Writing to Comment: The Shiny Apple

By Matt |

Sunday, December 6, 2009

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C.P. Snow once said, “Technology… is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other.” When one pictures a computer, the typical image contains a loud, ugly, beige box which causes all types of frustrations and headaches. Due to this negativity, many people great dislike interacting with computers, often referring to them as necessary evils. Technology doesn’t have to be loud and ugly or used with fear; they ads from Apple successfully reel in and illustrate to the viewer that technology can be beautiful and fun. Most importantly Apple’s ads illustrate that while they may “Think Different” but they make products that “Just work.”

Since their creation in the late ‘70’s, Apple has strived to make their products simple in all aspects of the word. Apple has chosen to mirror the simplicity of their products in the simplicity of their ads. Take, for example, an ad Apple ran for the first generation iPhone. The first thing to grab one’s attention is the completely black background. This contrasts and highlights the iPhone and hand that appears to emerge from the darkness. While most cell phone ads try to use as many colors as possible listing feature after feature, Apple’s stance is effective in portraying that this phone is not like anything anyone has ever seen before. With a complete touch screen interface the iPhone changed the definition of a cell phone, making it more than just a device to talk to another person. Apple summarizes this revolution with the simple phrase, “Touching is believing.” This statement fulfills the inner human desire of wanting to feel everything, like a kid in a toy store running through the aisles grabbing everything within reach.

While Apple wants their products to be fulfill those inner human desires, they have a deep commitment to designing products that are remarkably functional and easy to use. Apple’s iMac is the flagship that demonstrates precisely this belief. In the ad, the first words one sees is the bold, “You can’t be too thin. Or too powerful.” Those two short sentences get right to the point; drawing the customer in by effectively saying, this computer is sexy, it doesn’t create wasted space, and it’s a workhorse for whatever you can throw at it. In the not-too-distant past, it was difficult to show a newborn daughter to her grandparents who lived across the country. In this ad, Apple tells the potential customer, “Super simple to share and enjoy [your media] like never before.” With this computer, Apple makes it effortless to upload pictures to the internet and send Grandma an e-mail containing the web address. In addition, due to the camera built into every Apple product, Grandma can see live video of her newborn granddaughter without the cost and mental anguish of air travel.

Ads such as these show a significant transformation in Apple. When they were Apple Computers a magazine ad was full of text, explaining a situation in which a Macintosh came through in unbelievable odds (a house fire for example). The modern day ads do more than just tell the reader the reasons to buy a Mac, they show the reader what owning a Mac can do or how easily it will fit into one’s life. Apple strives to break the mold with their products and their ads show that they live their motto: Think Different.

Writing to Reflect: Covering Our Earth in Sunblock

By karlavillacis | 0 comments

Walking into the Cape Florida Ballroom in the Student Union at my University, I was handed a quarter sheet of paper which read: Danny Orlando, Storm and Opportunities: An Energy and Climate Discussion. We waited approximately ten minutes for everything to be set up and the sponsors to introduce Mr.Orlando. He was here to speak about Energy Star (his employer) and the dangers of Global Warming. Dressed Professionally and speaking formally to his diverse audience he began a speech that from the beginning was catchy and extremely effective. His strategy with visual aids, small jokes, and easy-to-understand examples kept the crowd listening to the very last minute.

Starting with a presentation of pictures on a slide show he explained how us humans, are having an exponential negative impact on earth's well being every year. We've all heard the stories on the news about the new types of energy, how to recycle and what's happening to our ozone layer, but Orlando's speech was different. He found a way to make everything he spoke about directly effect each individual in the audience, no matter the age. Personally, I realized that if change isn't made soon enough by MY generation; MY kids will suffer the consequences. By making it feel like we were doing something honorable instead of carrying a burden, Orlando made us feel the desire to put a little effort into saving our planet.

He emphasized the importance of getting involved in our community and helping out so in the future we can harvest our accomplishments. Through his works, he's able to reach out to people like me who in turn will share my ideas with friends and family. The same goes for Orlando's papers that he has published. Not everyone can go out and give speeches like Orlando, but everyone has the ability to write up their thoughts and make them available for others to agree or disagree with. Viewing how his papers was just as effective as his speech, it shows how much power words have on a paper when written with dedication. It just proves that everyone can be a writer and that should be taken full advantage of to get involved with out community.

Writing to Reflect: Grounded

By Ayana Campbell | 0 comments

The event, A Pilot Lights the Way: Jesse Leroy Brown, First African-American Aviator & Blacks in Aviation, provided in conjunction with the Zora Institute, was free and open to the public. It consisted of a screening of a commemorative documentary to Jesse L. Brown.

Upon my arrival, I learned that the host was going to be late. After tiresome waiting, a man with a briefcase and a key in his hand zoomed passed me. Taking no time to introduce himself, he simply asked, “You guys here for the screening?” unlocked the door, and ushered us into the dimly lit room. Once seated in my chair, I observed the mysterious man fumbling with the monitor and video player equipment behind the podium. It was obvious that he wasn’t completely sure of how to work the technology. My classmate took it upon himself to lend the man a helping hand and was able to get the movie started.

The documentary, which was basically a narrated slideshow of black and white pictures, chronicled Jesse L. Brown’s life from his adolescent years growing up in Mississippi to his death at the age of twenty-four. After defying all odds and become the first African American naval aviator ever, his life was cut short when a plane he piloted was shot down over the Chosin Reservoir in 1950 during the Korean War.

The movie was effective in commemorating Brown’s life and emphasized the importance of his accomplishments. Its visuals were clear and appropriate to the topic at hand. The only interviews included were from Brown’s wife, Daisy, who spoke to his character with quotes and personal anecdotes. Her commentary was successful in making the presentation more personal, however, interviews from other people close to Brown would have added to the sincerity.and a narrator whose tone was more upbeat, as opposed to monotone like it was, would’ve made the presentation much better.

After watching the film, the host finally took the time to formally introduce himself. His name was Anthony Major and he held the title of program director at the Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies. His title and knowledge of the events surrounding Brown’s life and unfortunate death added credibility to the presentation and made up for many of its negative aspects.

Overall, A Pilot Lights the Way: Jesse Leroy Brown, First African-American Aviator & Blacks in Aviation, was effective in recognizing the lives and accomplishments of Jesse L. Brown and other influential African-American aviators, however, more planning and attention to details would have made the presentation a greater success.

Writing to Reflect: The Big Beg

By Matt |

Saturday, December 5, 2009

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In today's society one can be entertained in a plethora of different ways. One could spend hours on the Xbox, killing people around the world, or one could go to Facebook and catch up with old friends, but one dying form of entertainment is a play. During this past October, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater held a play entitled The Big Bang, a musical comedy featuring Jed, played by Philip Nolen, and Boyd, played by T. Robert Pigott. The show took the audience on an adventure through time; portraying the entire history of the universe in a single play. No doubt a daunting task, but Jed and Boyd amusingly leapt through time, exposing only the most important events in history. Overall, The Big Bang was a hilarious show that kept its audience entertained throughout the entire 75 minutes.

After the seats were filled and the lights dimmed, the audience was informed that the current production was to be only snippets from the full “12 hour, $83.5 million” fabrication. In the performers world, the audience was a group of potential investors and it was Jed’s and Boyd’s job to convince us to invest. Throughout the play the actors enlightened, and often amused, the audience by doing that entertainment faux pas: breaking the fourth wall. This technique was commonly employed to provide exposition regarding details that would be present in the final production. At other times, the fourth wall was broken for comedic effect. For example, at one point during the play, Jed opened an umbrella revealing a “YOUR AD HERE” picture. As the audience grasped the irony, the room erupted with laughter. Antics such as these seized the audiences’ attention for fear that they’d miss a phrase, a dance, or a subtle image.

By far the most amusement came from the fluidity of Boyd and Jed throughout the entire spectacle. The first time the audience experienced this quirk was ‘pre-show’ as the two entered and exited the stage at just the precise moment such that both were never on stage at the same time. Another occurrence happened while describing the final production, Jed says, “enter 40 singers who dance.” Followed up by Boyd without a beat missed, “And 40 dancers who sing.” This maneuver kept the attention of everyone as they waited for another duo to happen.

During a scene just before the American Civil War, a phone rang. Jed answered it and informed Boyd that the owners of the apartment they were using as their stage would be home soon. They quickly cleaned up, explaining to the audience what the rest of the show featured. On their way out, Jed and Boyd tossed out fortune cookies and flyers urging the audience to donate. With the disappearances of all actors, and Albert the piano man “clapping off” the final light, they received a standing ovation from the crowd. Personally my cheeks hurt due to the amount of laughter and smiling I had done. Once I got home, I cracked open the fortune cookie, revealing my fortune, “Invest now- Opportunity knocks.”

Writing to Remember: Our Singing Violet

By karlavillacis |

Thursday, November 12, 2009

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Our small pep rally we had received from our church before our first visit to the nursing home seemed to fade away as we walked into the home. We started off our visit with a grumpy older man who accussed us of feeding him tasteless food. Thrilled to offer company and support to those feeling lonely we were a bit aghast when he drove us out of his room. Hesitant to continue trying, we moved onto the other rooms. We meet such a diverse crowd, each with their own story that sometimes even brought tears to our eyes. In each room we left a red rose along with a card to wish them peace of mind and showed them they were on someone's mind.

Small little details caught my attention. My thoughts of the smell of chlorine and the dim lights were interrupted by the nurses rushing to catch a lady sneaking outside in her wheelchair. Part of me wanted to help her escape the bleak and depressing atmosphere. I wouldn't blame her for her desire to witness the gorgeous Florida landscape. After that small scandal, we ran into the highlight of our visit, Violet. She had been admitted by her grandchildren that couldn't appreciate her enough to care for her. Still, she had the spirit to sing Christmas carols to us holding her head high. Violet left us speechless and made us really think about all the things we take for advantage.

After saying our farewells, we walked through the double doors and soon everyone got silent and looked around. For the first time in years we truly saw how beautiful our community is and felt sincerely fortunate to have the oppurtunity to be involved in it. Our flawless community without crime and vices, but instead filled with peace and harmony, doesn't exist and never will. If that would be the case, there would be no real motivation to become a better person in all aspects. Giving back to those who provided for us in the past is the right thing to do. Soon, we will depend as well in our community. So why not start by setting an example?

Writing to Remember: The Class That Changed My Perspective

By Matt | 0 comments

Do you remember a class that changed your life? Mine was tenth grade English. That class started as every other one had. Students from all walks of life were forced to spend 90 minutes each day together to discuss novels and write papers. We all began that year with out a care for each other, but by the time the semester was over, we had grown to cherish one another.

The primary reason for this growth was due to our eccentric teacher. She ignored most conventions of teaching and it was quick for most students to drop the “Mrs.” from her name. Everything about Parks screamed unique, from the encouragement of complete disregard of censorship to the deep passion she possessed when it came to analyzing books. Despite her oddities, she piled on work for us to do. Every minute of the class was scheduled with never enough time to finish everything. This intense workload was the first thing that forced us to grow together. In order to get everything done we had to depend on each other.

The other thing that really pried our eyes open to each other was an assignment Parks had us do towards the end of the year. We were asked to symbolize our life into a single object and then present why this object was our life to the class. While we had shared the past 15 weeks together we still largely considered each other to be mere acquaintances, certainly not people who we’d spill our deepest life experiences with.

After that project we all felt closer to one another. We were no longer a crowd forced to be in the same room. We were a community meant to share each other’s hardships. While we may not have become the closest of friends, thanks to Parks we had full appreciation of each other’s life and the experiences that went with it.

Writing to Remember: Green-Vested Leperchauns

By Ayana Campbell | 0 comments

The first time I heard the boom of the drums and the crash of the cymbals I was hooked. It was the first pep rally of the new school year at Piedmont Lakes Middle School and I was just a lonely sixth grader among a crowd of mostly unfamiliar faces clad in black and emerald green. As one would expect of the participants of a junior high pep rally, they were all pumped, cheering and singing along as the school chorus belted out the alma mater in consummate harmony. However, even in the midst of all this commotion, I couldn’t suppress the anxiety building up in the pit of my stomach as I sat, in a daze, contemplating what the year ahead would bring and where exactly I’d fit in. Of course, I had some friends but the transition from elementary school to middle school made seeing them difficult. I knew I needed a place to belong, a group to be a part of. I just had to figure out where that place would be. As my thoughts continued to race inside my head, my eardrums were suddenly flooded by the sweet sound of the “Star Spangled Banner” being performed by a symphony of adolescent musicians. They all wore black slacks, white tuxedo shirts, cummerbunds, and bowties. But what really caught my eye were their emerald green vests complete with gold ribbon trim. I might have been a complete dork for thinking these silly getups were actually cool but I didn’t care, they all looked like super-cool, music-playing leprechauns. Becoming a musician had never crossed my mind before but at that very moment it was as if a switch was flipped and an imaginary light bulb began to flicker above my head. “I’m gonna be in the band,” I thought to myself.

As I entered the band room for the first time and took my seat, Mr. Perry, the band director, greeted me. He was a pot-bellied man in suspenders with a scruffy, gray beard and piercing blue eyes. Although rather intimidating at first, after taking the time to introduce himself the façade quickly faded. He explained that in a week we’d have the opportunity to try out for band and warned that it was a commitment, not a club. None of his speech scared me though. I was ready and I wanted my green vest.

Fast forward to audition day. I’d narrowed down my list of instruments I was interested in and zeroed in on the clarinet. Auditioning was fairly simple. All I had to do was blow into a clarinet mouthpiece for Mr. Perry. If he thought we had potential, we were in. Later that day, the list was posted and I made it. Needless to say, I was ecstatic.

Once joining the band I quickly learned that there’s just something about music that really brings people together. What it is, I don’t know, but I do know that being accepted into the band community was so rewarding. The band room became my home away from home. However, it wasn’t the room itself that I became so attached to, but the personal bonds I gained in it that made it one of my favorite places to be. To me, being in band meant I would always have a friend to confide in, a shoulder to lean on, or just a buddy to laugh with. Even now when I revisit the halls of Piedmont Lakes Middle School the memories are still fresh. I can still smell the stale scent of the practice rooms and see the sound panel covered walls embellished with painted handprints and pictures of band members past. Their legacy left behind is one of which I am now a part of for this is the place, the very room, in which I was accepted into the brotherhood of the green-vested leprechauns.