I am not typically a fan of science fiction but Arrival was definitely one of the better science fiction films I have seen. It was very creative, from the flashforwards Louise experiences with her child to the language using ink and circles that the heptapods used to communicate. I thought it was interesting how Louise could see the future and I wondered if I had the ability to do so, would I consider this be a good or bad thing? I think that knowing the future would just make me anxious and make me feel like I have no control over my life because what is going to happen is going to happen anyway. I am curious to know if Louise’s ability to see the future is very detailed (she can see everything) or if she can only see certain outcomes. Overall, I enjoyed the film’s focus on linguistics and on the importance of communication in solving problems. I find it fascinating how we are able to understand sentences with little to no effort but when you think about teaching sentences to someone else, there are actually many components to it.
Author Archives: vzl2
In the Right Hands
In yesterday’s Table Talks, we discussed the pros and cons of using social media. The general consensus that we came to which I agree with is that moderation when it comes to using social media is probably the best and that people need to be cautious about what they share online. I personally do not think that privacy exists on the Internet – when I share something on Facebook, I make sure that these are posts that I would not mind the public seeing. I think that we have gotten too comfortable with social media and that people tend to share more information than they should on it. With regards to the current Facebook scandal, I am also reminded that there is so much happening behind the scene that we do not know about. In an age where almost everything relies on the Internet, can we ever be 100% sure that our information is in the right hands?
The Popularity of Bike Sharing Systems in the US
As someone from New York City, Citi Bikes have been around for a while although I don’t see them used often outside of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Many of my friends who live in Manhattan and attend school in the Manhattan have only recently begun using Citi Bikes to get to and from school. This is more for a health reason (to get some exercise) than anything else since the subway system is a convenient alternative. Still, if it is raining or snowing, which happens fairly often, my friends will understandably opt for the subway. However, in the more suburb-like areas of New York City (such as parts of Queens), there is little desire to use Citi Bikes because most people have cars and finding parking spots is easy. Since much of the United States does not look like Brooklyn or Manhattan, I can see why, as we discussed in the table talk, bike sharing systems have not become as popular and widespread as they are in other countries.
The Love Between Sisters
The film What Happened to Monday drew many parallels to other dystopian films such as The Hunger Games. I found myself not as drawn to the aspect of the abuse of power and the poverty that the government used to try to justify this abuse of power but more drawn to the relationships between the siblings. By the end of the film, it is revealed that Monday was the one that exposed the seven siblings and that she did it for her boyfriend and for the children she was about to give birth to. Monday tried to push the blame off herself, saying that she didn’t kill her siblings and that she didn’t plan how they were going to die. This is something that I don’t agree with. While Monday couldn’t have known exactly how the government was going to kill her siblings, she likely knew that they would suffer a gruesome death. I was also confused by why Monday had to make this decision in the first place. Would Monday’s children not suffer the same fate as only one child would be allowed to live? Couldn’t Monday raise her children with all of her sisters? I guess I was shocked by the amount of love between all the other sisters and Monday’s lack of love for her sisters. All the other sisters were willing to die for each other but Monday was willing to have her sisters die for her.
Let’s Talk
On Monday, I attended the table talk on using art to express what it is like to have a mental illness as well as on the stigma we have around mental illness. I personally think that art is a great way to depict the challenges of a mental illness because there are things that words cannot describe or that words cannot describe accurately enough. In addition, everyone will see the art in a slightly different light – interpreting the art in a way that is meaningful to them. During the talk, we discussed why it is so hard to talk about mental illness, how certain resources like CAPS or EARS could be improved to better their services, and how language affects the way we think about mental illness. After all, it is never easy opening up to people, especially about our personal challenges. I think it is easy to fall into the mindset that you are the only one struggling or dealing with something when in reality, that is often far from being true. I hope that with every conversation, we can break down some more walls that are surrounding mental illness.
Keeping Promises
Yesterday was my first time watching Forrest Gump even though I had seen clips of it before. The film portrayed history, love, life, friendship, family, loyalty, and so much more in such a beautiful way. I think that Forrest’s relationships with other people (Jenny, his mother, Lieutenant Dan, Bubba, etc.) each showed a different side of him. It’s clear that he suffered through so much yet he always kept his head high and held on tight to his personal beliefs and values. He never once complained about the choices he made or the situations he was put in despite all the bullying, the loss of a best friend, and the constant disappearance of Jenny. Moreover, he did not forget about his promises and he always kept the people around him in his mind – for instance, he went back to buy a shrimp boat like Bubba wanted and he also donated money to build a medical center. These characteristics are definitely ones that I admire and that I feel like I should strive for. Ultimately, I think this is what made Forrest’s life so meaningful and what makes Forrest such a likable character.
To Ban or Not to Ban
During last Monday’s discussion on the Russian doping scandal, we talked about the gray area of Russian athletes who are suspected of cheating but there is not enough concrete evidence to determine whether or not they actually cheated. Most of us agreed that these people should still be able to participate, but may have to undergo stricter drug testing to ensure that they are competing honestly. I think it’s important to keep in mind that generally, an Olympian’s career is not that long and that banning these athletes from playing the sport for one Olympics or two might be the equivalent of ending their Olympic dreams. In this case, while the Russian doping scandal has had some people questioning all of the Russian athletes, I still believe that we should give athletes who have not been confirmed to have cheated the benefit of the doubt. While it is possible that this allows athletes that may have potentially been involved in some form of doping or another to play in the Games, at least those who are innocent will not be punished.
Let the Games Begin!
After watching the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in PyeongChang, it was interesting to see Russian athletes walk in after an Olympic flag rather than the Russian flag. While there are a variety of opinions on whether this was the best idea, I think that given the circumstances, it was a fair decision. Banning all Russian athletes from competing seems too harsh – the athletes that have been working intensely and honestly in hopes of gaining a medal at the Games should not be punished. However, to those that have been involved, the Olympics are only once every four years and not being able to participate is a huge blow to their athletic careers. In the Opening Ceremony, Thomas Bach of the International Olympic Committee also reiterated this notion of being fair competitors, as he alluded to the doping scandal. I hope that the athletes continue to compete honestly and I am excited to see all their hard work pay off.