Blog Post#8

In my opinion the main aspect that connects Diego Rivera’s Frozen Assets mural to the Occupy Movement is the message. During the great depression in the 1930’s a lot of people lost their wealth and fortunes, but the people who didn’t took this as an opportunity to get wealthier at the poor’s expense. Diego was trying to capture the fact that while corporations and people were getting wealthier by influencing one another the poor were getting poorer with no one to turn too, not even the government. There was and still is a divide between the wealthy and the poor.

 Today’s Occupy Movement is no different because people are standing up for the economic and social inequality. Since the Recession in 2007 people and corporations have been trying to become financially stable, but the people feel that the corporations have been doing it the wrong way. Instead of trying to spread the wealth they only help themselves. The connection in my opinion is clear because the dynamics are the same just different times. During the 30’s peoples finances were low and it was hard to afford much of anything, times were hard. The article stated that in 2007 that the richest 1% of Americas population owned 34.6% of the country’s total wealth. Times have changed but the fact still remains that the country is not financially stable. Rivera’s paintings made a great statement back then, and the people who are protesting are making an even bigger statement this time around.

Blog Post#7

                   The person who inspires me the most is my mother. The thing that inspires me most about my mother is her strength. Her ability to work two jobs, support her children, household, and be a positive role model is inspiring. I have never in my life seen a person work so hard to help others, while pushing their personal needs to the side, and never complain. This inspires me so much because when I look at my mom I see the woman I hope to one day become. When I think about all my mom has done I feel pride and am overcome with joy. I’m proud because she essentially came from nothing, and overcame all the stereotypes, negativity, and obstacles to be the woman she is today. The joy I feel is knowing that with her as a positive leader in my life there is nothing that can and will hold me back. My mom has been the backbone of the family from when I can remember. She is always willing to give advice, help, and discipline you whenever needed. Although me and my mom bump heads a lot on different subjects; true to her nature she hold firm on her beliefs, this was a trait that I didn’t understand as a child. Now that I am older I can understand why she always stood firm, because it was the only way she could keep control. I can speak for all my siblings and say we all equally respect, love, and are inspired by our mother on a daily basis. People who come in contact with my mother do share different opinions about her, some say she’s extremely mean, and there are others that think she’s passive. She can be both; she chooses what side of her she exposes to different individuals. The inspiration I receive from my mother will last me for the rest of my life after all she is the biggest part of my life.

community blog post

My basketball community wasn't made up of a group of random girls, we were an extended family. I played basketball from middle school into high school. The first team I ever played for was Havens Court middle school in Oakland Ca. All the members of this team were classmates and friends I had come to know through school. Our interaction with one another was way past casual we were family always laughing, joking, and playing around.
Everyone on this team had a central appreciation and love of the game basketball along with competitiveness. The way we were chosen for this team was through tryouts and we all strive to become apart of the team, but the decision was ultimately up to the coach. The basketball team also gave us opportunities to fundraiser, help kids younger that us, and for a lot of us this was the first time in our lives we felt apart of something.

The next team I played for was Angelo Rodriguez high school in Fairfield Ca. This teams dynamics were different. On this team you had to be a student athlete which meant you had to maintain a C grade point average. This team gave us the opportunity to travel and meet other players on different teams. To play on any basketball team it takes extreme dedication and motivation.

Every team has there ups and downs. With the competition level there are always emotions and frustration involved. The only disadvantages to being on a basketball team is that sometime you miss out on events, but you have to make sacrifices for your team. There are always internal problems in a team as well because some players felt that there was favoritism or not enough playing time. With the extreme competitiveness also came disappointments as well. The disappointments of losing is what i used to dislike the most because i felt we worked so hard for a loss. Winning is apart of basketball in my opinion the best part. All in all being apart of any community is a great opportunity.

Module1 Reflection Blog

Plus:

• Working well with colleagues
• All homework assignments in on time
• Contributing to all class discussions
• Taking responsibility for my actions

Delta:

• Paying attention in class
• Asking questions about things unknown
• Patience
• Professionalism
• Staying aware of Tech related news
• Taking efficient notes
• Using resources given

One thing I learned about myself is that I don't take efficient notes. I realized that I missed out on a lot of important information because my notes were unorganized. I will challenge myself this module to take better notes. I am proud of myself for always contributing in class discussions. I feel that my voice was always heard within our class discussions and that I brought relevant points to the discussions. I am disappointed in myself for not taking the initiative to read my tech book more, and keep up with the technical current events. I will make an effort to stay up on current events relating to tech, and by using all the resources available to me. Overall I will attempt to have a more productive module in which I learn all that there is to know.

Blog Post#6

                In my opinion a person’s neighborhood shapes them to a certain extent. I grew up in East Oakland in a predominately minority neighborhood. Growing up I lived in a tight-knit neighborhood where everyone looked out for one another, but we weren’t naive to the things that were going on around us. Luckily with my family dynamics I always understood that education was important. In my opinion my community didn’t affect me as far as schooling went. My community shaped me on my thoughts, the way I speak, and my mentality. For example growing up I saw a lot of violence, and as a result now violence doesn’t really scare me. I’ve learned how to analyze different situations and react to them accordingly.

 As far as school went my community gave me an outlook on how I didn’t want to be. I saw a lot of young mothers, high school dropout and used this as an example of what I didn’t want to do. I feel that people sometimes have a choice as to whether or not there neighbor hoods shape them. I said sometimes because there are those extreme cases where people don’t have a choice. In my opinion you can choose if you want to be successful or not despite your neighborhood. For example if you were raised in the suburbs in a nice community, you still have the choice if you’re going to school to learn or not. The same goes for people that were raised inner-city they have the choice to choose if they go to school to learn. The only difference would be the materials and curriculum available to them.

I am who I am despite the neighborhood I lived in. This statement best fits me because despite how I grew up I still choose to go to school every day and learn. There were times when outside things could have affected me but I didn’t let them. I feel that I am a part of the lucky few from my neighborhood that have accomplished some goals, but also have goals to accomplish.

Blog Post#5

In my opinion the companies that were in the article are exacerbating the opportunity divide by taking advantage of people, who are in bad situations, and desperate. For example, car companies knowingly give loans to people who they know can’t pay them back, but salesmen’s get paid off of commission so they don’t care to stop them. Blue-Hippo was a company sending out false advertisement to people with low credit scores trying to purchase computers. The advertisements were telling people that no matter what their credit score they could purchase a computer for a cheap amount of money. In reality Blue-Hippo were not shipping customer’s computers until they could pay the full amount. Many companies get away with taking advantage of low-income earners, because many aren’t educated enough, or willing to take the time out to read contracts before they sign them.

People should be held responsible for their actions. When signing things such as contracts, and legal documents people should read them carefully.  I understand that many people don’t have the proper education but it never hurts to ask the people who are giving you the contract what it is that you are signing. People should take the initiative for themselves and fully understand anything before they sign it. Corporations in return shouldn’t be so money hungry that there taking advantage of their customers. If customers are willing to read the contract then companies should be willing to thoroughly explain it to them. Companies & customers should work hand in hand to make sure that neither is taking advantage of each other. In my opinion low-income earners should be given the option if they want a third party to assist them in understanding a contract. People who really need the help should take advantage of any assistance given to them. Overall it’s up to customers to fully understand anything before they sign it.

Blog Post#4

If you were to ask a friend or family member who Alisa Harvey is, you might get the answer that she's funny, out-going, and spontaneous. If you were to ask a colleague or former employer they might describe me as hard working, well-rounded, and ambitious. I'd like to think that I am all these things mixed into one. What motivates me is seeing where I came from and what I don’t want to end up like. Growing up in a low-income family taught me that education is key and the only way to succeed. Throughout my years I have learned to enjoy the simple things life has to offer like reading, basketball, going to the movies, and spending time with family and friends. As enthusiastic as I am about enjoying life I am equally willing to put forth the effort in work as well. My future goals include me going back to college and receiving a degree in Broadcast Journalism, and hopefully a successful career in Radio Broadcasting. I hope to one day reach my goals and affect the world by giving back to my community and third world countries on a larger scale. I hope to have a legacy that lives on forever.

                    -Alisa H