Even though this course was not easy, it was a great learning experience. I truly did learn about American history, more than I ever thought I would want to learn. It turns out American history is not that boring. I was hoping for an easy class but that did not happen. I think it made me work harder and learn more because it is not always about taking the easy way out.
Well, there are some things about the course that I would change. The quizzes are a little hard. It is pretty discouraging going into a quiz knowing that you are going to fail with a very slim chance of passing. Having hard quizzes every week gets a little depressing especially a few weeks into the semester. The upsetting part is that these quizzes take 5 points off your test grade, which is a lot of points. Then it continues a negative cycle because going into a test starting at a 95 causes unnecessary stress.
The textbook was an easy read but "Big Shoulders" was pretty boring at times. It was very informative but not the most exciting book to read. Lectures were very entertaining and I really liked the video clips...nice touch! I must admit it was pretty high tech!
I also think developing a somewhat personable relationship with students can make the classroom atmosphere a lot more fun and enjoyable. Personally, I like to feel comfortable when approaching a professor because it is nice to have that personal relationship and attention.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Guest Speakers
I really enjoyed going to listen to guest speakers! Of course, getting extra credit was a great incentive but the speakers were very knowledgeable! Michael Gannon may be an elderly gentleman but he was an AWESOME speaker! He had great inflexion in his voice and was very passionate about Florida! I felt kind of embarrassed that I really only learned about Florida in the 4th grade. It is pretty sad because I do not really know much about this large state. Mr. Gannon definitely deserved the award because he truly is a genius in regards to Florida history. On another note, it was great to see Rollins and University of Florida professors interact with each other. I think it would be great if Rollins teamed up with state universities, especially to give students different perspectives.
The professor from the Midwest, I believe North Dakota was also a very entertaining speaker. He knew how to keep his audience engaged by not blabbing on and on. I really appreciate when speakers recognize that their audience is interested but too much detail can be a bit overwhelming. I think Professor Chambliss does a great job with getting speakers to come to Rollins! :) It definitely shows that you really care about having people share ideas with Rollins students and faculty which is very important.
The professor from the Midwest, I believe North Dakota was also a very entertaining speaker. He knew how to keep his audience engaged by not blabbing on and on. I really appreciate when speakers recognize that their audience is interested but too much detail can be a bit overwhelming. I think Professor Chambliss does a great job with getting speakers to come to Rollins! :) It definitely shows that you really care about having people share ideas with Rollins students and faculty which is very important.
End of the Semester thoughts and Reflection
When I was planning my three year plan my freshmen year, I decided that I wanted to save a couple of 100 level classes for my last semester as an undergrad. That is why I decided to take this class so late in my college career. What I was surprised about was how much time I would have to invest in this class in order to get a good grade. Even though it is a 100 level class does not mean that it was a walk in the park … it for sure was not.
I completely enjoyed this class and learned a lot from it. Reflecting back I am very happy it was not a walk in the park type of class because I would not have learned as much as I did. I really enjoyed the lectures (that is why I only missed one class all semester) and I also enjoyed the scanning project. I love community service and I would never have thought of doing a project like that for the community. I also think you (Chambliss) can improve this class. Group papers are very difficult and I think I would have learned more by doing the paper on my own. I think you should assign everyone two movies to watch and specific dates to turn in and then have those students talk about the movie in class for a few minutes.
The most frustrating thing about this class though was the quizzes. By the end of the semester, I had no motivation to even try on the quizzes because I knew I was going to fail. I understand why you had such difficult quizzes but I think you should alter the quiz structure somehow. Maybe if no one is participating in class you have a quiz … a very difficult quiz. That way you will accomplish people reading and participating without extra grading for you. Overall, it was a great class and I am very happy I decided to take it!
I completely enjoyed this class and learned a lot from it. Reflecting back I am very happy it was not a walk in the park type of class because I would not have learned as much as I did. I really enjoyed the lectures (that is why I only missed one class all semester) and I also enjoyed the scanning project. I love community service and I would never have thought of doing a project like that for the community. I also think you (Chambliss) can improve this class. Group papers are very difficult and I think I would have learned more by doing the paper on my own. I think you should assign everyone two movies to watch and specific dates to turn in and then have those students talk about the movie in class for a few minutes.
The most frustrating thing about this class though was the quizzes. By the end of the semester, I had no motivation to even try on the quizzes because I knew I was going to fail. I understand why you had such difficult quizzes but I think you should alter the quiz structure somehow. Maybe if no one is participating in class you have a quiz … a very difficult quiz. That way you will accomplish people reading and participating without extra grading for you. Overall, it was a great class and I am very happy I decided to take it!
Florida ... a great state!
I attended two separate talks about Florida’s history for extra credit. I was shocked about how much I did not know about Florida. I was born in Canada but I moved to Wellington, Florida (where the 21 horses died last week) when I was one year old. The only year I learned about Florida was in Fourth Grade and I absolutely hated. I saw no value and learning about the state when there was way more interesting information to learn – like wars and imperialism.
These two lectures proved to me that learning about your own state’s history is actually important. Learning about history is important so you do not repeat past mistakes and you can look back and analyze what worked and what did not work. History always repeats itself. For example, one of the causes of the Great Depression was Florida’s housing market crash. Currently, the United States is in a recession and Florida’s housing market is in serious jeopardy.
I am interested on how we would incorporate learning about Florida in Rollins curriculum. 60% of Rollins students are from out of state. I am not sure they would be to happy or excited to learn about Florida. Most of them will probably go back to their home states after they graduate. I believe this is a subject that should be focused more on in high school and middle school. One year of Florida education in Fourth Grade is not enough; however I do not think it that it should be a major focus here at Rollins. I do believe that we should offer gen eds surrounding Florida but it should not be incorporated in every class or be its own major.
These two lectures proved to me that learning about your own state’s history is actually important. Learning about history is important so you do not repeat past mistakes and you can look back and analyze what worked and what did not work. History always repeats itself. For example, one of the causes of the Great Depression was Florida’s housing market crash. Currently, the United States is in a recession and Florida’s housing market is in serious jeopardy.
I am interested on how we would incorporate learning about Florida in Rollins curriculum. 60% of Rollins students are from out of state. I am not sure they would be to happy or excited to learn about Florida. Most of them will probably go back to their home states after they graduate. I believe this is a subject that should be focused more on in high school and middle school. One year of Florida education in Fourth Grade is not enough; however I do not think it that it should be a major focus here at Rollins. I do believe that we should offer gen eds surrounding Florida but it should not be incorporated in every class or be its own major.
Blade Runner and the Environment
Even though I thought Blade Runner was a boring, horrible movie, it did capture some major aspects of the 1980’s era. I found it very interesting the directors perception of the future – 2019 – which is not that far off from now. They were very wrong; however it does reflect on issues that the world is facing today, especially the environment. Every time you read the newspaper, watch the news, or even trashy morning talk shows, you will hear something about going green.
The directors predicted that by 2019 we would have destroyed the Earth and have to move off to off world colonies. I found this idea very interesting because of all of the green hype that is going on right now. Are the directors of Blade Runner correct – that we are going to ruin the Earth but just slower then there prediction – or will people always be concern about the state of the environment but we will never actually ruin our planet. This is a vital question. I do not think anyone actually wants to destroy the Earth so we should start taking major steps to protect it – the question is where and how should we start this new revolution.
Overall, Blade Runner put me asleep and I had to rewind and re-watch it a million times to understand the movie. Once I did get through it though, it was an excellent movie that highlighted the era.
The directors predicted that by 2019 we would have destroyed the Earth and have to move off to off world colonies. I found this idea very interesting because of all of the green hype that is going on right now. Are the directors of Blade Runner correct – that we are going to ruin the Earth but just slower then there prediction – or will people always be concern about the state of the environment but we will never actually ruin our planet. This is a vital question. I do not think anyone actually wants to destroy the Earth so we should start taking major steps to protect it – the question is where and how should we start this new revolution.
Overall, Blade Runner put me asleep and I had to rewind and re-watch it a million times to understand the movie. Once I did get through it though, it was an excellent movie that highlighted the era.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
End of the Semester
Personally, I really enjoyed working on a research paper based on Chicago topics. I have never really learned about Chicago but it has been a pretty interesting place to learn about. To be honest, when we were first given the research paper assignment I was not sure what to expect but it turned out to be a great experience. Although I must say 20 sources seemed a bit excessive but having to read so many sources provided good insight when creating an analysis within the paper which TJs strongly encouraged. Even though you don't have to cite all of them within the paper, they were helpful with background knowledge and what not. I found that primary sources helped me create more defined views on the era, which enabled me to develop a thesis statement and provide thoughts to support my thesis.
Based on our discussion on Friday about group papers, they are good due to having less responsibility. On the other hand, it can be overwhelming because sometimes people do not take their part seriously which causes the team leader to take the brunt of things. Overall, the movies were really interesting and I enjoyed watching them because I would have never watched those movies on my own time. I really enjoyed watching "Chinatown" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Although answering the same questions every time gets a bit repetitive even though the papers are about different movies. I am not really sure how to change that aspect of the assignment but I thought I would throw that out there because it is something that came to mind when writing the papers. It would also be great to that this film papers earlier on in the semester because having two fall in the middle of April was stressful because there is a lot going on in every class at that time. Plus we had to turn in our scanning project and research papers.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Scanning
After completing the scanning project I now have a new appreciation for the Winter Park Fire Department. I was able to follow their hard work over the years. I was able to see that they are a necessity for the city to grow and survive. Much of their work goes un-thanked and unappreciated. It was especially interesting to read about fires that had occurred on the Rollins College campus which is not only historically significant for the fire department but for myself, as a student at this college. One of the fires had been located in a dormitory that lacked in fire prevention. The dormitory had faulty fire extinguishers, bad or no ventilation in the rooms, as well as the number to the wrong fire department. Students acted quickly to the fire and when the correct fire department was reached it only took them ten minutes to respond to the call. Luckily there were no casualties only destroyed belongings in the room in which the fire started. The other fire that occurred on the Rollins College campus was located in the old gymnasium. The wooden gymnasium built in the 1920’s did not survive the fire.
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany’s was my favorite of the movies we watched this semester. Audrey Hepburn’s performance in this movie was outstanding. The movie won two Oscars as well as other awards and nominations. By the early 1960’s international affairs had settled and the economy at home had grown. Because of this there was a new focus on the social structure of young people and mass culture. “Words such as plenty, abundance, and affluence fit nicely with the dominant economic vision. The rate of growth and the burgeoning supply of consumer goods overshadowed all other economic indicators”. This “affluent” time was reflected in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. A concern grew over conformity and mass culture corrupting the youth. This new concern was displayed through Molly Golightly’s confidence in crowds and vulnerability behind closed doors. Molly’s race for wealth and her lack of self, parallel with the way young Americans in the 1960’s were seen. Women in the 60’s were also more independent then they had ever been, the role change from suburban wife to an independent woman in the city was also touched on in the movie. Molly seems like a new aged woman but we come to find out that she is from the country and escaped from a man she married at the age of 14. Her transformation symbolizes the countries transformation in the ideas of gender roles.
Have We Become Dehumanized? – A Reflection on Blade Runner
This past week, the movie assigned for our last movie project was “Blade Runner.” Blade Runner was a film released in 1982 that aims to depict what American life would look like in 2019. A central theme of the movie is the dehumanization associated with the post-Cold war era of globalization, urban development, and increasing technological innovation.
After watching the movie and finishing my part of the group paper, I asked myself what the screenplay writer or director of the film would think today, twenty-seven years after having filmed Blade Runner, and only a short ten years away from the time in which it was imagined to take place. Would he or she find his or her fears confirmed or feel a sense of relief?
Obviously, we can say with certainty today that in ten years from now the world will not look like the one depicted in Blade Runner. Nevertheless, I do believe to a certain extent that we have slightly “dehumanized” since 1982. I believe that this has been to some extent facilitated by technological innovations such as computers, instant messenger, the Internet, and cell phones. These methods of communication have made interpersonal relationships far less personal, as it is no longer necessary to see – or in many cases even talk to people- to communicate with them. As a result, actual face-to-face interactions have greatly diminished, while people increasingly communicate over the Internet and spend more and more time in front of the TV etc.
My point is certainly not this revolution in communications technology is bad. In the contrary there are many examples where this technology is largely beneficial, such as for example African nations using cell phone technology to encourage small-scale businesses, or just simple things such as having a cell phone for emergency calling. And I certainly benefit from the new technology as well, as Skype not only allows me to talk to my family in Germany for free, but also gives me the option to see them on video. However, I do think the point that Blade Runner is trying to make, and one that we should be aware of, is that increasing im-personalization of communication can “dehumanize” us by increasing our sense of alienation. So lets save some “old fashioned” ways of social interaction and communication as well ;).
After watching the movie and finishing my part of the group paper, I asked myself what the screenplay writer or director of the film would think today, twenty-seven years after having filmed Blade Runner, and only a short ten years away from the time in which it was imagined to take place. Would he or she find his or her fears confirmed or feel a sense of relief?
Obviously, we can say with certainty today that in ten years from now the world will not look like the one depicted in Blade Runner. Nevertheless, I do believe to a certain extent that we have slightly “dehumanized” since 1982. I believe that this has been to some extent facilitated by technological innovations such as computers, instant messenger, the Internet, and cell phones. These methods of communication have made interpersonal relationships far less personal, as it is no longer necessary to see – or in many cases even talk to people- to communicate with them. As a result, actual face-to-face interactions have greatly diminished, while people increasingly communicate over the Internet and spend more and more time in front of the TV etc.
My point is certainly not this revolution in communications technology is bad. In the contrary there are many examples where this technology is largely beneficial, such as for example African nations using cell phone technology to encourage small-scale businesses, or just simple things such as having a cell phone for emergency calling. And I certainly benefit from the new technology as well, as Skype not only allows me to talk to my family in Germany for free, but also gives me the option to see them on video. However, I do think the point that Blade Runner is trying to make, and one that we should be aware of, is that increasing im-personalization of communication can “dehumanize” us by increasing our sense of alienation. So lets save some “old fashioned” ways of social interaction and communication as well ;).
Urban Development
Our class discussion about urban development last Monday, April 20, really left me thinking. It was interesting to see all the aspects of urbanization the textbook mentioned to play out in one form or another in Orlando. For example, Orlando is a good example of how different suburban areas melt into an “urban corridor” or “metropolitan strip.” In addition, several people have chosen to settle in so-called “exurbs,” areas at the edge of cities, where land and home construction was available for relatively inexpensive prices. Exurbs in turn encouraged urban sprawl, a phenomenon that can be witnessed in many places around Orlando. For instance, I live in the Lake Mary/Longwood area where the majority of housing consist of large, single family homes on large property. Accordingly, energy and water use of these houses is rather high; and many of the people that live in Lake Mary may have to commute long distances to work, experiencing the rush-hour traffic on I-4 and therefore consuming further energy (gasoline) as well as emitting CO2.
Thinking about urban development in terms of urban sprawl got me thinking about a larger problem we as a society face today: one of energy efficiency and climate change. I realized that our current way of life in Orlando -urban sprawl where single-family homes consume significantly more electricity, water etc than other housing developments – added significantly to the emission of greenhouse gases and therefore encouraged global warming. In addition, I recently read Thomas L. Friedman’s “Hot, Flat, and Crowded,” a book that really gives detailed information on what impact this lifestyle has on the globe.
Consequently, I became much more aware of the fact that any urban planning for the future needs to have the question of sustainability and energy efficiency at its core. Therefore I found it very interesting to see Professor Chambliss’ slides of how Orlando is supposed to look in the future. In these models, urban sprawl was significantly contained and people concentrated in select urban centers throughout the Central Florida region. All of these centers were easily connected to highways, as well as public transportation, significantly reducing commute time and CO2 emissions.
Taking this class discussion / lecture and relating it to Friedman’s book was really a revelation to me in some way. Seeing the models of urban development on Professor Chambliss’ slides and thinking about what I read in the book really emphasized for me that mitigation of global warming through increased energy efficiency really could not only be achieved by making our current suburban single-family homes more efficient. It will require us to radically redesign the way in which we currently live and ask us to live in areas with a higher population concentration, ending the consistent practice of urban sprawl.
Thinking about urban development in terms of urban sprawl got me thinking about a larger problem we as a society face today: one of energy efficiency and climate change. I realized that our current way of life in Orlando -urban sprawl where single-family homes consume significantly more electricity, water etc than other housing developments – added significantly to the emission of greenhouse gases and therefore encouraged global warming. In addition, I recently read Thomas L. Friedman’s “Hot, Flat, and Crowded,” a book that really gives detailed information on what impact this lifestyle has on the globe.
Consequently, I became much more aware of the fact that any urban planning for the future needs to have the question of sustainability and energy efficiency at its core. Therefore I found it very interesting to see Professor Chambliss’ slides of how Orlando is supposed to look in the future. In these models, urban sprawl was significantly contained and people concentrated in select urban centers throughout the Central Florida region. All of these centers were easily connected to highways, as well as public transportation, significantly reducing commute time and CO2 emissions.
Taking this class discussion / lecture and relating it to Friedman’s book was really a revelation to me in some way. Seeing the models of urban development on Professor Chambliss’ slides and thinking about what I read in the book really emphasized for me that mitigation of global warming through increased energy efficiency really could not only be achieved by making our current suburban single-family homes more efficient. It will require us to radically redesign the way in which we currently live and ask us to live in areas with a higher population concentration, ending the consistent practice of urban sprawl.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Last Week of Class!
Well, "Bladerunner" was an interesting ending to a series of movies to watch this semester! When applying it to history, it all came into perspective, which was totally surprising! These films really helped play out the course in a whole new light! I really enjoyed watching these movies, it made me branch away from my love for romantic comedies! While watching "Bladerunner," I found it extremely interesting that the movie was capturing the future in the year 2019, which is only 10 years from now! What would we do with a planet being invaded by the creation of replicants?! I guess technology can seem a lot scarier than it actually is in real life! After all, the movie pointed out that "fear is painful," which is such an important philosophy to remember through life!
I finished my scanning project and put it on the R-Drive. I was so proud of myself for getting it done in a timely fashion! On the note of my research paper, I went to TJs last week so I would have plenty of time to get everything done. I have tons of work for all my classes so I have been trying to organize my time effectively. My research paper is done, it took me some time to write a conclusion for some odd reason! I think I am going to include a couple pictures to give the paper a little more depth...I will sleep on that one and then decide. It is a nice feeling to be ahead of the game!
Wow! It was great news finding out that our final exam is a take home exam! I feel so relieved that I just don't know what to do! It is nice having professors recognize that take home exams are not that bad! :)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Lots of Projects ... eeekkk
This past week I completed my scanning project, I almost finished my research paper and I watched Blade Runner. I have a few questions about the scanning project. I summarized all of the articles and included the date and location in the summaries; however I am unsure on how to save these paragraphs. I wrote them all on one word document and just bolded the article titles. Do you want them just like this or do you want the article and then underneath the article the picture? I am not sure how to format this assignment.
I worked very hard on completing my research paper this week. I am finding it difficult to find ten primary sources and successfully inserting them into my paper while still keeping the paper flow. I found a great cartoon about how the Anti-saloon league gained so much popularity. I am having no problems finding pictures; however I desperately want to find articles about my topic in order to avoid submitting a picture book. Currently, I have two pictures in my paper. I believe these two pictures greatly add to my research paper. I need four more primary sources in order to complete this paper. My TJ’s appointment is on Tuesday!
Lastly, I watched Blade Runner this week. I thought this would be by far the best movie we watched in class; however it really was bad. It did not hold my attention and I am finding it difficult to write about my questions, especially the class distinction question. The only thing I noticed that had anything to do with class was the Chinese in the movie. They seemed to be constantly on the streets and not as well off as the white people. I know that this movie was filmed in the mid 80’s so I still need to do research on what was economically going on during this period.
I worked very hard on completing my research paper this week. I am finding it difficult to find ten primary sources and successfully inserting them into my paper while still keeping the paper flow. I found a great cartoon about how the Anti-saloon league gained so much popularity. I am having no problems finding pictures; however I desperately want to find articles about my topic in order to avoid submitting a picture book. Currently, I have two pictures in my paper. I believe these two pictures greatly add to my research paper. I need four more primary sources in order to complete this paper. My TJ’s appointment is on Tuesday!
Lastly, I watched Blade Runner this week. I thought this would be by far the best movie we watched in class; however it really was bad. It did not hold my attention and I am finding it difficult to write about my questions, especially the class distinction question. The only thing I noticed that had anything to do with class was the Chinese in the movie. They seemed to be constantly on the streets and not as well off as the white people. I know that this movie was filmed in the mid 80’s so I still need to do research on what was economically going on during this period.
Friday, April 17, 2009
A Mall in Winter Park? (Scanning Project Continued)
Out of my five items that I scanned earlier this semester, my favorite item is a newspaper article called “Mall Fireman Told Thanks with Suit of Armor”. Before I explain why I like this article and what it describes, I should probably give some (historical) context. In the night of April 6th / 7th, 1969 (Easter morning of 1969) there was a great fire that severely damaged the Winter Park Mall. This fire is actually of great historical importance since “the Winter Park Mall fire was the first major fire incident in the United States involving an enclosed shopping mall.” (http://www.wpfd.org/pages/history.htm). The Winter Park Fire department responded with a staff that would be considered small for today’s standards, but as they received help from five other departments in the greater Orlando area, they were able to get the fire under control in a matter of four hours. (http://www.wpfd.org/pages/history.htm). Nevertheless, the fire had damaged the Winter Park mall to such an extent that it had burned down and what remained of it was torn down shortly after.
However, one thing – or better to say one knight – survived the mall fire. While none of the merchandise in the mall survived the fire, the firemen were able to “rescue” a suit of armor of knight out of the flames of the mall fire. The armor was a (historic) piece that belonged to L.E. Crawford and James Post. Showing their appreciation for the firemen’s valor in putting out the fire, they donated the knight valued at roughly $2000 at that time to the Winter Park’s fire department. The article I scanned describes the donation ceremony and shows a picture of the mall firemen holding up the knight, which is now displayed at the Winter Park fire department (according to the article).
This article from 1969 was my favorite item to scan because I felt it was different and somewhat more entertaining than the other articles. I liked how a knight (or his armor better to say) could play such a big role in a mall fire – I find it great that the fire didn’t ruin it! Since I am not from the area, I also found it interesting to find out about the mall that apparently existed in Winter Park in 1969 – up to now I was never aware of a mall in Winter Park.
However, one thing – or better to say one knight – survived the mall fire. While none of the merchandise in the mall survived the fire, the firemen were able to “rescue” a suit of armor of knight out of the flames of the mall fire. The armor was a (historic) piece that belonged to L.E. Crawford and James Post. Showing their appreciation for the firemen’s valor in putting out the fire, they donated the knight valued at roughly $2000 at that time to the Winter Park’s fire department. The article I scanned describes the donation ceremony and shows a picture of the mall firemen holding up the knight, which is now displayed at the Winter Park fire department (according to the article).
This article from 1969 was my favorite item to scan because I felt it was different and somewhat more entertaining than the other articles. I liked how a knight (or his armor better to say) could play such a big role in a mall fire – I find it great that the fire didn’t ruin it! Since I am not from the area, I also found it interesting to find out about the mall that apparently existed in Winter Park in 1969 – up to now I was never aware of a mall in Winter Park.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Chapter 30: "Power and Politics 1974-1992"
The mid 1970's was taken over by president Ford after Nixon resigned from the presidency due to the whole Watergate scandal, in which he was pardoned by Ford. Ford was a good president but came in a troubled time in America where stagnation was high (rising costs and rising output). He only ran for one term due to these many problems as Jimmy Carter won the next election. He was viewed as an outsider and promised to do things differently as he outlawed assassinations, gave back the Panama Canal back to Panama, but seemed to face crisis after crisis. So while he was viewed as a good international man he wasn't viewed as a good politician. Among others the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979 marked the end of his presidency as it went on for over a year and virtually no efforts were made to rescue the hostages. This marked the age of the Reagan era who won the next election and was viewed as a very charismatic man with ideas that even democrats agreed to. He was called the "Cold Warrior," as he was a big advocate on cutting taxes, cutting spending (except on military), and de-regulation. He increased defense spending and really encouraged the idea of "Star Wars" as he thought it was needed to protect the U.S. from the Soviet Union. This enforced his strong anti-communist views which some argue was the closest we ever came to a nuclear exchange besides the Cuban Missile Crisis. For example in 1983 Reagan pushed some very ambitious methods of the Cold War mentality. "He proposed an elaborate defense shield that would protect the United States against any incoming missiles... known as the (SDI) or Strategic Defense Iniaitive, which sought $26 billion, over five years, just in research costs" (Pg. 951).
Chapter 29: "America During it's Longest War 1963-1974"
This was an era run by former president Lyndon B. Johnson. As stated in the book, although he lacked Kennedy's charismatic personality he did have other good attributes as well. Johnson was skilled in gaining political funding for his expenditures like huge building projects that really helped cities in Texas and a lot of the the other states in the Southwest region of the United States grow economically. Lyndon Johnson created the "Great Society", which gave national funded medical coverage to the elderly and poor. In 1965 he also developed the The Voting Rights Act of 1965 "which created a a federal oversight system to monitor election procedures in the South, capped a long-term effort to end racial discrimination at the ballot box" (Pg.902).
Probably one of the more memorable times in the 1960's was the Vietnam War which caused much controversy as many thought it was a war that shouldn't have been fought and was a war that the U.S. ultimately lost in. With the addition of the military draft many resented the war and many movements evolved in direct relation to the war, such as the Counterculture Movement and also gave rise to the Black Power movement as well. Martin Luther King was also a very prominent man during this era as his strong, prolific views on equality and civil rights gave rise to the understanding that African Americans should be treated like all other people.
Film: "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
Breakfast at Tiffanys, starring Aubrey Hepburn as Holly represents the epitome of how women were rising up during this era in history. More and more women were becoming more individualistic and independent as the second movement in women's rights began to occur. Holly decided to move to New York City in efforts to make money for the herself and the family she left behind as her, and many people during this time thought that by moving to the city provided many prosperous opportunities. The city as represented in the film exemplified the types of freedom that could be obtained by living in the city like sex, drugs, and popularity. Materialism was also another necessity in this type of lifestyle but the problem was that not many people could afford these lavish lifestyles. So in attempts to increase the movement of people into cities laws were made to create more affordable housing in cities for people that couldn't afford them. This was definitely the case for Holly and Paul as they were both relatively poor people who didn't have good paying jobs so on occasion resorted to forms of prostitution or other illegal ways to earn money. In all this movie showed the good and bad parts about trying to obtain a lavish city lifestyle.
Chapter 27: "The Age of Containment 1946-1953"
Post WWII the United States main foreign policy concern was battling for supremacy against the Soviet Union that emerged from the war as the only other power close to that of the United States. However, their political ideologies (communism) was something that the U.S. feared greatly and thus tried to contain by assisting in aiding helpless countries in Europe and around the world by instilling them with democracies in order to make sure that communism wouldn't spread. Obviously these actions spurred movements by both countries to take action silently but by ways that would scare the entire world, which was known as the Cold War. "The atomic bomb provided an immediate source of U.S.-Soviet Union friction... A repressive sphere of influence of Soviet influence over Eastern Europe, which the USSR called defensive and the United States labeled expansionist fell into place. By 1946, the nations, once uneasy allies, seemed ready to become bitter adversaries" (Pg. 827). One of the first foreign policies to go into action was known as the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan helped essentially rebuild Europe by also using the method of containment at the same time. Then in 1950 Truman once again uses his containment methods when the Korean War spurred up. Essentially it was a proxy war to fight off the fear of the spread of communism in eastern Asia. Ironically, it was at this point that the U.S. looked at former enemy Japan for help as they asked them to help the U.S. build military vehicles to use in the war. Consequently this is what made Japan grow in the car making industry and is why Japan/ Toyota has become one of, if not the best car industry in the world today.
Mass production of homes during this era was huge as something known as "suburbia" evolved and white flight began. People, most of whom were white began leaving the inner city to move places outside the city. This created a huge disparity in terms of race since many minorities stayed in the city in part due to the fact that they weren't allowed to move to white suburban areas.
Chapter 26: America During the Second World War"
At first WWII was seen as something that was very distant and was a time when many political leaders and the the citizens of the United States advocated for isolationism and therefore no involvement in a war that many felt didn't directly effect them. However once the strike on Pearl Harbor occurred in 1941 the U.S. was prompted in to entering a war which arguably was a good thing on our behalf as it created many new jobs and essentially brought the U.S. out of the depression. In addition to that, in the post war era the U.S. along with the Soviet Union became the strongest global powers in the world. "In the cause of increasing production, most industries forged close relationships with governmental bureaucracies... Greatly increased federal funding helped spawn new industries, such as electronics, and transform others, such as rubber and chemicals" (pg. 806). One specific example of this process was a project known as the "Manhattan Project". "The Manhattan Project provided the most dramatic example of the emergence of powerful new links between military-oriented R&D and the national government" (pg. 806). Also domestically within the United States during this era was a massive change in the type of workforce being employed. There was a huge increase in the amount of minorities getting jobs once used by the white male. Many heavy industry jobs were now employing African Americans, Hispanics, and even women, however some minorities got more privleges than others. Once the men returned from war, they wanted their old jobs back so the minority groups that filled in for them while they were gone were kicked out. Also besides many post war minority movements demanding for more rights, on an international level the U.S. and Soviet Union were dealing with issues of global power. Something known as the sphere of influence was the United States way of containing the Soviet Union and their communist threat from the rest of the world which innately escalated tensions between the two countries and brought about the Cold War, which some may argue still exists today to some extent.
Chinatown
Chinatown reminded me of an older version of CSI. It was very interesting and I really enjoyed watching it. I actually recommended it to friends to watch because it is definitely a classic. The movie tied in a lot of the domestic and foreign issues occurring in the United States during the 1970s. It is hard to ignore the fact that there was no direct relations because the movie was set in the 1910s and 1920s. During the 1970s, the United States was preoccupied fighting the Vietnam War and dealing with presidential scandals. Many people were starting to lose faith in the government due to the Watergate Scandal and failures of the Vietnam War.
Chinatown seemed to represent the urban lifestyle being experienced which Johnson hoped to fix with his Great Society programs. We all know those have been recorded in history has political failures, which is rather unfortunate. He intended to help improve poverty situations and develop urban areas to be more respectable. Sometimes things cannot always go as planned. On a side note, I would have never guessed that Noah Cross had a child with his daughter and was the one who murdered his business partner. In other words, I guess at this point in history no one let obstacles stand in the way of their ambitions and goals, even our presidents. For instance, Nixon was determined to find out information and to prevent leakages and he succeeded, which ended up forcing him to resign from his position.
Due to the Vietnam War, Asians were not well-accepted in the United States. After all, no one really got past all the history that has taken place with Asian immigrants in the United States. All-in-all, this movie really depicted historical events because it was a period piece.
I am almost done with my research paper and my scanning project so I am very excited!
Chinatown seemed to represent the urban lifestyle being experienced which Johnson hoped to fix with his Great Society programs. We all know those have been recorded in history has political failures, which is rather unfortunate. He intended to help improve poverty situations and develop urban areas to be more respectable. Sometimes things cannot always go as planned. On a side note, I would have never guessed that Noah Cross had a child with his daughter and was the one who murdered his business partner. In other words, I guess at this point in history no one let obstacles stand in the way of their ambitions and goals, even our presidents. For instance, Nixon was determined to find out information and to prevent leakages and he succeeded, which ended up forcing him to resign from his position.
Due to the Vietnam War, Asians were not well-accepted in the United States. After all, no one really got past all the history that has taken place with Asian immigrants in the United States. All-in-all, this movie really depicted historical events because it was a period piece.
I am almost done with my research paper and my scanning project so I am very excited!
Chinatown
Chinatown is an American noir film based on land and water rights from the early 20th century. The movie was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and was chosen by Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry. Based in Lose Angeles, this movie gives us insight to the corruption and deceit that were happening in the 1930s. Chinatown was an interesting movie with many plot twists. As the story unfolds we come to find out that Evelyn Cross Mulwray was the mother and sister to Katherine Cross. Jack Nicholson’s performance in this movie was outstanding; it was a different role that I am used to seeing him in. Although this movie proved to be very interesting it is not my favorite of the movies we have watched so far. It does give us a sense of the early 20th century, which is clearly relevant to the class.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Chinatown
Watching the movie Chinatown for our History In Film Assignment was truly enjoyable. This movie was my favorite out of the three movies we have watched so far. I believe that the film brings to light some interesting aspects of the era that did not immediately come to my mind when I thought about the 1970s.
The movie Chinatown was released in 1974 and therefore coincided with the time period of the Watergate Scandal that shocked the American public and discovered corruption even at the level of the American president. In the movie we can also see various instances of corruption and how they influence the various people involved, as well as the entire city. In the film, the city’s distribution of water is highly corrupt, as the water department is controlled entirely by Mr. Cross, who is depriving the city of water by limiting the amount of water they may receive. In addition, the region’s farmers suffer significantly because some of them do not find their fields irrigated, while others in more power and a higher social status receive the water they need. Overall, the corruption is covered up on multiple levels of the city bureaucracy. When the private investigator Mr. Giddes attempts to uncover the scandal, several people, including the police, stop him from doing so. The sentence in the film that stood out most to me was “Don’t try… He owns the police” (Mrs. Mulray talking to Mr. Giddens, referring to her father). This sentence really shows that with the right amount of money and connection, one can really turn a city or the law in one’s favor. Generally, the movie’s portrayal of corruption can be related to other instances of corruption of the era such as the Watergate scandal and corruption in various other departments.
In addition, while watching the movie I was also somewhat surprised or better to say outraged by Chinatown’s portrayal of people of Chinese descent or ethnicity. The movie was full of racial stereotypes and portrayed Chinese people as inferior in intellect, as unable to speak English, and of a lower social class. Throughout the movie, Chinese people were only seen as servants, never actually spoke a line, and were just bossed around by their employers or average American public.
Apart from the negative portrayal of Chinese people, the movie Chinatown was enjoyable to watch because it had a certain amount of suspense. The viewer is really intrigued to find out who is behind the murder of Mr. Mulray.
The movie Chinatown was released in 1974 and therefore coincided with the time period of the Watergate Scandal that shocked the American public and discovered corruption even at the level of the American president. In the movie we can also see various instances of corruption and how they influence the various people involved, as well as the entire city. In the film, the city’s distribution of water is highly corrupt, as the water department is controlled entirely by Mr. Cross, who is depriving the city of water by limiting the amount of water they may receive. In addition, the region’s farmers suffer significantly because some of them do not find their fields irrigated, while others in more power and a higher social status receive the water they need. Overall, the corruption is covered up on multiple levels of the city bureaucracy. When the private investigator Mr. Giddes attempts to uncover the scandal, several people, including the police, stop him from doing so. The sentence in the film that stood out most to me was “Don’t try… He owns the police” (Mrs. Mulray talking to Mr. Giddens, referring to her father). This sentence really shows that with the right amount of money and connection, one can really turn a city or the law in one’s favor. Generally, the movie’s portrayal of corruption can be related to other instances of corruption of the era such as the Watergate scandal and corruption in various other departments.
In addition, while watching the movie I was also somewhat surprised or better to say outraged by Chinatown’s portrayal of people of Chinese descent or ethnicity. The movie was full of racial stereotypes and portrayed Chinese people as inferior in intellect, as unable to speak English, and of a lower social class. Throughout the movie, Chinese people were only seen as servants, never actually spoke a line, and were just bossed around by their employers or average American public.
Apart from the negative portrayal of Chinese people, the movie Chinatown was enjoyable to watch because it had a certain amount of suspense. The viewer is really intrigued to find out who is behind the murder of Mr. Mulray.
Chinatown
Chinatown was surprisingly a great movie with a captivating storyline. I personally do not like movies that much, especially if I have to watch it for a class; but, the film did hold my attention and kept me always wanting to know what was going to happen next. I was thoroughly impressed with the directors’ ability to set this film in the 1930’s while still capturing what was happening in the United States in the 1970’s.
The United States was in the middle of the Cold War when this movie was released. During this time there were countless movies that came out about the Cold War and the United States’ fight against communism. Chinatown’s plot was focused on a “good and evil” story line where Gaddis represented the good United States capitalist system and the father was truly evil and represented the Soviet Union’s communism. The end however was not the typically ending for a “good verse evil” plotline. The end of the movie it seemed as thought the father did win; thus, communism defeated capitalism in the end.
Also, Chinatown revealed a lot of information about the way Chinese immigrants were treated at this time. Throughout the movie, you see Chinese servants and references on how bad Chinatown actually is. For example, the last scene of the movie was located in Chinatown. One of Gaddis’s fellow workers stated “forget it Jake, It’s Chinatown”. Chinatown was also a place of growth for Gaddis. He began his career there and then eventually started his own private investigator company.
Overall, Chinatown was a great classic film filled with turns and twist. What surprised me about the film was the violence against women. The main female character in the film, Mrs. Mulwray, was rapped and beat up in the film. I am not sure if this was in fact common during the 1970’s; I still have to do research on this aspect of the film.
The United States was in the middle of the Cold War when this movie was released. During this time there were countless movies that came out about the Cold War and the United States’ fight against communism. Chinatown’s plot was focused on a “good and evil” story line where Gaddis represented the good United States capitalist system and the father was truly evil and represented the Soviet Union’s communism. The end however was not the typically ending for a “good verse evil” plotline. The end of the movie it seemed as thought the father did win; thus, communism defeated capitalism in the end.
Also, Chinatown revealed a lot of information about the way Chinese immigrants were treated at this time. Throughout the movie, you see Chinese servants and references on how bad Chinatown actually is. For example, the last scene of the movie was located in Chinatown. One of Gaddis’s fellow workers stated “forget it Jake, It’s Chinatown”. Chinatown was also a place of growth for Gaddis. He began his career there and then eventually started his own private investigator company.
Overall, Chinatown was a great classic film filled with turns and twist. What surprised me about the film was the violence against women. The main female character in the film, Mrs. Mulwray, was rapped and beat up in the film. I am not sure if this was in fact common during the 1970’s; I still have to do research on this aspect of the film.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Chapter 28
Following the Korean and Cold Wars the United States experienced a time of great wealth. The economy was strong and many Americans enjoyed their new freedom. Families and individuals enjoyed new appliances and technology that set them in a new age of affluence. There was a new system at work that allowed for more upper and middle class citizens to prosper. Wealth went from being determined by accumulated wealth to how much could be consumed by credit. Everyone had a chance to own high quality products with the ability to buy on credit.
Chapter 27
After the Second World War there was a feeling at large of skepticism. Americans had just finished fighting a war over discrimination but they themselves had begun to search for differences. There was a large national security campaign against homosexuals as well as transsexuals. Even Hollywood felt the effects of the search for subversives. Stars were not allowed to work in Hollywood anymore if they were but on the “blacklist” for being alleged subversives. Immigration laws that allowed the government to turn people of a certain origin away sprang up. There was even a scare in the government, named “McCarthyism” after the man who accused the government of employing communists. This anti-communist movement in the United States was appropriately named the “Great Fear” and was characterized as an anxiety ridden time that was spent searching for communists.
Scanning and All that Jazz
A few weeks ago, I scanned by items and reported about how adventurous my day ended up being. Now, I am thinking about starting to summarize my articles in order to make a short paragraph that identifies the importance of the article to community members. Once I put my mind to getting it done, it will be done in no time! I have been so swamped with other work, I feel like this is a good time to try and get this project done.
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" was a great movie. People rant and rave about it a little too much, which makes it kind less special when you watch it because you go in thinking it is going to be one of the best movies you have ever seen in your lifetime. It does depict the mentalities of wanting to achieve upper class (elite) status during this time period. The upper class lifestyle seemed so irresistible and exciting, who would not want to live that life? The plot had an interesting turn when her husband, Doc, showed up in New York City. Her two characters (lifestyles) were complete opposites. Our group worked very well together and we were able to divide the work. Hopefully, we accurately answered each section. TJs is always an adventure, I feel. To be honest, it is not my favorite place on campus because I truly never seem to learn a lot from my experiences at TJs but I sucked it up and went for my group. I am really hoping to get my research paper done and then head to TJs soon because I feel the sooner the better.
"Breakfast at Tiffany's" was a great movie. People rant and rave about it a little too much, which makes it kind less special when you watch it because you go in thinking it is going to be one of the best movies you have ever seen in your lifetime. It does depict the mentalities of wanting to achieve upper class (elite) status during this time period. The upper class lifestyle seemed so irresistible and exciting, who would not want to live that life? The plot had an interesting turn when her husband, Doc, showed up in New York City. Her two characters (lifestyles) were complete opposites. Our group worked very well together and we were able to divide the work. Hopefully, we accurately answered each section. TJs is always an adventure, I feel. To be honest, it is not my favorite place on campus because I truly never seem to learn a lot from my experiences at TJs but I sucked it up and went for my group. I am really hoping to get my research paper done and then head to TJs soon because I feel the sooner the better.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Scanning Winter Park History: A Winter Park Nursing Home
While I actually scanned my items from the fire department a while ago (at the beginning of last week), I am just now taking a closer look at them and am starting to work with them. While I still need to find some more historical background on the items in order to put them into local context, I have already read and summarized the items.
Two of my five items have to do with fire safety in the Winter Park region, specifically with fire safety in a local nursing home. The two documents are newspaper articles from 1954 and the specific nursing home is the Haven House. The Haven House was a nursing home on East Lyman Avenue. In November 1954 the nursing home, operated by Mrs. Alice Dunn, came under scrutiny for violating 15 different fire code laws, as was discovered after an inspection by the Winter Park Fire department. The main recommendation from the firemen for the nursing home was to install a sprinkler system in the building(s).
A subsequent article (also in 1954) then reported that the nursing home complied with the measures recommended and installed a modern sprinkler system, after city commissioners had pressured Mrs. Dunn to do so. The fire department now called the nursing home on of the safest in the city. Along with the effort of installing a new system, Mrs. Dunn took advantage of the renovating effort and also re-decorated the interior of the nursing home, along with re-doing the exterior landscaping. Total cost of all renewals were $4000, the financing of which Mrs. Dunn had originally cited as the delay for the installment of a sprinkling system.
Scanning has been an interesting project in the sense that it allows me to find out more about local Winter Park history. The locations and street names in my articles sound and look familiar, yet it is seldom that we walk down Park Avenue or its surrounding areas and think about these places in a historic context. The scanning project has opened my eyes to the many different aspects of Winter Park history and has expanded my knowledge of Winter Park history beyond the story of the founding of Winter Park, the creation of Rollins College and the few historical anecdotes one gets to hear on the Winter Park scenic boat tour – which I took a long time ago and certainly found less educational than this project. In subsequent blogs, I will share a little bit more about my findings of Winter Park history and its broader significance.
Two of my five items have to do with fire safety in the Winter Park region, specifically with fire safety in a local nursing home. The two documents are newspaper articles from 1954 and the specific nursing home is the Haven House. The Haven House was a nursing home on East Lyman Avenue. In November 1954 the nursing home, operated by Mrs. Alice Dunn, came under scrutiny for violating 15 different fire code laws, as was discovered after an inspection by the Winter Park Fire department. The main recommendation from the firemen for the nursing home was to install a sprinkler system in the building(s).
A subsequent article (also in 1954) then reported that the nursing home complied with the measures recommended and installed a modern sprinkler system, after city commissioners had pressured Mrs. Dunn to do so. The fire department now called the nursing home on of the safest in the city. Along with the effort of installing a new system, Mrs. Dunn took advantage of the renovating effort and also re-decorated the interior of the nursing home, along with re-doing the exterior landscaping. Total cost of all renewals were $4000, the financing of which Mrs. Dunn had originally cited as the delay for the installment of a sprinkling system.
Scanning has been an interesting project in the sense that it allows me to find out more about local Winter Park history. The locations and street names in my articles sound and look familiar, yet it is seldom that we walk down Park Avenue or its surrounding areas and think about these places in a historic context. The scanning project has opened my eyes to the many different aspects of Winter Park history and has expanded my knowledge of Winter Park history beyond the story of the founding of Winter Park, the creation of Rollins College and the few historical anecdotes one gets to hear on the Winter Park scenic boat tour – which I took a long time ago and certainly found less educational than this project. In subsequent blogs, I will share a little bit more about my findings of Winter Park history and its broader significance.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Great Group!
Breakfast at Tiffany’s was a great movie that truly capture the late 1950’s to 1960’s time period, especially the affluent nature of this decade; however, it did not emphasize the Civil Rights movement during this period. The Civil Rights movement grew tremendously. It started with the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court decision to desegregate public schools. After this decision, there was massive white resistance; however, the average American believed that the black community was not asking for that much and that the Civil Rights Movement was a positive movement and that the response to this movement was unquestionable horrible – lynching, firebombing a bus, arrests ect …
Breakfast at Tiffany’s did highlight the change in class structure and the importance of money. Both Holly and Paul pursue relationships in order to get access to the high class society. Also, the film highlights life in a big urban city, New York City. The city life is not focused on family structure but more on the single, fun life. Holly does not even name her cat, who is the closest family that she has in New York. At the end of the movie, I was left with a big question about the character of Holly. She did some morally questionable things in the movie, for example marrying for money; but she also seems to have a good heart and is sincerely confused about the role that she played at Sing Sing prison. Also, at the end she did end up with Paul, the man that she seems to truly care about and love.
The best aspect of this History Through Film assignment was my group. I was the group leader and it was a great experience. Everyone in my group pulled their weight and turned in their parts on time. It was a great experience and I would like to be in the same group for the next film paper.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s did highlight the change in class structure and the importance of money. Both Holly and Paul pursue relationships in order to get access to the high class society. Also, the film highlights life in a big urban city, New York City. The city life is not focused on family structure but more on the single, fun life. Holly does not even name her cat, who is the closest family that she has in New York. At the end of the movie, I was left with a big question about the character of Holly. She did some morally questionable things in the movie, for example marrying for money; but she also seems to have a good heart and is sincerely confused about the role that she played at Sing Sing prison. Also, at the end she did end up with Paul, the man that she seems to truly care about and love.
The best aspect of this History Through Film assignment was my group. I was the group leader and it was a great experience. Everyone in my group pulled their weight and turned in their parts on time. It was a great experience and I would like to be in the same group for the next film paper.
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