Category: Class Related

Assignment Details

Ask 5-7 people from two different age groups this question: “Would you approve of the following law if Congress were considering it?” Then offer the First Amendment, but don’t tell them what it is. Then ask them to respond to the following series of questions:

1. Do you agree or disagree with the freedoms? Explain.
2. Which do you support, and which do you think are excessive or provide too much freedom?
3. Do you recognize the law? (Note how many identify it as the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and how many do not. Note the percentage from each age group.)
4. Optional: If you are willing to do so, please share your political leanings—Republican, Democrat, Independent, not sure, disaffected, apathetic, or other.

Description

Nick Hoffmann (49 years old): Yes, but isn’t that the first amendment?????

1. He agrees because he says it is foundational to our country.
2. None, he supports all.
3. Yes, that is the first amendment.
4. Libertarian

Abby Hoffmann (17 years old): Don’t we already have that?

1. Agree. It gives people a voice in the world.
2. All are good.
3. Yes, it’s an amendment to the constitution.
4. Not sure

Katina Hoffmann (48 years old): Yes, I would approve.

1. Agree because freedom is essential to being in the U.S.
2. None are excessive
3. It sounds familiar
4. Independent

Nolan Westrope (20 years old): Yes.

1. Agree because “humans strive for freedom.”
2. None are excessive because providing too much freedom is dumb.
3. Yes, it’s the first amendment.
4. Not democrat, but farther left

Kaitlyn Miller (18 years old): Yes.

1. Agree. Everyone should do and believe whatever they want.
2. None are excessive
3. Yes, it is the first amendment.
4. Left

Raymond & Marilynn Hoffmann (79 and 76 years old): Yes.

1. Agree because we were raised on the belief that that is what our country stands for.
2. None provide too much freedom, but some people may abuse their free speech.
3. Yes, it is the first amendment.
4. Independent/Democratic

Analysis

Most of the responses I gathered were the same; however, there is some slight nuance among them. Generally, the people who are least familiar or involved with politics, particularly Katina and Abby, could not identify the specific amendment. Everyone except my grandparents, Raymond and Marilyn, agreed that such freedoms are not excessive. My grandparents, however, raised concerns that some might abuse their free speech in various ways. This is consistent, though, considering my grandpa’s former occupation as a parole officer. Some women I questioned, specifically Katina and Abby Hoffmann, did not recognize the First Amendment. Those who have received at least a high school diploma had more opinions and a political presence. For the most part, though, everyone recognized the First Amendment immediately and was quite confused throughout continued questioning.

Interpretation

I would say that these patterns reflect that people who are more politically aware (excluding those involved with conspiracy theories) are conscious of the governmental foundations of our country. My interview subjects were completely supportive of the First Amendment. Their reasoning was mostly that it is the foundation of the entire country and that freedom allows people to do as they please; therefore, it is good.

Evaluation

My interviewees judged the freedoms as good because they recognized them as the First Amendment, which they are taught is essential to our nation and democracy. They understood the First Amendment was drafted intentionally to protect people and their unalienable or natural rights. I was impressed that my sister knew it immediately, as she tends to remove herself from political or governmental conversations when they arise. I did find both my boyfriend’s and roommate’s answers alarming. When asked, “Which do you think are excessive?” Nolan responded, “None. Providing too much freedom is dumb.” I consider this alarming because providing infinite amounts of freedom can result in atrocities: anarchy, genocide, murder, etc. My roommate, Kaitlyn, also suggested that “everyone should do and believe whatever they want.” I find this troubling because that ideology could result in prejudicial and discriminatory practices.

Engagement

After conducting surveys of high school students’ attitudes toward the First Amendment, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation found a divide among their opinions is increasing. Although there has been a moderate increase in support for the First Amendment, there are differences in race and gender. Boys and white students are more likely to disagree with the following statement than girls and students of color: “The First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.” This also depends on your location, with the Midwest and West being the most supportive and the Northeast and South being the least supportive. Students who have taken a course dealing with the First Amendment are also more likely to support it.

October 13, 1927

The police have returned to the Greybriar house. Torrio, a Cuban mob boss, moved in around five years ago. Now and then, I hear screams near the edge of the property by the ancient well. I assume that is where Torrio takes those he deems “enemies” or those threatening his business. However, tonight, the screams came out of the mouths of a few young men from the local college around the corner.

Noises of shuffling and scattered shouts outside of the Greybrair house woke me at around 2:30 am. I pulled back my curtains to see the group of young men stationed just outside the property. They whispered of secret liquor supplies inside a beat-down shed nearing the edge of the lot. Presumably, their friends filled their heads with such attractive rumors and stories. I watched them sneak through the maze of trees, rocks, and other foliage, guarding the shed and well from public view, although visible from my neighborly window. The boys reached the structure, broke the lock, and disappeared into the blackness occupying it.

In the meantime, while awaiting the boys’ return, the world became eerily silent. Minutes later, the group emerged from the darkness, breathless and running. They confusedly stumbled towards the aging well, shifting their complete attention to it. The boys linger as their focus on some strange noise within the well loudens, then, as if a switch flipped inside, they take off towards the street, no liquor in hand.

According to police records, they claimed that they were attacked by a type of monstrous beast. Rumors of Joseph Greybriar, the eldest child of Hiram Greybriar, roaming the grounds have circulated since his cryptic vanishing. It is said that Hiram supplied him with women, which spawned more, assumably defective, Greybriar children. Perhaps that’s what they witnessed in the darkness of the shed.

The police, however, dared to venture onto the property to investigate the source of the strange noises, the aged well. They shone their flashlights down the shaft and carefully inspected it, masks of grief plastered across their faces. As the well’s shaft rose, rotting ivory skeletons protruded into the light. The carcasses, relics of the distant past, were identified after tracing the bloody articles in their pockets. Their murders were attributed to Torrio, and as he was detained, he cursed his enemies and those who dared to contest him. Even from jail, I predict the wicked Torrio will be kept busy.

Unit next time.

Thus far, I have enjoyed experimenting with my blog. I initially liked determining my theme and layout, as well as messing with the various features that could be added. I specifically enjoy the ability to insert Spotify songs or playlists into particular pages because it establishes the mood or gives more insight into the topic. I also enjoy writing about different forms of media on one platform.

I decided upon reviewing films, books, and music because they are the types of media I am most passionate about. Whether my reviews contain negative or positive feedback, I find it is most easy to write about subjects you care for.

However, I find it challenging to adhere to a strict writing schedule. It is easy for me to feel confined, and producing things on a fixed schedule usually does that for me. I also have encountered difficulty with conjuring ideas to write about. It requires me to constantly consume new media or think back to the media I have previously consumed. And even though I am consuming new media by the minute every day, it is challenging to form enough thoughts to write about new pieces.

Despite the challenges, it is very satisfying to me whenever I finish a post, especially one that took me a lot of time, such as this one. Overall, producing this “professional” blog has been a gratifying and enjoyable experience. I look forward to continuing my writing!

Post JMC 1013 Einstein Run

My whole life has been spent consuming different forms of media, ranging from books, movies, broadcasts, and many more. Reading and writing particularly held my interest throughout my youth and have continued into my adulthood. Various forms of media have even helped me discover interests I was unaware of, such as politics and government. Although, my biggest concern is finding a way to channel my interests and passions into a career.

Before entering college, contemplating my future and searching for some profession that interested me was intensely worrying. I was concerned that there was nothing out there I could enjoy doing, and I partially still am, which prompts an important question: “How can I turn something that I’m passionate about and that I find interesting into a profession?”

This question essentially drives my interest in media because I realized that I could be the one creating what I perceive to be some of my passions. The more I think about it, the more meaningful creating media becomes to me. I could be delivering material to people through creatively writing, whether it be in the form of professionally writing or journalism, and that excites me.

A question regarding my media world I hope to get answered is what constitutes worthwhile journalism. Although this may seem simple and objective to others, worthwhile journalism to me not only consists of the bare minimum but also demands effort and finesse. By the time my occupancy at Gaylord ends, I want to be well on my way to operating at that level of skill and professionalism.

 

Put simply, the Skyscraper Model is a method of sorting media into a hierarchy, with products deemed to be a part of “high culture” on higher floors of a skyscraper and products seen as “low culture” on the lower floors.

High culture was regarded as “good taste” and contained media with objectively superior qualities. Those who consumed this sort of media were generally wealthy patrons and highly educated individuals. Examples of high culture include ballet, art museums, symphonies, and reading classical literature. Qualities thought to be characteristic of high culture were rarity, originality, timelessness, and if the work was created by a genius or artist.

Low culture, however, was deemed as the “questionable” taste of the masses who enjoyed commercial “junk” via various forms of mass media. Examples of low-culture media include reality television, violent video games, and teen pop music. These can be translated into modern media works such as the reality TV show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, the video game Call of Duty, and the album SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo. Works considered to be a part of low-culture are characterized as trendy, formulaic, mindless, commercialized, and easily accessible.

The Skyscraper Model was constructed and prominently used during the twentieth century by critics and audiences to support certain assumptions about what makes media products better or worse. It is important to keep in mind that this model was produced amidst a specific political context. During this time, America’s social elites felt that their control over the public was slipping as the working-class and immigrant populations grew. Their solution to this problem was to reinforce the idea that the culture they could control, “high culture,” was superior to that of working-class people. Because the modern era was primarily focused on progress and expert opinion, beliefs such as the Skyscraper Model helped elites maintain their power and influence.