Blog 3-

/in /by

Last week’s class was very active. We started off by writing a letter to our future selves. In this letter e had to describe what our goals were for our future. We had to write short term, mid-term and long term. When we all came back to share our goals as a class, we all agreed that finishing school and getting out degrees was definitely one of our short term goals. The other activity that I also enjoyed was going around the room answering questions about the No child left behind act and how it affected us. It’s always nice to read what others had to say about how this act impacted their lives. Although the act was flawed, it did have positive outcomes to students in schools that had good resources.

This week’s readings talked about education in the African American community. It was good to get more insight on why is it that many African Americans pursue higher education as opposed to other minority groups. In the article by Toby S. Jenkins talks about the role of African-American men in America. Jenkins offered some historical background to make his point that after the civil war, life for an African American man did not get any easier. Jim Crow made it impossible for black men to walk the streets without being terrorized or being publicly humiliated. Jenkins also commented on how hip-hop was a way for African American inclusion of “intellectual thought and growth”. Since Black males were being silenced at school they found a way to express their emotions through lyrics that others could relate to. He talks about Tupac Shakur, who was a black man who dropped out of high school but managed to have a successful hip hop career by singing about his life. Tupac had developed a way to encourage the younger generations to focus on gaining knowledge and become the best they can be. Of course people always take this idea the wrong way but the intention was there. The song “changes” mentioned in this reading is an example of how Tupac decided that it was time to quit the negative stereotypes and begin making those changes for a better world.
In the second reading the IHEP goes over some of the historical facts that lead to how African-Americans have come a long way since the abolition of segregation in schools. Also how they are motivated to go for graduate degrees in order to be successful. The way I see it is that in order for minorities to be taken seriously now a days is that we need to have the fanciest degrees, to prove intellectual capabilities. It is possible for anyone to achieve a university degree but some struggle more than others. This struggle depends on gender, socioeconomic status, ethnic background, educational foundation, etc. in today’s society we are seeing a shift on how many minorities are being motivated to continue higher education and who knows maybe one day in the future the future generations will finally be able to see everyone’s contribution to history in those history books!

Marina Park: From Russia With Love

/in /by

IMG_2241

 

The city of Ventura has long been a community focused on art and creation, attracting talent from around the world. The community’s passion for creative work has been perpetuated by the formation of grassroots efforts like the Ventura Public Art Program, Working Artists Ventura, and Green Art People – just to name a few.   Organizations like these provide resources for creative expression. However, in trying economic times, a few angelic individuals have taken matters into their own hands and have sparked a citywide benefactor beautification revolution. Inspired and funded by local residents and supported by land locations provided by the city, these individuals are creating a rapidly growing trend of Public/Private collaboration to provide the city with newfound places and pieces of beauty.

There is no better example of citizens coming together in the name of art than The Mermaid of Soter Point located in Marina Park. Standing approximately 25-feet tall, she prominently greets those entering the Ventura Harbor by sea or those taking a leisurely stroll down Pierpont Beach. Donated by Alec Beneke, an emigrant from the former Soviet Union, the nymph has become endearingly known to some as the City’s “Statue of Liberty” as she stands proudly at the point playing her flute enticingly, like one of Odysseus’ sirens. Created in 2009, the tall bronze sculpture has a creation story almost as equally beautiful as herself.

The story begins with Sam Povar, a retired resident of Pierpont Beach. Following his wife’s death, Povar wanted to do something special to preserve her legacy. He approached the city with an idea to collaborate on a restoration venture of city owned land to build a memoriam, the first of its kind. “Basically I made the offer as a private citizen to take city property and improve it,” said Povar. After working out the complex logistics of private planning on public land, Povar Plaza became a reality. Four park benches and a restored pedestrian path erected from rubble, each inscribed with a engraved bronze plaque, celebrating qualities of his late wife: “Beauty”, “Strength”, “Intelligence”, and “Gracious”.

Then the idea took root. Andy Soter, a long time friend of Povar, was encouraged to dedicate a similar project while mourning the loss of his daughter. Soter, also a Pierpont resident, set his sites on a dilapidated Marina Park. With the help of his friends and the city, the project was in motion. Enter Alec Benke. Benke, who emigrated from Kazakhstan to the United States after the Cold War, was put in touch with the two philanthropists after attempting to donate his large bronze statute to the city. When Soter and Povar viewed the mermaid that had been sitting awkwardly in Benke’s backyard, it was nothing short of fate. The hidden treasure had found its true home.

Surrounded by benches, paving stones, native grasses and plants, Soter Point provides a valuable public resource for those looking for a serene locale to take in a sunset while tasting the sweet, salty air. The tall mermaid, sitting atop a stone base built by Benke, is an ode to the courageous individuals that made it possible, and to the people they loved. They hope others will follow their lead, as more than three-dozen additional sites have been identified and lay in wait for the next good-hearted individual with a special connection to their community.

The beautiful bronze maiden is truly breathtaking. Build atop a circular pedestal; the viewer is blessed with an inspiring view from about every angle, adjusting for a ocean or mountain backdrop. Two bronze plaques dedicate the work, one reading “From Russia With Love”, the other this story of inspiration and an excerpt from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The pathway and cement benches surrounding her are aesthetically placed and heavily used. One cannot sit and take in the sight and senses of the sea without falling into a meditative trance.

Survivor blog 1

/in /by

While watching the first episode of survivor, I tried to really pay attention to how everyone worked with their new group and how they tried to work together. At first I had no idea that the couples who had come together were going to be split up into different tribes. When they were introducing the contestants, some couples seemed nervous about surviving on this island because they were unable to get the fire started or they were arguing with one another about how to start the fire the right way. On the other hand, some were confident that they will win this season of survivor. The first obstacle was really emotional for Jeremy (the firefighter) because he was forced to go against his wife, who was in the other tribe, and if he won the obstacle course, his wife would have to go to Exile Island. While they were competing, tribe members cheered each other on.

In the Goyopa Tribe, it was mostly young people except for Dale, who was Kelly’s father, he felt out of place. He said that it was a challenge for him because he is not used to being with a big group of strangers, so he was kind of excluded. During this episode, I kind of noticed that the Goyopa Tribe had its own “cliques”, not everyone liked eachother.

On another note, the Hunahpu Tribe, seemed like they all got a long pretty well. They were supportive of each other and all worked together as an actual team. There was a point when Jeremy talked to everyone to make sure things were ok and to make sure that people liked him as well.

At the end, the Goyopa Tribe had the most challenging experiences so far, because they had to kick someone off the tribe. They were sure it was going to be Dale because he was old and “useless” but they were shocked to see Nadiya go.

Blog Post #5 – Tasks and Relationships

/in /by

As you reflect on what has been discussed in this chapter and your own leadership style, how would you describe your own style in relation to task and relationship orientations? What are your strengths and areas you can improve?

Between tasks orientation and relationship orientation leadership styles, I personally tend to be more task focused. I fall along this side of the leadership spectrum because I am consistently focused on what needs to get done and I prioritize my time in order to accomplish my tasks. For instance, I am always cognizant of schedules, due dates, times, assignments, as well as other work related activities. I am very detail oriented, structured, and organized. I also make sure to carefully plan out activities or work in advance. Basically I know what needs to be done and I do it. These are all strengths of mine that I value and they help me succeed whether in regards to work or school situations. Even though I tend to be more of a task-oriented leader I also value relationships as well. It is important to establish genuine connections with peers. Business would be meaningless without relationships. The people of a business are a core feature and need to be valued and it is important that they understand their value. The relationship aspect of leadership is one area which I could definitely improve upon.

 

Reflect on the article. What were the most interesting elements? Which did you agree with? Hope to learn more about?

What I found interesting pertains to how every category was considered more important in the virtual sense more than face to face. Our society continues to become more technologically advanced and operated over time and businesses will also follow this trend. These changes are going to have a significant impact on businesses as well as their leaders. As the results show, leaders will need to be technologically savvy in order to face the challenges that virtual communication presents. They will also need to be exceptional communicators. Additionally, with businesses growing and becoming global, this provides further challenges to individuals in leadership positions due to time zone differences and cultural differences. For instance, an excerpt from the article reads, “finding a proper balance between virtual and face to face communication poses a challenge for leaders of global teams. In line with Shell’s global ‘Diversity and Inclusiveness’ program, our respondents indicated that their leaders should show sensitivity to cultural diversity among team members . The present data suggests that this is even more desired in virtual settings than in face to face team settings”. With expansions in technological communication as well as global business practices, leaders must improve upon the skill sets that they are already expected to have.

I agree with the fact that relationship oriented leadership is more important in the virtual setting. Seeing as how team members are removed from each other, this presents another challenge for leaders who must get everybody involved and situated. Especially if team members are across different time zones, creating a sense of unity would seem difficult with virtual communication. Another challenge would be to sustain relationships over telecommunication whereas that is easier to do in person. Virtual communication seems like it would be detrimental to teamwork but seeing as how society’s future is reliant on technology, we must adapt.

I would like to learn more about the steps being taken to make virtual communication more effective and efficient.

Blog Post #3

/in /by

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend class last week. I came down with pneumonia (definitely no the greatest feeling ever). So in the best interest of the class, I did not go in order to avoid getting the entire class sick (you’re welcome). I’m sure I missed what was an interesting discussion. I was pretty bummed out considering I know I missed a lot. But reading your posts about Friday is really helpful! Thanks guys!

I am only going to say this once and make it clear, although I identify with a white race and hispanic ethnicity it is because of all the nonsense paperwork we have to fill out and are forced to choose a race and ethnicity. In reality there is only one race and that is the “human race”. That leads me to my next point, the word I chose after I read the readings is “change”. Why you ask? I strongly believe there still needs to be change. Yes, we have come a long way when it comes to the acceptance of African Americans in society, but honestly I feel a lot of it is masked. We keep saying we have moved forward, but I think fore several years it will continue being this way. Possibly another century or so there will be more equality. Yes I see how small things have progressed in the Jenkins reading. African American have had it tough and have been seen as almost animals, but like I said. The reason I chose the word change is because I’ve seen change and I’d like to see things keep changing for the good. Every culture is different, but sometimes it’s sickening to read so much comparison to “whites”. I’ve been reading the same kind of  stories since I was in elementary. I remember doing projects and reports.The fact that their is still writings like that even now means we haven’t gotten very far. Yes, we have had significant advances in equality and education for African Americans, but when will the comparison stop? That is what I would like to know. I want to see a day when people won’t be JUDGED because of the color of their skin. I’d much prefer people be admired for their differences.

Informative speech reminders

/in /by

Hey Class:

Informative speeches are coming quickly!  Here are some reminders for Monday’s class.

  • Bring 4 copies of the peer evaluation form for YOU to fill out and give a completed form to the speaker you evaluated (the speaker will return these to me before leaving class).
  • Dress professionally
  • Give me a copy of both of your outlines as well as your PowerPoint (if you use one)

Outlines

Please view the instructional videos and sample here: http://comm101.jaimiehoffman.com/outlines-how-to/

  • Submit a Delivery & Preparation Outline to Jaimie BEFORE your speech (you also probably want to bring a copy of your delivery outline for you).
  • Your outline must include:
    • General purpose
    • Specific purpose
    • Thesis
    • Organizational pattern of the speech (e.g. topical, spatial, etc.)
    • List Introduction, Body and Conclusion as three separate sections
    • Restart roman numerals with each section (listed above)
    • Reference transitions (typically with [brackets]
    • Included citations in outline
    • Wrote in full sentences (preparatory outline)
    • Use correct APA formatted reference list

 

DO NOT READ YOUR SPEECH WORD FOR WORD; THIS WILL RESULT IN A LOSS OF 30 POINTS

30

Wednesday’s Class

/in /by

Dear Class:

This is just a reminder that we will NOT be meeting as a class on Wednesday so that you can meet with your evaluation groups at a time and space (face-to-face or virtually) that works for your group.  The meeting can take place anytime between today and Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

In order to receive credit for attending the class/meeting once person in your group must RESPOND to this announcement (in the comments section below) with the following information (by Thursday at 11:59 p.m.:

  1. Date time and location of meeting
  2. Group members present at meeting
  3. List of what was accomplished

If the information above is not provided, all group members will be marked as absent.

For those students who were absent tonight, below is a list of when/where each group is meeting and what you should achieve before the meeting.

  • Group A:  Meet in classroom at 6:00 p.m., finish your outline and thesis
  • Group B: Meet on second floor of library at 6:00 p.m., have speech ready to rehearse
  • Group C: Meet at front lobby of library at 6:00 p.m., have your general and specific purposes, thesis and sources ready
  • Group D:  Meet in front of the library at 6:00 p.m, have your outline and speech drafts ready to rehearse
  • Group E:  Meet in front of the library at 6:00 p.m. , finish your outline, structure of speech and start rehearsing
  • Group F:  Meet in classroom at 6:00 p.m., have a rough outline completed

Sydney Phillips Blog#3: African American Students in Higher Education

/in /by

Last class began with Julian engaging us in a goal-oriented activity. We wrote down our short, mid and long term goals on a piece of paper, and seal them in an envelope to open later in life. After we wrote down our goals we were able to share them with the rest of the class. This enabled me, once again, to see how I relate to others around me. Many of us had similar and achievable goals and listed them in a similar order. If sharing addresses wasn’t a privacy issue, it seemed like a good idea to mail these goals to the specific student at a certain point in time. However, due to privacy issues and possibly losing papers or even student relocation, it would be difficult to have a teacher do that. Even so, the activity encouraged me to reflect on what I have accomplished and how my goals have molded into what I wish to accomplish for my future. Jaimie then briefly mentioned feedback on our papers and ways to improve our style. I found this helpful and even wrote down her tips, such as to formalize, proof read, and have others read my paper as well!

 

Afterwards the class participated in the “corners activity”. With partners we rotated throughout the class and stopped at various points to answer questions regarding the No Child Left Behind Act. The thought of simply answering questions isn’t entirely appealing at first, but in the end I was very glad to have participated in the activity. Not only did I learn a lot that I hadn’t known previously, but I saw how the act actually affected myself and my schooling. In the end, as a class, we were able to come up with general class definitions for each question. I honestly did not know much about NCLB and realized that it did not fulfill its intended purpose of raising achievement rates and create higher quality learning. Rather, it encouraged drop outs, was exclusive, and put lower income communities at a disadvantage. Realizing this made me want to take a stand and do something about the schools that don’t have adequate resources. There were a few good things about NCLB such as shedding light on inequities and to recruit quality teachers, but throughout my experience I concluded that I wasn’t able to learn information if it wasn’t on the standardized tests. I’m not sure how the Common Core Standards will turn out. I spoke with a mother recently who told me that her daughter was struggling with the new standards even though she is very bright. Already I am nervous about the Common Core Standards.

 

We then broke into groups and discussed Supreme Court cases throughout history that related to affirmative action. It solidified the information that was unclear in chapter 6. I also found a court case for the EXTRA CREDIT: Fisher v. Texas. June 2013. In 2008 high school seniors had been denied admission to University of Texas in Austin. They then brought it to court, claiming that the University could not use race as an aspect in the admission process. A federal judge, using the case Grutter v. Bollinger as an example, said in 2013 that the University did obey with the admission requirements set by the case Grutter v. Bollinger. Although the court did not overturn the use of affirmative action, they did stress the importance of stricter affirmative action programs.

 

The one word that I chose to describe my thoughts of this week’s reading was enlightening. Although I have read about the history and oppression of African Americans in history classes throughout schooling, there were a few concepts brought up in the reading that provided for an educational experience. Some of the ideas actually related to my field of study; Psychology. The family unit section, for example, showed me the effects of history on the families affected and I was sad to see what some resorted to or the things they lacked. Many were deprived of family systems that encourage proper development and attachment. One of the saddest aspects is that of the psychological dimension. To actually see examples of how the oppression caused certain people to undervalue themselves in devastating. In a sense, it isn’t surprising that they felt the need to resort to violence. I would be angry if a majority of my race wasn’t allowed things such as the education African Americans were deprived early on. It’s shocking to see how little the rate of literacy for their race has improved, from 57% illiterate in 1900 to only 13% higher 100 years later. The section on hip hop culture provided a source of inspiration for me. Through this medium many were able to overcome oppression and find acceptable ways of expressing their feelings and needs. There is hope if we all come together for the common goal of equality and follow various suggestions like the ones laid out in the reading.