy to identify and is often depicted to represent something evil. In the clip the color red is used to represent anything that is tainted in the real world by the supernatural.
*The mother apologizes for not being able to attend her son’s play because she has to work two jobs to cover finances. A female that works two jobs is often due to a financial burden from the result of a divorce or spouse passing away. This is a cue that the husband is in fact a spirit.
**HER. The shot reverse shot technique is used to intensify the dialogue between the mother and child. The boy says “I’m ready to communicate with you,” meaning there was a lack of communication between the supernatural and the real world. The boy confesses his ability to see dead people and tells him mom about his gift of seeing ghosts. For a split second we are given a clue see the lady who was killed in the accident covered in blood. The enigma is blocked when the mother tells the boy he is wrong. Doubt is created and we’re not sure who to believe. The boy is able to prove he is not a “freak,” when he taps into the mother’s rough childhood.
This photograph was taken on the top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. I was able to capture an aerial view of the Champs-Elysees during a busy time of the day. Traffic can be seen on and off the road during this peak time of the day. The Champs-Elysees is considered to be one of the most famous streets in the world. This avenue is approximately 1.25 miles long and is currently the most expensive strip of real estate in all of Europe. Few people actually live on this street because rent is so high. The avenue is full of luxury stores and global chain stores. Rent is generally higher on the north side of the street because more sunlight is exposed (ironically the sun is shining on the north side). Symmetry and balance can be seen through the urban infrastructures and the green landscape bordering it. An illusion is created by using a vanishing point and tricking the eye. It appears that the road is getting smaller and smaller but in reality it remains the same size. Shading and lighting creates a strong contrast between the foreground and background.
I inserted slogans from some of the most prestigious stores located on this avenue. The real estate is estimated to be 1.5 million dollars a year per 1,100 square feet. Looking at it through these lenses creates a business like perspective. These slogans are recognized globally and, as discussed in class, a simple slogan or image can tell an entire story without any additional text. This street creates more revenue than any other street in the world and is the financial foundation for some of the most powerful companies in the world. We are constantly targets of advertisements whether we like it or not. The black and white in the picture represents how we tend to neglect natural beauty and focus on superficial things instead. The Parisian square pictured above is a timeless architectural work, but most people who visit the square recognize it for the collection of modern-day stores that are located there. 'The death of the author is the birth of the reader." (Barthes 1967)
