Service Learning: Week 6

It was a great day for replanting... at least that's what Ryan said. Today was one of my favorite days at Urban Tree Connection. Our service was delayed an hour because Raheem and Ryan were in a grant meeting. Before they arrived Kate and I met Bill from Penn State who was leaving parts of the high tunnel that will be installed soon. We waited inside her gray Jeep until Raheem and Ryan arrived. In the back of their pick up truck they had baby kales ready to be replanted. "It's your babies!" Ryan exclaimed. They are the same plants we planted a month ago.

The South Philly site looks completely different than the last time I was there. There are rows upon rows of dirt ready to be planted. It finally looks like a farm.

We divided the work by who was going to make a hole and who was going to plant the kale. Ryan and I made the holes and Raheem and Kate planted the kale. It was slightly raining but not too cold. Ryan said it was a good day for replanting because the sun wasn't strong enough to dry out the fragile kales. Certain areas of the ground were muddy. I started using gloves and the Ryan was describing how good the ground felt so I took them off to feel it. There is a problem with the ground and the water levels. I couldn't fully understand it but Ryan explained that the organic products they use are better for soaking up the water. Raheem, who is in charge of the South Philly site, seems enthusiastic about the future of the farm.

Ryan and I talked about the food industry. Ryan began farming when he was young with his family in Ohio. He went to school in Pennsylvania where he studied Environmental Studies and Public Policy that is where he met his fiance. They are getting married in May. He smiles every time he mentions it. We talked about urban farms and eating locally. He said there is still a lot that needs to be changed within the food industry. I told him what I know from my Food and Justice class he expanded and gave me some of his personal anecdotes.

We switched-- Raheem and Kate dug holes and Ryan and I began to plant. The kale is so small, it's hard to hold. I wish I had smaller hands. At one point Ryan began to hum. I tell him his singing reminds me of my great-uncle. My great-uncle is a farmer in Puerto Rico and always sings, "Le lo lay, lo lay le lo lay." The tune of the Puerto Rican farmer.

We finished two rows of the baby kales. One row was dinosaur kale and the other curly kale. I was satisfied with our work. Usually Kate and I dig so it was nice to replant the same seeds we planted weeks ago.

                                                                   

Dino >>>











<<< Curly








(All images are from Creative Commons.)

Service Learning: Week 5

I got a farmer's tan... literally.

The West Philly site is beginning to come to life. One can start to see baby lettuces on the ground. Que seemed very tired today. His eyes were droopy and he was a little less energetic than usual.

Our first task was to bring more dirt to the site. We drove a block away; Kate and I squeezed in the passenger seat of the pick-up truck. When we got to the dirt pile, we filled the back of the truck with dirt. Que was telling us he wants to get a car. He said he wanted a convertible. A few moments later he saw my glasses and said, "Those are PRADA. That's expensive." I was struck. I usually don't notice eyeglasses' brands. I didn't know what to say back. I felt uncomfortable because I didn't know what he meant by it.

I kept digging. After we filled the whole truck, Que went to the corner store to get some candy. He needed some sugar to re-energize. He got a Pop-tart and a Flintstones powdered candy tube. I used to watch the Flintstones in Spanish when I was little. Pedro Picapiedra was the main character's name.

The truck felt heavier as we drove back to the farm. Our next task was to dump the dirt on a row where more vegetables will be planted. Jamal told Que to give us some water. It was much needed. Working on the farm when it's warm out is a different experience.

To keep the water theme, our next task was to install sprinklers. First Kate and I dug a hole where the sprinklers would go about a foot deep. We sawed a piece of wood in half, we drilled a whole in the middle and placed the sprinklers. Then we had to connect the sprinklers to each other and to the water using a thick hose. When it was done, we turned it on and there were sprinklers. I loved seeing the final product.

Que gave me some glue and told me to bring it to the high tunnel. I felt the heat wave that I feel when I get out of a plane to Puerto Rico from Philly except 3 times stronger. What once was the escape of the cold, is now a sauna. Fortunately, the sides of the tunnel can be raised up so it ventilates. They are manual so I helped Que with it. He said that some farms have automatic ones.

It was time to go and I was exhausted. It wasn't so much the work but the heat that really got me tired. I am really excited for the weeks to come. I also like telling people that I have a farmer's tan because I was farming.

Service Learning: Week 4

Dig
Dig
Dig

On the car ride to the South Philly site, Kate and I were nostalgically talking about our Spring Breaks. She just came back from Ireland and I just came back from Appalachia.

In the new South Philly site of Urban Tree Connection (UTC) one can see Citizens Bank Park's "Phillies" sign. I have always been on the other side of that sign, paying $12 for standing tickets. I can't wait until the baseball season starts again. When we got there Raheem greeted us with a smile on his face as usual. The site is just dirt right now. We had to shovel the dirt on the edge of the fence that borders the farm about a feet away from the fence so Raheem could use the bobcat tractor to add more dirt where he is planning to plant. We spent most of the time digging with Jamal. He was telling us about Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. Que was there too but he had his headphones on and was digging what seemed like trenches farther away. Once we were done with this task, Raheem gave us mandarines to snack on. Kate and I didn't have breakfast yet so it tasted extra-good.

Our next task was to remove big rocks from the dirt that was going to be used for planting. We were using rakes to locate them and tossing them in wheelbarrows. Raheem was picking up the dirt from the edge and dumping it in the middle with a bobcat tractor. He looked like a little kid in a toy car. Kate pointed out that he always wears nice clothes. I noticed he was wearing jeans, a sweater and nice shoes. It must be the urban farmer look.

Ryan came and helped us pick out the rocks. He asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I told him I want to be a journalist. He also asked what I did for Spring Break and I told him I went to Roanoke,  VA to work with Habitat for Humanity. I told him I loved the town. He told me about a friend of his that travels to different towns and writes about them; his next stop is Roanoke.

Time went by fast at service today. This was a good way to start my week and adjust to my schedule again.

Service Learning: Week 3

Urban Tree Connection's office is just around the block from my house. I was excited to work today because Sue, the volunteer manager, told us we would be planting the seeds of the spring. As Kate and I arrived to the wooden gates, the office manager Awinda greeted us. Awinda is a black woman with dark long dreads. At first she seemed shy but I realized she was just soft-spoken. She was wearing a gray sweatshirt with red sleeves and jeans. The office is a typical stoned wall West Philadelphia house. The inside has a rustic feel and is beautifully decorated with many art statues. We went down to the basement and saw Raheem. Awinda was going to introduce us to him and Kate said, "Old friends." Raheem and I greeted with a fist bump.

My first task was to clean up the trays where the seeds are planted. I was meticulously washing it when Raheem said, "Girl, it don't have to be squeaky clean. You know what's going in there? Dirt!" I went much faster after that. Que came as I was cleaning the trays. I met Ryan, a tall white guy from Ohio who was wearing a stripped gray, purple and blue beanie. I also met Jamal, an older black man who has a dark and orange beard. I could see from the corner of my eye that they were all planting the seeds. I wanted to finish cleaning so I could join them.

As soon as I was done Awinda gave me seeds and showed me how to plant them. I just had to push down the dirt with my finger, place the seed and cover it. I was planting and swaying my hips as we listened to an old school radio station. Music and planting seem to go hand in hand – I can listen to my great uncle singing “la le lo lai” as he worked our farm. Jamal knew every song that the radio played and wasn't shy to sing them. Que teased him of being old. Jamal didn't care though; he described what we listened to as "real music".

When Awinda gave me the lettuce seeds I asked her if I only put one inside. She affirmed that it was only one. The seeds were so small I had to scoop them under my index's nail. So this is where lettuce comes from? I was amazed with the size of the seed. The collards seeds were fortunately bigger and easier to grab. Kate joined me and I showed her how to plant. Every rack was labeled, and as we finished we organized them on tables where they would grow. Hopefully, next time I go to UTC I can see how the plants have grown. A part of me is nervous I messed up. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Service Learning: Week 2

The temperature was low but the sun was bright. Kate and I were noticeably tired as we drove once again to the West Philly site of Urban Tree Connection. When we got there we saw Raheem. He told us he jumped over the fence because Que had the key. Kate and I waited until Que arrived to get in the farm. Raheem is originally from California and moved to Philadelphia about 5 years ago. Talking to him was interesting because I had already heard about him. Last week Que told us that Raheem makes fun of him because of his height. Mark, a guy from my class, told us that the two had a funny dynamic. He was right. Que and Raheem studied together and started to work at UTC at the same time.

The first task of the day was to once again uproot arugula in the high tunnel. There are two and a half high tunnels in the farm, all of which they themselves constructed. I say a half because one of them is still missing the plastic that protects the vegetables from the weather and retains sunlight. It is significantly warmer inside. I took my coat off and continued to work. Raheem asked us where we were from. Kate said she was from North Jersey and told him I was from Puerto Rico. "You're from Puerto Rico? You're not Puerto Rican, I know Puerto Ricans!" I chuckled. I can't tell you how many times someone has been surprised when I tell them where I am from. "Straight from the island," I replied. After the arugula we uprooted lettuce and some weeds that were growing on the side. When we were done there was nothing left except garlic, which is in season. 

Since the day got warmer, we went outside and uprooted spinach and asparagus. The sounds of an urban farm are different than the sounds of a rural farm. We all enjoyed the old school radio station that one of the neighbor's was loudly listening to. The way I see it,  they're sharing the music not bothering us.  We discussed about the real estate around the area as I struggled to take the asparagus roots from the frozen dirt. 

I had never seen frozen dirt so close. To be honest, I had never thought about dirt being frozen. Why would I? Frozen dirt has never been relevant. I never had to shovel or move it. Which takes me to the final task-- shoveling the divisons of the new high tunnel. Since the tunnel doesn't have the plastic the dirt was frozen and my arms were hurting. I wondered how many calories I was burning. After we finished, we left. When I went to class that day I looked at the dirt around campus and wondered how frozen it was. 

Service Learning: Week 1 (for real)

It was a rainy morning, but at least the temperature was warm.
Kate, my service learning partner, picked me up around 9:40 and we drove to the West Philly site of Urban Tree Connection. The person in charge of the site is Que, a 23 year old short black man who studied landscape design in trade school. Our first task was to uproot arugula from the fall to prepare for spring. Luckily, the Arugula was indoors. The mild smell of arugula and compost filled my lungs. Que was surprised that me and Kate were English majors. He said that he was thinking of majoring in English if he went to college. We talked about our favorite writers and poets as we stripped the land from its product. It took us about an hour to finish.

Que asked, "You guys need a break/want a snack?" Me and Kate refused politely. It stopped raining yet the day was gray. He showed us the outside of the farm. We saw where the garlic, spinach and carrots are harvested. As we passed by the carrots he dug the ground with a piece of wood  and gave me a carrot. Can I eat this? He said something about small children being freaked out when he ate it from the ground. I broke the carrot in half and couldn't resist. I brushed the dirt off against my sweatshirt and ate a piece. It was the freshest carrot I have ever tasted. He said it had more flavor because the leaves of it didn't grow. He gave a carrot to Kate and she ate it as well. "I told you we were having snacks," said Que.


Our second task was to make the doors of the plant house sturdier. We unscrewed the edges and drilled in new nails. After a few nails I got he hang of it. It reminded me of the work I did on Appalachia my sophomore year. Before we knew it, it was 1pm and our three hours were done. I was surprised how quickly time passed.

I'm looking forward to the spring a lot more now. Maybe working the land will give me a new perspective of the seasons. I don't know what will be the main lesson I get from UTC; but, I do know that this is going to be a great way to start my week.

Service Learning: Week 1

The sirens of the firetrucks woke me up around 3am. The house across the street was blazing. I have never seen a fire so close. The house is under construction so there was no one inside. However, the image of suffocating was implemented in my mind. I had a bad dream when I went back to sleep. My pillow had the scent of my perfume as I woke up because I received a text. I had to wake up in an hour for my first day of service learning. I was upset that I didn't get a good sleep. The text message was from UrbanTree Connection's site manager. She said it was too cold to work and we didn't have to go. Now, I was disappointed. I couldn't go to service, but I was glad could sleep in.

When I woke up I researched more about UTC. According to their website they are a "nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that engages children and adults from some of Philadelphia's most disadvantaged neighborhoods in community-based, urban-greening projects." When I think of farming, I think about my great-uncle. When I was little he used to grow plantains in Rio Grande, a town about 45 minutes from San Juan. My grandmother says tio Lilo would've had an important job in agriculture in Puerto Rico; but he decided to move to New York City, as many people did in the 40's. He always tells stories about his jobs at different factories and claims he learned Italian.  My grandmother was the only one of her siblings that didn't permanently move to the states.  I always wonder what Lilo's life would've been like if he stayed in Puerto Rico.

Back to Service Learning. I'm excited to start this week. Hopefully my next post will be more eventful.

Exploring El Yunque

In the north-east of Puerto Rico El Yunque Rainforest serves as an attraction for tourists and locals. The rainforest has over 200 species of plants and animals, many who only exist in the humid mountains. El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Forest System. 

El Yunque crosses through the pueblos of  Canóvanas, Las Piedras, Luquillo, Fajardo, Ceiba, Naguabo, and Rio Grande. Which means there are many different ways to explore the rainforest. I'll explain two different routes that I've taken. The first is the more traditional way and the second is an adventurous local secret. 

Las Minas Waterfalls Trail

If you're in San Juan you simply take route 66 and then PR-3 and follow the signs that say El Yunque. The exit is to the right of the Rio Mar Hyatt. Although this is the more traditional way to explore El Yunque, it doesn't make it any less special. 

When you start going up the mountain of El Yunque, you'll see a sign that says Trail to las Minas. Las Minas are beautiful waterfalls which are easy to get to through a trail. This trail is partly paved or covered with rocks, so it is fairly easy to hike. Notice the roots and leaves of the trees and hear the sounds of the rainforest as you go along. 

Photo by: Cristina Jayo

When you get to the waterfalls you'll see there will be people bathing under them. I usually take a picture and then take my guest higher up to ponds which don't have that many people. Be sure to bring your bathing suit!

Las Minas Waterfalls
Photo by: Kimmy Sylvester

A pond all to ourselves higher up
Photo by: Cristina Jayo

Charco Frio: Tinajas

Tinajas is a part of the rainforest located in Ceiba where there are natural water slides and deep waters where one can jump from rocks or ropes. This is for real adventurers in good physical condition because getting there is not an easy hike. 

There are two ways to get to Tinajas, one is two walk all the way up the river, which takes about 2 hours or paying $10 to the man who owns the land, park your car in his backyard and go through his trail. His trail is about 30 minutes and a lot easier than going through the river. 

Going up the river.
Photo by: Camille A. Padilla

The trail which was particularly muddy when we went
Photo by: Camille A. Padilla

My friends and I went up the river on our way to Tinajas because the man wasn't in his house and then  took his trail back. Going up the river is fun but there is a chance someone will end up with a rolled ankle. (One has to rock climb and go through the water.) If you go up the river you need to make sure everyone with you is physically and mentally up to it. 

For anyone interested in land around Tinajas, the man who lets you park and use his trail is selling properties. 

What's next?

My next adventure in El Yunque will be to explore el Bosque Enano (The Elf Forest) or El Bosque de las Nubes (The Cloud Forest). It is in the highest altitudes of EL Yunque where trees are smaller because they do not need to grow tall for sun or water. It won't happen until the summer because I will be in Philly for the next couple of months but I'll be sure to blog about it! 


Since I'm in the topic of El Yunque, I would like to share this song which I believe all Puerto Ricans should familiarize themselves with. Enjoy.

Reference: http://www.topuertorico.org/reference/yunque.shtml

Advice for Life

This is my postmodern project for my Modernism and Postmodernism course. We get a lot of advice, but does any really matter? This is without a doubt the zaniest videos I've created.

Edu Tech

For my Ethics in Communications class we had to give a TED talk. The hardest part for me was to come up with an idea. Yet, one night I couldn't sleep, I came up with the idea of an educational tablet. I called the product Edu Tech. It is a tablet that students would use with a stylus. The whole point of the tablet is to foment handwriting and not reject technology.

 With Edu Tech, students can pick the background they want for their notes. This will make them remember them better because they will remember not only the words but the design they created.

Teachers will have their own tablet where they can submit quizzes, tests and homework assignments to all of the students' tablets. The tablet is for educational purposes only, therefore, there will be no access to the Internet.  

Handwriting develops the brain better than typing. It also, gives students confidence; good handwriting or a nice signature is something to be proud of. Products that incorporate technology and human ability can enhance a child's education process.

Access Denied: Third party candidates excluded from debates

When most college students think of the 2012 Presidential Election, two candidates come to mind, President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney. The increased polarization of both parties in recent years has made the gap between the Republicans and the Democrats even wider. More often the ‘hard-core’ version of the views of the very liberal or the very conservative are being heard in the media and around the neighborhood.

Yet, there are other third-party candidates that do not get as much attention. Ever heard of Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, Green Party nominee Jill Stein, Constitution Party nominee Virgil Goode, and Justice Party nominee Rocky Anderson? If your answer is no, you’re not alone.

Political science professor Francis Graham Lee, Ph.D. said, “The rules in the United States are […] designed to make it very difficult, if not impossible, for a third party to play a role.”

Lee, alongside history professor Randall Miller, Ph.D. have taught an elections course for many years at St. Joe’s.

Miller described the situation in terms of biology. “Parties are like a species and the basic function is to keep reproducing yourself so the species can survive. You don’t want to let competitors in.”

Both professors explained that structurally, the United States does not have a system that works with many parties because “[the] winner takes all.” There is no proportional representation of multiple parties, but a single party that wins.

Yet, the third parties’ misrepresentation is perpetuated by the lack of media attention that these parties receive. As Miller described, “The problem just keeps compounding itself because you’re marginal, in fact, you don’t get much attention because you don’t have enough money, you don’t get in the ballots in many cases, you don’t get in the debates…you don’t even get what’s called free media.”

Miller described that when Obama or Romney go somewhere they get a lot of “free media, ”which means news articles or TV time that the press covers because it is newsworthy. Third-parties do not benefit from “free-media” and therefore have barely any public attention.

This past year, students may have felt the Libertarian Party’s presence stronger than ever because of Ron Paul, who was in the running to be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. Ron Paul appealed to the young vote because of his socially liberal and fiscally conservative policies. Recently, the Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson filed a lawsuit against the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) because of exclusions to the presidential debate.

According to the CDP, a third party candidate needs 15 percent in polls in order to be part of the Presidential Debates. Johnson claimed that in polls of just him and Obama he exceeded that 15 percent.

Lee said, “You have to have some minimum cut off, there’s no doubt the 15 percent is too high.”

He explained that if any of the third parties gets 5 percent in votes this year, in the next election they will get Federal Funding. “The Federal Funding Rules are looser than the presidential debate rules,” he said.

The Commission on Presidential Debates is comprised of only Republicans and Democrats.

“The system is rigged for the two parties to maintain themselves and against anybody else to crowd in and take up time, space and money,” said Miller. “Right now it’s their games, it’s their rules, so they can pretty much do what they want.”

Both professors agreed that one of the only things Democrats and Republicans agree on is keeping the ballot between both of their parties.

“Third-parties will never get as much attention as the Republican and Democratic parties, but the ideas that they have are usually ones that the main parties are avoiding,” said Miller.

Although many students may not remember (or know about it), there is an exception to the two-party debates within our lifetime. In 1992 and 1996, Henry Ross Perot ran for the presidency as the candidate of the Reform Party and exceeded the required 15 percent of polls to participate in the presidential debates. Perot had enough money to put himself out there, buying media time and campaigning by self-funding. In fact, in 1992 Perot was ahead of the polls before the first presidential debate. As both professors explained, Perot asserted issues on the deficit, which both Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush were avoiding. Eventually, the Democratic Party adopted some of his ideas and Clinton won.
“Some [third party] ideas do become part of the political parties,” said Miller.

Miller stated, “Ross Perot was able to pay a lot of money to get a lot of attention, which a lot of parties are unable to do.” He continued, “I think it’s unfortunate for us as a people that we don’t know more about, learn more about, and even want to know more about third parties, discover that there really are alternative views. It doesn’t work to our advantage.”

The two-party system has existed in the American politics since its early days, yet there are many ideas out there that both major parties dodge.
“For a lot of young people, one issue might be changing the American drug laws, particularly those involving marijuana, and that’s what they’re arguing for,” said Lee.

All third-party candidates, except Rocky Anderson, support the legalization of marijuana. Besides drug laws, the importance of the environment is another issue which third parties are discussing, especially the Green Party nominee, Jill Stein.

Lee said, “A lot of people thought it would be great if Mayor Bloomberg had run as an independent. First of all, he would have the money to self-fund. He probably would’ve gotten close to 15 percent, but even if he got 5 percent, it would’ve been nice to have him in the debate. Looking at both Obama and Romney and saying, ‘Neither of your numbers add up. This is craziness! Both of you are in gaga-land in terms of getting rid of the deficit.’ That would’ve been nice to have.”

Although they were not part of the televised presidential debates, there was a third party presidential debate on Oct. 23 moderated by Larry King and streamed live on the Internet. Issues ranged from drug laws to the military (including the issue on drones which Obama and Romney avoided) and an issue most pertinent to college students, student loans. The next third party presidential debate will be Nov. 5, and will stream on on www.freeandequal.org/live.

This article was originally published in The Hawk's website.

nohomophobes.com is calling people out

I recently saw someone sharing this website on Facebook. Nohomophobes.com shows all tweets that say: "#faggot, #NoHomo, #sogay and #dyke."

This is a screen shot of today:

Why am I sharing this? Because I believe this is a good way of making people conscious of how we use homophobic language without noticing. Like the website states, most times when use these words it is not meant to be hurtful. Yet, saying something is "so gay", for example, is using someone's sexuality to refer to something as negative. Sexuality is a part of a person's identity, and it shouldn't be deemed as bad.

Here's a screen shot of all time:

This website has been up for just a few months and so many of these words have been said. Twitter is a great place where we can express our thoughts, ideas and emotions but should there be some sort of ethic to what we can and cannot say? That is up to the person who tweets, yet I hope this makes people more conscious of how their words can affect others.

happy tunes

 

I went to Washington, D.C. to visit my best friend and met Manatho Shumba Masani in the Eastern Market. As soon as he started playing I knew I wanted to film him and make a video. The sounds of the thumb piano are soothing and simply make you feel relaxed and happy. Manatho has no problem playing for anyone and loves to share his happy tunes for anyone who wants to hear. By making a video I can multiply the amount of people that hear him play (assuming I get a lot of views.)

 He's owned the thumb piano he is playing for 25 years and says it is "the oldest piano in the world." All the pictures and video were taken with my iPhone 4S. I edited the video on my way back from DC in the Megabus. I guess it was my own way of not doing homework.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed making it.

u can't text here

Making this video for my Ethics in Communications class was a lot of fun. I mean, I rapped to MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This." (Well, that's something I never expected to do for class.)

Yet, what I learned about this video is how sometimes the best moments happen spontaneously. Such as, running into the University's president and asking him to say, "U Can't Text here" or randomly deciding to dance as I crossed the street.

I hope that besides the video being funny, people realize that the message is important. Texting at lunch, in church or in class is disrespectful. There is a problem within our generation where we are so consumed by our individual media consumption that we disregard everything around us. It makes us lose a little bit of our humaness.

I love texting. Yet, I also love being with people. Connecting with them face-to-face and creating connections outside of my iPhone.

I hope you enjoy this video and learn something from it. I also hope the tune gets stuck on your head for as long as it got stuck on mine.

do not disturb

In William Deresiewicz's essay "The end of solitude", the author describes how my generation has come to a point were we are never alone. The constant communication through text, Facebook, Twitter etc. has made us so use to being in touch with people that we are afraid to be alone. Instead of focusing on our tangible self, we are more concerned about our online self.

I agree with Deresiewicz that our generation is use to being constantly connected, yet, I do believe that this is because the technology is so new we haven't been taught or know how to remove ourselves from it. One thing is for sure, the new update of the iPhone has a "Do not disturb button" that needs to be used.

Settings > Do not disturb > On

All you need to do so your notifications, texts and calls hold off. Bianca Bosker, the Senior Tech Editor of the Huffington Post, explained:

The Do Not Disturb tool marks a refreshing admission by a tech company that we actually have a life beyond our gadgets, and for all the good it does to be wedded to our devices, every now and again we need to trade FaceTime for face-to-face time.

It's Apple's way of saying, "Hey, there's a life out there you need to pay attention to!" The simple change of the iOS 6 software might also be the stepping stone to regain solitude.

Picture this: it's a saturday afternoon, you go outside, turn on the Do not disturb on your iPhone and read a book with no interruptions. Well, it sounds good to me.

Google/Gmail blocked in Iran

News Article from BBC

Imagine receiving a text message saying that your Gmail is blocked. That is what happened to Iranians. 

The link above is an article from BBC news informing that Google's search engine and Gmail has been blocked in Iran. According to the government Gmail does not satisfy Islamic Law and they "filtered it until further notice". The government claims that the people have asked for this ban because of a anti-Islamic movie "Innocence of Muslims" which was posted in Google videos. 


Yet, many citizens told BBC that they were outraged. Here are some tweets that BBC posted against the ban:

"This is a pre-determined scenario to block Google in Iran, they wanted to do this since long time ago." 

"Now they have found the best alibi to do it."

"Students and businesses use Google services the most. This self-proclaimed superpower is afraid of satellites, internet and people's consciousness."

However, it seems like other Iranians agree with the ban: 

"Google has removed the name of Persian Gulf from its map and has banned users inside Iran to access many of its services because of sanctions," Faramarz, from Qazvin, wrote. 

"Banning the service will bring some losses to Google, although not substantial. I agree with banning it." 

YouTube has also been censored in Iran since 2009.

There are two things that come to mind when I read this article. First, it is scary for me to see how a government can easily control what their people can and cannot see. The Web seems very easy to use, but it is also very easy to control. In the United States we often talk about how the censorship that happens in other countries and never wonder what happens here.

Yet, other communication platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs etc. let the opinions of people within the country be known. I'm amazed how easy it is to get reactions from the public. Iran might have shut down Google and Gmail but the voices con or pro it are not being silenced. When no voices from within are being heard, that's when we need to worry.

my digital media consumption

"Oh my, starry eyed surprised.

Sun down to sunrise

Dance all night

We gonna dance all night

Dance all night to this DJ..."

Wake up. Slide my Iphone to shut off Paul Oakenfold's "Starry Eyed Surprise". Random alarm music? Why yes, it's my specialty. 

I open my computer and put a nice "Good Morning!" playlist on 8tracks.com. I get ready for my day and as I go to class I get a text from my boyfriend. We go to different schools, but we're always talking. 

I remove myself from technology and go to class. As soon as I get out I check my e-mail. I get a notification saying someone favorited my tweet so I check twitter, all 3 of my accounts. 

Go to the gym. No internet usage but there's tv's in front of the treadmills. I like to watch soccer games because I don't need to actually hear it. 

As I walk home after the gym I notice I haven't checked my Facebook all day. My best friend from home sent me a message! Oh how I miss them...

When I get home I listen to Pandora as I shower. Nothing like a good concert for myself. 

I check my e-mail again. This time mysju account and thehawknews gmail account too. I upload recent sports scores in The Hawk's website. 

I call my mom. She tells me she likes how the shirt she bought me looks on me. (She saw it on Facebook). 

I have dinner. One of my roommates baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and we eat them at our living room while watching TV. This is my favorite moment of the day. When my roommates (all 7 of them) and I just relax at the living room. Sometimes we watch TV, and sometimes it serves as background noise for our conversation. Granted, many of us have our Iphones glued to our hands, but we show each other funny tweets and instagrams that we find. 

Digital media definitely is a big part of my life. Since I was a growing up, I always found technology fascinating. I would play in Microsoft's paint and make graphs in Excel about nothing in particular. 

Now, I like to embrace digital media but above all understand it. In my opinion it is very hard to avoid using it because it is how the world communicates. For example, to talk to my mom in Puerto Rico or my best friend in DC it's important to have these technologies. 

Yet, I think it's important to reflect how often we use digital media and in what ways it affects us. We need to understand how it limits us and how it empowers us. Most importantly, we need to understand that digital media is always changing so it's something we need to think about often. 

the history of the web/ some random thoughts

Web History Graphic

Click on the link above and let your mind be blown by the history of the Web. It's amazing how fast the development of the Web has gone and even more so how the speed of the development is accelerating. 

I think the study of the Web is something that should be talked about more. In fact, it should even be a part of history classes. I know about it because I'm a Communications minor, yet, the Web affects all of us. It re-wires our brains and makes us act different. 

Right now we are at a phase of transition where many people might reject the reality that we are changing drastically because of this. Yet, if we deny it we will completely lose ourselves. We need to embrace the positive things that the Web provides us with and challenge the negative ones. Why is it wrong to text at dinner? Is there a new code of manners that needs to be written about when technology is appropriate? Certainly, professors and teachers have made that code clear in their syllabus. 

Yet the reality is that because we have changed as humans, we need to educate the new generation differently. Remember when your mom said, "Stand up straight and don't put your elbows on the table!" Now we have to say even to our friends, "Can you not text while we're having lunch?"

Yet, technology unites us. We can share videos, photographs and thoughts together as well. You and your friends can listen to music together from a playlist created by someone in Chile. You and your dad can see the funny video cousin John posted in your wall. 

Be where you are. That is the key. Before texting, tweeting, changing your status or instagraming, see your surroundings and think if you are including or excluding people with technology. 

When Guttenberg invented the printing press, literacy rose so that the elite, upper class wasn't the only one to understand the world and develop intellectual ideas. Now the Web has allowed us to create and share our ideas. Yet, it is important to remember that if we lose touch of the reality outside of the Web, we will never enjoy the world that we learn and undertand about within it. 

you, me and our followers

[Adam walks in Jill's dorm. They are both juniors in college and have been close friends since freshman year.]

Hey Jill, how was your day?

[Jill is sitting at her desk and has her headphones on. She doesn't answer.]

What are you doing there?

[He walks closer to her]

Oh, checking your Facebook and listening to Pandora, that's cool. Third Eye Blind station? That's a good one.

[Still no answer]

I came here because I wanted to tell you something in person. Can you please disconnect and pay attention to me?

No? Oh, I see how it is. I guess Facebook stalking Leah is more important. She has a new boyfriend I see, what else is new. I can never keep up with her love life.

Well back to what I wanted to say...

[Adam takes a deep breath]

I love you.

Well, this is awkward. I don't even know why I tried.

Maybe I should tweet at you, huh?

I can picture it now I can say, "@Jillybean I @heyad12 love you. #bemine" and you can answer, "@heyad12  I love you too! #friendsforever"

That's not what I mean tho... I. Love. You.

I love the human side of you, not your profile picture or your LinkedIn profile. I love that girl that always participates in class and use to stay up late talking with me in the common room.

You don't understand that when you articulate your thoughts and ideas, it's magical...

Yet, this girl? The one who ignores me. The one who thinks is so connected but in reality is so alone.

I'm here pouring my heart out and you're ignoring me. How did this happen Jill? Talk to me! Look at me in the eye and tell me if you feel the same way because quite frankly I'm crazy for you!

You always use to tell me how you wanted a guy to sweep you off your feet and I want to do that to you but, you don't let me.

[Jill turns around] I don't let you do what?

[Adam's heart raises]

You don't let me tell you that I love you.

Follow @CamiHabla