Blog Post #4

 Evolution and Impact of Motion Pictures

    When you think about motion pictures, you see vivid images, bright colors, sound effects, famous actors, advanced plot lines and so much more. Everyone has a favorite movie, whether it's from your childhood or it just came out. They are such an important part of our society, telling both fictional and non-fiction stories about recent events. Not only do they bring in over 100 billion dollars in revenue, they help to bring people together and create incredibly strong fan bases. However, movies did not always look like this. While they have always been a method of visual storytelling, they did not start looking like what we picture until 1939. In 1939, the first full length, color movie was released. Motion pictures have a rich history, constantly undergoing massive changes. 

Zoetrope

    The first representation of a motion picture comes from something known as a "zoetrope". A zoetrope allowed a series of pictures to be shown rapidly to give the appearance of movement. Following this, a bet placed between colleagues in California about whether or not a horse had all four hooves off the ground during its stride led to the formation of a "zoogryoscope" this allowed 12 images to be showcased in rapid succession. Then, a French physiologist developed a camera that could take 12 pictures per second of a moving object. This was caused "chronophotography". These two techniques led to the foundation of motion pictures. 

Kinetograph Parlors

    Back in the United States, Thomas Edison and William Dickinson were making great progress developing a motion picture camera. In 1890, a prototype of a camera known as the "Kinetograph" was unveiled. In 1892 it was perfected and officially invented. Two years later, Edison took this camera which projected moving images onto a screen was used to allow public screenings of films. These public screenings took place at "Kinetograph parlors". The French were achieving very similar results. Two brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière developed a "cinèmatographe" which showed 16 frames per second. Early films showcased a baby eating and a hose squirting water. 

Wizard of Oz

     Following the work of these individuals, the Silent Film era began. From 1894 to 1929, hundreds of films consisting of moving images were introduced. This was also the first time movie stars were recognized. Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and Harold Lloyd are just some examples. Again, silent films have to build a strong foundation for what movies are today. Following this, sound was introduced into films. Edison first used a phonograph to play music alongside these moving pictures. Then was the development of the "vitaphone". Warner Brothers began to use this technology first. The first film with sound was Don Juan in 1926, followed by the Jazz Singer in 1927. Color films were introduced in 1908 with a British short film. The Kinemacolor process was revolutionary in allowing for the development of color films. Color added another dimension, sophistication, and a higher level of expression in film. 

Star Wars 

    Blockbuster movies changed the movie industry in the 1970s with the release of Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977). Special effects, computer generated images, and advanced story lines helped to transform the film industry. Star Wars was key in revolutionizing this technology. Visuals became much more advanced and allowed for exciting settings like space. Films such as E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982) and Jurassic Park (1993) continued to revolutionize the movie industry through the use of fantasy elements created specifically for each film. Movies during this industry were no longer representations of plausible events, an element of fantasy was created. 

Movie Franchises

    Overall, movies have had incredible influence on our society in so many ways. Not only do they bring in incredible amounts of revenue, but it went from storytelling to something fans can be a part of. Merchandise, toys, and other goods are created for every popular movie. Each movie series causes a development of strong "fandoms". Movies are not just movies anymore, they are a community. Movies also serve as a way to showcase historical events or the stories of influential people. They allow us to connect deeply with people all over the world. Streaming platforms have also revolutionized the movie industry. People all over the world now have access to hundreds of movies at anytime on any device. People can watch from the comfort of their own home which has increased streaming numbers. Technology also continues to improve every single day. Movies are not only in 3D, but 4D allowing for immersive experiences. It is impossible to know what the future will hold, but I am excited to see the continued development of motion pictures. 

    

Blog Post #3

 The Values of Free Expression

    Free expression in the United States has become an increasingly important topic, especially recently. With the attempted ban of TikTok, many individuals feel as though their right to freedom of speech has been infringed upon. The decision made by the Supreme Court to ban TikTok unless it is sold, is one that concerns people. Many of the Justices were not sure whether or not the First Amendment applied to shutting down a social media site. This idea and precedent established by the court could lead to more censorship or social media bans in the future. Throughout history and even in today's world, the battle for free speech continues. Free speech is incredibly important to the development of society. 

The eight values of free expression come from the ideas of powerful thinkers and writers to outline the necessary principles that must be protected under the first amendment. In summary, these principles represent ideas such as the ability to express your opinion without censorship, self-governance, and holding both the government and other citizens accountable.  These values help ensure our democracy not only continues to stay a democracy, but a place where people are able to express their opinions. Below, I have listed my top three values of free expression and my reasoning behind each one. 

1. Protect Dissent

 

Dissent

    In our politically charged world, people are often victims of discontent from the suspected "majority" view of the nation. Publicly, there is pressure to abide by the democratic view and support all progressive movements. Any differing viewpoint is often shot down and the person who expressed their own opinion becomes a victim of cancel culture. The American people have the freedom and the right granted to them by the Constitution to share their opinions on the current government and the party that they align with. One example that stuck out to me came from our discussion in class regarding the idea of viewpoint discrimination. In Massachusetts, the Republican party is in the minority. One of my classmates discussed how he was not given a permit to hold a Trump rally by the state of Massachusetts. That is a clear violation of our first amendment rights. Not only is it a violation, it is allowing the "majority" in one state to stop their opposition from sharing their views. It encourages that "mob mentality" idea, allowing one view to dominate. In my mind, this is one of the most important values of free expression. No matter your political affiliation, you should not be punished for aligning one way or another. Allowing minority views is also how things change. Nothing would ever change in society, politically, technologically, or socially if someone had not shared a new point of view. Especially in the government. Starting all the way back in the 1700s, the Pilgrims escaped an intolerant government. Our country was founded on sharing our feelings to keep the government in check. 

2. Promote Tolerance

1,200 × 1,198

    Promoting tolerance is the second value that really stuck out to me. People, especially on social media have created this idea of being "woke". Anyone that does not abide by their idea of what is right to say is bad and should not have a platform to speak. Facebook and Twitter are known for the removal of "hate speech" or things that do not abide by their guidelines. Elon Musk was critical in restoring this idea of tolerance on social media platforms. While there still are consequences for negative or hateful speech, the idea of completing banning someone from a platform was something he heavily disagreed with. Banning accounts is direct censorship, however, smaller consequences from the platform or the public are not. The idea from Bollinger essentially says that allowing hate speech will ultimately teach us to be more tolerant and other ideas, but also that we will self regulate. People will face consequences for what they say if it is negative. John Mill also states that this idea of tolerance promotes the discovery of truth and that is is critical to have ideas that challenge what we know to incite change. The Constitution protects hate speech in order to keep conversations happening. This allows us to limit our government and promote change. If hate speech were to become unlawful, conversations that are needed to retain a democracy would no longer be had.  Overall, in order to maintain our democracy, hate speech must remain. Society will take care of the consequences. Additionally, it will allow everyone to realize there are multiple ideas on one topic, we will be more tolerant of these ideas. 

3. Check on Governmental Power

 

Check on governmental power

    The third value that stuck out to me was the check on governmental power. As we discussed in class, our freedom to discuss our displeasure with the government acts as part of the check-and-balance system. Not only are we able to discuss displeasure to incite change, but we are able to expose the wrongdoings of the government. Without this, government officials would be able to get away with many secretive acts. One of the examples that sticks out most in my mind was when Hillary Clinton's private e-mail account was exposed. The public would have never found out ab out this and no investigation would have been launched without the protection of the first amendment. While the investigation did not reveal anything of great importance, it is our right to ensure the wrongdoings of government officials are investigated or exposed. Keeping our government in control and acting in the best interest of the American people is one of our duties. The Constitution specifically added in our ability to "check" the government to avoid infringements on democracy. Overall, in order to maintain a government that acts in our best interest, people must be allowed to share or expose the wrongdoings of the government. Even if it is not wrong, sharing the actions of the government allows for conversation to be had. People are able to form their opinions and then decide whether or not change needs to happen. 

Blog post #2

 The US Supreme Court Reflection

    The US Supreme Court is an integral part of the justice system in our country. The Supreme Court has established incredibly strong precedents through applying the Constitution that have shaped our nation. The Supreme Court, made up of 9 justices each with lifetime tenure are some of the most important people in the framework of our nation's legal system. 

 Current Supreme Court

    Growing up with an attorney as a mother, I was exposed to the law incredibly early in my lifetime. However, not Constitutional law. I was aware of the importance of the Supreme Court and how precedents shape the way in which our country's court systems rule on cases. In the first video we learned about all of the details within the process itself. One of the first things that struck me as interesting was the fact that at the time this video was released, there were only a little over 100 Supreme Court Justices. The idea of lifetime tenure was something I had heard of before, yet I did not realize truly how few people have served on the Supreme Court. Second, I learned that the Supreme Court receives over 100 cases a week and 7,000 per year to review. I had not yet understood the number of cases that made it to the Supreme Court and then had to be reviewed by the court. 

    The individual nature of the Court was also something I was previously unfamiliar with. Each Justice taking the time to review all of the cases and then having a weekly conference was new to me. One of the things that stuck out to me the most was how the associate Justice had established a sort of "rule" that in each conference, every Justice must speak once before another can speak twice. This idea helps to ensure that everyone's ideas are heard in a fair manner. I believe this reflects similarly to the whole idea of the Supreme Court. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor explained that the process for granting or denying certiorari requires every petition to get the same individual consideration. She said that it did not matter if the petition was written by the top lawyer or a prisoner in his cell, they were considered the same. This unbiased process shows the importance of equality in the legal system. The conferences overall remained fascinating to me. The idea of letting everyone share their ideas and hear one another's is what allows for opinions to change. Justice Clarence Thomas said that he often goes in with his own opinions, usually they do not change but this system established has changed his mind a few times. In my mind, this establishes a strong and equal system. My confidence in the Supreme Court has grown due to the fact that it is apparent they are trying to make the system unbiased and make decisions purely in the most ethical way. 

Supreme Court room

When watching the second video, I learned more about the actual process that goes on once the court accepts a case. Once again, to establish equality in the court, each attorney is given thirty minutes of oral argument before the nine Justices. No one is granted more time than another, this ensures no advantage towards either side. The Justices are able to use the arguments of these attorneys to make their decision. After hearing the argument, the following days consist of deliberation. The Justices debate to determine the majority decision. Once a decision is made, one of the Justices on the majority side is instructed to write an opinion. The opinion declares the reasoning behind the decision made. This is incredibly important because as explained in the video, this decision "binds all other courts as they decide future cases". I did not know that any Justice on the other side can write an opinion dissenting the decision or concurring in the result but disagreeing with the reasoning. It is fascinating to me that the opposing idea can be released publicly. However, again this contributes to the transparency of the Supreme Court. 

    Often you hear that the Supreme Court is secretive, biased, and politically motivated. However, after watching both of these videos I would disagree. Hearing from each of the Justices and listening to them explain the gravity of the situation they are in humanized the court. They know that each one of their decisions can change the course of history and the laws that govern it. The precedents established are necessary for change, but they understand they can often be controversial. The unbiased screening process and the publication of opinions is something that everyone should be aware of. In my opinion, it is incredibly important to take away the attempts from the court to remain transparent and unbiased. It is also important to remember each Justice is a human that comes into their position with their own ideas and ways of interpreting situations. They simply do their best to act ethically and provide a fair legal process. The idea that Justices often take 3 to 5 years to get acquainted and comfortable shows that they feel the pressure they are under. It is not an easy job trying to act in the best interest of all the American people. 

Blog Post #1

 My Top Five Sources of News and Information

    News and information sources can often be overwhelming these days due to the increase of digital media and the overall increased use of technology. Every day people are exposed to hundreds of different opinions on the same story which can make it difficult to interpret the true facts of the story. Major news platforms can report the same story but both publish different headlines that display two completely different meanings. Headlines are often incredibly misleading as well, the brief synopsis leaves out critical details that actually make sense of the story. Social media sites are full of creators with their own biases, I personally do not find them to always be a reliable source of information. However, I do obtain much of my news and information from them because they are easily accessible. My top five sources of news and information are Fox News, 

 Headline Differences

1. Fox News

Fox News logo

    While this may be regarded as a controversial first source due to the right learning nature of this news outlet, in my opinion this is where I learn the majority of my news and information. Growing up, this was always on the TV in my living room when I got back home from school. Even when visiting my extended family members, I was watching Fox News. Today, I receive daily emails from them with new information. As one of the most popular news sources in the country, they have millions of viewers. This helps eliminate some of the bias as they are trying to provide accurate information to a large population. I personally feel as though Fox News delivers information quickly and constantly provides updates. Providing live coverage is beneficial to continue to learn updates in a particular story and allows me to get all of the information possible. Even during my research today, I was able to receive live updates regarding the hearing of Pete Hegseth. It is important to me to see the story unfold and then form my own ideas based upon the fact of the situation. However, it is apparent to me that my upbringing surrounded by Fox News led to this being my top source of news and information. 

Link to Fox News: Fox News

2. New York Post 

 New York Post logo

    Once again, my second source is influenced by my family. When I was younger, my mom would always sit in the kitchen reading the New York Post on her laptop. She would always share articles or stories she found there. When I got older, I began to also read the New York Post. In my mind, the New York Post is a a combines both traditional and entertainment news, making it a perfect place to hear about current events in all industries. It is definitely not the most informative due to its focus on "celebrities", but I find it to be a relevant source. Each story is relatively short, not giving too much detail but it makes it an easy read. They also incorporate many images and videos into each article. It is a great place to get information quick in an entertaining manner. 

Link to New York Post: New York Post

3. ESPN

            ESPN Logo

    My third source is ESPN. As a sport management student, it is incredibly important for me to stay up to date with everything going on in the sport world. The entire industry is changing daily due to the House settlement and new regulations. Also, different sports are growing in popularity, especially women's sports. Staying up to date on this growth is crucial to know. I also am a very big sports fan in general. I like to follow my favorite teams, but just each sport in general. I often read stories about various trades, new rules, player injuries or even changes in management. I also enjoy that they include videos from their shows into the articles, in the car I will often just play the video rather than reading. ESPN is a great place for me to get all my necessary sports information, but also a place for me to read about the things I love. 

Link to ESPN: ESPN

4. Instagram

                      Instagram logo

    My fourth source is Instagram. While it may not be the most reliable source of information always, as a teenager in today's world, social media plays a big role in my life. I follow hundreds of accounts that share information daily. This information ranges from current events, sports, celebrities to even information about my friends. Instagram connects me to people all over the world. My primary use is keeping up with family and friends. However, I do follow many news channels such as Fox News, ESPN, and the New York Times to be updated through there as well. Instagram is not a great place to learn the full, unbiased story; but I am exposed to headlines which then I am able to choose what I am interested in and do further research on the topic. Overall, it is a source of entertainment and a place to keep up to date on a wide variety of topics. 

Link to Instagram: Instagram

5. Local News

              WBTV Logo

    My fifth source is my local news outlet. My local news at home is WBTV. When I am home, my parents and grandparents are always watching the local news. It is very important to me to stay up to date with the local news as these events affect everyone around me. I also consume the local news through social media. I follow the local news on Facebook and Instagram. This provides quick updates on current events. I usually get my traffic and weather information from my local news station. The local news often highlights different community members as well. For example, my brother's lacrosse team just played in the state championship and they were showcased on the local news. The local news is a great way for me to get information relevant to me and stay connected with my community. 

Link to WBTV: WBTV