Remember Haiti: One Year Earthquake Memorial

Click to Play

;REMEMBER HAITI

January 12, 2011 marks the one-year anniversary of the massive earthquake that buried millions. In spite of pouring support from all the over the world, change has been painfully slow.

Renaissance Project Hope for Haiti

Click to Play

Gina & Danielle chat with Marie about the upcoming fundraiser to support the Renaissance Project. ;

Media Denial in a Digital World

I recently read Teach Media Literacy, a special report published in The Atlantic Magazine (June 2010) about the urgency to teach media literacy in public schools. Given this digital generation is more immersed in media, it seems to be a no brainer to integrate this subject in the school curriculum. Integration of media education is key as teachers’ plates are already full with standardized testing, core subjects teaching and administrative duties. It is unrealistic to expect that media literacy will get a fair share in daily classroom instructions. On the other hand, media literacy is as important as learning mathematics and English. Although I’ve always been interested in media and popular culture as a teenager, I formally learned media literacy in college because I was concerned about the excess of ads in print and on television that were targeted at teenagers, particularly girls. The closest class to media literacy was journalism class even then you will not learn about news analysis. It’s not enough to simply learn to analyze the news and know its source. Media literacy goes beyond analysis and criticism. It is a powerful tool that can address a range of issues and topics through critical lens.
In comparison a decade ago, we have more than enough research highlighting the relevance of media and recommending teaching media to students. In addition, there are plenty of educators, practitioners and specialists who have been promoting and teaching media education in various settings. In preparation to enter the classroom, teachers are trained in specific subjects while learning about educational theories, research and other relevant topics. How many teacher education programs in this country make it a requirement for teachers in training to be media literate or critical thinkers? Perhaps, some teachers have now taken an elective course offered at their college or a professional development seminar. Beyond that, media literacy is not viewed or treated as an important area of teaching. In most programs, the emphasis is on teacher performance; classroom management and ensuring students can pass whatever standardized testing mechanism their district has in place. I’m aware that teachers are often blamed for what’s not working in our education system but not integrating media literacy should start with teacher programs (Jared’s article did not make this claim). Furthermore, media education has to be mandatory and prioritized as a core subject nationally. It is not guaranteed that individual school and state will voluntary choose to integrate media literacy in the curriculum.
In today’s educational climate, the purpose of education remains as ancient as some of the textbooks the students are still reading when the masses have transitioned to a digital lifestyle. Clearly, there is a disconnect between the wired world of students and that of school administrators and educators. As usual, we’ll play catch up when we realize another country is taking the lead in this area and we’re in lowest percentile. We’re now a nation at risk of media denial.

For those who are interested in media education, reach out to those who are at the forefront of this movement. NAMLE is a great resource and will lead you to more.

Omorosa: Reality TV’s Ultimate Opportunistic Vixen

As if we didn’t have enough reality shows about looking for love and lust on television, Donald J. Trump has now become a matchmaker on television. Omorosa became somewhat of a celebrity after her stint on the first season of The Apprentice. She was vilified on the show for being an outspoken and angry Black woman who couldn’t get along with most of her colleagues. According to pubic opinion, her worst offense was sabotaging one of the contestants, an African American male contestant the grand prize. If you’re a fan, you know the story well. After the show, she seemed to embrace her profile as the reality TV vixen and was casted on several other shows.
This June, she premiered her own reality show with Donald Trump as her matchmaker. The show is aired on TVOne, which is a network with a large African American audience. Instead of the possibility of being fired, she has the power to vote off one of the “Bachelors” vying for her approval. The format of the show is similar to “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelette” except on this show as the Lady O, she has many advisors from spiritual to culinary. Guest appearances have included a pastor, former apprentice contestants, a chef and her mother. The show is entertaining and filled with challenges for contestants to win dates with her.
From her introduction on The Apprentice and Ultimate Merger, viewers learn that Omorosa is well educated and has achieved a great deal as an Entrepreneur and profession in the political arena. She worked in the White House during Clinton’s first term. In spite of her public persona as a bad girl or a woman the public loves to hate, she has the resume to make a living without resorting to making out on television with strangers under the charade of finding a man. This show has been produced on the heel of her failed marriage with a man she raved about on The Apprentice.
Omorosa is not the first person to become hook on the reality TV bug after her first experience. She even documented her plastic surgery splurges on television as a mother-daughter bonding extravaganza. Trump’s involvement as one of Executive Producers is one of the many surprises of The Ultimate Merger. On the other hand, we have to give Omorosa credit for forging a relationship with Trump that may exceed the longevity of The Apprentice. She is the only contestant from the show to launch her own show with Trump’s financing and stamp of approval. The only other Apprentice winner with a reality show is co-starring with his wife on the E! Channel. For a contestant who did not win the top job on the show, she seems to have stretched her 15 minutes of fame to one that keeps her in the black (no pun intended) and in the public eyes.
I’m not a fan of reality shows with a focus of finding a man or woman or swapping wives for entertainment. Many reality show contestants often claim to be motivated by their families, children, wanting to empower others and make a better life for themselves. From those shows, I now know that people come on reality shows for three primary reasons: fame, money and self-promotion. Anything else that is gained through a show whether love, friendship, career, travel, house or even an STI are secondary perks. In the case of the STI and other non-fatal bacteria, it’s an unfortunate by product of exposing yourself to the elements in the search for the ONE.
I’m not an expert on reality shows and I won’t attempt to provide a critical analysis on their effect on the public and their viewers. What I know from the few that I’ve watched, including The Ultimate Merger is that they capitalize on the worst aspects of people’s lives and accentuate negative stereotypes. That being said, it is possible to find a few dignified moments or discover a person who stomps public perceptions or stereotypes. Can you think of few examples when you witness something positive during a reality show? Next time you’re watching your favorite show or while channel surfing and you bump into a new one that you just can’t stop watching, see if you can a glimmer of human decency in one of the revolving characters. But then again, if you’re looking for what’s good in our society, reality shows should be the last place for you to look.

Emily Beattie: Dancer/Artist & SWAN DAY Curator

Click to Play

I had the pleasure to interview Emily Beattie about this years SWAN DAY. Emily is a passionate dancer, choreographer, teacher and curator of SWAN DAY.  Emily Beattie has choreographed one dozen dances since her arrival on the Boston dance scene in 2003. Her training began in classical ballet with Avery Ballet in Fredericksburg, Virginia. After studying the works and techniques of Humphrey-Weidman, Martha Graham, and Jose Limon she received a Bachelors of Fine Arts cum laude in Modern Dance from the Boston Conservatory. 

 

Emily Beattie has held faculty positions at Brown University, Boston Ballet's Taking outreach program, The Boston Symphony Orchestra's Days in the Arts Summer Enrichment, Salem State University, and Longy School of Music.

 

Beattie's teaching philosophy encourages questions, experimentation, and creativity while keeping technique in the foreground.Teaching children, teens, adults, students over 55 years old and non-english speakers has developed her well rounded classroom experience. Her process of learning as she shares her passion for dance remains overt.

For more information about SWAN DAY and Emilys upcoming performances, check out her website.

Simmons School of Management

Click to Play

An interactive panel on entrepreneurship.

SWAN DAY: Emily Beatty

Click to Play

Emily Beattie, a Cambridge-based choreographer and dancer, organizes and curates SWAN DAY Massachusetts.  On March 28th@7pm, SWAN Day will present: The Fearless Creation Collaborative. The innovative contributions of women to the art scene of Cambridge will be celebrated at this one day event at the Middlesex Lounge. This Cambridge night spot will be spontaneously transformed into a installation performance space by art in the making. Come celebrate the creativity of these women!

This event is part of a new international celebration of women artists called SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now Day). SWAN Day is an annual event taking place on the last Saturday of Women's History Month (March). Boston's present role in the Northeast region as an artistic hub and historic role as the wellspring of gender equality in all aspects, makes it a natural and dynamic site for a SWAN Day Festival. In one incredible working day, the general public is welcome to witness the unique performance process of slamming several art forms together by local artists working with dance, installation, music, and text. This savvy take on a conventional performance illustrates the power that women in creative careers can conjure. 

For more information, go to http://www.swandayma.com