This week, the graphic design team worked hard to collaborate and create some sort of a branding guidelines document to present in class on Tuesday. I personally compiled a few different ideas for colour schemes, and decided on one that I liked. I then created a branding guidelines page and sent that to the rest of my team for feedback. The team has not made a final decision on the branding for EMERGE but we hope to by Tuesday. I also finished and sent out the graphics design request form, which will be sent to the team leads of EMERGE shortly. It has been difficult to collaborate with all the other design teams (ie. web team, social media, print mag, etc) regarding branding because each team has their own ideas. We want EMERGE to be consistent, so by Tuesday, all of our teams plan to meet to discuss our options and talk with Nick to hopefully arrive at a single EMERGE branding guidelines document.
By next week, I hope to have the final branding guidelines complete, and I hope to have a few requests for graphics so that the graphic design team can get to work!
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When I first read this text, I thought about a weird society of human-like creatures that do strange things to themselves to change their appearance. I compared the tribe in this text to our society in Canada, and thought that our way of life is much more “normal.” It seemed to me that the people that this text is talking about are less human because of the way that they do things. The comparison between the Nacirema and Canadians and Americans seemed so different and strange that I could never believe that this work by Horace Miner was a direct reflection on the way we live today – Nacerima is American backwards!
It wasn’t until I was in class and we were having a discussion about this text that I realized the huge message in this text. I was totally blinded and did not realize that this text actually represented the way that we do things in Canada and America. I never thought that our society could be looked at and criticized in this way. I read the text over again, and all the assumptions that I made about the Nacerima the first time also applied to Americans when I read the text for the second time. The body rituals among the Nacerima are a criticism of what Americans do to their bodies to try to become more “beautiful.” When I read this text for the second time, I had to read it with a new pair of eyes to try to see and relate to Horace Miner’s perception, and I think that I can say I agree with him. From this text, I think that Miner wanted to frame Americans (and other Western cultures) in to a special “tribe” that no one understands or can relate to, and he succeeded in doing this. This text makes Americans seem very strange and confusing, and I was mind blown (or as Lipton put it, “mind-fucked”) when I realized that this text was about American society. Miner talks about how the Nacerima have a fascination with the mouth, and they believe that our mouths and teeth influence the success of our social relationships. Miner says that the Nacerima perform a daily “mouth-rite” where they “insert a small bundle of hog hairs into the mouth, along with certain magical powders, and then move the bundle in a highly formalized series of gestures.” (Miner, 504) This, to me, would relate to Americans brushing their teeth using a toothbrush and tooth paste each day. There are many other different examples of this throughout the text. It is interesting to me how Miner relays this information as he uses a lot of phrases such as “it was reported to me,” or “I managed to get this information…” This makes it seem like the Nacirema are totally detached from what is considered normal life, when arguably, the American society is one of the biggest, most influential societies in the world. I think it is true that nowadays, we spend too much time focusing on our looks and not on what is really important in our lives (such as our jobs or education). Due to the availability of certain procedures to change the way you look, we are much more open to completely making-over or modifying our bodies to look better. We have what we consider to be an “ideal body image” in mind, and some people simply cannot settle with the way they look naturally. We keep striving to reach the ideal body image because of the influence of media and other people in our lives, and sometimes, it can have serious impacts on us. Works Cited Miner, Horace. “Body Ritual among the Nacirema.” American Anthropologist 58.3 (1956): 503-07. Web. Ten years ago today, her cold hands shivered as she griped the hard metal bar of her hospital bed. An IV pumped through her skin and up in to a thin vein in her arm. It gave a familiar, painful tingle that she was all too used to. The make-up mixed tears that stained her mothers face only made her tougher and stronger. She thought about her family, her friends and the normal life that she used to lead, and wanted it all back. She squeezed her mother’s hand and tightened her eyes; she prayed that this would all be over soon.
Ten years later – today – she is walking and talking like anyone else you’ve seen. Her blonde hair, long and wavy, drifts behind her in the breezy summer air. Her body that used to be frail and damaged is now strong and healthy. She has a healthy weight and a healthy mind. Everything is normal. She won’t go back to the way she used to be – in fact, she won’t even think about it. This is her life now and always. As a patient, she was always amazed at how involved and precise the surgeons and doctors had become. She was shocked at her recovery time and how fast she healed. The nurses were smart and careful and were always interested in her wellbeing. But now, she doesn’t think about all the medicine that cured her. She never thought of the years and years of training the doctors had to go through to fully understand the human body and the horrible disease that made her sick for years. She never looked back on the medicine that saved her life; she was never thankful. She thought about the months and months of agony and suffering that her family went through, but never about the medicine that got her to where she is today. If you have ever had a cast, splint, injection, vaccination or surgery, you have been introduced to the ways in which humanity uses its knowledge of medicine: an invisible technology. Medicine is something that we take for granted. It has come so far over the years, from influenza hospitalizing almost 7000 people in 2009/2010, to hospitalizing only 5000 in 2014/2015 due to the flu vaccination. Cancer, one of the world’s most horrific sicknesses, has many different options for curing that have been explored. Unfortunately, there is no direct cure for cancer, but there are tons of treatment options that scientists and doctors have been looking in to for years. The overall five-year survival rate for bladder cancer in 78 per cent. This means that out of 100 people who may have bladder cancer, 78 of them are still living five years after diagnosis. This is an astounding result that many people fail to recognize. Many people overlook these numbers. They get jabbed with a needle and continue with their daily lives, and do not even think to thank the scientists that come up with these life saving medicines. We still, for some reason, get upset when doctors have issues curing us, or do not have an idea of what we are sick with or how they can make us better. We become disappointed when doctors cannot fix us. We do not realize that doctors are trying their hardest, and not everything is curable. Doctors have more than enough training in their field, and we sometimes do not recognize that they are trying their best to help us and to make the world a healthier place for everyone. Doctors are willing to sacrifice their own lives and come in contact with thousands of germs daily to save us and try to help the sick. In Georgia, 2 American aid workers were hospitalized for three weeks after becoming infected with the deadly Ebola virus that spread rapidly through several countries in Africa. They have recovered and now pose no health risk, proving to the rest of the world that Ebola can be cured. After this event happened, many people did not appreciate the will and strength of these two doctors, but rather became greedy for the cure to save their own families and loved ones. Everything from blood pressure pills to seeing glasses can be considered types of medicine. Frequently, people forget or do not even think about what a great addition these are to our lives, and very often we find that people use these things daily and never think about how amazing this constantly improving technology is. Medicinal knowledge has been developed and tailored throughout history in order to help the average human being that is sick or not feeling right. Medicine is an invisible technology because we never think about the thought, time and effort that is put in to creating something so influential and helpful to our society. We take medicine for granted; it is that simple. We usually never take the time to appreciate an incredible doctor who has helped us overcome our sickness. We as humans I find, are becoming more and more selfish and greedy, and we take advantage of our doctors, nurses and hospitals and only have one goal in mind: to get better. While this is a good thing and should be a common goal for ill people, we must also remember those who helped us along the way. Invisible technologies are not something that we can train humanity to appreciate. We understand that we cannot live without them. Other invisible technologies such as phones, planes, chairs, clocks and even running water have become such a commodity in our lives that we don’t think about them. We use them so regularly that they have become so involved in our lives, and we never think about how amazing they are, or what they provide us with on a daily basis. Invisibly technology is something that cannot be changed or altered, I believe, and even if we do start to appreciate the small things in our lives that have such a huge impact that we don’t recognize, other things will become lost in our society and will become invisible technologies themselves. However, it is important to not loose sight of the things in our lives that provide us with comfort and a healthy, good standard of living. So, next time you visit the nurses office for a yearly checkup, be sure to thank them for the good work that they are doing. Floating in the harbor, a slow breeze blows over the rolled sails that are tightly wrapped around the boom. I sit cross-legged on a dark piece of dry wood of the dock and watch the boat. Slowly drifting up and down, the ropes tighten and grow looser as the waves rock the boat back and forth. Comfortable and peaceful, she is tied to the dock and remains still. I think of my family, my friends and my life here on this peaceful island; time goes by so slowly, yet it feels like I’ve only been living here for a few days. I’m still tied up; connected to everyone on this small island. I’m still attached, and this is where I want to stay. Safe and surrounded by what I am used to in this little harbor. My strong ropes are still tied tightly to the salty cleat that stains the dock with rust. 15 years this cleat has kept me here: floating and rocking, curious but stationary.
I watch as the sun glistens just above the water and sends a sharp light through my eyes. The dock follows a path that leads out to the boat. A light pattern of steps grows louder from behind me and I crouch lower into my spot on the dock and wait to see who it is. I can hear the slap of flip-flops banging against her heels as she walks by me, heading towards the sailboat. Her long, wavy, blonde hair flows down her tanned back and flashes of feathers and metal beads peek out from the random dreads tangled in her hair. She crouches down and unties the cleat at the bow of the boat. My heart sinks. In two days I will be on a flight to Canada – to the cold, snowy life of a Grade 12 high-school student. No longer with my family anymore, the knots are slowly unraveling, no matter how hard I try to pull them tighter. I have to say good-bye to my home here, in my little harbor. My space will soon be empty, and I am nervous for the new harbor I have to find a home in. I wonder if I will be able to find a dock as safe as this. I wonder if I will ever feel this comfortable again. The girl finishes untying the cleat at the stern and jumps on to the boat. She throws her sandals below the bench behind the wheel and pauses. I stare down at my shaking, sweaty hands and realize – this is it. I am gone. There will be no more daily walks on the beach; no more worrying about the sand stuck between my toes. No more moments in slow motion, no more time to pause and relax. The whole reason I’m leaving this island is to focus and to get more done - to figure out my purpose in life. I want to know who I really am and how I can make a difference, and this is the first step. So, my knots are loose. The girl pulls the sail up with one swift movement. The wind catches, and slowly I leave the shallow waters of my home. The water turns from a piercing turquoise to an infinite, mysterious blue beneath the front of the bow. I wonder what could be looming in these waters. The thought scares me. There is so much to discover and so much to learn under the surface of this ocean, and I am a mere sailboat floating on the top. Leaving home is an experience I will never forget. At first, everything seems all right. The calm waters carry the boat over the deep ocean, and most of the time, I feel at home. I feel safe. But a part of me is still stuck to the past. I will never live with my family again. All I want to do is drop an anchor right here and slow down to a stop. I want to adjust my tiller and turn around. I think about applying for University. I have just gotten used to life in Whitby, and now, a year later, I have to start all over again. I have to learn to live in a new environment and a new college-culture. I feel the wind pick up and a wake begins to form behind the boat. The dark water surrounding the boat seems to get darker. The sail catches the gusting air and sends the boat flying forward into patches of dark clouds and rain. I knew this storm was coming. I was dreading the time, waiting for it to happen. There is nowhere for me to turn now. Always on my best behavior, there is no time for laughing until I cry. There is no time to just stop and think. I am always making adjustments now, correcting the sail to get the perfect amount of wind to move faster and more efficiently. I always have to be aware of my surroundings and what is happening. I have to have a general goal in mind of where I am going. The sail slowly becomes looser on the mast. It is no longer pulled tight, meaning the wind has gone down. The boat is back to a slow rock, and the rain has stopped. A subtle, orange light emerges from the clouds on the horizon. The storm is over. I can see the greyness of the rain cloud behind the boat, and I’m glad that it is over. I am glad that I have come this far. I have learned that there will always be setbacks and stops, and things will happen that make you reconsider your path, but through it all, you must keep sailing. Through all the negative experiences of this journey, I have kept sailing and stuck with my ship. Being out at sea is dangerous and I am uncertain of where I am heading right now, but I know I will find the right way as long as I am happy. I do miss my island, but I will always be home, for I am this boat. From this experience I have learned that you cannot stop the storm, but you can learn to sail. A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. No matter what the problem is, I always know I can accomplish it. I know how to sail. The majority of the games I have played throughout myself do not represent who I am, as Mitgutsch states, but they gave a push to a transformational process that helped me develop into who I am. At the beginning of my life, the games I played were brought on and influenced by my parents. They were mostly educational games and I played the majority of them before I started school. This is possibly so that I would have an educational advance and would be used to learning by the time I went to school. Once I started to go to school, the games I played turned into games influenced by other kids. Some games during this time were more social (for example, Hide and Seek and Tag), but other games were more personal, such as Webkinz and Neopets (these games are online games, which are also social, but in more of a cyber realm). I find that during this time, I was following the group of people around me into playing games that everyone else was playing.
During my pre-teens years, the games I played were more independent and had a personal focus. They did not require teamwork. These games taught me and allowed me to be creative, which is possibly where I found my passion for my creativity and putting it to use. Some of the games I played during this part of my life showed me how to be a leader, and I learned the important aspects of leading myself. This could be responsible for my drive to be successful and happy, and my passion of leading. The more personal games I played during this time (such as Nintendogs and New Super Mario Bros) allowed me to make personal achievements, which are important, but at this stage in my life I was lacking in team working skills. The jump from the pre-teen years to high school is the most substantial and momentous change in my gaming life, and also in my real life. During high school, I joined sports teams such as a soccer team, hockey team, track and field team, and more. This really taught me the importance of leadership, involvement and team work in my community, and not to mention, physical activity. I became the MVP of my soccer team, which was an accomplishment for me. I learned the importance of others around me during this time, and how the strengths of my teammates and friends can combine to create a strong group with one common goal. When I came to college, the games I began to play were games that did not require too much effort. For example, playing gaming apps on my phone (for example Flappy Bird or 2048) became more frequent. I now find that I only play these types of games when there is nothing else to do. Games that have also come up because of the settings I am in are drinking games in college such as dominoes, drunk Jenga, and several card games. Playing these games are a fun way to interact with other college students, and these games have also taught me my drinking limits (which is a very important lesson!). All of the games I have played throughout my life have helped me learn important lessons through practicing what I have learned in a game, and applying it to real life subconsciously. Because of this, I do believe that mediated experiences achieved through games transform and improve the way we understand those around us and most importantly, ourselves. Playing games has given me meaningful experiences that I can and will to continue to reflect on in my life. These experiences have helped me change to become a better person, and will continue to help me morph into the person I want to be. Works Cited Mitgutsch, K. “Playful Learning Experiences: Meaningful Learning Patters in Players’ Biographies.” International Kournal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations 3.3 (2011): 54-68. Working on this project was a very eye-opening experience for me. I was forced to think about who I am, what my passions are, what my strengths are, and what I represent, which are topics that we as humans do not think about often enough. Though I may not look it from the outside, I discovered that my passions are similar to the passions of a world traveller: a hippie, smoker, traveller, life-liver. ‘Just Go’ is the title of my passions collage, which really shows my want and need to throw myself into the world and to find out what it has in store for me. I believe this shows that I am a risk-taker, and I will forever be curious about life and what it can provide and do for me. In this collage, you can tell that I feel strongly about travelling, exploring, relaxing, freedom and equality.
I realized while doing this project that my values can be strongly represented by a metaphor of the ocean. When you think of the ocean, you think of a calm, relaxing atmosphere with a sailboat floating by and maybe a sunset slowing sinking down in the background. This is the way I think a normal person should behave in every day situations – relaxed most of the time, selfless and seemingly unworried. However, when there is a storm or a giant wave rolls around, you can get tossed and turned in a twist of events. I believe that when a ‘storm’ does come into one’s life, a person should be allowed to show their true feelings and let their anger or frustration out. The vines on the left side represent a passion for family roots and staying connected, which I feel every person should try to maintain. Even though you may ‘out-grow’ your family, or move away and discover people that may be closer to you, I still think it is important to have those ties and connections with others. The ropes in this collage also represent this. While working on this segment of this project, I really thought about what values and traits are important to me. I had to think about lessons I’ve learned from my parents, friends, teachers and mentors in my life. Figuring out my strengths was the most difficult collage to get started with and complete out of the three. I found that I was trying to look at myself as if I was someone else (almost like an out of body experience) in order to figure out and analyze the abilities that I have. This collage represents what strengths I want to have in the future. I included the lions not to say that I believe I am the ‘king of the jungle’, but to suggest that I want to have that sort of independence at some time in my life. The quotes are included to exaggerate the same message. This collage is very colorful which represents my strengths in seeing the bright side of situations and always having an optimistic outlook on life. The name of the metaphor that represents me as a person is ‘Creative Sailor’. I feel like my creativity allows me to flow with the waves and take things day by day. I am a very in the moment person and I think that’s what sailors have to be as well. They have to be ready to change courses when there is a storm in the way. Sailors can switch plans quickly and efficiently and seem to be ready for anything on the water and on land. They enjoy the land when they visit, but always find their home back on the water. Sailors never give up – they stay with their boat forever. |