http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/ Reflection on the television program of CBS Sunday Morning. en Copyright 2008 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:09:15 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss This week, two groups presented their episodes, including my group. I found it very interesting that both groups chose to base their episodes off of different activities around Allegheny. Also, I found it awesome that no two stories in both of the episodes were the same! I guess that just goes to show how special Allegheny College really is. The stories highlighted politics, music, sports, clubs, and even interviews with the people who serve the students their food on a daily basis! I really enjoyed Katie's music about the professor she interviewed. I would have never known about this man otherwise, and again, it goes to show how special Allegheny College is to have such profound individuals teaching us students. I am interested to view the last group's episode on Tuesday! http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/12/episodes.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/12/episodes.html Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:09:15 -0500 Since this week has been very stressful, it was nice to be able to come to class and do relaxing, stress-relieving activities. Although it was somewhat embarassing, I actually enjoyed the complaint choir activity! Our group had a fun time listing complaints, and putting them together into lyrics of a song. It was a good way to "laugh off" the troubles and stresses we battle daily. This reminded me of a previous class discussion of how laughing and humor can eliminate stress. Also, I really enjoyed the meditation exercise, even though it made me want to take a long nap! It really calmed me down, and it was interesting to learn that just doing something as simple as concentrating on breathing can help you relax and even eliminate stress. I got a lot of good tips from listening to both the podcast and the in-class meditation activity. Hopefully I will be able to carry what I learned into the next couple of weeks and into finals! Hope everyone has a great, stress-free weekend! http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/debriefing_4.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/debriefing_4.html Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:18:03 -0500 I can honestly say this week was one of the most stressful weeks I have had since I arrived here at Allegheny. It feels very nice that it is now Friday, and finally over! I enjoyed this weeks discussions on Sunday Morning in particular. I really liked the class discussion on dreaming, and all the different aspects we discussed. I guess our society really is fascinated by dreams, and I do wonder sometimes if all of the "dream books" available are really true. I agree with what someone said in class about the books, that sometimes people will make abstract connections to what the books says, even though it might not really have any significant value at all. Overall, it is a lot to think about! It would be interesting to maybe study this more in-depth someday! Have a great weekend!! http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/debriefing_3.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/debriefing_3.html Fri, 09 Nov 2007 17:15:14 -0500 One of the sections of the article that intrigued me was the section about mathematics. The hypothesis stated by the author is “that children have mastered calculating skills at an earlier age but have made no progress in acquiring mathematical reasoning skills.” Then, in the next sentence the author goes onto state that “by the 12th grade the failure to develop enhanced mathematical problem-solving strategies begins to bite. Personally, I find some connection with this part of the article, realizing that I have been struggling with mathematical word problems dealing with “real life” situations. For example, I find it much easier to be just given an equation, and then solve for what is needed. When given a word problem, you have to figure out what needs to be solved, and how to go about doing so, which is a much more challenging task for me. Does anyone else agree/disagree with this? http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/musing_11607.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/musing_11607.html Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:34:44 -0500 This week was one of the most non stressful weeks I have had in a very long time! I enjoyed class this week, especially being able to finish October Sky. I always cry a little bit at the end of that movie, so it was really hard for me not to in class! Also, I really enjoyed the discussion we had on Thursday with the commentaries and the CBS Sunday Morning episode. The class really seemed to be getting into the conversation about gender selection and trait selection, and also the discussion about politics, focusing on Rudy Guiliani. I would be interested in learning more about the gender selection topic, and just what motivates a lot of the people to want to be able to choose these things. After all, as said in the episode, "demand outweighs supply" in this area, and my question is why? I think that the only thing doctors should be trying to manipulate is genes that will prevent diseases and disabilities. I think especially that trait selection is not only a waste of government money, it could be possibly dangerous! As someone brought up in class on Thursday, what if this technology got in the hands of someone like Adolf Hitler? Thats scary! Aside from discussing the gender/trait selection topic, I also really enjoyed discussing politics for a little while. I think a lot of people in our class are interested in the 2008 campaign, and maybe we could do something more with this in class? I took a really influential government class my senior year, and it really opened up my eyes to some of the issues we touched upon in class. Maybe looking at the psychology in politics would be an interesting thing to look at sometime? Have a great weekend!! http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/debriefing_2.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/11/debriefing_2.html Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:37:33 -0500 Although a lot of the subjects discussed in class this week are very controversial, I felt that the class did a very good job of talking about the topics without becoming too overwhelmed with opinion. A lot of the real-life situations brought the the discussions really contributed, and made people look at different perspectives. The discussion that I enjoyed the most was the one that discussed sexism in our language. I never really noticed how sexist our language really is until reading the segment and having that discussion in class. Although I think it may be close to impossible to change, I feel that by just recognizing it is a step in itself. http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/debriefing_1.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/debriefing_1.html Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:17:00 -0500 This is my response for question number four in the writing workshop: 4.) When the author states that when African Americans use the “N-word” among themselves it is a “damaging step backwards,” the author means that since society has battled with this “racially explosive” word for so long, it is insulting, and a step in the wrong direction for African Americans to throw around the word amongst themselves. I somewhat disagree with this statement, because I think that accepting the word is a way for African Americans to overcome the abuse they experienced with this very word many years ago. I view it basically as a way to fight against the hateful people who still use the word to demoralize African Americans. I feel that this idea relates to the podcast we discussed last week, where we talked about how humor was a good way to help deal with things. I think by using the "N-word" in a humorous environment is a good way to take the harshness off the word, and maybe even stop people from using it in a demoralizing manor against African Americans. http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/musing.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/musing.html Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:06:51 -0500 Although this was a short week in class, I enjoyed the discussions nonetheless. I have always been fascinated with coal mining stories, and of course, I have always loved the movie October Sky. I am happy we are able to watch the movie in class, because overall I think it truly shows life in that time period while living in a patch, and I also think the movie portrays a good lesson when the boys follow their dreams. http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/debriefing.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/debriefing.html Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:44:33 -0500 This week has been a much easier week for me than last week. I only had a few quizzes, nothing too major to concentrate on. It was a nice break, although I know next week will be a lot more work. In class, I enjoyed the podcast discussions. I felt like everyone really learned a lot from listening and discussing the different topics found on the podcasts, and it was a good way to get everyone's perspectives. I enjoyed talking about something different than Sunday Morning, so it was a nice change of events. My group has our podcast due next Thursday, and all we have left to do is go over it a few times and make sure it meets the time requirement. I enjoyed the process of making the podcast, and I learned a lot about the topic we chose along the way. I'm interested to see how the class will react! http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/debriefing_week_of_930.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/debriefing_week_of_930.html Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:45:48 -0500 The question I chose to place on my blog was the response to question 2. 2.) Both Theresa Wallace and Dana Elaine Owens are not known for their true, birth names. They are instead known for other names they gave themselves, Gevin Fax, and Queen Latifah, respectively. I think the individuals who change their names do it to fit the “new” person they have become, and want to be well known for. Changing your name can be a very powerful experience because it can basically change who you are altogether. It’s a fresh start, the first step in developing into a new, stronger individual. I however, would never change my name even if I was given the chance. I am Julia, and that is who I am proud to be. I would not like to think of something unique and different from my current name, because that is not me. I don’t necessarily think changing names is a bad thing, for some people it works. If I were ever to become famous like Gevin Fax and Queen Latifah, I would not want to change my name to something else, because I would want to be famous as myself, Julia, and not some other made-up name. I don't know if anyone else agrees with me on this idea of not changing my name if I was given the chance, but I feel like in order to be famous you should be yourself, and not have to change your name. http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/musing_week_of_930.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/10/musing_week_of_930.html Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:30:24 -0500 This week was definitely the most stressful week I have had yet at Allegheny. I had three exams, which I studied for non-stop. Overall, I think they went pretty well. Since I had all of this work to do, I really enjoyed class this week, which was a way for me to relax and concentrate on something else for awhile. I enjoyed the reading from Into the Wild that we had to discuss in class. I really felt like it is something I can relate to. Also, I loved being able to come into class Thursday and just relax and watch an interesting movie on electric cars, something I knew little about before watching the movie. Now that the week is over, I feel much less stressed and ready to enjoy my birthday on Sunday! http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_week_of_923930.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_week_of_923930.html Sun, 30 Sep 2007 23:51:49 -0500 This week I felt much more in touch with the assignments than i did previous weeks. I took my time with the assignments, and I really understood what I was reading. Additionally, this week's episode of CBS Sunday Morning touched me. I really enjoyed the story about the elderly people, as well as the World War II veterans story. These two particular stories spoke to me, and made me more interested in the episode. I always enjoy the opinion section, and this week was especially interesting because it was about procrastination, something I practice regularly. Overall, I enjoyed this week's episode more than the previous ones. http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_the_week_of_916.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_the_week_of_916.html Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:37:34 -0500 Compared to the other two episodes of CBS Sunday Morning, I felt this week's was the most heart-warming of the three. A great portion of this week's episode dealt with the elderly, which opened up the door for many different perspectives. Particularly, the second segment demonstrated how even in today's world, which emphasizes youthfulness, there are still many influential elderly figures who are still popular in the modern media. Featured individuals included Helen Thomas, Hue Hefner, and Ben Bradlee. Although the individuals have very different backgrounds and current occupations, they all agreed that they would not change anything if they were given the chance to start all over again. When Hue Hefner stated "age is really just a number" I was opened up to a whole new perspective about becoming elderly, or "aging gracefully." The segment that touched me the most was the story about the World War II veterans. The segment showed how Jeff Miller (United States Congressman) put a plan together to send veterans on honor flights so that they could see their own memorials. I got chills when Jeff Miller stated his reason for doing this is because "everything I have good in my life is because of them." Opening about 52 years after the war ended, it is no confusion of why many veterans have been unable to view the memorial. With hundreds of veterans dying each day, I agree with Jeff Miller's intentions of sending as many veterans to the memorial as possible because after all, it was created specifically for them! Although the entire segment was insightful, the part that actually brought tears to my eyes was the segment explained how World War II veterans are "known for rarely speaking of their valor and sacrifice." Personally, my grandfather is a World War II veteran, and he exemplifies this exact trait. I remember talking to him when I was little for school projects and barely being able to get any sort of information out of him without upsetting him. I don't even know whether or not he has ever been to the memorial, and after viewing the other veterans enjoying the sight, I wish my grandfather could be able to do the same. As quoted in the story, just being able to view the memorial was "a special moment, long overdue" for the brave World War II veterans. http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/musing_for_the_week_of_916.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/musing_for_the_week_of_916.html Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:18:04 -0500 This week I felt much more comfortable in the classroom environment then I did the previous week. I was more willing to share my comments, and gain knowledge from other people's comments. As for the assignments, I like how each assignment reflects what was either discussed in class or was viewed on CBS Sunday Morning. This week, we had two articles to read, one named Message in a Ballad, and one named Music and Cognitive Abilities. I enjoyed the second article much more than the first one. The Music and Cognitive Abilities article discussed the Mozart Effect, which I have heard about before. For this reason, it made the information much more interesting for me to learn about. As for the other article, I did not enjoy this one because I felt when I was reading it I was not understanding many of the concepts. To me, the first study discussed in the article was clear and effective; however, the second study was just too confusing and cumbersome for me to fully understand. Overall, I enjoyed the class more than I did last week, and I look forward to the CBS Sunday Morning segment this upcoming week! http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_the_week_of_99.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_the_week_of_99.html Thu, 13 Sep 2007 14:49:12 -0500 After completing the first full week of FS 101: Psychology in the Media, I must say the class is much different from what I had expected. I figured an FS class was just like any other class, except it concentrated a little bit more on public speaking and social skills. However, FS 101 is much different than I previously expected. I enjoyed learning about the topics we covered in class, particularly the Labor of Love segment we discussed in relation to positive psychology. Additionally, I enjoy how the class is structured around the television show CBS Sunday Morning, and how interactive the classroom environment is. After leaving the class each day, I leave with new perspectives and different insights on topics than I previously had before. Overall, I am excited to continue each week with FS 101: Psychology in the Media, and hope to gain from the different environment. http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_the_week_of_929.html http://webpub.allegheny.edu/student/h/harrisj/weblog/2007/09/debriefing_for_the_week_of_929.html Thu, 06 Sep 2007 15:05:45 -0500