Writing 105

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Light in Darkness

Little Miss Sunshine The film , Little Miss Sunshine , is the story of the Hoover family, the most imperfect and dysfunctional family you could possibly imagine. The daughter, Olive, signs up for a beauty pageant in California, and the family embarks on a road trip in their close-quartered van. The constant tension between the family in the van exposes the numerous problems each family has and faces. The dad thinks his wife’s brother is a “loser” and on multiple occasions in the beginning of the film shows a clear dislike towards him. The wife is constantly stressed because she has to worry about her aging and problematic drug using dad living with them. The son is dedicating his life to the air force and vowed to not speak until he joined, which definitely adds to the mother's stress. And the daughter, Olive, the nerd of the family, is blind to the problems going on in the family, but ultimately lives an optimistic life, which holds the family together. The writer of the m...

How to Properly Argue

Think about the last time you had an argument. How did it go? How was it structured? As a species, arguing is a necessary part of communication, but what purpose does it serve to argue? Most arguments stem from our differences with each other, which makes arguments almost inevitable since not one human on this planet is the exact same. When most people hear the word “argument,” many associate it with yelling or getting angry or upset with the person they’re arguing with. Since many people feel attachment to personal beliefs or ideas, when someone attacks those ideals it can often lead to tension. Understanding each other's differences can help ease tension, so something can be accomplished from the argument. This is why universities advocate diversity, because each person’s different beliefs bring up different arguments. Why is having different beliefs important when it comes to arguments? If everyone thought the same way and acted the same way there would be no progress ...

Overcoming Obstacles

Imagine one day waking up without the ability to run, walk, stand, or do anything on two legs. Imagine how your life would be affected, whether it be your job, relationships, or emotional wellbeing. Fortunately, most people will never have to worry about that, but for some people, it’s a reality they can’t escape. This was almost the case for Cliff Devries, the diving coach at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). A surgery to remove a spinal tumor left Cliff paralyzed from the neck down, removing the ability to walk and stand on two legs, or so the doctors thought. His motivation to overcome these obstacles allowed him to learn to walk again. But what motivates Cliff? Every year on his birthday he dives into his pool, which is remarkable, but for Cliff, it's what keeps him moving for the other 364 days of the year. Tackling obstacles is nothing new for Cliff, as he is paralyzed. He also challenges the conventional idea that people with ...

The New Yorker Cover

The cover for The New Yorker, What So Proudly We Hailed on November 5th, 2001 was heavily influenced by events from that time period. Looking at the date, you’ll realize that November 5th, 2001 is close to two months after the events on September 11th, 2001. More specifically, since the collapse of the twin towers was located right in New York City, New Yorkers were more touched by 9/11 thus it would only make sense for The New Yorker to publish an article about it. The cover targets many issues in America that were present at the time. The first one is the flags all over the taxi. The bright yellow taxi is a symbol of New York City, which is why it was used. Additionally There is a sign that says “God Bless America.” Those two objects as well as the title of the magazine “What So Proudly We Hail,” are references to the patriotism that was widespread throughout the US. The artist of the cover placed these objects there with the intent of showing the ...

How Police Respond: Op-doc

If you have watched the news at all within the past 10 years, you’d know that guns and use of deadly force by police officers are relevant and recurring topics. Most of the time when we think about guns in the media, horrific events like mass shootings come up. However, in 2014, toy guns had everyone's attention. Cases such as the shooting of John Crawford and 12 year old Tamir Rice made headlines from their similar deaths that were only a few months apart. Filmmakers and married couple Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert examine these cases in their op-doc, No Guns For Christmas. Both people were fatally shot by police after false 911 calls about them waiving a gun around, when in both cases, each person was holding a fake gun. Initially the documentary seems to be about mistaken people frantically calling 911 and police acting violently despite having zero evidence, however the documentary is about race being a significant factor in their deaths. The documenta...

Prisoners Aren't All Evil: Op-Doc

When you’re watching TV and you hear “inmate,” what words immediately pop up into your head? Probably something along the lines of a violent thug, a robber, or someone villainous. Before watching the Op-Doc Huntsville Station , I would most likely use those words to describe someone locked up in prison. Produced by filmmakers Jamie Meltzer and Chris Filippone, Huntsville Station examines the positive interactions with newly released inmates. The documentary goes against many stereotypes placed on interactions and the personalities of inmates. They depict this by showing the inmates making an attempt to rehabilitate back into society by purchasing clothing at the nearby Huntsville, Texas bus station, borrowing phones to call their families, and scheduling a bus ride out of the city to meet up with their families. Their efforts prove they are ready to reintegrate back into society, but statistics show otherwise as roughly 40% of freed inmates will return to pris...