Wrapping Up the Year

This year's experience of collaborative learning has taught me to utilize things like peer review, and especially the blogs. With peer review and looking at other students' blogs, I can see how my peers are fairing with the same assignments, and I can use their viewpoints as something that could influence my thinking. Overall this collaborative learning style has taught me it's incredibly useful to work together with other people, and to me it's much better than working alone. Since I am a business major, this semester in Writing 140 was extremely useful because collaborative working is a key aspect in the business world. Few things accomplished in the business world are done alone, and this course has shown me that even writing papers can be the result of collaborative efforts such as peer reviews.
I will consider starting another blog in the future, because it could be useful for connecting with people in ways other than Facebook or texting. The business world revolves around making connections around the world, and I believe blogs are a great first step to doing this. Writing 140 was an amazing class and I hope my future classes at USC give me the chance to experience collaborative learning again like this class.

Less Wikipedia For Me

After investigating just how inaccurate and unreliable Wikipedia can be at times, I am definitely less likely to rely on it as any type of source of information. I will only use it to see how accurate it is on some subjects I am well educated in. I didn't use Wikipedia that often before I investigated it, so now I will only use it as a means to look at the accuracy of the information it has. I most likely won't join the discussion myself, unless some facts on the subject pages that are just completely inaccurate. There are too many people just like me trying to lead the discussions on Wikipedia when there are far more experienced people that could better lead the discussions. I am hoping one day that Wikipedia does change to an encyclopedia that is considered scholarly, and can be considered a reliable source that everyone in the world has access to.

Communal v Authoratative Acquisition

In my experiences, I have mostly experienced tensions between authoritative and communal acquisition of knowledge when I simply cannot choose which source to listen to. For example, in high school, when our teachers gave us different insights then my fellow students, it was tough to decide who to believe. This was true for solving math problems, writing essays, and a paucity of other subjects. Personally, I find it more useful to listen to the authoritative source, because he or she is specifically trained to help me in that area I am requesting help for. In addition to this, when using a communal knowledge source, there are often opposing sides to the same subject, and it becomes even tougher to decide within the communal source who to believe and trust. Therefore, even though I can get a variety of knowledge in a communal source, it is more beneficial if I just use one authoritative source so that I can be confident that the source is trustworthy, rather than trusting the opinions of many people I'm not completely sure about.

Logical Fallacy-Advertising

This is an image of a billboard in the United States. Religious billboards tend to controversial, and I found this one to be specifically misleading. This one simply provides a false conclusion in its advertisement. This means the billboard incorrectly labeled atheism as something that causes civil war. This is an oversimplified conclusion, and this can be classified both a false dilemma and a false cause fallacy. This sign is first misleading when it claims that atheism is anti-American. Then it claims that being anti-American is treason. Lastly, it claims that therefore since these things are true, then being an atheist leads to civil war. This is an oversimplified statement with a false cause conclusion and thus it is a fallacy in advertising.
here is the link to the image: http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=666&tbm=isch&tbnid=drs80n4JeQdMZM:&imgrefurl=http://godlesspaladin.com/2009/01/13/anti-atheist-billboards/&docid=LV-14vp2GxB42M&imgurl=http://www.bored.com/billboards/images/atheist_billboard.jpg&w=500&h=375&ei=PEXAToqjFoz9iQKK4vCPAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=365&vpy=264&dur=913&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=138&ty=114&sig=112444100257690343710&page=1&tbnh=139&tbnw=182&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0

Japanese Immigrants-1940s

I will be writing about the Japanese immigrants in the 1940s, around the start of World War II. I find it extremely interesting how this group attempted to keep close ties with homes even at the onset of World War II. As executive order 9066 was issued, the loyalty of the Japanese people in America came under question. Thus, it became extremely difficult for Japanese Americans to even attempt to assimilate into the American culture, because they were already seen as different people, and it was actually dangerous for the Japanese people to keep close ties with Japan. Therefore, Japanese immigrants did not have the best reception during the 1940s, considering they were seen as the enemy in World War II. The internment camps reflect this reception, since clearly the Japanese Americans were not completely trusted in the eyes of America. In conclusion, the Japanese immigrants did face a multitude of barriers in their attempts to assimilate into American culture during this time period, and the 1940s can be considered one of the most troubling times ever for Japanese immigrants to assimilate properly into the American culture.

Sources from Assignment #4

The sources from the readings are extremely useful. Many of the articles use a myriad of sources to support their claims. This is useful, because different sources are used to backup the same argument. There are few, if any sources that are from 2000 or later. Most of the sources are from the 1990s, and some fall back to the 70s and 80s. A wide variety of sources betters the argument, because perspectives from different time periods can be used.
These sources are used to illuminate how minority immigrants were able to cope with their new surroundings in the United States. The sources therefore often highlight how Los Angeles was a remarkable place of great diversity, but this led to conflict, racial tensions, and other problems. The two specific sources I chose were Racism in California: A reader in the history of oppression & Immigrants Out! The new nativism and the anti immigrant impulse in the United States. These sources reflect on how the Japanese Americans were usually treated as different than the typical American person; Even if they were born in the United States, they were from a different ethnic background, and this usually meant they were treated unfairly. It would have been better then for Japanese Americans then to assimilate into the typical American culture, because as history shows (Internment Camps), the Japanese were treated unfairly if they held close ties to their homeland. I can use these sources then as a way to support how difficult life was for Japanese immigrants in the 1940s because regardless, they were seen as different people that native born Americans.

Spectrum Series event

The Spectrum series event was a fantastic speech that effectively engaged the audience with the speaker. The goal of the speech was to try to display just how brutal the conditions are in places like Burundi, because of violent events such as civil unrest and ethnic conflict. Many people have probably never heard of this nation in Africa, and many more people are probably unaware of the conditions that exist there. Burundi is not a safe place, as many people are extremely sick, malnourished, and simply afraid. The speech definitely succeeded in both showing the audience what exactly is happening in places like Burundi, and inspiring the audience to help improve places similar to it.
This speech connects to what we have learned in our AMST 100 class in that racial and ethnic conflicts can terrorize any country and tear it apart. Racial conflicts exist everywhere in the world, and people should step up to help protect these places from civil unrest. Countries have literally been destroyed by the fighting of its own people, and learning from these past occurrences, the world can become a better and safer place.

Learning from Research

Since I began researching the topic of the LA Riots in 1992, I have come to realize that the event was nearly similar to that of the infamous stock market crash in 1929; There are many proposed factors and causes to the situation, but none of them are definite. The Riots of 1992 have many causes, especially that of the Rodney King beating, but there are too many reasons as to why LA rioted in the way that it did. My newfound knowledge has greatly affected my understanding of the problems faced by Angelenos in that I mainly believe that the Riots were the result of racial tensions that built up for a long time. Immigration and displacement of certain ethnic groups had some role in leading to the riots of 1992, and something like this can be avoided in future times. Different minority groups in close areas should be watched carefully, because as evidenced from history, this often can cause problems. As long as the Los Angeles citizens keep an eye one each other and try to avoid conflict, riots should not be a future issue to the city of L.A.

The L.A Riots

I will be writing my next paper on the LA riots that occurred in 1992. It was a time of civil unrest in Los Angeles, and it was one of the most violent and destructive periods in LA's past. The riots occurred after police officers were filmed beating Rodney King repeatedly after a car chase, but even though there was video evidence, the police officers were not charged and were acquitted from the crimes. As a result of the ruling, there were riots in Los Angeles immediately following; LA was seriously crippled by the riots as many people were killed, many more were injured or harmed, and LA itself was nearly destroyed physically from all that had happened.In my research, I will be looking for more than just the plain facts to the case: I would like to discover how this event has affected the future and how it has shaped society, specifically in Los Angeles. The LA Riots are a key part of LA's past even though it was a negative event, and it's something that the people of today should reflect on and definitely learn from.

The Galen Center and Specific Needs

The area around USC, which is south central Los Angeles, specifically needs a public space where people can converse and socially interact with each other in a safe environment. The area also specifically needs a public space that will hold various meetings and get-togethers, whether that be for the town as a whole or individual groups. This downtown area does not have too many actual public spaces that are known for bonding the community together and attracting a diversity of people, without the impending reminder of events costing large amounts of money. Having the money or income to actually enjoy public venues is one of the biggest disadvantages that this part of Los Angeles sees. There are many people who cannot afford to pay to enjoy entertainment, so Los Angeles should try to create more venues that are low in costs for those who want to enjoy it:This would be the most specific need of Los Angeles relevant to this area.

The Galen Center at USC

The Galen Center at USC is a specific building of USC that is located off-campus, but provides an attraction and influences the surrounding area in South-Central Los Angeles. The Galen Center is the home of the Trojan's basketball and volleyball teams, and is also widely used for a myriad of events for downtown LA. The center is both for the community and for the school of USC; it can be used for athletic events that the community, and the people of the trojan family both attend. To be specific, the stadium often hosts NCAA division I games for many to enjoy, but concerts, graduations, and special events are there specifically to benefit the area surrounding the University of Southern California campus. Therefore, this Center may be officially property of USC, but it is an attraction for south-central LA, as many of the events at the Galen Center will prove.
The Galen center then is an accommodating space for those in LA, especially for a wide range of people in LA. It could be more accommodating since its location is primarily for those attending USC, but when it does host events other than sports, the community is definitely able to reinforce ties with each other, and the venue provides an opportunity for many to socially interact. The Galen center however should continue to do anything that it can to provide opportunities of interaction for those in the South Central area of Los Angeles with social events and concerts. Stating the previous, it could be doing a better job than it currently is, but it is doing a decent job in regards to the Galen Center being a publicly diverse and exclusive spot for downtown LA. What does the blog group think? Is the Galen center accommodating for the surrounding area?
Here is a link to the USC Galen Center

Re-Evaluating "Beverly Hills"

Since I began writing about this song I have noticed a few things about the lyrics in the song "Beverly Hills" by Weezer. Both at the beginning and the end of the song, the lead singer and writer, River Cuomo, tries to emphasize this sense of self pity in the song. He talks about how average and nearly depressing his life is, which I interpret as a chance for Cuomo to manipulate and persuade the audience to feel bad for him or the average person, who will never succeed in California like the celebrities and the affluent have. This is an idea expressed in the theory of social slots existing in the United States. For example, some people believe that those not given advantages early in life don't stand a chance of rising up above what they already are in society. I believe this is a point Weezer may be trying to get across, because Rivers Cuomo believes social slots may be a restriction for many people trying to succeed in the eyes of the California dream. My views of the dream have not changed though since I have written about it. I still firmly believe the California dream is something far superior and more demanding than the typical American dream, because it consists of extreme wealth and over indulgence in material items. This is not to mention of course how the ideas of stardom and excessive fame tie into the dream, a position in society that many long for.

"Beverly Hills" by Weezer

I chose the song "Beverly Hills" by Weezer, because I love listening to the harmony and melody of the song. For some reason, it's a beat that I have always been able to remember since I first heard the song, and "Beverly Hills" has to be one of my most favorite songs, something I have listened to countless times. To complement the amazing melody, I love listening to the lyrics; With most songs I am not able to understand all of the words that are sung, but with "Beverly Hills", I am able to follow the song, almost like a story, so I understand what Weezer is trying to get across as they express their view of the California Dream, specifically the dream of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Because of its harmonious sound and its simple but meaningful lyrics, "Beverly Hills" is a fantastic song that once again supports the idea that the California Dream is something everyone longs for, but yet the dream is almost unattainable in the mind of the band.

Seeing if the USC link works

here is the USC web site.

How to define the California Dream

The California dream is something rather different from the typical American dream. People travel from countries far away simply to come investigate the California lifestyle. For some, the dream means becoming a world famous movie star, and for others it's a chance to start over with a new life. Which ever the case may be, almost everyone can agree that the main attractions embedded in the California dream include the weather, the possibility of fame, the attractive people generally associated with California, the beaches, and a paucity of other factors. This primarily differs from the typical American dream, because the American dream generally consists of owning a house, owning a car, raising a family, and living a successful life . The California dream tends to almost be more extravagant, because people long for this fame and beauty, and it's just different than the idea of simply becoming successful as a person and living anywhere in the country. California comes across as this land of relaxation, where the beaches are just a few minutes away, almost like an ongoing vacation, but yet this is not reality. This is how one could define the California dream in relation to the regular American dream.