Negative Space Cut Out

Negative space owl
In art, negative space is the space around the object of an image. For the example that I made, I used a black and white template and cut out the parts that were white and the parts that were black. I made construction paper versions of them and put them on either side of a different colored piece of construction paper. Negative space helps artists make more precise images, and it makes things stick out to viewers.

Positive/Negative Space Cut-out

IMG_3659
IMG_3659
a. Negative space is the space that surrounds an image, you can think of it as the background.
b. I found the negative space in my image by cutting around the image/main subject. That leaves you with all the space around the image or the negative space.
c. This helps an artist to see in negative space because it immediately differentiates the negative and positive spaces. It makes one pop out of the other and allows the artist to see how they look together.
d. Negative space adds another element to the art. If used the right way it could help the viewer focus on the main subject or creates a second image.

Negative/Positive Space Cut Out

IMG-1068
IMG-1068

A. Negative space is the space that is around an object in an image. It helps define the borders of positive space, and brings balance to parts and elements of an image.

B. I found negative space in my cutout by searching for the area that is a boundary to the positive space, and it was the inverse of the positive space.

  • It helps an artist to see in negative space so that they can see both sides of an image, and use the negative space as a tool for their artwork. 

C. Seeing in negative space enhances drawing because the negative space makes the image pop out to the viewer, and can help those viewers see a different aspect of that piece of art.


2 fer #7 The Red Sox's

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team. They are part of the Major League Baseball were the best baseball players in the world. The Boston Red Sox’s started the 2018 season with one of the best records. Why did the Red Sox have the best start in franchise history in 2018? The Red Sox’s had an easy schedule the red sox’s are having a great start because of the new manager that was hired.


The Boston Red Sox have the best record in the MLB (Major League Baseball). Their record is 17 and 3, 17 wins and three losses. The record is the best start in the franchise history. The Red Sox are a pretty old organization over 118 years old. This can be due to their offensive powerhouse. The team batting average is 0.283, which is very high for a team. The batting average is a ratio of the teams’ hits, so this means that.  There is a quote from a Red Sox player. “We're dangerous," said by Andrew Benintendi, who is a Red Sox player. Benintendi believes their offense power is dangerous and that they can do a lot of damage. The Red Sox's is the leading the league in Grand slams. The offense power is one of the reasons why the Red Sox’s had a historic start.

   The Red Sox played the first nine games against teams from Florida. They were playing the same teams over and over again. The two teams the Red Sox played in their first games were weak teams. The teams are both in the last place in their respective divisions. The Tampa Rays are 5 and 13, and the Miami Marlins are 5 and 12. The teams are weaker than the Red Sox, and for the first nine games, the Red Sox players were winning easily considering how good the teams are performing.

    The Red Sox’s have had strong pitching from their pitchers. The Red Sox have Chris Sale, who leads the league in strikeouts last season with 308. The Red Sox’s also have David Price, who is healthy this year. Last Year David Price Only made 12 starts due to a hurt elbow. The Red Sox also has another ace, Rick Porcello. All the pitchers have eras under 2. An era is static that used calculate earned runs.

    The Red Sox hired Alex Cora at the beginning of the season, Alex Cora is replacing John Farrell. Farrell was the manager for a couple of years and won the world series in 2013, but since the win in 2013 the Red Sox’s have not won, and they have not been winning in the playoffs. After almost getting swept by the Astros, the management decided to hire Cora. The beginning of the season is still happening, and playoffs are far away but so far the Red sox’s look like contenders to win a world series. Alex Cora is the right fit for the Red Sox’s because the Red Sox’s are playing way better. The manager of the team can affect how the players play if the players like the manager they will perform better if the player hates the manger there can be bad tension, and that loses games because there will be a lot of arguing. Alex Cora has pushed all the right buttons, and so far the hiring of Alex Cora was a good choice because he is one of the reasons why the Red Sox’s are winning.     

    The Red Sox’s have had a very impressive start, they are smashing records but for those who don’t know the fantastic start is due to the hiring of the new coach Alex Cora. The easy schedule that the sox’s had. The impressive offensive powerhouse. Then getting all there pitchers back and healthy. These all the reasons why the Red sox’s Have had a record start.





Work Cited:






Powtak, Ken. “Red Sox off to Best Start in 118-Year History; Beat O's 10-3.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 14 Apr. 2018, abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/red-sox-off-best-start-118-year-history-54472975.

“Red Sox 2018 Rotation among Strongest in AL.” MLB.com, www.mlb.com/redsox/news/red-sox-2018-rotation-among-strongest-in-al/c-264411514.


ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, www.espn.com/mlb/team/stats/pitching/_/name/bos/boston-red-sox.



2fer - #7

Caroline Pitone
Ms. Pahomov
English 3 
20 April, 2018

Forms of Abuse and Mental Illness

As years go by, there is still no exact reason as to why mental illness usually develops in a person, whether or not it does develop, or if it is part of people from birth. As for abuse, it ranges in many forms, such as mental and physical, and even addiction. All of these forms in one way or another affect the human brain once it is repeatedly done. Mental illness affects everyday values in a human. Average things a person deals with daily like mood, behavior, and even thinking, is more difficult for a person with mental illness. Individuals throughout the world have been diagnosed with all sorts of mental illness for centuries. Although it is extremely common to have some form of mental illness, it is typically difficult to understand where is derives from in every person. Many people argue that people are born with mental illness and it is later discovered as they grow as a  person. But others point out that many people with mental illness have had an abusive lifestyle while growing of age and developing into an adult. Mental illness can derive from experiences in life with abuse, and not only through genetics.
As drugs become more and more common, it is easy for people to accidentally get into the habit of recreational drugs. To be diagnosed, there are procedures and tests that are gone through. These tests are typically psychological and pertains to questions that are going to give doctors the ability to see what is occurring mentally.

During childhood, one is growing up and aging into the human they want to be. But while growing up in an unsafe household, brain development could be altered. When being abused as a child, it not only affects their lives, but it takes away the innocence that a child. It forces them to be deal with things with people, and sometimes being alone, which as a child is detrimental. Any sort of trauma is sure to affect a person as time goes on, and this is why abuse is looked into as being a somewhat cause for mental illness. Trauma is a sort of situation that is abrupt in the life of an average person. With ongoing trauma, it can cause depression, lack of trust, and mainly anger. Victims typically blame themselves for what happens, making the situation harder to forget. Stress in the lives of young developing children have the chances of developing smaller amygdala and hippocampi which are parts of the brain that heavily affect behavior and choices, says psychology daily. When an individual gets a cat scan, it is typically looked at for the size of the brain and structure. 
If somebody was abused while growing up this does not mean that it is 100% likely that the person will have a mental illness. However the mental illness sometimes becomes an excuse for times for peoples actions. When seeing a criminal in movies/documentaries, it is not uncommon to hear them talking about their childhood. It is not unusual that they bring up something very traumatic from their childhood and say that it has lead them to where they are today. For example, Mary Bell, a women who grew up in scotland also known as a serial killer. Her mother was described as, “Her mother had made attempts to kill Mary at a young age, but instead, she realized there was extra money to be made if she prostituted her daughter.”  She was known as the youngest serial killer, as she killed a four year old and the body was discovered just a day before her 11th birthday. 
As more and more people learn about this method of using childhood trauma as a reasoning for their crimes and actions, it is seen more and more as an excuse. It is researched that, “Approximately 20 percent of inmates in jails and 15 percent of inmates in state prisons have a serious mental illness.”, from a treatment center organization. Although one could say this is accurate, it is also easy to seem as though you have mental illness, in order to have a lessened court date, as well as having better treatment in jail, or even getting the opportunity to not have to go to jail at all because of this method. If it is seen as 20% of criminals have a mental illness for murder, it would be easy to differ the criminals who have mental disorders and who don't. But also, when thinking about it, wouldn't it be hard? Symptoms of mental disorders are unlimited. Symptoms could be anything from lying to excessive anger. Any form of abuse can create psychological problems to ones brains, which can often lead to mental illness.
 
Work Cited: 
 
URLhttps://www.samhsa.gov/disorders
Website TitleMental and Substance Use Disorders | SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Article TitleMental and Substance Use Disorders
Date PublishedJune 20, 2014
Date AccessedApril 23, 2018
 
URLhttp://www.thehotline.org/2015/05/06/abuse-and-mental-illness-is-there-a-connection/
Website TitleThe National Domestic Violence Hotline
Article TitleAbuse and Mental Illness: Is There a Connection?
Date PublishedMarch 22, 2018
Date AccessedApril 23, 2018
 
URLhttps://www.domesticshelters.org/domestic-violence-articles-information/abuse-cannot-be-blamed-on-mental-illness#.Wt4kVRl9600
Website TitleDomesticShelters.org
Article TitleAbuse Cannot Be Blamed on Mental Illness
Date AccessedApril 23, 2018

Are Hip-Hop Producers Undervalued?

Avi Cantor

English 11

Ms. Pahomov

23 April 2018

Are Hip-Hop Producers Undervalued?

Producers in the Hip-Hop/Rap genre are the architects of the sounds that are heard in rap today. These musicians work behind the scenes to create a melody for the music that paints a picture of what the artist is talking about. Without a strong or fitting instrumental, the message of a given song deteriorates, ultimately becoming obsolete. But do rap fans even know who producers are and what they do? Due to the fact that these unsung heroes aren’t vocally at the forefront of a given song, many people don’t even know who producers are or what makes them such an integral part of the genre. The lack of credit given to rap producers causes the rap industry to put artists before producers when it comes to notoriety. This message limits fans ability to truly understand the music they’re listening to and allows record labels to take advantage of producers financially.

In April of 2018, a survey was conducted in Ms. Pahomov’s 11th grade English class with avid rap fans that focused on the recognition of producer “tags” and if the given student knew what the job of a producer was. Of the ten students who participated in the survey, six knew what a producer was and could describe at least partially what the job of a producer was. Of 40 producer tags,--all of which were/are big-name producers like Metro Boomin, DJ Khaled, and RONNY J--the average amount that a given student recognized was 19.5. Further, all ten participants new at least one of each of the 40 producers collaborators. This lack of knowledge pertaining to the very people who are making the hit songs that have stormed the nation is flat out wrong. These statistics show how uneducated and unexposed the teenage fans of rap music are to the people who are building the foundations to their favorite songs. This lack of knowledge creeps into the minds of the management of record labels, making it easier to take advantage of these producers.

This past year, TM88, a member of the production powerhouse 808 Mafia, tweeted that he hadn’t been paid by Atlantic Records for his work on rapper Lil Uzi Vert’s breakout hit “XO TOUR Llif3”, despite the report that the song had raked in approximately $4.5 million for the label. However, TM88 is far from the only producer to speak out on shady business deals and lack of payment. Producers like E. Dan, DJ Burn One, and Illmind, among others have spoken out about missing payment from labels and rappers alike. These shady payment deals result in the producers getting paid much less than the artists that they work with. One example of this phenomenon is Atlanta producer and architect of the “trap music” sound Mike Will Made-It.

Despite a successful and lengthy career spanning well over a decade, the producer’s net worth is estimated to be $10 Million, according to celebritynetworth.com. This may seem like a lot of money, but compared to the artists he’s worked with, this number is meager at best. Over ten of his collaborators have net worths that surpass his despite similar career lengths and accolades. The music industry’s inability to recognize its producers allows those producers to get paid much less than their vocal counterparts.

If rap fans were to realize how little they understand about the music they’re listening to, they’d realize that they’re actively limiting themselves from finding music that they like. Producers that have one hit song may have several others and may have relationships with some of the most popular artists in the world. For example, “trap music” producer Zaytoven has worked with everyone from Lil Pump to A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie to Wiz Khalifa. If someone who’s a fan of Lil Pump decides to look at who Zaytoven has collaborated with and finds that they like other music he’s made, they’ve just opened themselves up to a whole new path for discovering music. By shutting out the idea that producers are an integral part of Hip-Hop, fans are shutting out a possibility to access music that they’d like.


This is my best 2Fer because I try to be as precise with my evidence as possible. I've struggled with this before and I think that I was effectively concise in this essay.



















Works Cited:

Cantor, Avi M. “Interview Data.” Google, Google, 17 Apr. 2018, docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1A_uA0C1wHT37vBSujYU80-dtSaXnKJ5Cs_ogrq8kJo4/edit#gid=0.


“Rae Sremmurd.” Celebrity Net Worth, www.celebritynetworth.com/dl/rae-sremmurd/.


2fer #7- Justin Stewart

Justin Stewart

Ms. Pahomov

English 3

18 April 2018

                                    Technology: The world’s ruler

Technology has been around since the late 1950s. It can be things such as Computers, Tablets, or smartphones. Technology is something that everyone uses everyday. It basically runs today’s society. People use Technology for their job, school, or just for their entertainment. It’s been known as the world’s venom to not just adults, but to teenagers as well. Technology can have a negative effect on a person’s life.

Social media is a possible reason why Technology can have a negative effect on a person’s life, Specifically a teenagers. Teens are the main group of people that use social media. People  usually download social media apps on their smartphones such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. Parents believe that social media is toxic to their child’s brain. People think that social media can affect their child’s development into adulthood. Technology can affect the child’s education due to lack of sleep. Technology is what encourages a teen to stay awake for a long time. This causes them to be tired during school and keeps them from performing to the best of their abilities.

Social media is not just physically harmful but mentally harmful as well. Cyberbullying is a major issue that affects people mentally. Cyberbullying is bullying but it is done through Technology. Cyberbullying can happen to anyone, but when people think of the word Cyberbullying, people automatically assume that it means a teen is getting bullied online. But it can happen to adults too. Some examples of Cyberbullying is someone posting something embarrassing about another person like a video of that person being physically bullied or someone posting personal information on social media without the person’s consent. Bullies tend to do this to ruin someone’s social life and real world life. Unfortunately, this can lead to depression and can ultimately lead to suicide. Suicide is a big issue among teens in the United states. According to the Megan Meier Foundation, Approximately 34% of the students report experiencing cyberbullying during their lifetime and About 15% of the students admitted to cyberbullying another student in their lifetime.

Social media can cause lack of privacy. This makes Social media a little too Social. An example of a social media app that can become a lack of privacy is Facebook. Facebook is the most open social media app. This means that anyone can go on a person’s Facebook page without them even knowing. The person can also message the person by texting them through the direct message feature called Facebook messenger. Unlike Instagram and Snapchat, Facebook doesn’t have the feature to prevent someone from going onto the person’s page without the person’s consent.

When People stop and think about it, they realize that social media can have a negative effect on a person’s life both Physically and mentally. Social media can be an unsafe place to share your information. Some people share their location on Social media which can be very dangerous.


2Fer #7 Shamus Keough

Shamus Keough
Mrs. Pahomov
English 3
20, April 2018

                                         Nothing more important than your phone
As time has gone on, technology has become more popular and more accessible to the population. Most people nowadays have some type of smartphone and have it with them almost all of the day. People use their phones for stuff like Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Youtube, Uber, among many other things. People value their phones, and they use them with everything. There are certain effects that they have on people.
First off, a big way that phones affect people’s lives is someone being able to receive quick messages. Pretty much all current smartphones are equipped with some type of search site, like safari or google, and people use them to find the information they might need. Many people may just need an answer to a question, and using their phone to find the answer would be much faster than other options. A survey done by NBC News showed that cell phones are essential to 83% of Americans lives, to retrieve information immediately, to relieve boredom or to help in emergencies. Clearly showing that many people use their phones as their way to get information. This has made it so people can find the answer to a question much faster than if they had to use a home computer, which would take much longer.
Secondly, people spend a lot of time on their phones throughout the day. People spend lots of time on their phones on lots of different things. People can spend their time on different types of social media, or school/job work related things. While some may be more important than others, people still spend lots of time during their day doing these activities. A study by the company mobileinsurance.com found that the average person will spend 90 min a day on their phone, which would be about 23 days a year. Many people spend a lot of time on their phones daily now, a lot more compared to other activities throughout the day. This time that people are spending on their phones during the day could be spent on more useful/important things. Things like family, work, shopping, among many other things.
Another point, being the types of apps that people use. In the recent years, there have been many new unique apps created, like Uber, Spotify, Snapchat, among many other. Many of these apps have changed lots of things that people do in their normal lives. Spotify for example, making it much easier for people to listen to music. Where before people would have to buy an album or specific song so they could listen to it on their phone, now many people just pay for Spotify so they can stream all of their favorite songs whenever they want. Many apps like this are also used by a lot of people. For example, Snapchat was the 11th most popular app of 2017, and Spotify is the 5th most popular app of 2017 (info from the website Business Insider). Many of these apps change how people do normal activities in their lives, like listening to music or communicating with people.
Finally, the effect apps like Lyft or Uber have had on transportation. Apps like Lyft or Uber have become extremely popular within the last few years. Many people have used the app so they could have a new job, being a driver for either of the companies. Many people also use the app so they can get around easier, and also so they can get around if they don’t own a car. Both of these apps have become extremely popular in the U.S. and around the world. According to the Los Angeles Times, Lyft is valued at a $5 billion company, and Uber is a $62.5 billion company. These companies have not only created many jobs for the people who work for either company but also changed how many people use transportation from their phones.
As shown, social media and your phone being so important (to most people) have had many effects on people’s normal lives. They have affected how people get their information, how lots of their time is spent, how they do many normal activities (like listening to music or communicating with people), or how many people transport themselves.

This is my best possible 2fer because I put as much time and effort as I could into it, and because this is a topic I care about. The week that we have had to do this 2fer involved a lot of work for other classes, and I had to try as hard as I could to find time to work on this. When most people try to talk about social media/phone use and the effects of them, lots of people just talk about how they distract kids or are bad for you. I wanted to talk about the other effects they have on humans, like the effect on transportation, listening to music, or people getting their information.

Sources:
-https://www.nbcnews.com/technology/8-10-americans-depend-cellphones-121536 

-http://www.mobilestatistics.com/mobile-news/23-days-a-year-spent-on-your-phone.aspx
 
-http://www.businessinsider.com/top-apple-iphone-apps-2017-12 

-http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-0105-lyft-growth-20160105-story.html

2Fer #7

Kimberly Gucciardi-Kriegh

4-23-18


Changes in schools are typically seen or assumed to be an improvement, but that is not true in most cases. Change is typically involves the school district and state. But, in some ways, keeping the schools the same hurts even more than the changes do. Underfunding schools is not only detrimental because it can negatively impact the curriculum but it can cause them not to change at all, which can be worse.

One of the biggest and most known problems in schools is when schools arts programs are cut, such as, drama, art, and band. In a study conducted by Americans for the Arts, “Students who take four years of arts and music classes average almost 100 points higher on their SAT scores than students who take only one-half year or less.” Keeping creative classes in schools not only improves students time in high school or middle school, it sets them up for success getting into college and getting a job. Continuing these classes not only give students a place to escape from stress and personal problems and helps them discover their passions, but gives them more opportunities for career success. This confirms that changing the curriculum can seriously hurt the students academically.

Meanwhile, the opposite can be said, that not changing the curriculum can hurt students much more. Textbooks hurt students due to the outdated information and giving students no real life skills, they are just memorizing or reading facts. In the state of Nevada, the school district spent 3.8 million dollars to get the schools new textbooks during the 2018 and 2019 school year. This is a school that recognizes teaching children outdated information that is incorrect and no longer relevant hurts students more than it helps them. This shows a way that updating the curriculum can benefit students.

Another way that updating the curriculum helps students is providing them with better classes. In 2005, The School District of Philadelphia made a graduation requirement that all students need to take African American History class. This happened because in 1967 over 40,000 students walked out of school to advocate for this class. The inclusion of this class changed students lives by providing the necessary and crucial learning of the history of an unrepresented group. Without this change in ciciculum, most students in the city would not have learned about these amazing people.

Even though students, teachers, and staff look at change in schools to be typically bad, which it can be, it can also be good. Underfunding schools creates a significant change in curriculum for the worst, but, this can mean it staying the same, which hurts students too.

This was my best possible 2Fer because I reflected upon all the things I wrote in my reflective essay. I tried my best to stay focus and connected to my thesis. Something new I tried was to format my thesis differently and make it so I was able to show two sides of one story.

Sources-

“10 Arts Education Fast Facts.” Americans for the Arts, 6 Nov. 2013, 11:00AM, www.americansforthearts.org/by-topic/arts-education/10-arts-education-fast-facts.


Toliver, Rachel. “‘What Are the Children Who Grow Up to Become Police Officers Learning in School?".” The New Republic, 28 Sept. 2014, newrepublic.com/article/119593/surprising-lessons-philadelphias-african-american-history-course.

Gross, Sam. “WCSD Approves $3.8 Million to Replace Outdated Language, Math Textbooks.” Reno Gazette Journal, Reno Gazette-Journal, 31 Jan. 2018, 7:09PM, www.rgj.com/story/news/education/2018/01/30/wcsd-approves-3-8-million-replace-outdated-language-math-textbooks/1081301001/.

A Woman’s Worth

Equal rights for women have been changing for over decades. These laws are there to protect the rights of men and women. In the early 1900s, women were given small opportunities aside to feel equal to men. Men have more opportunities than women because they seem more superior. Then again, women are more beneficial to these laws because it supports the many women who don’t have rights which makes these women oppressed. By doing this, it takes away from a woman’s quality and perseverance. Despite having the same legal rights as men, women are still disadvantaged in comparison. The disadvantages included, gender price discrimination, psychological discrimination and many more that are equally unjust.  

The cost of female sanitary items and female undergarments has been a very controversial topic. This included the many harms of gender taxing against women of all ages. The Pink Tax is extra money that women have to pay towards their hygiene products and sanitary items. According to an article from Yahoo Finance, a Consumer Report included “women’s products cost more to manufacture, used different formulations or were assigned higher prices by retailers”. That doesn’t give retailing companies the right to make female product cost more because the manufacturing rate, it just makes them targeter trying to get extra money in their pockets. Some products that have the same manufacture and production process, are found from retailing companies for both men and women. Degree deodorant at Walmart was $3.88 for women, $2.47 for men. Deodorant which is  a requirement for healthy hygiene is used by everyone and cost more for females because of the packaging, for it to look more appealing to women to buy. Walgreens has a 3-pack of Gillette razors at $11.99 for women and $10.99 for men. Once again razors, something that everyone uses cost more for women but serves the same purposes as it does for men.Women get paid less than men and are still at harm to afford female necessities.

From a psychological view, Male dominance in environments like workforce are a improper maldistribution of power compared to women. This act of male dominance indicates sexual harassment not as a sexual act but males taking control. These men have the upper hand and persuade women with promotions and raises because they have access. As reported by psychologist John Pryor on psychology today, “factors that make men likely to harass women in the workplaces, are desires to dominate women and endorsement of stereotypic views of male sex-role norms”. Men in the workplace are naturally competitive due to high levels of testosterone and become power hungry. Men are stereotypically enhanced to be powerful which takes away from men being humble. Then women have to work twice as hard, because men are competing to be what’s best. Men are less empathetic over what a woman fights to get which gets in the way of what they desire, to be on top.

Writer Joseph Conrad once said “Being a woman is terribly difficult task, since it consists principally in dealing with men.” Men have always had the upper hand since the begging of time which makes them already at the top. Women, who have been given little opportunities and some rights, have to be above these stereotypes. This creates a space where gender discrimination is revealed and how men are mentally involved when given access to power. Women, who are less powerful, will most likely be acknowledge if involves a man’ satisfaction. Women should take a stand to equity, because their valves are as important as men who are at the top.

This may be my best possible 2fer because I completed this more individually. I usually get more support from my teachers and peers that help with the process of completing my essay, but I worked by myself. I put more effort into my work knowing that my previous 2fers had mistakes that I made commonly.  Now that I have knowledge based on the guidance that I received from my previous 2fers, I know now that what I need to put my best work forward is challenging myself more to work on my own.


Sources:

“Gender-Based Pricing: Why It Costs More to Be a Woman.” Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo!, 12 Jan. 2015, finance.yahoo.com/news/the-extra-cost-of-being-a-woman-214445601.html.  


“....Because It Costs More to Be a Woman.” The Pink Tax - Gender Price Discrimination, pink.tax/.

Lowen, Linda. “Why Powerful Men Sexually Harass Women.” ThoughtCo,


The Final 2fer: Are you a Believer?

The belief in the supernatural is a general term used to describe the conviction that ghosts, aliens, and the like are real. One might say that such notions are absurd. Many believe that believers in the supernatural are few in number. However, this is not the case. The numbers of the believers are great, and for a reason. This reason is that they want to believe. The belief in the supernatural is incredibly widespread, and it is this way because people want to believe, and here are even benefits to believing.

Since these stories and beliefs seem outlandish, one might assume that few people believe in them. The reality is quite the opposite. According to a 2005 survey by Gallup News, 73% of Americans believed in one of ten items listed on the survey. This is a small decrease from the results of a similar survey done by Gallup News in 2001, which said that 76% of Americans believe. While the numbers have decreased from 2001 to 2005, the difference is very small - only 3%. Gallup News’ studies proved that 3 in 4 Americans believe in the supernatural. Furthermore, more surveys have said that nearly one in five Americans claim to have seen a ghost. If the same can be said for the other countries, the belief in the supernatural is widespread throughout the world.

There is still the question of why this is. Why do so many people put so much belief in otherworldly creatures and unbelievable powers that they could have never witnessed? The answer to this question is actually very simple; they want to believe. Brian Cronk, a professor of psychology at Missouri Western State University, says, “Many people simply just want to believe. The human brain is always trying to determine why things happen, and when the reason is not clear, we tend to make up some pretty bizarre explanations.” A lot of people believe in the supernatural for the same reason people in ancient times developed what is today known as mythology. They wanted an explanation for something. Sure, people can turn to science to explain things today. However, there are still questions that science can’t explain. For example, an astronomer releases a report that a strange sound was heard in the depths of space. The sound was said to be unlike anything heard in space before. People would hate to leave a question unanswered, so they would most likely assume the sound came from a UFO.

Believing in the supernatural is even shown to be beneficial to one’s self. One of the notable benefits is that it serves as a protective shield from the harsher truths of the world. Jennifer Whitson at the University of Texas, who studies pattern perception, judgement, and decision making, found that when a certain situation, like a death, job loss, or natural disaster, happens, the brain will scramble to find an answer to the madness. This will cause the person to see outside forces controlling the situation, as it is out of their control. Additionally, one study showed that when the subjects brought their lucky charm to a memory test, their memory significantly improved. What does this mean? The thing is, people don’t like to believe that things just happen randomly. So they will create beliefs and superstitions so they have an answer as to why something happens, other than, “It just did.” For example, they will assume that a malicious spirit was behind the unexpected thunderstorm, or that a ghost moved the door and caused it to creak. As for the memory test, the memory of the subjects seemed to increase when they brought their lucky charm with them because having the charm with them improved their confidence in their abilities. This improved confidence led to a better performance in the memory test. In other words, they felt that they could do well on the test because they had their lucky charm with them.

It is unknown whether the stories of the supernatural are true. However, there are a lot of believers, and they have a valid reason to believe. Skeptics may push aside such seemingly impossible claims, but there is a reason the believers accept them. This reason is to find an explanation for what seems to be unexplainable. As Adam Waytz at Northwestern University in Illinois puts it, “We create beliefs because we don’t like believing that the universe is random.” Additionally, as shown in the memory test results, having some kind of lucky charm can increase one’s confidence in their abilities.

Why this is my best possible 2fer: I found that I didn’t have to make many edits after the peer editing session. In fact, I only had to do two things, make the thesis more clear and add more details to the analysis of two of my body paragraphs, along with my conclusion. I also tried to pick a topic that was actually debatable, and I managed to fix the mistakes I kept making in past 2fers. Overall, I say that this is my best 2fer yet, and I have grown since writing the first one.

Citations: Gallup, Inc. “Three in Four Americans Believe in Paranormal.” Gallup.com, 16 June 2005, news.gallup.com/poll/16915/three-four-americans-believe-paranormal.aspx.

“Monsters, Ghosts and Gods: Why We Believe.” Live Science: The Most Interesting Articles, Mysteries & Discoveries. Web. http://www.livescience.com/5046-monsters-ghosts-gods.html.

“BBC - Future - Psychology: The truth about the paranormal.” BBC - Homepage. Web. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141030-the-truth-about-the-paranormal.

2fer #7 Limited Edition Ideas

Limited Edition Ideas

Exclusive deals have been a business technique since the beginning of material production. The idea of having something of in limited print or items that are only available for a limited time has drawn collectors and people who want to stand out. When a limited edition or a rare item from a person’s favorite brand more people are who are in favor of that brand are more likely to buy something that is limited edition than buying something they can normally obtain. Buying limited edition items is a good marketing campaign when businesses have a lot to offer.

Not only business are liable for using this technique though in 2015 the famed Wu tang clan released a secret album called “Once Upon A Time In Shaolin”. Rapper RZA said in a interview with Forbes magazine “We’re about to sell an album like nobody else sold it before,” he called it an exclusive collectors item that RZA said in a tweet “"We’re making a single-sale collector’s item. This is like somebody having the scepter of an Egyptian king.”. The winning bid for the album went for 2 million dollars, although it came out successful, Wu tang rapper Cilvaringz was worried and called this a gamble that could totally flop if not done correctly. Around 343 people bidded to have the one and only Wu tang album.

On January 18th 2018 famed rapper Tyler the Creator announced his collaboration with the company converse to make limited edition shoes in a tweet that solely said "GOLF le FLEUR jan 18” The likes of that tweet ended up being in 97.8k and the retweets were 17,684. The shoes went for $100 but had a resale value of $200. This drew in many people who were attracted to the shoe brand and also the rapper. They were sold on Tyler the Creators website Golf and were sold out in less than 20 minutes.  The reason why his shoes sold out so quickly was because the amount of clout Tyler had and also because they were named limited edition so once they were sold out there was no way to know if they were going to sell them again. The profit Tyler and converse made from this collaboration was one of the most popular vans bought in the company's history.

Back in 2013 Stone throw records had a 10th anniversary special vinyl for one of history's best beat maker/music sampler. They had a limited edition vinyl based on the original drawing of J Dilla's idea for the album cover. When the album donuts originally came out on his birthday February 7th 2006. The 10th anniversary came out in 2013 remembering his death on February 17th which was  and celebrating his album 10th anniversary. Back in 2013 the album was almost immediately sold out by J Dilla fans who bought the vinyl. Die hard fans have said this is a “must have” for all J Dilla fans. Stone Throw Records said that “The album is ten years old now. Many new people have discovered the album and the work of our favorite producer along the way. Some still ask for the drawing cover, and we're happy to oblige.” From this quote the reader can gather than the history and legacy of J Dilla is being used as a memory for his fans but also is being used to make money off a limited edition vinyl record which in the long run makes more money.

From music, clothes, and vinyls there are many different limited edition items that usually make a spike in sales. With businesses coming up with this practice and using it to make money has been commonplace in the business world. Stores such as Supreme have limited edition items each week making there resale value very high and it attracts a very young clinetell to buy there items. In the end the limited edition items usually can greatly influence people to buy the producers things, it also can make is so that the person who does buy those items have the ability to resell the limited edition items because of the rarity.







Works Cited

Greenburg, Zack O'Malley. “Why Wu-Tang Will Release Just One Copy Of Its Secret Album.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Nov. 2014, www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2014/03/26/why-wu-tang-will-release-just-one-copy-of-its-secret-album/.

Jones, Riley. “Tyler, the Creator Is Releasing Three Limited-Edition Converse Shoes This Month.” Footwear News, Footwear News, 4 Jan. 2018, footwearnews.com/2018/focus/athletic-outdoor/tyler-the-creator-new-limited-edition-converse-golf-le-fleur-shoes-474624/.

“J Dilla - Donuts, 10th Anniversary Vinyl | Stones Throw Records.” Stones Throw, www.stonesthrow.com/news/2016/02/dilla-donuts-10th-anniversary-vinyl.

“Why Your Business Needs a Limited Edition Strategy.” Luth Research, 30 Nov. 2016, luthresearch.com/business-needs-limited-edition-strategy/.


NEGATIVE SPACE CUT OUT REFLECTION

2018-04-23 14-29
Negative space is the empty space around the subject being drawn. I found the negative space in my art piece by realizing that the bird could be the same when flipped after cutting it out the first time. It helps artist to see in negative space because not only does it show skill in what you can see, it also balances and enhances the positive space. Seeing in negative space enhances drawings because it gives you two points of view/perspectives on a drawings. This is important because every piece of art has a story and seeing both the negative and positive is like seeing both sides of the same story.

Cut Out Project

IMG_E4874
IMG_E4874
REFLECTION:
Negative space is the space that is not the focus of the piece. Which means, if you are drawing a chair or flower, it is everything that id not that. Negative space can be very detailed or very simple. In my piece it is the tree that is the focus of the piece. As you can see the negative space and focus space are two different colors. the space in between the branches, everything behind the tree is negative. Seeing in negative space helps an artist to see what you are really trying to focus on, what in the piece is important. I think seeing in negative space does make the piece go hard because it is so profound. However, I think both negative space art and non negative space art both are good for different reasons. I don't think either necessarily enhance your drawing more than the other.

- Nile Shareef-Trudeau

2fer #7 - Sean DeSilva

   Motivational Rewards
When it comes to academic performance, some students tend to lack motivation to keep going, to keep performing well in school. They tend to dip down in their academic performances and not care as much as they used to. Parents should be aware of their kids academic performances and get involved in their child's academics. Parents should always look to push their kids to do better on their academics, rewarding them based on their grades because it would push their child to perform better.

A study from education.gov titled "Should Kids Get Rewarded for Getting Good Grades in School?" touches on the idea of parents rewarding their kids with money for getting good grades. The idea of rewarding their child with money is a popular idea that is common is many households. The pros from this act would be boosting their child's motivation in school and confidence. However, with these pros come cons that view another side. The child may think that they need a 'paycheck' whenever they perform well academically. So the parent needs to find a balance between when the kid gets payed and how much the parent is willing to pay their child. 
 
The idea of rewarding ones child with currency is accepted in society. Although, not every household would have the opportunity to reward their child with currency due to their economic stance. Which means that the parent should improvise, such as a nice meal for their child to be rewarded in one way. An article titled "Should Parents Pay if Their Kids Get Good Grades?" from Money Crashers touches on the subject of getting good grades and compensation. The article states, "Many parents who are willing to pay their children for good grades will argue that it is a child’s job to go to school and learn. Therefore, they should be compensated for positive results just as they are at their jobs." Being able to recognize the child's hard work is greatly appreciated with rewards. The simple of idea of parents giving recognition to their child is what ultimately matters.

Opposing parents may argue that it's their child's job to do well in school and it's not their job to reward them constantly. An article from Today.com expressed that. In the article, Mary Thorsen-Nolan who was a mom expressed their feelings towards the topic. The article states, "NEVER, EVER!” wrote Mary Thorsen-Nolan. “I told my kids that their grades and their ambition was on them, not me. ... I helped them to set their goals and encouraged them to work their hardest to reach them, but I never once offered incentive other than pride in a job well done.” This shows how parents can stick to their own rules and not confine to things going on around in society. 

Parents should be able to recognize their child's hard work and reward them from time to time. The rewards do not always have to be money but any form of recognition that's rewarding is good for the child's growth. These studies show how parents should always look to push their kids to do better on their academics, rewarding them based on their grades because it would push their child to perform better
I think that this is my best 2fer yet because of the extensive research that I was able to do and how I was able to connect it in words to the reader. Other than that it was simple to come up with a debatable topic and show how these things matter in the real world. 
Work Cited

Ministry of Education, Guyana.” Should Kids Get Rewarded for Getting Good Grades in School?, www.education.gov.gy/web/index.php/parenting-tips/item/2450-should-kids-get-rewarded-for-getting-good-grades-in-school

BreedYou, Matt. “Topics.” Money Crashers, www.moneycrashers.com/should-parents-pay-if-their-kids-get-good-grades.

McCready, Amy. “Why You Shouldn't Pay Children for Grades.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Sept. 2015, parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/why-you-shouldnt-pay-children-for-grades

Marketing Color

Who makes advertisements? Is it companies?Is it celebrities? Is advertisements made by popular demand? An advertisement is a piece of marketing that companies or industries show to invite people to buy their products or to voice a message. Companies owned and operated by white people are usually companies that aren’t expected to use black people on their advertisements. There is actually a myth that black owned and operated businesses gain more money when people don’t know that they are black businesses. There is a demand for diversity in business and advertisements because people are growing more aware of what race means.

Only 19% of ads that people see in their daily lives show minority groups. The world is mostly made of minority groups yet they are only shown less than a quarter of the time. People want to see themselves. Why is at that white people see more of themselves yet their is less of them? Queen Latifah a rapper, brand ambassador and actress is one artists trying to bring diversity to advertisements In 2006, Covergirl asked Queen Latifah to be a brand ambassador for Covergirl. Queen Latifah took Covergirls offer and started their first ever  line of makeup exclusively for minority groups called, Queen Collection. Queen Latifah isn’t the only celebrity realizing that white companies need to change their advertising techniques. Marketing Week, did a piece on new research coming out about companies not having minority groups in their ads. The statistic were so crazy that Marketing Week also did different videos and showed their audience the reproductions of the lack of minority groups in advertisement.

The Chicago Tribune did a cut throat piece on black owned businesses and their hidden secret, their owned by black people with all white employees. Of course black owned businesses never lied, if asked if they were the owner they told people the truth. Most black owned businesses see the difference between themselves talking to their white counterparts and white people seeing someone of the same race as them. Racisms isn’t just something people acknowledge and move on from. Racism is hindering black owned businesses. Research done by the Chicago Tribune saw that 55% of black people with household incomes more than $50,000 wanted more black owned businesses. In the study they also found that white people saw black owned businesses as selling products only for black people. Assistant Professor from Chicago State University says doesn’t see any advantage. There isn’t any advantage because as Parker (who is the former operator of a website that promoted black-owned businesses) put it, eventually black CEOs come out as the CEO’s.

People claim their nationality, ethnicity or race all the time. More than ever knowing who someones is demands on things such as their race. People buy things from big and small companies all the time. It would be nice to see minority groups in this advertisements done by big white companies. It would also be good to know if the store you are buying from is black owned. Knowing who you are reflects how you act, so why not know that the stories you love also like you.  Businesses and advertisements aren’t any different because they both want maximum profit off of their customers. Diversity in business and advertising would benefit companies with money. Showing of black owned or black commercials are good. Diversity is great.


Works Cited

  1. Jackson, Cheryl V. “When Building Your Business Means Hiding That It's Black-Owned.” Chicagotribune.com, 17 Apr. 2017, www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-black-entrepreneurs-downplay-ownership-bsi-20160414-story.html.

  2. Rogers, Charlotte, et al. “Just 19% of People in Ads Are from Minority Groups.” Marketing Week, 30 Jan. 2017, www.marketingweek.com/2016/12/06/lloyds-diversity-report/.

  3. Martyswant. “Queen Latifah on the Importance of Showcasing Women of Color in Advertising.” – Adweek, Adweek, 26 Apr. 2017, www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/queen-latifah-on-the-importance-of-showcasing-women-of-color-in-advertising/.

This is my best possible 2fer because I wrote a topic that actually interests me. I like to talk about my own community and business. I like to explore business and what that means for people of color or minorities In this 2fer I used less examples and really explored each reason. I also really wanted a coherent thesis so that it connected to what I was trying to prove and say. I feel that my paper was rushed, but it still is the best possible 2fer because this paper is me in the rawest form. I love business and how it interacts with race. 

2Fer #7 - Alan Li

Alan Li

Ms. Pahomov

English 3

19 April 2018

Gathering Players in a Never-Ending Quest

Before Everquest was created, there were games like Dungeons and Dragons and Adventure that captivated people who were interested in roleplaying as fantasy characters. Unlike most massively multiplayer online role-playing games or MMORPGs today, those games relied heavily on text messages detailing what was happening in the game in order for players to play the game, which is probably bizarre to many people today when looking back to games produced in the 1980s. It was the 1990s where users were able to start playing MMORPGs that are three-dimensional. Unlike other games of the genre at the time, Everquest offered near to impossible quests users would have to complete in order to traverse the world of Norrath—the setting where Everquest takes place in. Although the difficulty of Everquest ended up detracting many people from playing the game, Daybreak Game Company—the company that owns the rights to Everquest—has helped influence the MMORPG genre and can arguably be the most influential MMORPG so far. The impact Everquest had compared to other role-playing games can because of the difficulty level encouraging members of the community to form stronger bonds with one another.

Everquest was able to build stronger bonds between players trying to explore a difficult environment to play on by allowing them to communicate with each other through quests. For many role-playing games today such as TERA and World of Warcraft, users are able to have an easier time completing quests compared to Everquest due to quest logs appearing on the user’s screen that tells him or her what to do and where to go next, which would lead to players being able to traverse through the game without having to interact with any other person in the game. In Everquest, there were no quest logs that would be able to help players with their journey so users would have to look up tutorials written by other players in order fulfill quests in the game. Steven Messner, who is an editor working for PC Gamer, states in an article, “At the time, grinding seemed exciting. It forced you to play with strangers in order to kill tough monsters, and was the only real method to level up your character. By existing in such a harsh world, Everquest inspired strong relationships forged not by the joy of surviving, but of growing together.” From the quote, by noting how players would grow together in the game, it shows how users would be able to make lifelong friends in a stressful environment, which gives users support that cannot be found in other games of the genre. Due to players having to rely on each other for a long time in order to progress through the game, it led to players building friendships and camaraderie in a way that would be impossible to form in any other MMORPG due to its challenging nature.

Along with challenges that built stronger bonds between members of the community, it allowed these players to find the motivation to play the game. Because of the overwhelming difficulties players would have to endure, users would have to be motivated in order to continue the game. In other online games like World of Warcraft, since users are given quests that are easier to complete compared to quests in Everquest, users are able to complete the quests in the game earlier, which would lead to them no longer having any motivation to playing the game due to not having any more objectives. Senior Editor Mike Fahey of Kotaku—a company that talks about video games—notes in a Kotaku article, “The original EverQuest changed the way I interacted with people. By giving me a well-defined role to play, the game made me feel like an important part of any adventuring party, which did wonders for my confidence and self-esteem.” Based on the quote, when he states how he has a well-defined role, it could be interpreted that he is not just talking about his character in the game; he is also talking about his purpose. With comrades having to rely on each other and having that sense of determination to succeed in the game, Everquest gave many users purpose to playing a game that would deter many people who have little to no experience playing the game.

In spite of there being more MMORPG games users can now play other than Everquest, when it came to building a community of dedicated users, Everquest helped facilitate that through difficulties in the game. Besides being one of the first games in the MMORPG genre to be three-dimensional, Everquest helped introduce many users to many mechanics today such as quests, dungeons, and bosses, which can be found in MMORPGs that came after it like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. However, despite those games being more popular than Everquest, Everquest is still played by many despite its age. To end on a final note, when talking about the success the staff team had with Everquest, Brad McQuaid, who is one of the creators of Everquest, once stated in a GameSpot interview, “While they're very proud of their first creation, they feel a need deep down to keep going, upward and onward.” From this, it shows the struggle, determination, and effort the staff team had that could be reminiscent to their player base when it came to developing the game since it was one of the first game of its kind.

Works Cited

Messner, Steven. “A Brief History of MMO Games.” Pcgamer, PC Gamer THE GLOBAL

AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES, 28 July 2017,

www.pcgamer.com/a-brief-history-of-mmo-games/.

Fahey, Mike. “Happy 15th Anniversary, EverQuest.” Kotaku Australia, Kotaku Australia, 17

Mar. 2014, www.kotaku.com.au/2014/03/happy-15th-anniversary-everquest/.

Walker, Trey. “Brad McQuaid Interview.” GameSpot, Gamespot, 11 Jan. 2002,

www.gamespot.com/articles/brad-mcquaid-interview/1100-2838404/.


2Fer #7 - Food in Culture

When asked what an important part of culture is, one might say the language, the music, or the history. While all of these are indeed necessary elements to a culture, they lack the ability to be easily shared with others. Music has the capability of being shared with everyone, however, messages and meanings within the words of the songs can be lost due to language barriers. On the other hand, food does not require language or words to be understood. Food is one of the most important aspects of a culture because of how it represents that culture and its traditions.

Within a culture, food can represent its history. Amy Choi, an author at TED, wrote, “American cuisine is shaped by the natural wealth of the country. Having never faced agricultural hardship, Americans had the luxury of not relying on rotating crops…” Often, traditions that have carried on into modern times started because of food availability and the method of preparing it. Cultural dishes that are still made now were influenced by what the world was like when it first came into creation. For example, many dishes in the Jewish culture are based on where people lived and what food became available during specific times. During the Diaspora, when the Jews were being forced to move around a lot, they had to assimilate into the cultures of the areas they lived in. This resulted in many of those cultural dishes being shaped and incorporated into Jewish tradition. What started as a necessity to live became part of the culture and got passed down through the generations.

Food can also display status and respect. In many cultures, the type of food and way it is prepared is a symbol of one’s status. In an article written by PMC, it is stated, “Food also plays an important role with respect to an individual’s place in society. As Counihan observed, ‘One’s place in the social system is revealed by what, how much, and with whom one eats.’” Expensive foods are commonly used to display one’s wealth and status in society. Because of this, food is used to show one’s respect to another person. Expensive food, or food someone usually would not eat, would often be prepared in order to honor guests. Another way to show respect is how food is positioned on the table. In Chinese culture, when eating fish, the head is positioned towards the most respected member at the table and should not be moved from that location. Similarly, only after the most respected member has started eating can everyone else also begin.

One of the most important sides of food in culture is the symbolism. Food can have different meanings based on what it is made of and how it is prepared and presented. An article by Guansheng Ma at ScienceDirect says, “Food has many symbolic meanings; it not only expresses but also establishes the relationship between people and their environment as well as between people and what they believe.” A good example of this is the Jewish holiday, Passover, where almost everything in the meal represents something. The meal itself is a ceremony of remembrance to what happened to the Jews before and after they fled Egypt. A staple food of the holiday is matzah, an unleavened bread, which the Jews eat to remember their hasty exodus out of Egypt. During a Seder, this is typically eaten with horseradish and charoset to represent the bitterness of slavery and the mortar Jews used to build while enslaved. Another example of symbolism is found in foods eaten during Chinese New Year. When celebrating the New Year, the type of food and how it is prepared symbolizes the desires for that year. Dishes such as fish and dumplings represent prosperity and wealth, and are considered to foresee an auspicious year.    

In every culture, food means more than just nourishment. It can hold the culture’s history, struggles, and hopes within one dish. However, it does not have to be constrained to just those in the culture. When people who are not part of a certain culture eat a traditional dish, they get to experience a piece of that culture and possibly gain a newfound appreciation for the people and their history.  


Works Cited


Choi, Amy. "What Americans Can Learn From Other Food Cultures." ideas.ted.com. N. p., 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2018. https://ideas.ted.com/what-americans-can-learn-from-other-food-cultures/


Ma, Guansheng. "Food, Eating Behavior, And Culture In Chinese Society." Journal of Ethnic Foods 2.4 (2015): 195-199. Web. 23 Apr. 2018.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618115000657


Nordström, Karin et al. "Food And Health: Individual, Cultural, Or Scientific Matters?." Genes & Nutrition 8.4 (2013): 357-363. Web. 23 Apr. 2018.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3689889/


Taylor Green - Animal Testing is Absurd (2Fer #7)

Animal Testing 2Fer #7 Taylor Green (1)
This is my best possible 2Fer because it’s about a topic that I’m actually passionate about. I used a thorough analysis and I had reliable sources throughout the essay. Also, I took advice from the peer edits, and I decided to add more to my analysis so that it clearly showed my thoughts and proved my point. I checked my grammar more than once and made sure that everything was concise.