week 10

Megan Labianca

Blog 10

1)What is the main point of the article?

The main point of this article was how Employee Rights were not practiced at there jobs

and how companies take advantage of that and act as if it is a dictatorship.

2) What types of supporting details did the author use to make his points.

The author supported the main idea through use of (blurbs) true stories that related to the main idea and analogs to compare the main idea to a cold war thriller.

3) Have you experienced or observed surveillance or unfair treatment in the workplace?

Personally I have been faced with unfair treatment in the workplace, I works as a buss girl at a restaurant near me, and I work 4 30 to 10 30 every Friday night but I don’t get any breaks, often that’s because its always so busy, but I still em never offered by my boss to take a 10 min break. I feel it’s completely unfair because the waiters and waitresses get breaks to go have a smoke but I can’t take a 10 min break.

week 9

Megan La Bianca

List the three changes mentioned in the article.

1A. Faculty are speaking up more about students who worry them. That’s accelerating a trend of more demand for mental health services that was already under way before the Virginia Tech shootings.

1B. Changes are being made to privacy policies. In Virginia, a measure signed into law Wednesday by Gov. tim Kaine requires colleges to bring parents into the loop when dependent students may be a danger to themselves or others.

1C. The big change since the Virginia Tech shootings, legal experts say, is colleges have shed some of their fear of violating the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

2. Do you agree or disagree with the changes that are mentioned?
I agree with the changed being mentioned, I feel faculty needs to speak up about students, because I feel most of the issues these young adults face is school related. I also strongly agree bout privacy policies parents should always be in the loop when it comes to there children, they know them the most and they can help control the outcome.

31. What is the problem that many faculty members realized?

Faculty members realized, that the law applies only to educational records, not observations of classroom behavior, or that it contains numerous exceptions.

week 8

Megan La Bianca

1. What is the topic of the article?

The article is about, university/ college shootings in the United States.

2. What is the main idea of the article?

The main idea of the article is, we need tighter security in college/ university campuses.

3. What supporting details does the author use to support the main idea?

The author uses facts and examples to support there main idea, such as Virginia tech, where 32 people were killed by a student who then killed himself. The Texas at Austin University when Charles Whitman killed 16 people from the observation deck of a clock tower before he was gunned down, and the unforgettable 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Experts have found that, tighter security in the after math of the violence isn’t always effective. “people tend not to take security seriously until an incident happens, and then we find they are hyper vigilant. But, after a few days or months, they go back to their everyday ways.” “ we have a lot of boys and young men who don’t know how to deal with their feelings of rage or depression or being broken-heated or any of the other kinds of normal emotions.” The fact is no matter how secure we make are campuses, shooters will always find a way to get to people.

4. List three characteristics that can be early warning signs of a student's potential to become violent

1. social isolation
2. low self worth
3. doesn’t take criticism well

5.What security measures have you noticed on this campus? Do you think these measures are worthwhile?? Why or why not?? On campus, I have noticed, emergency phones, identification cards, security cameras and security vehicles. I feel these security measures are important in which, student id helps with always knowing if someone goes for does not go to our school, but I feel we can take it a step further like my high school in Northport, when we had to swipe id cards in order to get into the building so, the school knows when and where we are at all times so incase a incident god for bid happened here they would be able to narrow down the person with time and place. I also feel security cameras help in visually seeing someone, and how people are reacting to such matters. And I feel safe knowing the security drives around all the time so if anything ever did happen I know there around. I feel these matters are very important and should be all stepped up in order to preserve are safety.

week 7

Megan La Bianca

Today natural beauty is distorted by Photoshop, today we can easily hide the acne, the wrinkles, and the baggie eyes. We can change everything about someone with a few quick clicks of a button. Today there is no such thing as natural beauty, because the media is selling to us, that we need these beauty products to look and feel young and pretty. Really when we look in the magazines, look up at the build boards, were not seeing the “big picture”, we don’t see how this is not natural beauty, this is hours of make up and hair work, hours of Photoshop, touching up every inch. The media paints over what we think is natural and we get frustrated when we wish we could be that beautiful when really no one is, its all an illusion.

Did you change your original views from Week Six?

No my views are still the same, women are being portrayed as people there not, being all touched up with make up and hours of editing, women everyday look at these women and are getting the wrong message, everyday women fight with them self in the mirror, they wish they had this, and looked like that, but really no one does because the media has painted a picture of what we “want to see” not what we really see.

Did it make you think differently about what we see in the media and what reality is?

Yes, we don’t see the big picture like I said before, we think were seeing this naturally beautiful women, but in reality, there being warped and rearranged in Photoshop and other editing programs. We wish we could be so naturally pretty and skinny and this and that but really no one is, the media shows us what we want to see, not what is really there.

week 6

Megan La Bianca

1. I expect this article to portray how the media is affecting what we see as beautiful.
2. I read women’s health a lot and they always have a very tone women on the front cover but she’s not skin and bone. I feel there portraying women to lose weight but be tone and built so it can be misleading, as it could show women to be skinny and women will feel pressure to lose weight but also build muscle so they don’t look like walking skeletons.

What is the main idea of the article

The main idea of the article is the media is painting a picture of what we should see as normal, skinny, lots of make up, expensive jewelry. Its telling women that there not good enough as they are so by buying these diet, and make up products they will be more suitable in are society. Sexy sells today every beer commercial has the beautiful, skinny girl advertising there drink, because most men drink beer so you put women and beer together men will sure buy the beer. Today losing weight is a epidemic there’s over a million diet and fitness commercials a year and women are being mislead because they feel that if they lose this weight everything will be better they’ll get the guys, the money, the better life, but really there just making the diet industry richer and richer. Today being skinny is a fashion statement and if your not skinny your not “in”.

What reason is given in the reading to explain the images of women in the media?

The reasons that women are all over the media, is sexy sells. Products are pushing sex and sexy in all there products. Advertisers are pushing how we feel every day we want to feel loved and beautiful so by drinking this drink, by wearing these clothes we will fulfill are need to satisfy are curiosity and are need to fit in. Magazines are telling us what we want to know, they make money one are weakness, everyone struggles with there weight so we want to fix it and the magazines and advertisers know how to sell there products by showing us what we will gain from buying there products. Today “advertising rules the marketplace” and thin is in! Today women are going to higher and higher lengths to fit in and if that means changing who they are they’ll do it, because like the article says being thin means having it all, the perfect marriage, loving children and great sex with a rewarding career. The media is showing us what we want and that’s why we buy it, we fall for there tricks.

Why did the researchers generate a computer model of Barbie-doll proportions?

Researchers generated a computer model of Barbie doll proportions to show the disturbing fact that media images of a female beauty are unattainable. They showed how her proportions showed her back was too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and that her body would be too narrow to contain more than half of her liver and a few centimeters of bowel. They showed this to explain that so many women want this body, but is it worth it? Because with a body like that women can suffer from devastating health consequences.

women should be portrayed in the media, as all different shapes and sizes, in the article it states that, an Australian magazine recently included a picture of a heavy –set model on its cover, it latter received a truckload of letters stating it should be taking off. But why? Shouldn’t we portray all shapes sizes and colors? Because in real life that what we are. To me I feel people don’t want to see what’s true, the want to live in there own little world that everything can change over night by buying diet pills and expensive make up. But really in the end are they happy? We have been so heavily influenced that skinny is the only way to be happy that we go through higher lengths to have it. We should portray all women because there all different kinds of women out there.

week 5

cell phones and driving safety: questions

1. I expect the article to be based on fact rather then opinion.
2. I have never used a cell phone while driving, I pull over. Most of the time I am on a busy road so I need my concentration. And I have personalized ring tones between family and friends so I know if it’s important to pull over or not. When driving I see immense amount of people using there cell phones while driving, I personally think the use of cell phones is distracting and unsafe because you only have one hand free and I know a lot of people do drive with one hand, including my self, but when you have an object in your hand it slows down your reaction time. Also if you get to into the convocation good or bad, you most likely will forget to look in your mirrors or signal.

1. After reading the article the author’s evidence was based on, Facts rather then opinion. The author backed up his/her point by sighting, where and who they got the information from.

2. The main idea of the article was, the high risk of using a cell phone while maneuvering a car.

3. According to the Utah study, the reactions of drunk drivers differ from reactions of drivers using cell phones by, A study of 40 people, some people drove drunk, meaning there blood alcohol level matched the legal limit. Others drove while using a cell phone and others drove with no distractions or impairments. Drews, study showed that people who where drunk, tended to be aggressive, while those who where talking on the phone where more sluggish while driving. They found that talking on the phone reduced reaction time by 9 percent, in terms of braking. And 19 percent in terms of picking up speed after braking.

4. the four signal words that helped me locate my answers were, is, like,

5. The use of a hands-free cell phone while driving is just as dangerous as the use of a handheld cell phone because, in Drews study they found that, “ we have seen again and again that there is no difference between hands free or holding the phone. “The problem is the conversation”, drew added. People are paying attention to their conversation, and not there driving causing an increase in getting into an accident dramatically.

6. What position does the cell phone industry hold? “Cell phones don’t cause accidents, people do.” Sated john walls, vice president of the telecommunications and internet association. He feels that by educating drivers on how to best handle all of the possible distractions when you’re behind the wheel is the most effective way to make safer drivers. He denies that using a cell phone is part of a distraction.

week 4

I feel that u.s citizens who smoke are being discriminated by, because people should be able to smoke in there own home, i think its getting a little personal telling someone they cant smoke in there own home. And theres a lot of smokers out there so if you put banned on smoking at restaurant's and homes and cars i can see that could be a good way in getting people to quite because theres no where to go but, people are going to smoke in there home weather its a law or not because we cant see whats behind closed doors. And smoking its self isn't illegal so, people are going to smoke when and where they want because they can. And if their trying to prevent people from smoking in the homes and cars and restaurant's they should just put a ban on smoking because with all these limitations theres no place to smoke so it should just be illegal.

As i was reading i looked for signal words to help me find the important points, i did a little side noting and highlighting of important facts so when i came back to the story i could see all the important info. people's names, facts, and places.

week 4

" Do you think u.s citizens who smoke are victims of discrimination?"

I feel that, U.S citizens who smoke are not victims of discrimination, because it’s a health issue. Especially in public restaurants, hospitals and schools. There not discriminating them because they hate people who smoke, there trying to protect people from second hand smoking. Second hand smoking over time can be just as bad as smoking in the first place. And who wants to be enclosed in a room with 500 smokers trying to eat your dinner? Especially if your not a smoker, and today they have separate locations for smokers, even though that may sound like discrimination its not because you chose to smoke. Its a personal choice, you want to be identified as a smoker, you smoke. The thing is you can change being discriminated on by what you do because you can change habits, but some people don’t have it as easy, some people are Unreasonable discriminated by because of there differences in race, religion, sex, age and nationality.

week 3

2.Write about an experience that you might have had in dealing with diversity.

Diversity comes in many forms, gender, religion, race and disability. Today we live in troubled times. September 11, 2001 the world as we new it, has changed. People don’t see people for who they are, they see them for what they are. Weather it being the color of there skin or the way they dress people see diversity as a threat to there life.

Now a days going to the airport is like lining up for a mug shot. People are pulled aside because they fit the “criminal description” weather it’s for the color of there skin or how baggy there pants are. Today we stereotype people based on what we think we know. We hear it on the radio, we see it on TV but that doesn’t mean its all true? The media has its way of stretching the truth or making things seam more x-stream then they are. Two years after September 11, 2001 I was in the airport waiting for my mom to get home from seeing her best friend in Florida. As I was waiting I saw all the bomb sniffing dogs and the proud men in camouflage. I watched the line, as people tiredly waited to be checked through each gate. I noticed that they were pulling people aside and further checking them, I asked my dad why some people were being brought behind curtains, he replied, the world is a different place now, no one can be trusted. But as I watched closer I noticed they wear only pulling aside Colored, Muslims, Spanish and other non white people. Why isn’t everyone a target? Why just people who are different.

Today I feel we should look past what we hear and see in the media, because it’s painted such a negative picture of what America is. Diversity, that’s why we’ve been called the melting pot, because we bring everything together as one and that’s how we should see each other as one and not as all different people.

week 3

The authors purpose in writing this story was to, inform people that, people like labels,weather it be on someones religion, race, gender or disability. people tend to stereotype people based on how they dress or the color of there skin, because were scared of what we don't know so we tend to sum up who someone is to feel more comfortable with there presence. the author mad a point that "she sees her daughter for what she is not the color of her skin" i feel shes trying to make a point that people are more then what meets the eye.

intro and learning style

hey! my name is megan la bianca i am a visual learner, i need hands on learning,