Meghan Ng- Final Blog 7

As we count down the days till the final exam; thinking back, I am so pleased to have been a part of Media 180. This class gave me a raw and real insight on how society started to communicate through the use of media dating back from the 13th century to present day. So much has changed, and Professor Ewen and Makia were able to incorporate that into the curriculum despite only meeting for such a short period of time every week.

From the rise of print technology, to the power of images and aesthetic hierarchy, to photography, self improvement, visual rhetoric, advertising geared towards consumerism, the reflection of the self, the century of the selfie, public relations, etc…the list was almost never ending. The lectures on photography and the century of the selfie were my favorite, and I was able to get a better understanding of why us 21st century millennials are so obsessed with ourselves, and it has come to a point where it is becoming a problem. Photography is such a powerful media device that can used however which way we please, and Professor Ewen a lot of gave great examples. I was also able to connect my every day life to advertisements and consumerism, and see how easily we are affected as a society.

Professor Ewen made it evident that there is no way to hide/avoid media, because it is everywhere especially since Hunter College is in the heart of Manhattan. His book “All Consuming Images” was also a good read and covered a lot of ground on the whole idea of style, media, etc. He concluded the last lecture by saying that if we want to make a difference in this world, don’t just say it…do it! People are so lazy nowadays, and aren’t motivated. There has to be a call of action; if you don’t stand up for something you are passionate about, then you will always feel powerless.

The message I got out of this class is to be the change you want to see in the world… I am grateful that I was given a chance to interact and work with a lot of bright and intelligent people who want to make a difference in the world as well. Thank you!

Tobacco Awareness Campaign Project 3-Work Plan

Group Members: Meghan N., Jaime R., Arjeta K., Rina G. (10:10)

Goals:

• To raise awareness on the negative effect of smoking tobacco on CUNY campuses. To communicate with students at Hunter to see if they are aware of the strict policy that has already been in effect since September 2012. Inform them about the death roll every year, and how they can seek help if they want to quit.

Group Members/Roles:

• Meghan N.- Campus Recordings/ Interview Recording/ Video Editing
• Jaime R.- Campus Observations/ Interviewer/ Research
• Arjeta K.- Campus Observations/ Survey Distribution/ Interviewer
• Rina G.- Campus Observations/ Survey Distribution/ Research

Research:

*Websites that provide information about CUNY’s Smoking Ban and Tobacco Control

http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2011/02/14/university-rolls-out-total-smoking-ban/

http://www1.cuny.edu/mu/forum/2012/09/13/cuny-becomes-tobacco-free/

http://m.tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/20/Suppl_1/i1.full

Timeline:

Week 1:

• Research- Collect 3-5 resources and references (April 28- May 2)

• Observe- Observe Hunter students to keep track of the locations where students smoke and an approximate estimate of how many people use tobacco products around the school (May 3- 7)

• Survey- Allow tobacco users and non-smokers to take a survey (May 8-10)

Week 2:

• Interviews with 2-3 people around the campus (May 10-11)
• Constructing presentation (May 12-14)

Student Connection: Meghan N., Jaime R., Arjeta K., Rina G., 10:10

Our group campaign would like to spread awareness about the lack of care and support that is shown throughout student life on the Hunter College campus. Because it is a commuting school we often times fail to care for those in need and gear ourselves more towards schoolwork instead. Interaction between students is vital, and sometimes we are given surveys to fill out from the Counseling and Wellness Services to see if we know how to approach others that are having any difficulties. People respond in that they will help others in need. But, when we are confronted with a situation, there is no significant or impactful reaction upon the problem. That is why we see Hunter as a divided CUNY; turning away or not acknowledging the ones that need help the most. Some are just extremely shy, and aren’t able to express or interact with those on campus. Student Connection serves not only as a voice, but as an active group that will provide ways to help people to feel more comfortable when conversing with other Hunter students. Everyone has a story or a conflict in their life…we might have even felt like we were all alone at times. Knowing that we are here for each other and are willing to help out, our goal is to let everyone know that there are some people out there who still care!

Salvation & Self-Improvement: MEGHAN NG

Personally, I enjoyed Monday’s lecture on: Personal Salvation and the Cult of Self-Improvement, where the idea of the rise or emergence of a society and the role of the individual has become increasingly important. Back in the 17th century, the word individual as a way of describing a human being didn’t even enter the language at the time. People neither prefered themselves as individuals, nor did the Latin meaning have anything to do with human identity. As we began to give meaning to self-improvement for self salvation we lost our sense of touch with the world. The self is a work in progress, and we as humans try to change ourselves as a form of progression. These ideas of personal transformations are different from premodern myths. Media is a place that offers people personal instruction and advice. Rooted from the idea of Protestantism, there were people who came out of a certain tradition. One of the earliest documents is: Doctrine of Predestination (individuals who are elected or rejected by virtue). The emergence of the idea that salvation is personal began to spread; we are either saints or sinners. Protestantism has a very strong tradition of personal anxiety, so people worked hard and read the word of God in hopes that they can be saved… Today, media focuses more on digital self-improvement, selfie improvement, self transformation, and it has changed us drastically. It is identified almost like a religious veneration/ cult, which is even scarier. Everything that was once important to us, or had meaning to us is the past now. Even though social media has made a huge impact in my life; on the other hand it is unfortunate to be a part of this empty, narrow-minded, self-absorbed generation. Professor Ewen’s lecture and the discussion on form versus matter resonated with me, and made me feel even more aware of how much times have changed, and the fact that we will continue to move forward- never backwards.

Tiananmen Square Protest 1989 (六四事件) -Meghan Ng

The link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeFzeNAHEhU is a raw footage of a brave Chinese man blockading a tank in Tiananmen Square. It’s hard to believe the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 happened 26 years ago. For those of you who don’t know what this event was: the Tiananmen Square protest, commonly known as the June Fourth Incident (六四事件) or ’89 Democracy Movement (八九民运), were led by student demonstrations in Beijing during late spring of 1989. Around that time there was an increasing view among university students and others in China for political and economic reform. Student-led testaments pleaded for more individual rights and freedoms in late 1986 and early 1987, which caused hard-liners in the government and Chinese Communist Party  (CCP) to suppress them. One fatality of this tougher outlook was Communist Party General Hu Yaobang, a liberal reformer who had encouraged democratic reforms; in January 1987 he was forced to resign his post. He died April 15, 1989.

Many students who protested received ample support from city residents. Unfortunately, protesters were forcibly restrained by hardline leader Deng Xiaoping and other elder leaders who ordered the military to execute martial law in Beijing on May 20, and mobilized as many as 300,000 troops to Beijing. Students and other protesters engaged in this act for seven weeks straight. Crime spread on June 3-4 as armed forces with assault rifles and tanks inflicted casualties on vulnerable, weaponless civilians who tried to block the military’s advance towards Tiananmen Square. The number of civilian deaths has sky rocketed from anywhere between hundreds of thousands, and it has been estimated that as many as 10,000 people were seized during and after the protests. Some of these college students may very well still be in jail today, while others have escaped to different countries all over the world.

This event is so significant and is one that we will never forget. Coming from a Chinese family myself, it is the true definition and action of protesting. For so many people who wanted to have a say in what they thought was best for Chinese government, in return they were shot down, locked away, and this day is prohibited to be spoken of in Beijing. Today if people carried around posters with the numbers “6” or “4” they would get in trouble. If you even utter a word about this event, there will be consequences. Today there is only one place to hold a memorial for the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 and that is in Hong Kong. Over 100,000 people commemorate this event. Even though Hong Kong is under China’s rule they have the willpower to express what is thought to be one of the most powerful events in Chinese history. The video is footage that should be preserved, exhibited, and presented as a piece of once lost footage that is now found and will remain just as important to us as it was 26 years ago.

-Meghan Ng (Section 08)