Teen Retreat 2012

My video made at Big Lake Youth Camp Teen Retreat 2012

Google Glasses

Cool thing that could be released 2013

Reflections About Elections

"Everyone of you has unique strengths and all of you have areas that aren't as strong as others. Now its good to identify you weaknesses, but sometimes its not good to focus on other peoples' weaknesses and instead look at their strengths." - Joseph Long

Today was an interesting day. Today is a day to remember as a day that a campus was almost polarized over two candidates. One a soon to be senior with a running-mate, the other a sophomore. Over the graduation weekend approaching people will be considering which candidate to choose for Student Association President.

Comments for each candidate:

Sydney Tonack And Martin "Mak" Karge:

• Way to take the initiative and get people involved in the selection process over issues instead of popularity.
• Although the library at lunch got a little hectic at times. I think that it was good for people to be informed about the issues they would be voting for.

Lanessa Long:

• Have you considered finding and declaring a running-mate? Because right now people see it as Sydney and Mak versus Lanessa and Johnny Fuentes.  I think that it would help you in the long run to find someone to run with you as Executive Vice President.
• Your emphasis is about communication about student suggestions. Maybe it would help if you told people what you would like to change once you're in office instead of only asking for suggestions.

Currently my vote is going to Sydney Tonack for SA President

Portrait Assignment Final

Portrait People

Family
Josh (My Brother)
Jason (My Cousin)
Karen (My Cousin)
Kris (My Cousin)

Adult
Jason
Karen
Kris

Classmates
Josh
Griffin
Random People

Portrait Exercise

What is working?

The cameras and the processes that we learned in class.

What's not working?

Downloading the .zip file using Safari (have to use Google Chrome)

KONY 2012

1.) Summarize the documentary KONY 2012 in one paragraph. What is it about? (one paragraph):

This video is about stopping a man named Joseph Kony that makes children into child soldiers and sex slaves. The purpose of this video is to raise awareness and to make a difference. He should be stopped, and if we don't who will?

2.) Why did the filmmaker choose to make this film? What does he hope to achieve? What is his specific goal and what is his strategy for making it happen? (1-2 paragraphs):

This filmmaker chose this way because it has an emotional effect. He hopes to achieve the goal to arrest Joseph Kony. His strategy is to fill the news about using this short documentary and the april event.

3.) What is your personal opinion on the strategy he is using to raise awareness? Is it effective? At some point, people get tired of seeing "the same old posts" about an issue. Some of you have already asked the question "what's the point of this video?" What is the point? Even if you're personally tired of seeing links and posts about it, do you think there is value in saturating the media like the film proposes? What would you do different? (1-2 paragraphs):

My personal opinion is that it is a good strategy using social networking to reach remote places of the globe.  However, this could also be a way to make money selling thousands of posters around the world. Also, how about the picture on them, what about his rights as an individual? If it were me I would have the cause on the posters more than his face on them.

4.) What do you think about about the idea of making a "bad person a celebrity?" Are there any negatives to this approach? (one paragraph) :

This approach could cause foreign countries to mant to aid him in his attacks against the people of Africa. However, this approach could be highly effective in informing people of what he is doing to others and he would call people to action.

5.) What is the difference between raising awareness and between a call to action?

Raising awareness means that people know that something is happening. A call to action is calling people out to make an active change in the world as we know it.

6.) What is an issue you feel strongly about - strongly enough that you would want to not only raise awareness, but call people to action? Be specific - in other words, don't just choose a topic like 'eliminate world hunger.' It doesn't have to be a global issue, but it should be a specific, definable one where you are proposing a specific solution. What is a specific way to focus on that topic? Ask yourself the following questions:
What is the issue? Hunger
Where is it? Worldwide
Who are the people affected? A wide range of people
Why should people care about this issue? Because people are starving.
What can people like you do to solve the problem; to help? What specifically can people do? Donate to charities like food banks.
How could you use the media to call attention to the issue? How can you get people's attention? People hear about it almost too much. I would make a documentary.
What is your specific proposal; your call to action? What do you want people to actually do? I want them to go door to door to collect canned food to stop hunger in their neighborhood. From there move outwards until country by country we end hunger.
What is your proposed timeline? Next ten years.

7.) If you were to write and shoot a photojournalism assignment focusing on this issue (the one you've written above), describe what it would be like. Describe the kind of images you'd shoot, the kind of questions you would ask, the people you'd talk to, and the point-of-view you would take on the issue.

I would start with different kinds of people and I would talk to workers at a food bank about how they're running out of food. I would shoot a child that is starving because her parents are out of work. I would take the point of view of an activist like in this documentary.