Oh yeah... we're at McGill to go to school! Classes/discussions that are making us think...
CRIME
My roommate is in a Sociology class about crime, and we both recently watched the TV show "Orange is the New Black," which is about a woman's 13-month experience as an inmate in a minimum security prison in the US. I also read Piper Kerman's novel, "Orange is the New Black," off which the show is based. Both the show and the novel had a great impact on me and my thoughts about the US prison system. Sam also has an invested interest in these topics from her newfound knowledge on the sociology of crime.
My roommate is in a Sociology class about crime, and we both recently watched the TV show "Orange is the New Black," which is about a woman's 13-month experience as an inmate in a minimum security prison in the US. I also read Piper Kerman's novel, "Orange is the New Black," off which the show is based. Both the show and the novel had a great impact on me and my thoughts about the US prison system. Sam also has an invested interest in these topics from her newfound knowledge on the sociology of crime.
THE MIDDLE EAST
For my International Development minor, I'm in a Middle Eastern Politics class. With all the turmoil going on in the middle east recently, this class is extremely relevant to current events. When I was eleven, I went to an international summer camp in Cairo, Egypt. Learning about the history of Egypt and the events leading up to the revolt, I grow more and more thankful each day that I was able to experience the country when I was younger and traveling in the Middle East didn't pose such a threat.
For my International Development minor, I'm in a Middle Eastern Politics class. With all the turmoil going on in the middle east recently, this class is extremely relevant to current events. When I was eleven, I went to an international summer camp in Cairo, Egypt. Learning about the history of Egypt and the events leading up to the revolt, I grow more and more thankful each day that I was able to experience the country when I was younger and traveling in the Middle East didn't pose such a threat.
RACE
For my English Cultural Studies major, I'm in a class called "Race in American Cinema." I'm learning a lot about Hollywood race politics and the portrayal of different stereotypes in the history of Hollywood cinema. I recently saw the trailer for the "Captain Phillips," a movie starring Tom Hanks about the American cargo ship taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009. I'm interested to see this movie and be able to apply the things I've learned in class to the obvious race dynamics at play in this story.
For my English Cultural Studies major, I'm in a class called "Race in American Cinema." I'm learning a lot about Hollywood race politics and the portrayal of different stereotypes in the history of Hollywood cinema. I recently saw the trailer for the "Captain Phillips," a movie starring Tom Hanks about the American cargo ship taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009. I'm interested to see this movie and be able to apply the things I've learned in class to the obvious race dynamics at play in this story.
TECHNOLOGY
I came across this TedTalk video, "Connected but Alone" by Sherry Turkle, and it actually outlines a lot of the feelings I've been having about technology and communication lately. I think this quote, from the middle of her talk, explains well what she is trying to say:"Don't all those little tweets, don't all those little "sips" of online communication add up to one big gulp of real conversation? My answer was no, they don't add up. Connecting in sips may work for gathering discreet bits of information, saying "I'm thinking about you," but they don't really work for learning about each other, for really coming to understand one another." I think about this a lot when I've been texting someone for a long time, but it's been a while since I've actually seen them or spent time with them. I always try to catch myself when I've been communicating with friends through technology for too long, because I really value face-to-face interaction and actual experience. Turkle goes even farther to argue that in using technology to communicate all the time, we actually compromise our capacity for self-reflection, because knowing and understanding others leads to knowing and understanding yourself. In turn, self-reflection is the bedrock for development, so if you are not getting enough experience with understanding other people, it compromises your own development. She wonders if we have so lost faith in each other that we resort to technology for companionship. For one, technology appeals to us when we are most vulnerable, when we feel like no one is listening to us. Social robots, like facebook, twitter, or siri, give us the feeling that people are always listening to us. We have come to expect more from technology and less from each other. Being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved-- we always need to connect, whether we're at a red light or walking from home to class-- but solitude is where you find yourself. Ultimately Turkle argues that we need to focus on the ways technology can lead us back to our own lives, our own bodies, and our own plant. How technology can make this life the life we love.
I came across this TedTalk video, "Connected but Alone" by Sherry Turkle, and it actually outlines a lot of the feelings I've been having about technology and communication lately. I think this quote, from the middle of her talk, explains well what she is trying to say:"Don't all those little tweets, don't all those little "sips" of online communication add up to one big gulp of real conversation? My answer was no, they don't add up. Connecting in sips may work for gathering discreet bits of information, saying "I'm thinking about you," but they don't really work for learning about each other, for really coming to understand one another." I think about this a lot when I've been texting someone for a long time, but it's been a while since I've actually seen them or spent time with them. I always try to catch myself when I've been communicating with friends through technology for too long, because I really value face-to-face interaction and actual experience. Turkle goes even farther to argue that in using technology to communicate all the time, we actually compromise our capacity for self-reflection, because knowing and understanding others leads to knowing and understanding yourself. In turn, self-reflection is the bedrock for development, so if you are not getting enough experience with understanding other people, it compromises your own development. She wonders if we have so lost faith in each other that we resort to technology for companionship. For one, technology appeals to us when we are most vulnerable, when we feel like no one is listening to us. Social robots, like facebook, twitter, or siri, give us the feeling that people are always listening to us. We have come to expect more from technology and less from each other. Being alone feels like a problem that needs to be solved-- we always need to connect, whether we're at a red light or walking from home to class-- but solitude is where you find yourself. Ultimately Turkle argues that we need to focus on the ways technology can lead us back to our own lives, our own bodies, and our own plant. How technology can make this life the life we love.