PSA Project: Flyer

This is a flyer we made for a PSA project. Out project was a fundraiser for the Alternatives for Battered Women in Rochester. This was something very different from all of our other projects and for that it was interesting.

Quote Analysis: Midterm Project

Quote Analysis

“Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half” – Gore Vidal

                Gore Vidal was an extremely successful and respected American writer. In his lifetime he wrote over two hundred essays and twenty-four novels. He was a prolific writer with remarkable ideas and theories. His quote above displays the infamous connotation of newspapers in relation to politics. This idea was, and still is, extremely popular and can sometimes decrease the legitimacy of a newspaper article, especially the political ones. However, despite this negativity, many people believe that newspapers are a legitimate and quality means of acquiring political information.

                Political newspaper articles have been undermined of their sincerity for many years. One of the reasons for this is due to journalism’s history. Yellow Journalism is a prime example of why journalism is mistrusted. Yellow Journalism was a form of journalism with inaccurate, subjective information, usually used to try to persuade the reader of thinking one way. Although now in journalism there is heavy emphasis put on fact checking, attributions and citing, people still doubt the newspaper articles. Another reason for the mistrust of newspapers is due to the Peter Zenger trial. The basis of this trial was the idea of slander and libel. Slander is any spoken defamation of one’s character. Whereas libel is any written form of a defamation of character. Libel is a popular issue within journalism due to the extreme bias associated with it. This also contributes to the subjective writing that was, and is, prevalent in journalism.

                Shattered Glass is a film that encompasses why attribution and fact checking is so extremely important in journalism. In the film, a man essentially made up several stories that got published and given to the public to. All without the knowledge of the editor and publisher. This discredited that newspaper in particular as well as journalism as a whole. This is the foremost fear and hesitation that many non-newspaper readers face. They are uncertain as to whether the information is factual or not, whether it is bias or not.

                Despite the negativity associated with journalism, many still turn to it for political issues and more. The reason for this is due to the strides made to create a more honest and sincere association with journalism. Throughout the years, many things were created in order to prove the legitimacy of journalism. For one, tape recorders are used to get word for word quotations. Also, attribution has proved to be an extremely significant piece to articles. Making sure that quotes are real and supported is very important. Stunt journalists also helped to prove truth in journalism. The journalists put themselves in the situation to provide truth.  Journalists have had to prove themselves through the years to prove their legitimacy.

                In conclusion, although journalism is seen as illegitimate, strides have been made to create a more genuine and honest connotation with it. 

This was a quote analysis we did for a midterm final. I analyzed the quote above using prior information we learned in class about journalism and the bias associated with it. This was a good writing piece that showed my writing abilities. 

               

Photography Prezi Presentation

My Photography Prezi


This was a project we did in which we had to capture out own photographs using the skills we learned from this unit. I really enjoyed this project because it wasn't simply writing, it involved other skills. This project was unique and allowed us to be creative.

Alfred Eisenstaedt: Powerpoint

This was a powerpoint I created for a famous photographer. This was one of the most fun and interesting projects we did all year in my opinion. I enjoyed learning about a new photographer as well as analyzing his work. I enjoyed learning the basics for photography as well. Overall this project is definitely my favorite. 

Muckraking Era: Powerpoint

This was a powerpoint about the Muckraking Era. This was a project I did with a partner. I enjoyed this project because it was insightful and interesting. Not to mention, editing and sharing was fun. I also enjoyed learning more about the powerpoint software and perfecting my skills on it. 

Netflix Vs. Hulu: Article

Netflix vs. Hulu Plus:

Which is better?

60% of teens on average, spend 20 hours per week watching television, surfing the internet or any other “screen time”. This is more than ever before. Since technology is obviously very prevalent in our society nowadays, more and more people are creating ways of streaming movies and television shows online. Since more people prefer the internet rather than the television for watching their favorite movies and TV shows.

Although there are countless numbers of online movie streaming websites, two stand out among the rest. Netflix and Hulu Plus are the leaders in online streaming with over 55 million subscribers combined!

Netflix was founded in 1997 by entrepreneur Reed Hastings in Los Gatos, California. Since then, the company has taken off by full force. In a short 17 years Netflix was able to accumulate 50 million subscriptions internationally. Netflix is available in many countries such as Mexico, Canada, South America, United Kingdom and many, many more. With a small fee of $7.99 per month subscribers are able to stream movies and series as well as an available rental service of movies. With a wide variety it is easy to find a movie that you are interested in. Netflix carries almost 9 thousand movie and TV series titles available to subscribers. Not only this but Netflix also has its own original series, Orange is the New Black, which has grown extremely popular especially on social media. Overall Netflix offers many titles for subscribers and it has become a household name for many people.

One of the leading competitors for Netflix is Hulu Plus.  Hulu Plus was founded in 2007 in Los Angeles, California by Mike Hopkins. It is a derived from Hulu TV. Like Netflix, Hulu Plus offers many titles for subscribers that range in TV shows and movies for a small $7.99 monthly fee. Hulu Plus has over 6 million subscribers.

Although, Netflix and Hulu Plus are very similar they differ in one thing, one every significant thing. The content. Both streaming sites offer movies but what sets Hulu Plus apart is that you can stream an episode of a series the day after it aired. This is not offered on Netflix.  This option is very convenient for many people. Some argue that Netflix offers better content, more popular titles as well as classics whereas Hulu Plus offers unknown titles.

Overall both sites are very popular and they cater to each individual’s needs. But to say one is better than the other wouldn’t be fair, simply because each site specialized in something different. So the choice is yours. Whether you want new episodes of shows or you just want to watch a more recent movie there is something for you. Also both Hulu Plus and Netflix offer free trials so you can be completely sure which site you would like to invest you money in.

This was another article I wrote for a personal magazine we created in a group in class. Our magazine centered around entertainment and for one article I decided to write about two online movie streaming websites. This was an interesting article because I was required to do research about both websites to compare them to the fullest and most accurate extent. I also tested out each website which was fun. I enjoyed this article and feel as though it illustrates my writing capability. 

Dan Eldon: Video Response

Dan Eldon: Dying To Tell a Story

                Amy Eldon created a short film in memoriam of her brother, a war journalist. I feel she made this film not only to expose the frantic lives of photo journalists, but also in order to gain her own closure pertaining to her brother’s death. This film was an eye opener that uncovered the untold stories of photojournalists. Likewise, this film also tackled the controversial question of why, why a photo journalist does what they do. The appearances made by various other well-known photo journalists also helped to do so. The film was gripping, heart wrenching and truly illustrated the bittersweet lives that the photojournalists lead.

                Throughout the film Amy travels to speak to various photo journalists. Des Wright, Martin Bell, Christiane Amanpour, Dan McCullen, Carrie Dufka and Mohamed Shaffi  are a few of the names of reporters she speaks with. Each reporter shared their experiences with photo journalism and each person brought something different to the table. One of the most compelling interviews that Amy did was with Martin Bell. In my opinion Bell truly seemed affected by the things he witnessed. His words seemed genuine. Bell discussed the work he did in Bosnia and since I come from a Bosnian background, I was very compelled and interested in the words he spoke. With the sharing of his experience, I feel that I was able to learn a lot about my own history and it was very eye opening. I felt very sympathetic for my people when Bell shared his stories because I got to see what they went through first hand.  Bell also said one line in particular that was very unforgettable, he said “We can’t be heroes because we can get out whenever we want”. This line was very touching to me because it encompassed the internal conflict that these photojournalists face. They feel as though they are making the rest of the world aware of the severe issues that are occurring, however they can never truly be heroes because they aren’t put into the perspectives of the people suffering. They are able to leave whenever they please and that is a luxury the people of wars do not have. Bell also elaborated on this idea further when he was shot. He said he was “ashamed that he was treated”, due to the fact that hundreds of civilians were dying. This adds to the guilt factor that many photojournalists feel while working.             

                 The film expanded on this idea of guilt more when Dan McCullen spoke about his guilt when photographing certain things. McCullen shared several personal and haunting moments in his career when he felt great guilt. One in particular was when he photographed a women without her consent and she began to yell and scream at him. He later shared that that women had died later that day. McCullen said “I was shocked at my own indiscretion”. This story is just one example of the great guilt that many photojournalists experience while working. They feel guilty due to the fact that they are capturing people at their weakest moment and they aren’t specifically helping them. Carlos Mavrolean elaborated on this by saying, “we capture the basic human fight for survival”.  In spite of this, many other photojournalists shared how they learned to differentiate what’s significant and needs to be captured and when to put the camera down. Carrie Dufka explained this by simply saying, “You have to be human first and a photographer second”.

Despite the momentous work that photojournalists do, some people feel that photojournalists are ‘crazy’ for doing this. They feel that photojournalists completely disregard the situation they’re in, in order to take a picture. However, despite this opinion I feel that the work that photojournalists do is extremely significant and noteworthy. Their photos are some of the most powerful descriptions of the war that could ever exist, aside from actually being in a war. Des Wright and Carlos Mavrolean said, “There’s no better education than photography” and I agree with this wholeheartedly. When pertaining to war especially, seeing a physical photo is much more powerful than reading about a war. Photojournalist allow people to witness the atrocities and feel the raw emotions, and that is something very heroic and sacred.

Amy Eldon’s documentary, Dying to Tell the Story, was a very informative and well put together documentary. I personally enjoyed it very much both as a student and as a person who experienced the repercussions of war first hand. The story about Dan was very heartbreaking yet at the end I felt closure, as I’m sure Amy did as well. I felt closure because of one particular quote that Christiane Amanpour said. She said, “Certain people have to do certain things and people may think they’re mad”. I feel that this quote explains the lives of many photojournalists perfectly. They do what they do simply because they have to. It is a calling from within them that drives them to take these miraculous pictures despite the negative opinions others may have. When Amy realized this I feel that she truly gained closure about her brother’s death. Being a viewer, this part of the documentary was very compelling and fulfilling. Overall, the documentary reflected the need that photojournalists feel to do what they do. Mohamed Shaffi said that photojournalists give “what the world wants to see” and with this I agree wholeheartedly.

This was a response I  wrote to the Dan Eldon film called Dying to Tell the story. The film was centered around a young war photojournalist, Dan Eldon, who died while working. His sister made this film in order to gain closure for his death as well as to tackle the controversy associated around war journalists and whether their work was necessary. Overall, my response shared my feelings about the topic. I enjoyed this project because it was very different from our usual projects. However it was a little hard to get through since I do have personal connections to the topics mentioned.

Special Needs at SOTA: Article

Special Needs in SOTA

School of the Arts has the most special needs and 504 students in the Rochester City School District. With that being said, it is obvious that SOTA must accommodate all of the students various needs.

Ms. Samantha Brody is the new administrator for the special needs department here at SOTA. She graduated last May from the University of Rochester with her administrative certification. Although this is her first year at SOTA, she previously taught special education at School Without Walls for 20 years.

Ms. Brody, along with 25 other faculty members at SOTA, work daily to accommodate the 100 students as part of the special needs department here at SOTA. Brody says, “We try to create an individualized plan for our students to ensure that they have enough support to meet the academic, artistic and social needs at SOTA”.

The special needs department creates an IEP for each student as part of the special needs program. This is an Individual Educational Plan where students receive a personal plan that accommodates his or her needs in order to perform to the best of their ability at school. This IEP includes special alerts a student might have as well as their disability, test results, test and classroom modifications and most importantly, their strengths and weaknesses. This IEP ensures that students get the personal and appropriate needs that they deserve. This includes extra help in classes, academic remediation, along with many more resources available to students.

Brody says SOTA has “a strong supportive and accommodating faculty” which is what makes School of the Arts unique and helpful.

Another substantial part of the SOTA the special needs department is Peter Bailargeon who has been working here for 50 years.

Bailargeon says that SOTA is unique because of the ICOT classes that they offer. ICOT are inclusion classes which are regular education classes that are integrated with another teacher from the special needs department that offer extra help. This is unique because the teacher that is added is considered a co-teacher to the class, not just subjected to one student in particular.

These teachers are called push INS and pull outs. Push INS offer services to students such as test modifications and extra support. Pull outs help students who feel that the classroom is “too distracting” and they need help outside of it.

The teachers that are added are a part of the special needs department and they each have “specialties”.  Although that teacher can go into classrooms of various subjects, they specialize in one subject. Mr. Bailargeon for example, specializes in math.

Overall, faculty members like Ms. Brody and Mr. Bailargeon help to create the supportive special needs department that we have here at SOTA. 

Body Modifications: Article

10/16/14

What’s wrong with body modifications?

            In the media tattoos are portrayed as an addition to your look making you look more rebellious. But why are they seen so negatively in the workplace? Why do people have to abstain from self-expression just to acquire and maintain a job?

           Many people in the workplace have to cover their tattoos day in and out due to the fact that that tattoos are viewed so negatively. It is normal in our minds to assume that gang members and not good people in general are the ones who have tattoos. That is why it is so ironic to see a lawyer for example with a full sleeve. “In a forthcoming study, Mr. Timming and colleagues asked participants to assess job candidates based on their pictures, some of which were altered to add a neck tattoo. Inked candidates consistently ranked lower, despite being equally qualified” (the economist.

But in workplaces with a younger or teenage clientele are more accepting and open minded of tattooed employees (the economist).

          But it is not just tattoos that people have to abstain from. It is also any other body modifications such as piercings, scarifications and much more. 

Doing these things to your body almost guarantees you not getting your dream job (if it

is in an office setting).

         The main problem in workplaces is that it doesn’t look professional. A doctor with gauges (stretched ears) is very unfamiliar and people do not agree with it.

But many people with modifications are offended. “Why should I have to stop expressing myself just to obtain a career?” Is a popular argument made by people.

       Overall society is just simply accustomed to the “normal” look for our professional workforce. Society is not ready for a change any time soon. But that shouldn’t restrict you from expressing yourself in any way you would like but, you should be aware of the potential risks of unemployment.

This was an article that I wrote discussing a controversial issue. This was written to put in the SOTA school newspaper. I enjoyed this article because the topic was something I was passionate about therefore the creation of the article was quite enjoyable. I made sure to keep in mind to remain unbiased which helped me with other articles as well.  

Rochester's Attractions: Article

Rochester’s Summer Happenings

By Jasmina Rizvanovic

Rochester is a great place to be in the summer time. There are activities suited for everyone’s needs. Regardless of what you want to do Rochester has everything you will need and then some.

Rochester has many great festivals during the summer including the Cornhill Arts Festival, Lilac Festival and many more. But one that most people find very interesting is the Park Avenue Festival. At this festival you will experience unique and delicious food, arts and crafts by many local artists as well as great music lots and not to mention, lots of vendors.

The festival also has many musical acts that perform. Just last year there were 30 acts! The Park Avenue Festival receives a whopping two hundred thousand visitors per year! That explains why the festival has been going on for 37 years.   This festival is a great family trip if that’s what you are looking for. Overall the Park Avenue Festival is a great time.

Another popular and fun attraction in Rochester is Seabreeze amusement park. This amusement park opened on August 5^th 1879 as a stop on the steam railroad. At this time there were no mechanical rollercoasters like there are now. Nonetheless, people still loved the amusement park.

In 1940 the name was changed to DreamLand during the post war era when business was booming! But eventually it was changed back to what we know now, Seabreeze.

Seabreeze is a great place for anyone regardless of age. There are always live shows, a huge water park and of course the famous roller coasters such as the Jack Rabbit that has been around since 1920. This roller coaster is the fourth oldest running roller-coaster in the United States. Another famous ride at Seabreeze is the Screamin’ Eagle which turns the unfortunate riders upside down! Not only that but Seabreeze has many varieties of food to offer.

Overall Rochester has many great attractions to offer especially during the great weather. 

This was an article written for the SOTA school newspaper. I enjoyed writing this because I got to learn more about the history of Rochester and its most popular attractions.