COVID 19 and New York

The coronavirus death toll continues to climb at an alarming rate. It has now overwhelmed heath care officials, politicians, cemeteries, and families."To date, the state has recorded more than 24,000 deaths, most of them in New York City." Americans' largest city does not. have the room to store bodies. Funeral homes are no longer accepting bodies because there is no room. 

That leaves friends and families to wonder, "What will I do with my family members' body." It is said that cremations are scheduled to start in mid-May but that date could later change. Burials are also backed up in New York. 

A funeral home in New York ran out of space for bodies. A funeral home was pictured storing bodies in hot trucks. A source says that the funeral home was limited on refrigeration so they continued to lay bodies on ice bags. 

During a time when families are grieving and love ones are in confusion, the U.S government should help to relieve some of the pain and stress. Funeral homes should now be monitored to ensure that the inappropriate behavior of bodies does not happen to other families. 




https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/03/us/coronavirus-funerals-bodies/index.html

EOTO

According to Merriam Websters, "Propaganda is defined as the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person."

Propaganda was first introduced by Pope Gregory XV and The Congregation for Propagation of Faith. This congregation was made up of a group of cardinals, tasked with spreading the faith and monitoring churches in areas that were not a part of widely held religions. The Congregation for Propagation of Faith was insistent on converting individuals without using violence or “without the sword”. When propaganda was initially utilized, it did not carry the negative connotations that it manages to come along with today. During World War One, propaganda began to be used more regularly as a weapon of war, especially when being used to elicit fear within the common man.

Another specific aspect of communication it attempts to explain is the differences between propaganda and persuasion. Though persuasion is also focused on influencing people, it does so on a rather smaller scale in comparison to propaganda, which reaches a much larger audience.

 

Propaganda is used in everyday life whether it is obvious to the human eye or not. An example of propaganda is advertising. One strategy that a company may use to advertise their product is by portraying how their product/brand is better than a specific competitor’s. Verizon has launched multiple commercial advertisements on why people should switch to them and stray away from AT&T. One of their claims was how Verizon has 5 times more 3G coverage than AT&T and this was presented to consumers by showing a side by side map of the United States comparing both companies' 3G coverage.

 

It can affect different groups due to what the message focuses on. Many times women are more likely to fall for influence so propaganda can target them heavier and persuade them to do something. Also, if a rich person sees a Bently commercial they might go and get the car. But, a poor person does not have the luxury of going to get that car. So propaganda with a luxury car commercial for the poor would not work.

Propaganda involves the distribution of specific ideas that can help cause someone else harm. This theory has been tied to negative connotations, however, it is a tool that is very beneficial.

https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundt able-series/pamphlets/em-2-what-is-propaganda-(1944)/the-story-of-propaganda

Self Audit

Looking back on my old social media made me cringe. Looking at my 14-year-old self made me laugh but also made me realize how much I have grown. I do not believe I have a big online footprint now. The only social media platforms I have are Instagram and Facebook. I mostly upload photos of me and my family.  Also, I do not have a personal website but I know some college students do. 

If someone was to look at my social media they would learn that I attend High Point University. I have two puppies and I am in a relationship. Indirectly they could see that I do not hang around a lot of friends and take pictures with them. Also, I do not post often thus signifying that I am not always on Instagram. 

I have never given out my phone number on social media because people can be crazy. Also, something I would never do is give my address to strangers on social media due to privacy. 


The Atlantic wrote that Facebook can be possibly making us lonely. Within the mist of social media, it can be a feeling of loneliness. I do believe that social media can make us more distant. We will be hanging out with friends and spend more time with our noses in our phones than hanging out with that person. Also, some teens report that social media has caused them isolation. 

In conclusion, I believe my online presence is presentable for social media. I do not post pictures that could be used against me and could slander my reputation. 


https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/308930/

Final Exam Prompt

Technology has taken over and we are utterly consumed. Society is constantly on their phones,
tablets, and any other device. Also, amidst the Covid-19 epidemic, more and more people have turned to technology such as TikTok.( https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2020/05/data-shows-that-us-consumers-are-loving-the-tiktok-during-the-covid-19-pandemic.html). TikTok is taking leaps to
try and connect with society.

But, this leaves me to ponder, "How do I interact with technology". I believe my relationship with
technology is healthy. I do not excessively use social media. The main platforms I use are Instagram and Youtube. Both are great to help me stay connected to the world and also gives me the opportunity to learn. When social media is the thing you eat and sleep then that means that it is taking up too much of your life. Technology for me is not taking up to much time. I am on social media about two hours a day which I believe is common.

During this crazy time when we do not know what is going to happen to us and our livelihoods, social media can be misleading but also informative. One of the ways it has been informative was that I was able to gain knowledge about how to create my own mask and also how to make my own hand sanitizers. But, it can be misleading because some things are fake news. Many times we are not able to tell what is real news and what is fake news.

One tool I have been using is CNN. CNN has been great to gain daily knowledge. I feel as if I am able to get my daily dose of news. They also make it easy to know the important news stories for the day. They have a summary of the important news that takes about 5-7 minutes to read. This is great for people who are on the go but they want to be informed, citizens. 

In conclusion, technology has been one of the greatest human advancements. It has helped us save lives, grow in knowledge, and even more. I have a healthy relationship with technology and social media and know the boundaries of social media.

Eight Values of Free Expression - Promote Innovation

One of the key things I love and value about America is the right to self-expression. One of the Eight Values of Free Expression is the Value to promote innovation. The key idea around this is this concept: "A community in which free speech is valued and protected is likely to be a more energized, creative, interesting society as its citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways."

It can be shown in many ways that when one has the right to self-expression. they are far better off than those who don't. 

The first example I can think of are children. Children are so fun and carefree. One minute they are dragons and the next minute they are in Africa chasing rabbits with a slingshot. Their imaginations are far greater than those who are older. One example of a school that promotes innovation would be Monnisouri schools. These schools do not pressure kids to learn certain things. Rather, the school lets them learn what they show interest in. Also, with schools not having a traditional desk and a teacher at the whiteboard, this allows students to be more creative. They are not held hostage to a desk all day long. They are able to explore and be creative. 

This type of school is vastly different from traditional public schools. At schools like this children are usually not able to show self-expression. It does not matter if they are interested in a subject because that is what they will be taught. Also, many programs such as art class and music classes are being cut from the school. Nearly all forms of classes of self-expression are gone.  


When we shut the mouths of creatives we are doing an injustice to the nation. We should value the ideas and creativity of children by making learning fun. We should let our children have a say so in what they learn but most importantly how they learn. 

Black Students Being Penalized For "Ethic Hair"

Many of us have seen the videos on Facebook and Instagram of young,  black kids being forced off teams and hair being cut in front of large crowds. You might wonder, "Why is that?" Many schools have policies about hair and how it should be worn especially for sports. Experts say that policies do not take into account the diverse student body. Not only in color but in hair texture. 

Many recent cases have been caught on camera and have even made local and national news. Last year, high school senior DeAndre Arnold was told by school officials that he would not be able to graduate unless he cut his dreadlocks. Taking to social media, many celebrities were appalled by this and protested against the unjust behavior. 



School officials have the right to justify their policies by saying that rules are rules and regulations are regulations. Policies favor normal hair. Which is typically white hair that is easy to manipulate. But, for kids with ethnic hair how can they follow those same rules if their hair is not deemed normal?

Teachers and advocates believe that banning hairstyles and punishing those with ethnic hair is an attack on those specific kids' cultures. But, many school officials, administrators, and school boards maintain their rules aren't meant to be discriminatory. 




https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/08/us/black-hair-discrimination-schools-trnd/index.html

The Coronavirus and U.S. schools

As of March 5, 2020, there have been more than 550 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Anxious parents wonder, "What are they going to do about schools?" Millions of students in China, Iran, Iraq, and other countries have closed to try and prevent cases from spreading. 


As cases continue to rise in the United States, schools have started to close their doors.  A high school in  Snohomish County, Washington,  a boy tested positive for the coronavirus. The school decided to shut down until cleaning was done of the building.

Schools are preparing by keeping in contact with the state and county health departments. Health departments advise for students and teachers to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth. Also, schools are continually wiping down doors and desks.



Many schools have a solution in place if school closures are mandatory. They have decided to bring the classrooms to their own bedrooms. Students will be given work and watch lectures from the comfort of their own homes. Thus, being able to continue their school work. Other schools suggest doing it the old school way by preparing instructional packets with a pencil and paper. 


https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/02/health/coronavirus-us-schools-preparation/index.html

Sleep and College Students

It is not unheard of that college students do not sleep enough. A study done by The University Health Center at The University of Georgia states, "On average, most college students get 6 - 6.9 hours of sleep per night, and the college years are notoriously sleep-deprived due to an overload of activities."

Research suggests that college-aged students should receive 6-10 hours of sleep every day. For most college students that amount of sleep is a long shot. Between a course load of 14-20 credit hours, various clubs, internships, jobs, and much more they feel like sleep is the last on their long to-do list. 


It has been said 1,000,000 times that lack of sleep can lead to many negative physical and phycological effects. UGA states that some of the negative effects of sleep deprivation such as:

• More illness, such as colds and flu, due to a lowered immune system
• Feeling more stressed out
• Increased weight gain and obesity
• Lower GPA and decreased academic performance

The University of Glasglow found that "Of 12,000 teenagers, recognized that getting them off their phones could be "especially challenging" because it was a time of growing independence when keeping in touch with friends was important."

Also, from self-experience, many teenagers and college-aged students have FOMO which is known as the Fear of Missing Out. They tend to stay on social media all hours of the night. "We recommend that young people stay off all screens for at least an hour before bed so their brains have time to wind down."

I believe that social media has a significant impact on sleep. Many teens spend countless amounts of time on social media with a mix of juggling so much such as classes and extracurricular activities. I believe that college-aged students should focus on the benefits of sleep. Without sleep, you are depriving your body and lastly your mind. 

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50140111

https://www.uhs.uga.edu/sleep

The Roaring Twenties and 2020

The 20's in America was a time of exponential growth. Economics was changing and growing. Women had started to develop rights, and the stock market was booming. 

In the 1920s women's rights started to evolve. At the time, women were now allowed to vote. Also, the way women dressed started to change. Women started to wear shorter dresses and sassy haircuts. Lastly, more women started to smoke....WOW!

But, what is interesting is that 100 years later, America still does some of the same things. History.com states, "People from coast to coast bought the same goods (thanks to nationwide advertising and the spread of chain stores), listened to the same music, did the same dances and even used the same slang." With the amount of technology, the same activities are still happening. 

With the craze of the social media world, America constantly wants to see what others are doing. Comedy sensation, Shiggy, made a viral dance to Drake's "In My Feelings". The world went crazy. Everyone started doing the "KEKE" dance. From news anchors to babies, to senior citizens - everyone started to do it. 

This can be tied to the 1920s due to the fact that when something was popular or "viral" everyone started to do it. White, Blacks and every other race started doing the Jitterbug, Tango, and Waltz. This was due to the dances being featured on TV, in clubs, and in other places. 

1920s and 2020 have a lot in common. Yes, technology and delivery were very different. But, Americans still love trends, good dances, and being apart of a consumer community. 

EOTO Com Tech Timeline

For the communications timeline, my group had the honor of talking about Instagram, the first cable TV, the first TV, Twitter, the first camera phone, and the first email. 

I had the task of doing some research on the first email. After doing some research, I found some amazing facts about how the first email was sent and who sent it. We have Ray Tomlinson to thank for initiating the incredible new era of communication that we now enjoy – he sent the first email in 1972. Tomlinson was working on as a personal side project to his commissioned work. An email was initially seen as a speedy way for ARPANET programmers and researchers to keep in touch – particularly targeted at those who can’t be relied on to answer their phones. Tomlinson decided to use the “@” symbol to separate the recipient’s name from their location – to indicate that the user was “at” some other host rather than being local. The format has stayed the same by using “user@host”.

Almost everyone has an email. At HPU, before you are even a student you are gifted with an email address with a High Point University domain. Essentially, email is a great form of communication with colleges and universities. Email has been so ingrained in our society that we send on average of 10+ emails a day. Furthermore, Google reports that there are over 1 billion active Gmail users a month. That is a TON of emails being sent.

The email has a ton of positive effects on efficiency and economics.

• Email is a free tool. Once you are online, there is no further expense that you need to spend on in order to send and receive messages.

• Email allows for easy referencing. Messages that have been sent and received can be stored, and searched through safely and easily

• Email is paperless, and therefore, beneficial for the planet. Not only can you reduce the costs of paper, but you are also actually reducing the damage paper usage does to the environment.

However, with every positive, there is a negative.

• Email lacks a personal touch. While some things are better off sent as written and typed messages, some things should be verbally relayed or written by hand in a note or letter.

• Email can cause misunderstandings. Because email does not include nonverbal communication, recipients may misinterpret the sender’s message.

• Emails should be kept short and brief. This is especially difficult if you are one to send messages that are too long.

After the conclusion of the group, the project is shedding light on the fact that communication is so intertwined.

Every form of communication is constantly evolving and helping the world in some way. There are many

forms of communication that we use every day that were not created 50 years ago. The most common pieces

of technology are computers, phones, email, and text messages. It is fair to say that there were predated forms

of those types of communication. In conclusion, I think it is excellent to understand how much communication

has evolved and it continues to evolve. We as the next generation, have the power to develop new forms of

communication that have the potential to change the world.

Sources:

https://www.alert-software.com/blog/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-email

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/60at60/2015/8/1971-first-ever-email-392973?fb_comment_id=911794135560930_1810110339062634/

https://blog.shuttlecloud.com/the-most-popular-email-providers-in-the-u-s-a/

Communications Timeline

One group did a fantastic job talking about prior technology especially dealing with the

communications realm.

The printing press is the father of all modern technology such as writing books, newspaper,

tweets, and so on. The printing press was invented by  Johannes Gutenburg around 1440 in

Mainz, Germany. The Gutenberg Bible was the first book ever printed. This makes it the rarest book in

the world. Such bibles are located at the Library of Congress, The New York City Public Library, and in

Germany. 

The first computer for personal use was the MITS Altair computer, and it was $700.

This was the first computer for households. To search the web, it took almost a day to get the

information needed. Then, the Apple 1 was created and allowed for people to have all of the tools

needed in one instead of having to buy the parts separately. 

The first emoticon was invented by Dr. Scott Fulham. The emoticon was created with the type

but actual emojis are created with images. Back then, there were only two types of emoticons, and

that was the smiley face and the sad face.  Dr. Scott Fulham believed that if you were happy you sent

the :) and if you were sad you sent :(. 

I had a great time learning about the printing press, the first computer, and the emoji. I learned

something new and it was great information. 

Dred Scott Case and The Reconstruction Timeline

The unanimous decision regarding the Dred Scott case was that he was not a citizen. Rather,  no African Americans are citizens. The case was not cut and dry rather long and drawn out. Dred Scott fought for years for his freedom but was denied by the Supreme Court. 

Scott filed a lawsuit against the Missouri state court in April of 1846. He had said that Dr.John Emerson was a doctor that traveled in territories such as Wisconsin and other territories where slaves were not allowed. But, when the decision was filed the Emersons and Scott lived in Missouri where slavery was legal.  

The two main arguments in the case were that Scott was not a citizen of Missouri because he was a slave and not allowed to even create a lawsuit. Also, even if he was free in Illinois and Wisconsin, Missouri was a slave state.

Dred Scott was a catalyst in how America was divided. He also shed light on how unfair the system was for African Americans. "In 2007, Lynette Jackson, Scott’s great-great-granddaughter, told NPR on the 150th anniversary of the decision that the lesson from the case is that people should try to do what is right.“Even if it doesn't look like it's going to work out, in the end, it usually does,” she said."

President Trump and The First Amendment

President Trump has been breaking the law. You might say, "How has he done this?" He is breaking the law by unfollowing and blocking Twitter users that mock or criticize him. This issue is serious because it has been taken to the federal appeals court. 

You might be wondering why would blocking people on social media be illegal and unconstitutional? But, the broader issue is that blocking users is against the First Amendment. The biggest problem President Trump ran into was that he blocked users from an account he uses to communicate important government news. "Because Mr. Trump uses Twitter to conduct government business, he cannot exclude some Americans from reading his posts — and engaging in conversations in the replies to them — because he does not like their views."

Trump argues that his account is only for personal use. But, when looking at his accounts he only has one Twitter account. He gives personal and political views on one page. If the president wanted to defer from listening to what the court rules he must separate his accounts. He could have one account for all personal views. Whereas if he disagrees with someone or an individual is "trolling" him he would have the power to block them. Sadly, due to his personal and political views being on one account he must follow the First Amendment and not block users and unblock the ones he has wrongfully blocked. 

About Loren Bowser

My name is Loren Bowser and I am currently a Sophomore at High Point University. I am a Strategic Communications major with a double minor in Civic Responsibility and Social Innovation also a Marketing minor.

While being at HPU, I have joined several organizations such as The Bonner Program and Media Fellow. I have enjoyed my time in those organizations because they have helped me grow into a more inclusive leader. I have learned that being a leader does not always mean being on a stage and being the face people see. Leading can be doing things no one has a clue how it gets done.

After High Point University, I hope to be a full-time business owner. Currently, I have my own business, Jerae, and Co, where I sell all-natural body products. With my communications and marketing knowledge, I hope to add those to my own business.