Why are you so ugly? Why are YOU so short?

We all like a good laugh! HAHAHAHA <-- See? Wasn't that a great time?

Some people are just naturally funny. At Champlain College there is a bunch of Krazy Kooks who encourage that type of tomfoolery. Champlain College has its own Improv Comedy Troupe; LOS DORMANT VOLCANOS (insert applause here)! The Volcanos, directed by Eric Ronis, get together for three shows a year. They play roughly 21 games per show, some of which require audience participation. The last show they did was at Parent's Weekend. How do I know all this? That's right! I myself am in Los Dormant Volcanos. It's a jolly good time filled with a whole lot of laughs and the occasional "OOOOOO!”

Me playing "Everyday Olympics" at our Family Weekend Show- That's a flattering picture!

Improv Comedy is so much fun! The first rehearsal, I was terrified. It's not actually as hard as people think it is. Thinking on your feet isn't terrible when you learn to trust yourself and block out thoughts of what you think you want to do! If this sounds fun, you should consider participating in our next show or auditioning next year! Viva Los Dormant Volcanos!!!

Come check out our "End of the Semester" Show on Sunday, December 12th at 8 P.M. in the Alumni Auditorium !

"The New Yorker?!" All nuts and bolts there"- The Devil Wears Prada - 5 minute Presentation

Thesis : The New Yorker is a published magazine that services highly educated class citizens with interests in politics, opinion , theater, movies and books.


Five Facts:
1) The New Yorker publishes out of Iowa.
2) It contains “talk of the town” which is an opinion column.
3) The New Yorker reviews movies books and the theater.
4) The New Yorker writers are called “contributors”.


5) The New Yorker has caption contests and features drawings.
Brain: The New Yorker stimulates the Neocortex with the use of words. The limbic brain is used with its talks of music, it’s art, and its drawings..
　
Shifts : Epistemological shift- The New Yorker utilizes art along with drawings to go along with its written word.
Cultural shift: The New Yorker focuses on many aspect of what could be dying culture such as books and theater.

Principals:
　
Value Messages- Because it is a lot of opinion and criticisms, the New Yorker has a lot of value messages hidden in the opinion.
Ownership- The New Yorker is influenced by an highly educated consumer judging by its content.
　
Emotional Transfer- The different pieces of art or the plot of a book or play can invoke different emotions in the readers.
Techniques :
Testimonial - There is a page in the New Yorker that lists all credentials of their contributors.
Nostalgia - It reviews things that were more popular a while ago like the theater.
Repetition - The exact same sections are in the New Yorker every issue.

Oh...we're halfway there, Oh oh, we're livin on a prayer - Midterm Reflection

It's hard to believe we're already at the Midterm point of Media and Society. I've come across a lot of interesting pieces of media in the last eight weeks like Reel Bad Arabs and the radio film. We're supposed to answer five questions as half our midterm so here I go :

1) After studying 21^st century media for eight weeks in this class, what have you learned? Please be specific.
      I think one of the most important things I've learned so far is that nothing having to do with media is as it first appears. Everything has a deeper meaning. I've also learned that media and technology has gone through gigantuan changes in the last fifty or so years with no signs of slowing down. Everything is converging (haha , vocab) into one powerhouse.

2) What is the most important thing you have learned about yourself as a critical reader, a writer, and a thinker in this class so far?
a) As a thinker, I've learned that I am a bit naive. I'm still attached to a happy-sunshine view of everything and that isn't always the way to look at things. For example, I knew about the racism in Alladin but I still sor t of see it as just a Disney movie that I love.

"Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face...It's barbaric but Hey! it's home".

     b)As a writer, I've learned that I can be brutally and candidly honest if I see fit to be. I learned this after posting about my account of my mother living with MS.

     c) As a critical reader, I need to learn how to grasp the big picture a little better, instead of going after inane facts.

3) What’s one thing you would do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?
      If I were to take the class again, I would study the powertools a little more. I didn't do so well on the last few quizzes because I didn't study enough. I probably would've picked a shorter Blogger URL too.

4) What’s one thing you would like me [Rob Williams] to do differently this first half of the semester if you were to take this class again?

I think more in-class discussion would be good. The start of the semester had a lot of discussion but it seems to have dwindled. Discussion, for some, is an easier way to get an opinion out than by blogging. (Side Note: Bring Diki more often!! He's too adorable not to include!)

5) Please comment on the usefulness of the power tools, our course blog, your personal blog, our in-class quizzes, our films, and our book(s) as learning tools.

a) Power Tools - The power tools are useful for the quizzes but some parts like the trends and principals can be difficult to understand.

b) Course Blog- THe course blog is awesome for homework. It's useful but we never seem to look at peoples answers much in class. I love it though.

c) Personal Blog- I love my blog with all my technologically related neocortex/limbic brain.Blogging is so much fun!  It was useful to me, personally, when I needed to get something off my chest.

d) Quizzes- The quizzes are fair. They're useful in keeping us on our toes. We just need bigger index cards (although apparently there is a method to the Williams madness as of Thursday).

e) Films  - The films are useful in getting us thinking. I spend a good chunk of time thinking about them. For example, I've had "TV- the drug of a nation, breeding ignorance and feeding radiation" stuck in my head for about a week and a half.

f) The Book- I honestly don't find it useful.  I just don't find it worth the trouble of getting it and reading it. I really only use it for what is required.

Well, there's my meditation. Namaste.

Felicidad Puro Esta en Chile en Este Semana - Media Meditation #3

Translation: Pure Happiness is in Chile this week.

     It would be hard put to find a person who wasn’t aware of the situation in Chile. Thirty three miners in Chile had been trapped in a collapsed mine for sixty-nine days. After months of effort, a capsule [Fenix 2] was finally ready to go and retrieve the miners, one at a time. The first out was thirty year old, Florencio Avalos.

(Courtesy of Youtube)

Thirty-two men rescued and twenty two hours later, the shift leader, fifty four year old, Luis Urzua emerged from Fenix. He was met with deafening cheers and a handshake and kind words from Chiles president. Chile has seen a mass unification of their citizens and shows of support for the miners are appearing worldwide. But what's next? "The true measure of a people’s strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does [that moment] arrive". (I quote the West Wing a lot. Be Prepared)

The struggle for the miners isn't nearly over. How Chile chooses to proceed to help them from this point will truly measure "their capacity to meet a challenge" (One more time!). This weekend, most miners will or have been released from the hospital. Pardon the pun but the light at the end of the tunnel may be visible for them.

               What irritates me is this. I had always intended to blog about the miners but while I was researching news pieces to embed, I came across something bothersome. Fox News (which I tend to avoid) apparently beat CNN and MSNBC in ratings when coverage for the rescue was taken into account. I saw the same story from a bunch of online news outlets. Well, Fox, CNN and various other outlets, I have a question for you. WHO CARES?!Thirty three men survived in a collapsed mine with minimal light, barely any food (I read a story where a miner said they had to make an effort to avoid the word "cannibalism") and rare contact with the outside and you're worried about RATINGS? So, CNN and MSNBC and various outlets, go join FOX in the dog house.

(Courtesy of David Wenzel)

As for the thirty three miners, I say " Buen Trabajo. Que son los mas fuertes de los fuertes." Translate that yourself!

Camp Champ Radio Spot by :[Enter Incredibly Sexy Group Name Here]: Castles, Yaks and a British Accent

Jeremy:
 Champlain College. With breathtaking views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains, Champlain College is a hidden gem nestled within Burlington, Vermont. While unconventional with its upside-down curriculum, Champlain is one of the most community-orientated schools in the country. Its three-dimensional learning program incorporates community learning, with the unique “Life Experience and Action Dimension.” US News and World Report named Champlain one of the “Top Up-and-Coming” schools in the nation. Champlain is both a progressive and spirited college. Don’t believe us? Ask a student.

Leslie: Camp Champ is amazing. The people, the atmosphere, and the majors are all part of the amazingness. Even the sweatpants are comfy! Everyone is so friendly. The classes are challenging, not brutal. The food is edible, not disgusting. The professors are awesome especially if they raise yaks or have a British accent.
Jeremy: In the few short weeks I’ve been here, Champlain College has given me much more than I could have asked for. I’ve got a wide array of friends from many different backgrounds, teachers who all have their own little quirks, and the coolest dorm I’ve ever seen. That’s right. I live in a Victorian mansion. There is no such thing as a square building at Champlain. The architecture is almost as great as the academics, and, considering the fact that there’s a veritable castle for a dorm just down the street, that’s saying a lot.

Kelly: Transferring to Champlain was the best decision I ever made! I mean what's not to love? The beautiful location, the small, intimate classes, the knowledgeable, easy to reach professors, and the guarantee that there's always something fun going on around campus? For these reasons and countless more are why I chose Champlain. There's no other place like it!

Lindsey: Champlain
A little strange at times
 But they take care of their own and give you the best college experience possible. They are ready and welcoming with open arms. Let Us dare. Audeamus.