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- Hello! You have officially reached Erin Valentine's website. I'm currently an undergraduate student at Elon University with a major in Print Journalism (concentration in Photography) and a minor in International Studies (concentrations in the Middle East and Europe). Communications Fellow '15. Contact me by email at erin39valentine@yahoo.com.
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Tweets
- Just another reason to love stop-motion: Maker vs Marker http://t.co/Jlf2rtIi7e
- RT @elonpendulum: Apply to become a part of Elon's @spj_tweets award-winning, Apple Award-winning & @NSPA Pacemaker-winning news staff.…
- Need some ideas on what to wear to a spring/summer wedding?? Check out my article for HerCampus! http://t.co/v6XZO4LJzGApr 21, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Check out my HerCampus article on How to be the Best Summer Intern!!!!! http://t.co/wY9qZrpXsqApr 21, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- RT @ThoughtCatalog: 33 Unusual Tips To Being A Better Writer http://t.co/be6PMRLUXpApr 19, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Recording session with @BrianMezerski!! http://t.co/oSRb7FUIIu
- RT @CollegeTourist: Great recipe for tandoori chicken, better than the dining hall's offerings! #nomnom http://t.co/w0LmfnQWU6 @evalentine39
- Check out my first article on College Tourist! College Cooking - Tandoori Chicken http://t.co/G0vj1BiEM3
- RT @elonpendulum: Listen to The Pendulum Pivot on @wsoe893 until 6 pm as @moviebuddha & @evalentine39 discuss what's new in news. ht ...
- RT @rebeccawickel: Need a starting point for your database reporting? @Mediabistro has 7 places to start your research. http://t.co/uKu6 ...
- Apr 08, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- This just made my day. I love movie reviews #commmajor http://t.co/iQ2zbZFZYJApr 05, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Would LOVE to see Gambit and, of course, Aquaman: “@PasteMagazine: 12 Superheroes That Should Have Their Own Movie http://t.co/cQkHRrxbrp”
- Such a cool video! Love the techniques they used and the creativity is AMAZING http://t.co/mkXETxAvbLMar 30, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- RT @PasteMagazine: Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Host hitRECord Variety Show http://t.co/HX6jrkvrwX
- RT @ThoughtCatalog: Writing http://t.co/erlPiobIVC
- Just met @OfficialGodard at the Wentworth Gallery in Buckhead! Amazing artist with some really cool and unique work!
- Going to a music festival this summer? Check out my article for HerCampus! http://t.co/XqYzXhkFKXMar 22, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- A dating site is trying to rename my town... WHAT? http://t.co/eNhqlrRwTDMar 21, 13 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Info
- Experience
- Apr 2013 - PresentFood Blogger / College Tourist
- Apr 2013 - PresentEditorial Intern / Modern Luxury (JEZEBEL & The Atlantan)
- Mar 2013 - PresentFreelance Reporter / HerCampus Elon
- Mar 2013 - PresentOperations Assistant / Elon Student Television
- Dec 2012 - PresentOpinions Editor / The Edge (Student Magazine)
- Sept 2012 - PresentPhotographer / Kat's Fashion Fix Blog
- Jun 2012 - PresentCreator / The Amateur Rookie Chef Blog
- Feb 2012 - PresentReporter / The Pendulum (Student Newspaper)
- Feb 2012 - PresentReporter / The Edge (Student Magazine)
- Mar 2012 - Nov 2012Coverage of the Occupy Movement in US Newspapers / Undergraduate Research
- Apr 2012 - May 2012Public Relations / E-Talk
- Sept 2011 - Feb 2012Public Relations and Production Assistant / Elon Tonight
Education-
2011 - 2015Elon UniversityPhotojournalism, International Studies
Activities: Communications Fellow -
2007 - 2011Downingtown East High School
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Interests:Writing. Editing. Moderate French. Elementary Arabic. Photography. InDesign. Final Cut Pro X. Avid Media Composer. Photoshop. Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel). Facebook. Twitter. Tumblr. LinkedIn. WordPress.
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Uncategorized
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Uploads
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Posts
- Mar 20, 13
Hello again!
An exciting new addition to my resume is that I am officially a writer for HerCampus Elon. I write 400-500 word feature articles. The articles are then posted onto HerCampus Elon’s website. For more information on HerCampus Elon, click here!
- Dec 20, 12
Hello!
For a quick update, I am now the Opinions Editor for The Edge.
An excerpt from The Pendulum website: “The Edge (formerly known as Elon Edge) is published twice a semester and is Elon’s only general-interest magazine.”
- Dec 01, 12
- Dec 01, 12
For this project, we focused on editing video in Avid Media Composer. We went to a local food pantry to get footage to make a promotional video for their website. My partner and I had the subject of “The Process”. Here is the shorter version of our video, and our first experience editing video footage on Avid.
- Dec 01, 12
To continue our education in Photoshop, we were assigned a project in which we would try and describe our culture. For this project, I wanted to focus on creativity. The images that I overlaid on my hands are paintings I have done. The henna effect emphasizes the process of creativity, and creating with your hands.
- Dec 01, 12
To further our Photoshop skills, we used some of our photography from a previous project to create a magazine cover. This project helped us to utilize the various tools on Photoshop. I chose to focus on a passion of mine: cooking and tea! (Check out my cooking blog: The Amateur Rookie Chef!)
- Nov 19, 12
A video project we had for Digital Media Convergence was a multimedia project. We had to have a story of some sort, made of pictures, and compiled into Avid Media Composer. I also happen to take/edit pictures for a friend of mine’s fashion blog (Check it out at: Kat’s Fashion Fix Blog). I decided to make something that I already had some pictures of AND something my friend could use for her site. This was my first solo attempt at editing on Avid. I had previously used Final Cut Pro X to edit video; however, Elon University decided it was time to switch programs. Here is the finished product, enjoy!
- Sep 18, 12
- Apr 22, 12
Hello!
During this semester, I have taken the course Media Writing. From print journalism articles to broadcast journalism scripts to press releases, we have covered, and written, a lot of material. Here are my top five personal favorites from this semester:
5 – Muhammad Yunus Broadcast Script — I like this one mostly because I found that I really enjoy writing broadcast scripts and also the speech its self was very interesting and had great quotes to write to.
Key: Elon Goes Global with Speaker Muhammad Yunus
Reporter: Erin Valentine
Live, Anchor Toss, Studio: ELON UNIVERSITY TOOK A STEP OUTSIDE OF CAMPUS TODAY AT ITS SPRING COVOCATION FOR HONORS. GUEST SPEAKER MUHAMMAD YUNUS DISCUSSED WORLD POVERTY AND GLOBAL SOCIAL INJUSTICE THIS AFTERNOON. ERIN VALENTINE HAS THE STORY.
Live, CG: Erin Valentine, Elon News, Alumni Gym: NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER AND FOUNDER OF THE GRAMEEN BANK MUHAMMAD YUNUS EXPLORED POVERTY IN TODAY’S SOCIETY AND HOW STUDENTS CAN AFFECT CHANGE IN THE WORLD.
Roll SOT #1, Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank: POVERTY IS NOT CREATED BY THE POOR PEOPLE. POVERTY IS CREATED BY THE SYSTEM THAT WE’VE CREATED.
Live, CG: Erin Valentine, Elon News, Alumni Gym: YUNUS WORKED HIS WAY INTO THE MICRO-LENDING BUSINESS. HE TOUCHED UPON THE WAY HE WENT FROM TEACHING ECONOMICS TO USING HIS KNOWLEDGE TO HELP OTHERS IN THE REAL WORLD. HOWEVER… YUNUS COULDN’T WATCH HIS NEIGHBORS FALL INTO POVERTY. SO YUNUS TURNED THEORY INTO ACTION.
Roll SOT #2, Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank: I NEVER DREAMED IN MY LIFE EVER THAT I WOULD BECOME A BANKER.
Live, CG: Erin Valentine, Elon News, Alumni Gym: YUNUS BEGAN HIS ENTREPENEURIAL VENTURE BY GIVING PEOPLE SMALL LOANS. HE HAD FOUND THAT BANKS WERE UNWILLING TO LEND MONEY TO THE POOR … SO THEY WERE TURNING TO BRUTAL LOAN SHARKS FOR IMMEDIATE CASH. YUNUS FILLED WHAT HE SAW AS A NECESSARY VOID.
Roll SOT #3, Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank: IF YOU CAN MAKE SO MANY PEOPLE SO HAPPY WITH SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHY SHOULDN’T YOU DO MORE OF IT?
Live, CG: Erin Valentine, Elon News, Alumni Gym: YUNUS FOUND THAT BANKERS DID NOT WANT TO AID THE POOR, IN CASE THEIR MONEY WAS LOST. YET… YUNUS FOUND A GAP. WITHOUR CREDIT… THE POOR COULD NOT BORROW MONEY. AND THE POOR COULD NOT BORROW MONEY WITHOUT CREDIT. YUNUS FOUND THIS CYCLE FRUSTRATING AND HE CRITICIZED BANKS.
Roll SOT #4, Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank: YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LEND MONEY TO PEOPLE. BUT YOU LEND TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T EVEN NEED MONEY.
Live, CG: Erin Valentine, Elon News, Alumni Gym: YUNUS DECIDED TO GO PAST THE BANKS AND BEGIN CREATING THE SOCIAL BUSINESS MODEL… YUNUS’ CLAIM TO FAME, PER SAY. THE SOCIAL BUSINESS MODEL WORKS TO IMPROVE THE CONSUMER’S LIFE, AND ITS GOAL IS NOT TO MAKE MONEY… BUT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WITH GRAMEEN BANK, YUNUS BUILT A BANK THAT WAS OWNED BY ITS BORROWERS … AND THAT WAS LAWYER-FREE. TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WAS DOING, YUNUS SAYS HE STUDIED WHAT OTHER BIG BANKS WERE DOING … AND HE DID THE OPPOSITE.
Roll SOT #5, Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank: THEY GO TO THE RICH, I GO TO THE POOR. THEY GO TO MAN, I GO TO WOMAN. THEY GO TO THE CITY CENTER, I GO TO POOR VILLAGES.
Live, CG: Erin Valentine, Elon News, Alumni Gym: YUNUS THEN ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE, TO USE TECHNOLOGY… AND TO BEGIN WORKING TOWARD GETTING RID OF POVERTY.
Roll SOT #6, Muhammad Yunus, Founder of Grameen Bank: IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN DO IT, IT WILL HAPPEN. EACH ONE OF YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. NOT AS A CLASS, NOT AS A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE, AS INDIVIDUALS.
Live, Anchor Tag, Studio: THE CEREMONY ALSO HONORED THE STUDENTS OF THE CLASS OF 2012, AND STUDENTS WHO WERE ON THE DEAN’S AND PRESIDENT’S LISTS.
4 – Five-Part in-class article — This article was the product of an activity we did in class. We started off with the basic information to the fictional story, had a set amount of time to write something to that information and then we were given more information, which we then added on to the previous article. The fictional story provided great practice with writing under pressure, keeping the information correct and keeping the important details in.
Student killed while serving pies
By: Erin Valentine
A college student was fatally shot at 11:07 p.m. yesterday while working at Tom’s Pizza.
According to Sgt. Albert Wei of the Burlington police department, Thomas J. Alvarez, a 20-year-old Hispanic college student and part-time employee at Tom’s Pizza, was killed while taking a customer’s order at the carry-out pizzeria.
Two witnesses were present when a lone gunman entered the restaurant, demanded money from Alvarez at the counter and then proceeded to shot him.
Anne Capiello, a witness and Alvarez’s girlfriend, recalled the gunman placing his order and said, “When Thomas asked what he wanted on his pizza, he said ‘I really want all of your money.’”
Capiello had been studying in the back when the shots were fired. “I was concerned with him the whole time. I’m very sad,” Capiello said.
The gunman, William McDowell, shot Alvarez once, and then proceeded to shoot the cash register five or six times, before fleeing the establishment.
Bonnie Caspenwall, a new deliverywoman for Tom’s Pizza, also witnessed the scene. According to Caspenwall, McDowell fled the scene in a white Ford Mustang that was waiting outside the restaurant with a driver.
Caspenwall called the police and followed the suspects in her green Camry until the suspects got into an accident near Pauley Park. The suspects’ car took a hard turn to the left and the car flipped. McDowell was found unconscious, but unhurt, while the driver had fled the scene.
McDowell claims that he shot Alvarez because he thought Alvarez had been reaching for a weapon, after McDowell demanded the money. According to Wei, no weapons or alarms were found at the restaurant.
McDowell said he has no job and admits to having a crack problem.
According to Wei, McDowell has been charged with the murder of Alvarez. “We are continuing to look for the second suspect,” said Wei.
TWEET: Fatal shootings, car chases, and pizza pies: student killed while working at neighborhood pizza restaurant.
3 – Feature Article on Twitter — This feature was great because we had only a day to interview, write and edit the article. I was lucky enough to be assigned a topic that I already found interesting. I’m particularly proud of my interviews.
Revolutionizing social media, 140 characters at a time
Twitter is slowly changing the way people communicate
By: Erin Valentine
Before 2006, a tweet was just a sound a bird made. Now, it’s the 140-character update on a person’s hopes, dreams, thoughts and feelings.
As a fast way to communicate, Twitter has not only swept the nation, but also college campuses. With more than 300 million tweets being sent every day, Elon University has not been exempt from the trend. Students are slowly converting from being non-users to daily tweeters.
Grace Rubright, a student at Elon University and a frequent user of Twitter, tweets daily and twice on the weekends and checks Twitter seven times a day.
“It’s so quick that it’s very easy to see what’s up with friends, and it’s way faster than Facebook, I think,” Rubright said. “I’ve definitely shifted a little more towards Twitter.”
Twitter allows for users to follow friends, celebrities, such as Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber, fake accounts, such as Beyoncé’s fetus or Voldemort, or news sources, such as USA Today or The Union. Any person, or at least someone pretending to be somebody else, can most likely be found on Twitter.
But for many Elon students, Twitter is a primary source for instant news updates.
“I found out that Steve Jobs died on Twitter. I found out that Muammar Gaddafi was captured and then killed over Twitter,” Rubright said. “And I think that’s amazing.”
As Twitter grows in popularity, many are rethinking their stance on the social media outlet.
“I thought it was the stupidest thing in high school,” Rubright said. “Then everyone had one here. I got one because if everyone was updating everything on Twitter rather than Facebook, I decided that Twitter should be used instead.”
Twitter grows as students recognize its popularity and open up to its possible personal potential.
“Everyone else had it and it has gained so much popularity, I felt like an idiot without having it,” student Kyle Koach said.
As a newer user, Koach has noticed the social media shift to Twitter, which would account for Twitter’s growing population.
“I spend so much time on Facebook,” Koach said. “I was nervous that if I got a Twitter, I would have dueling social media overload and I wouldn’t be able to get anything done school-wise.”
But other students refuse to change their opinion on the microblogging social media source. Elon student Josh Kaufmann has no real use for Twitter.
“It’s not necessary to know every little thing about everyone’s life,” Kaufmann said. “I worry about my privacy.”
Kaufmann said he sees Twitter as the embodiment of the negative aspects of technological innovation.
“I hate where technology is going and how much we depend on it,” Kaufmann said. “There’s a fine line between it improving our lives and taking over our lives.”
Yet, Twitter continues to grow, as does social media as a whole, despite critics. With Twitter reaching a high of 7,196 tweets per second during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, the 140 characters could reshape the way, and length, of communication.
2 – Imagining the Internet Article — This was another article that we did in-class. I seem to really enjoy the time crunch feeling. Anyway, this article was fun to write because we were able to interview our subject and hold a mini-press conference.
Imagining the Internet: bringing the technological future, freedom into perspective
By: Erin Valentine
The year is 2050. A Mars colony is being built. Time travel is a foreseeable option. Brain downloading allows for digital immortality.
All those potential predictions may one day soon be the focus of research conducted by Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center, which provides a historical analysis and, more importantly, a future-oriented view of what will happen between the human race and technology in years to come.
Janna Anderson, the director of the Imagining the Internet Center and an associate professor in Elon’s School of Communications, has been spearheading the Center’s research for more than 10 years. And she said the experts she surveys have been foretelling the future of the Internet for two decades now.
“We try to document events where people are talking about the future of the Internet,” Anderson said. “We are there at the making of history.”
Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, planted the seed for the Center when he visited Elon University for a Parent’s Council meeting in the early ’90s. After talking to Anderson, the foundation for the Imagining the Internet Center was created.
These days, the Center sends out web-based surveys to a database of professionals that ask their opinions on different Internet issues and offer room for predictions about the future. One recurring worry from experts is that information may soon be restricted.
Companies, in particular, are worried about how they can monitor their products when people can currently share information freely.
“There are power structures being disrupted by the digital age,” Anderson said. “We’re in the middle of a giant power struggle over how we get and share information.”
According to Anderson, companies are trying to put up barriers and restrictions so they can track everything a person does on the Internet and take that information and use it for their monetary benefit.
Large companies, such as Facebook, Amazon and Comcast, are fighting to find out how they can retake control of their assets.
While some people believe that all information should be easily accessible and that the middleman should be excluded, Anderson said that others are focusing more on how to control people’s access to the Internet.
Some are “trying to stop people from being able to voice their beliefs and feelings anonymously,” Anderson said.
These restrictions would prevent events, such as the Arab Spring, from ever occurring, she said
Other advocates for Internet restrictions are “looking at people’s fears and capitalizing on those fears,” Anderson said, using examples such as cyber bullying, children’s online privacy and online pornography.
And so the battle for freedom of information will continue, Anderson said.
“It’s a fascinating thing to watch and a little scary,” she said. “Help the people in your communities—local, national, global—by identifying those issues and illuminating those issues and looking at how the future can evolve in a positive way. We’re trying to move forward in positive ways and evolve as well as we can. The Internet may be the best it will ever be right now.”
1 – Personality Profile Feature — This one is probably my favorite because I spent so much time either writing it or thinking about it. Also, I was able to talk to my Arabic professor in-depth about some questions I’ve had for her for a while. I really enjoyed writing more a feature-style story and I really liked getting to know someone through an article.
A professor with a passion for improving the present
Arabic professor Shereen Elgamal works for a better, united future
By: Erin Valentine
“Ahlan wasahlan,” is her greeting, as she sits in her office, decorated with homemade mugs, plates and other student memorabilia. Dr. Shereen Elgamal is surrounded by the results of her years dedicated to educating others.
Elgamal, an assistant professor of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at Elon University, has a distinct appearance on the southern school’s campus. Her hijab, or head covering, is not just a symbol of her devout Muslim religion, but also of her Egyptian descent.
Born and raised in Cairo in 1965, Elgamal was schooled, married and started raising a family in Egypt.
“I was very kind of situated and established within Egyptian culture and the Egyptian society,” Elgamal said.
Although her bachelor’s degree is in communications, Elgamal faced political barriers. Having graduated in 1986, in the midst of Honsi Mubarak’s presidential regime, Elgamal faced issues with corruption and increased government control.
“I graduated in ’86. That was Mubarak time. Elgamal said everything was so corrupt. You didn’t want to be part of the regime. So that limited my chances.”
Yet Elgamal had an interest in teaching that she could fall back on. She taught English as a second language and also worked as a private tutor for children who struggled in school.
“I was always interested in teaching,” Elgamal said. “Even outside of school, most of my volunteer work rotated around a language.”
Having volunteered at a mosque to help kids with their education, Elgamal always had a knack for teaching.
“It’s kind of personal inclination or personal deep interest in teaching or trying to communicate information,” Elgamal said. “Teaching always inspired me. It always put me in a good mood.”
At Elon University, Elgamal has left her mark, teaching classes such as Elementary Arabic I, Elementary Arabic II and Intermediate Arabic I.
“Shereen always makes the class and I smile,” Sara Boike said, a freshman at Elon University, who takes Elgamal’s Elementary Arabic I course. “She has an amazing teaching method and makes sure everyone in the class understands things before moving on.”
One of her Elementary Arabic II students, Kate Schafer, said, “Shereen is a teacher who is passionate about both her students and the subject. She has even equated us with a ‘second set of children.’ Her ultimate goal is for us to learn Arabic as well as possible and to have a comfortable and supportive classroom environment.”
But Elgamal has met barriers because of her religion and background. Since her faith is apparent from her hijab, prejudices have been placed against her and some people’s negative assumptions of Muslims have directly affected her.
In one instance after she had finished college, while trying to apply for a job as a journalist with the Middle East News Agency, Elgamal experienced the unfairness and ignorance of society. As she prepared to leave the interview, she was convinced that she had the job in her grasp.
“The gentleman was very impressed with my skills, my writing samples, all of it. And then he said, ‘Let me ask you one question. Are you going to come to work every day dressed like this?’” said Elgamal, while gesturing at her hijab. “But there was this surprise element on his face. So I said, ‘Yes.’ And I was never called back.”
With recent events, such as the Arab Spring in the Middle East, Elgamal has felt a growing sense of pride for her country. Before the Egyptian revolution and the uprisings in the Middle East, there was very little nationalism. Egyptians, having lost respect for their government and country, would throw their trash on the ground, toss wrappers from their cars as they drove and generally not care about the cleanliness and appearance of their home.
Cairo, in particular, gained a reputation for its unsanitary environment. Yet the Arab uprisings have changed Egypt for the better, according to Elgamal.
“After the Revolution, I notice in the media, or when my friends would tell me, there is the sense of ‘This is our place,’ Elgamal said. “You feel a different sense of ‘our country.’”
Caught up in the post-revolution attitude, and in an effort to be involved with the current events in the Middle East, Elgamal has begun to look for ways to help, even though she is far from home.
“I would love an opportunity to participate, to take part. And in this day and age I don’t have to be physically there to do it,” Elgamal said. “I actually have been contacting different organizations, different political parties, to say ‘Is there anything I can do? Can I help with your translations?”
Elgamal has been volunteering as a translator for a human rights group called the Free Speech Debate.
“It makes me feel alive. It makes me feel like I’m still a part of the country,” Elgamal said. “Although it’s at a very humble, simple level, it’s still something. I’m contributing to where I come from.”
Having moved to America in 1993, Elgamal has seen the American attitude toward Muslims change after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and how people have shaped their beliefs from warped and incorrect information.
“Before 9/11, it was more of curiosity I would see in people’s eyes,” Elgamal said. “People would say, ‘What is this? Why is she like this? Is this Halloween for her?’ One time, since I always like light-colored head covers, one child said, ‘Are you dressed up as a ghost?’ It’s just friendly, simple, kind of curious remarks ” Elgamal said with a smile that quickly turned to a more serious expression. “After 9/11, some of the remarks are curious and some of the remarks are very presumptuous. I get the ‘Oh, you’re one of them?’ or ‘Here comes the terrorist.’”
But misunderstanding can come in many forms, even humorous ones. According to Elgamal, people mean no harm in their ignorance of her religion, and she finds their reactions more comedic than offensive.
“The funny thing is when people assume I am so different, so I don’t know much English. So they start raising their voices and using a lot of hand gestures,” Elgamal said. “One time I went into K-Mart to buy a spatula. And I said, ‘Where can I find a rubber spatula?’ and my ‘r’ is very strong. So the women goes, “YOU GO ALL THE WAY IN THIS DIRECTION AND YOU MAKE A RIGHT, AND THEN THE THIRD AISLE, 1, 2, 3, counting out the aisles on her fingers. Sometimes it just comes across in a funny, interesting way.”
Elgamal has found that the best way to handle negative people is to have a positive attitude.
“Once you do that,” Elgamal said, “the person across from you figures, ‘Ok, she’s from them. She’s one of them. But she’s not like them’.”
- Apr 19, 12
Hello!
As a freshman at college, I am proud to say that I have had my first experience with undergraduate research. In the fall semester, my global experience professor asked a fellow classmate and I if we would be interested in doing undergraduate research on the Occupy protests. As freshmen and communications nerds, we instantly said yes.
The research on my end consisted of reading around 80 articles, finding the circulation numbers of multiple newspapers and coding articles on how the protesters, businesses or government/police were portrayed. We then compiled the data and are to present our findings at our university’s Student Undergraduate Research Forum. However, absolutely none of this would have been accomplished without the amazing work of our advisors, Dr. Amanda Sturgill and Dr. Naeemah Clark.
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Posts
- Dec 01, 12
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 35 minutes in oven or until tender.
Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter.
Cornbread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cans of corn
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup diced red pepper
- 1/2-pound diced smoked ham
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups cubed and toasted cornbread
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt butter and sweet vegetables until tender. Add ham and cook over low heat for 2 more minutes. Set aside to slightly cool. Whisk together eggs, stock, cream and herbs and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Combine all items, including cornbread, in a 4-quart lasagna pan and cook covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for additional 20 minutes or until crusty.
Creamed Corn
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pinches kosher salt
- 3 cans of corn
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Fresh ground black pepper
Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, sweat the onion in butter and salt until translucent.
Add the corn to the saucepan and cook over medium high until the juice from the corn has tightened. Add the rosemary. Sprinkle the corn with the sugar and turmeric. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the cornmeal onto the corn, using a whisk to combine well. Add the heavy cream and cook until the corn has softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the rosemary. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Commentary:
Thanksgiving is stressful. You want to make the perfect turkey, the perfect desserts, the perfect sides, all with a clean house and a sane family. Well, that rarely happens. This year, to avoid some stress, I looked for recipes that didn’t take up too much space in the oven, and were easy and quick. I also wanted to look for something different to try then the classic sides. The sweet potatoes are easy, and delicious! The creamed corn is a great side dish that provides some sweetness to the meal. The cornbread stuffing, while delicious (seriously!!), is a lot. I would recommend this as a meal in itself. Enjoy!!
- Aug 21, 12
Dry Vegetarian Manchurian
Ingredients:
2 cups cabbage, finely chopped
2 cups carrots, finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 green chiles, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
Oil for deep-frying
Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Mix the cabbage and carrots in a bowl and press any excess water out.
- Add cornstarch, chiles and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour and water until a paste is made. Add paste to vegetable mixture until it sticks together.
- Make small balls, about the size of a golf ball, out of the mixture.
- Heat oil in a deep-frying pan and deep fry the balls until golden brown. Drain.
Root and Lentil Curry Casserole
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 carrots, cut into chunks
2 parsnips, cut into chunks
2 tbsp curry powder
4 cups vegetable stock
1 can red lentils OR 1 can Cannellini beans
Instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly brown, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat to medium high and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.
- Add in curry powder and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the beans OR lentils, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.
- If curry is still runny, add a tablespoon or two of cornstarch or flour. Serve with naan.
Naan
Ingredients:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Add in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in a floured bowl, cover with a warm, damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
- Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Roll dough into balls, about the size of golf balls. Place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Roll a ball of dough into a thin circle. Lightly oil skillet pan on medium high heat. Place dough on pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from pan, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
COMMENTARY:
I haven’t posted in a little while, so I decided to step it up a notch and not just have ONE recipe for ONE dish, but to have THREE recipes for a whole meal idea! (Manchurian is more of an appetizer and the naan and curry are eaten together.) I am personally a huge fan of Indian cuisine. I love the spices and I am obsessed with all the flavors. I sometimes have trouble going back to my usual, bland diet after. I have never made Indian food at home before. This first attempt, while not perfect, turned out pretty good! I was only making food for two though and we now have a large amount of curry and naan to eat over the next few days. The curry was not as spicy as I would have liked it to be, so next time I will add more of a kick. The naan turned out surprisingly well though. I had some difficulty making the naan, so I did some creative cooking involving cold water on a greasy skillet pan. I didn’t include that in the recipe because I don’t believe most people will have the same issues I had. However, if you find your naan turning a gross brown color because of the excess butter, comment and yell at me! This food turned out great though. The manchurian are nowhere near what I’m used to, but they were still pretty tasty. I am always for happy cooking surprises!
- Jun 29, 12
The ultimate dessert. It’s dense, rich and sweet. It’s great either cold, at room-temperature, or hot. I made these for a friend of mine, as a thank-you gift. They are easy to make, taste great, and keep for a while. Check them out:
Brownies
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 oz red food coloring
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. butter, softened
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8”x8” baking pan.
- In a small bowl, mix together cocoa powder, food coloring, and 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, into a thick paste. Put aside.
- In a large mixer bowl, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Add 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Turn mixer off, add in cocoa paste, turn on mixer to medium and beat until uniform color.
- Slowly add in flour, mix on medium-low speed. Don’t overmix.
- Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. Allow brownies to cool for at least 45 minutes. Once cool, put icing on brownies.
Icing
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups (1 lb) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- In mixer bowl, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add milk and sugar, one cup at a time. Mix well. Beat on high until smooth (30 seconds to 1 minute).
These brownies taste great, and the batter is a nice reward for afterward. The only thing is that when you add the flour and sugar, take your time and be careful. If you’re anything like me, you make giant clouds of white and coat anything in a five-foot radius in a light dust. - Jun 29, 12
Grilled Hawaiian chicken + grilled pineapple + grilled zucchini + grilled squash + sweet potato fries = Perfect Summer Dinner! Grilled chicken, while healthy, can be incredibly bland. And eating bland food is pointless. If you want to experiment with marinades, have a looksie at this one:
- 3 pounds of chicken breasts
- 1 c. soy sauce
- 2 c. water
- 1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
- 1 bunch of scallions, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
- Trim fat off of chicken. Slice chicken breasts in half, length-wise.
- In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onion, garlic powder, sesame seeds, and coconut milk.
- Pour marinade over chicken, and make sure chicken in submerged. Marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Grill chicken until cooked through, flipping over halfway through.
- Garnish with any extra scallions.
The chicken was super easy, and it was absolutely delicious with grilled fruit and vegetables. This is an easy dinner that is great for sitting on the deck and enjoying a summer night. - Jun 18, 12
Today, I embarked on a grueling quest for the ultimate chicken wings. Okay, so it wasn’t grueling, and the quest only took me to the grocery store and my kitchen, BUT, it was more productive than just sitting around! Just to warn you now, this recipe involved many exciting and many depressing turns. In the end though, a great dish was produced!
Last night, I researched an obscene amount of chicken wing recipes, and chicken wing rub recipes, and chicken wing sauce recipes. Thus, I ended up with this recipe:
HOT WINGS
¾ c. olive oil
8 pc. raw chicken wings
6 pc. raw chicken drumsticks
Rub
- 5 tbsp. Black pepper
- 2 tbsp. Onion powder
- 2 tbsp. Chili powder
- 2 tbsp. Garlic powder
- 2 tbsp. Seasoned salt
- ½ c. brown sugar
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp. celery seed
- 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ tbsp. McCormick’s Grill Mates Steak Rub
- 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
- Preheat oven to 385 degrees.
- Line cookie sheet with foil.
- Put ¾ c. olive oil in bowl.
- Put rub in bowl.
- Rinse chicken under cold water.
- Coat chicken in oil and then cover in rub, be generous.
- Cook chicken in oven for 30 minutes, flipping over halfway through.
- Turn on grill.
- Put chicken on grill, sprinkle on rub, and grill until cooked, about 15-20 minutes, flipping every once in a while.
That is my final, good recipe. The seasonings are great. I basically added anything that sounded good. It makes a spicy mix that isn’t too strong and has a hint of sweetness. I found, just from personal preference, that I liked the wings with the rub the best. The drumsticks were too thick to really absorb some of the flavor.Now, to the fun part – explaining why I did each thing and what ever happened to my failed sauce recipe… and what that recipe was! Ah the mystery!So I’m pretty sure I went over twenty websites looking for the rub spices, so to list all of them would just be a waste of time, and also unhelpful, as I modified a lot of the amounts. Also, when I was making the rub, I realized that I either didn’t have a spice or that I thought it was stupid in the moment, so a few of the ones I had originally included in the recipe were omitted. As I said, the above recipe is what I finally decided on.One of the websites I went on, which gave me a lot of the technique, was http://csalexis.hubpages.com/hub/Wings-So-Good-They-Make-You-Want-To-Slap-Grandma. This website talks about putting the wings in the oven the whole time, which by all means you can do, I just prefer to at least grill them a little bit. Anyway, the foil on the cookie sheet and the olive oil came from here. The foil worked great to keep the juices around the chicken, and the cleanup later was super easy (just throw away the foil).The rub, when I first did it, was not enough. Halfway through the chicken, my rub was gone, so I just doubled my original recipe. Then I put it in the foil, no Pam required, and cooked those babies for thirty minutes. I flipped each piece over halfway through cooking with tongs. I ended up just taking the cookie sheet out and putting it on the stove top and flipping the pieces there because it was easier, and also there was less chance I would burn myself, which is always good.After they cooked, I took the cookie sheet, with an oven mitt obviously, to the grill and put the chicken right on the grill. The website I referenced before said not to put the chicken on top of where the flames come up. I attempted to follow that, but eventually ignored it, which led to a few pieces being sightly darker then I would have wished (aka. burnt). So avoid the flames. Unless you like the extra flavor of burnt chicken flesh.So that is how the notes on the successful aspect of the chicken…. Now to the failure of the sauce.Sauce (DO NOT MAKE)
- ½ c. BBQ sauce
- 8 tbsp. Pete’s hot sauce
- 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. white vinegar
- 1 c. melted butter
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Too tomato-y. Too sharp. Not hot enough. Too sweet. Too thick. Just generally bad.I love hot wings. So I spent extra time on the sauce research. It looks like I’m going to need to research that some more. The picture is pretty, but you can see it is too tomato-y. I tried to cut that by adding more vinegar, which worked, but the taste then became too strong. I also tried in a last-ditch-attempt to just putting in a bunch of spices and see if they hit the mark. Unfortunately, that idea fizzled out too.But, I tried! And there is a reason this blog is called “The Amateur Rookie Chef”. I tried, so I’ll give myself a pat on the back. I did end up with a great rub though!If you try this recipe, and either find a great sauce recipe, or find some other great addition, leave a comment and let me know! I love feedback!Thanks for reading and keep on cooking.
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Posts
- Jan 23, 13
I didn’t think this day would come so soon… But today was our last day in Europe. We have to be up bright and early tomorrow to catch our plane back to the U.S.A. Part of me is ready to go home and see my family and catch up on sleep… But the other part of me wishes we were getting on a plane to a different destination to continue our European fun.
We celebrated our last day on the trip at the Film Museum in Frankfurt. This film museum was a lot more interactive than the film museum we visited in Berlin. We got to actually try out some of the old projection machines and view some short films whose production techniques made an impact on the industry as a whole. I loved walking around the special Oscar exhibit and seeing all of the memorabilia the museum had from all of the award-winning films. They had posters from It’s A Wonderful Life and The Departed, which are my two favorite movies. Unfortunately, no photos allowed so I have no evidence that this actually happened. Boo.
But my favorite part of the museum was an exhibit that compared recurring themes and scenes in different movies. The exhibit had four screens that would play scenes from different movies so the audience could actually see the similarities in each scene. One example was they showed Peter Pan and Superman at the same time to show how similar flying scenes have been used in movies with completely different plots. They also showed how Indiana Jones and Slumdog Millionaire use similar cinematic elements for the scenes they have where the main characters are running.
I think I thought this exhibit was so intriguing because I never would have made these connections between these different films. It made sense once it was pointed out but I don’t think I would have noticed how many times the same cinematic effects are used over and over again. Most of the time I get too carried up in the plot to notice how a movie is actually shot and produced (I guess you wouldn’t be shocked to find out I’m NOT a film student). I just found it interesting to to see from this display how different elements in film have been used over and over again and have been perfected in that time. The films that were being compared were sometimes produced fifty years apart from one another, yet have similar elements between them. The only thing that has really changed is the technology.
And that’s all we have from Europe. See you soon, America.
Ryan Greene
- Jan 23, 13
Today we visited the film museum in Frankfurt and it was by far my favorite museum of the entire trip. From great interactives to great film clips to a great special exhibit on the Oscars, I really felt the museum was, well, great (in case you didn’t pick up on that). As soon as we walked in the door, I was ecstatic because I saw the script from Casablanca, which is one of my FAVORITE movies. As we moved through the museum, I fell more in love.
My favorite aspect of the museum was by far the first exhibit. The exhibit focused on the history of cinema. Last semester I took Media History, Media Today, so I recognized a lot of the machines. I really enjoyed the kinetoscope and the camera obscura, which I actually did a research project on in middle school. The interactives in the exhibits were the best in the entire museum because you were able to truly appreciate the genius and creativity that cinema used to demand.To end my last blog post, which I am writing from the comfiest hotel bed ever, I just want to wrap up my feelings about this trip. I was excited for this trip, but I have never enjoyed a course, or a travel experience, as much as I have enjoyed the past few weeks. I learned so much and explored and got lost and laughed and had new experiences and met amazing people. I’m proud to be a communications student. I’m proud to be a part of the Elon University community. Thank you so much to Dr. Hatcher and Dr. Makemson for all their guidance. You both made this trip awesome!!
- Jan 23, 13
The currency museum, or geld museum, was an interesting intertwinement of communications and finance. Ryan and I completed our class research on the German economy. It was interesting to see the history of currency, up to today’s economy. Once again, the museum had great interactive features. I have never been a huge fan of finance, but I truly found this museum interesting.
The most interesting aspect of the museum to me was the counterfeit tester, where you could see if your bills were fake or real. It’s such an easy test, and you’re instantly involved with the museum. I also really enjoyed looking at the coins from different time periods. I collect interesting coins that I find, so I thought being able to go from ancient roman coins to the coinage of today was pretty interesting.Overall, I was glad that I had completed research on the German economy for class. I felt I could better appreciate all the information the museum offered.
- Jan 22, 13
We’re here at our last stop on the journey. Part of me feels like me just left Heathrow Airport and the other part of me feels like we’ve been in Europe for months. It’s been a great trip and I can’t wait to go through all my pictures and remember everything we did.
So we touched down in Frankfurt town to find that the city was a ghost town on Sunday… We could only find a few places open for dinner and it felt like we were the only ones in the city. But when Monday rolled around we got to see more of Frankfurt. It always blows my mind to find out the amount of buildings in German cities that were destroyed in the war. I know I’ve read about it in textbooks, but to actually be in some of the town squares and see how much construction had to take place to actually make the city livable again is absolutely crazy.
In our time in Frankfurt we’ve toured the city and visited the money museum, a site that tied into my research topic of Germany as an Economic Super Power. It seemed appropriate to me that the money museum was here in Frankfurt since the European Central Bank is right down the road from our hotel. But reading about the development of money in Germany I found that one important aspect was missing from the display: Ludwig Erhard. Erhard was the main economist responsible for the reform of the German economy after it was devastated by inflation after WWII. I figured someone this important to the history of money in Germany would have a large display in the money museum. But I didn’t see him or his accomplishments explained. To be fair, it is possible that I just completely missed his section in the museum.
I did find it interesting that the Germans felt it was necessary to have a museum strictly devoted to money. It seemed that they were putting in a big effort to educate their citizens on what has happened in the past and how their economy works now. I cant think of a museum similar to this one in America. And Germany has had a tough history in terms of their economy, especially after WWII so it seemed like they were really striving to educate those who visited the museum with interactive activities. For some things in history, I’ve gotten the impression that Germans have made it their mission to forget it ever happened. But with the economy, it seems they want to remember what happened so it will never happen again and I think that was part of the museum’s purpose.
To be honest, before the money museum I was having a hard time figuring out how my topic of the German economy was related to what we were seeing. But the more I think about it, the more there was evidence of Germany’s changing economy all over the cities we visited. I think one example of this was with the fake buildings. Germany may not have all the money it needs quite yet to build real buildings but it feels the need to keep up appearances since it is one of the more powerful countries in terms of economy. I also think that all the construction around Germany shows how the country (literally) has built itself up from the WWII. The amount of construction in all the cities we have visited has shown that the German economy is strong enough to expand its cities.
Ryan Greene
- Jan 20, 13
Just like in Nuremberg, it was weird to walk around Dachau in the snow. Having around six inches of snow blanket one of the most horrible places in history seemed to subdue the harshness I was expecting. Areas of the camp seemed eerily peaceful.
Before heading to the camp I knew it would be an emotional experience for everyone. The snowy scenery might have been weird but the weirdest part was having our usually energetic group of 29 barely say two words to each other the whole time. I thought our group was extremely respectful through the whole experience.
But I thought our tour guide and some of the German students who were also touring the camp were a little insensitive to what this experience meant to some people. I heard Jason chatting with another tour guide about his vacation and a soccer game that weekend and when I was watching the German students walk through, it was like they were on any other field trip. They were loud and joking with one another. It just didn’t seem like the guides and the German students were having the same emotional reactions as the rest of us. It was interesting to me to see the American students have a more emotional reaction than the German students.
Going through the town of Dachau and the camp itself, what I found most surprising was how advertised the Nazis made their concentration camps. I always had this impression that, for the most part, the Nazis tried to downplay the existence of the concentration camps. Instead I found out that the opening of Dachau was printed in a newspaper for all the public to see. And although the propaganda videos and posters were skewed to make it look like the prisoners were healthy, the Nazis never denied that Dachau was a labor camp. According to the guide, they were actually very willing to let that fact be known which makes me wonder how anyone in the surrounding area could deny knowing about the camp’s existence or purpose. It makes me sick knowing that all of this was going on and people literally in the next town over turned a blind eye to it all.
Ryan Greene
- Jan 20, 13
Last winter term, I took the course “The Art and Archaeology of Death.” I was planning on focusing my blog on the connections I drew between that course and our visit to Dachau today. However, after spending five minutes in the camp, I focused instead on the stark contrast between what I saw and what I knew had been there.
It felt surreal to walk around on the grounds where thousands died only a few decades earlier. It is so difficult to wrap my head around how this camp could ever have been allowed to come to be. I was amazed at how some people, mostly school kids, were walking around laughing or playing with the snow. I personally viewed the entire area as a huge memorial to the dead who were tortured and suffered unimaginably.I also found the religious memorials incredibly interesting. I found it interesting that the Jewish memorial, which was by no means the largest, held the greatest meaning to me. I’m not sure if I agree with having a functioning church on the camp grounds though.The crematorium was very moving and unsettling. I was truly struck by the shower room. It is so hard to even attempt to imagine everything that happened in Dachau. With all the issues the works has today, it is strange to see just how awful the world can be.I know this post is not really communications related, but there would be no record of this atrocity if there was no communications. Photos, videos, letters, even first-person accounts, all aide in forever remembering history. We don’t appreciate this today. People create history and people record history.
- Jan 17, 13
Today was our first full day here in Nuremberg where we did a walking tour of the city and of the former Nazi parade grounds… all in about three inches of snow. I’m happy to say that once again I survived a snowball beamed to the back of the head.
I found it really ironic that Nuremberg was so beautiful when the city has so much history in the development of the Nazi party. Walking around and watching the snow fall, I never would have thought that this was the main grounds for the Nazi party. And I think many people on the trip were feeling the same way. It was interesting to hear from Jason the tour guide that even though its more than 60 years after World War II, people still associate Nuremberg with the travesties of the Nazi party.
I think what I found most interesting from today was how impractical the Nazi party was about everything they built. Before the tour guide explained how the coliseum was a completely unrealistic endeavor and that the stadium Hitler wished to build holding 400,000 people would be useless, I was under the impression that the Nazi party was superior in construction. But in reality, Jason explained that many of their buildings were built in the most unreasonable fashion and that many of their construction designs were copied from other eras. They really had no original work.
I found out today that the Nazis were sure to make everything seem impressive and intimidating but everything they built had flaws. It’s something I never would have guessed because, based on the pictures and films and propaganda I’ve seen of the Nazi party, everything they used seemed to have a purpose and a function. In reality, they built things in the most awkward and useless way.
Having learned this, I think I finally realized that the Nazis were unorganized but managed to gain the respect of the people because Hitler was concerned with one thing: appearance. And it worked. Through the communication devices Hitler employed like propaganda film and posters, the Nazi party and their parade grounds and future plans seemed pristine and put together. And these propaganda and illusion techniques worked because the Nazi party gave off that air of intimidation that Hitler hoped for.
After this walking tour, I realized just how obsessed the Nazi party was with wanting to show everyone how impressive they thought their party was to the point that they had the most ridiculous architecture plans. But even though it was all an illusion, the communication tactics the Nazis used, with the photos and films and propaganda, had the Nazis come across as a well-oiled machine. This really showed me how communication can be used as an influencing device.
Ryan Greene
- Jan 15, 13
Although many parts of the city were beautifully serene, other parts were openly heartbreaking going to the Jewish Quarter of the city was definitely a rough part of the trip. I think the part that was so unnerving was seeing all the names in the Synague and the massive cemetary that was in the back. It was devastating to realize that many of the names in the synague were of Jewish citizens who didn’t survive the Holocaust. The only silver lining to this tragedy was that the synague was making a conscious effort to remmeber those who lost their lives in this tragedy, fighting against Hitler’s goal to erase any evidence that these people existed. Those at the Synague used the power of the written word to document the name of every Jewish resident who was affected by this tragedy so that they wouldn’t be forgotten. It was nice to see that the written word, a form of communication, was being used to keep history alive.
Just from looking at the skyline of the city of Prague, it looks like it could be stuck in the 16th century since the architecture is so classically European. And because of this appearance I wasn’t expecting parts of the city to be so modernized. To me it was almost modernized in a bad way. We discussed this in our debriefing session, but I wasn’t expecting Wenceslas Square to be filled with shops and department stores. It just seemed to cover up the fact that major protests during the Prague Spring and Velvet Revolution took place in that very area because now there is a McDonald’s or a KFC roughly ten feet away. There was even a big plasma screen lighting up the square from above that gave it a feeling of being like Times Square instead of the location of two major turning points in Czech history.
Don’t get me wrong: 99% of the time I love technology and advancements in media and communication. But its times like these that I almost think technology and communication should be avoided. The presence of the modern age, with the massive television screen in the square and the digital poster advertisements on every block, took away from me fully enjoy the old-fashioned feeling I was getting from the rest of the city. The big digital display might have been informative and may be suitable for the time period. but they just didn’t feel appropriate for the location.
But everything else about the city was gorgeous. And since I rubbed the statue of Saint John that means I will be coming back sometime in the future to enjoy it some more.
Ryan Greene
- Jan 15, 13
Today we ventured to the outskirts of Prague to visit the headquarters of Radio Free Europe. While we only were able to see the main center of the first floor and the inside of a few offices, we had a great discussion with Zach, an employee who is actually from Minnesota.
The discussion was interesting as it reflected to me the feelings that I get from the city of Prague itself. Radio Free Europe has a rich history with a future full of drastic changes. In this aspect, Prague is just the same. Prague was under strict totalitarian rule. Radio Free Europe was created to send information into the Iron Curtain. Prague is now a city where tourism and commercialism are beginning to flourish. Radio Free Europe is making the transition to more online outlets, with their coverage consisting in mostly Middle Eastern and Asian countries.These rapid changes have led to both positive and negative side affects. However, in the worlds of media and democracy, change always comes with the good and the bad.
