The ambitious woman that was once told that opportunities for women lie only in business was pushed away from her dream job as a teacher in college, but now, she has realized that making a difference in someone’s life is most important.
Laura Weakland, 47, is a warm-hearted woman that has a desire to help people. Her longing passion to teach is shown when she talks about her class. Weaklands previous experience in the sixth -grade as a tutor inspired her future, but her parents realized she was talented in math and wanted her to pursue that in a career. Like most people, Weaklands parents were focused on the money aspect for her future. After 10 years of working in the accounting industry, the realization of pursing her passion hit her.
“Subsequent to graduation, I worked 10 years in the accounting industry- an industry that felt ‘lifeless’ and without a purpose for me with regards to having an influence on others and making a meaningful contribution,” said Weakland.
Weaklands love for children had been a passion for years and when her youngest son graduated from Kindergarten, she realized then how much she would miss the children.
“I looked on as my son’s teacher called each child up one by one to wish them luck for a hug and a goodbye,” Weakland said. “And then as I gave my final hug and goodbye to his teacher, I realized how much I was going to miss the children and being in the classroom, and miss working one on one with them and seeing my efforts really make a difference in their learning.”
Now, Weakland has been working in New Hudson, Michigan at Dolsen Elementary. This is her third year teaching the fourth-grade. Although Weakland loves her job, she faces struggles as a teacher. She works with kids from different backgrounds and finds it gratifying that she gets to teach a diverse group of kids.
“Two years ago, I had a student come to my class that had come from a poor home background,” Weakland said. “ He really struggled in class but by the end of the year, he had made dramatic improvements and I was glad to be apart of that change.”
Weakland finds it rewarding to spend a full day with children and see them grow. Her good friend Donna works in the business field as an accountant and is envious of Weaklands job and experiences.
“Any woman would love to watch children grow and help them learn,” Donna said. ”But I’ve never seen someone so happy and positive to go to work each and every day as Laura is.”
TUSCALOOSA – Physical abuse is a common occurrence and a true tragedy that is not only a nationwide issue but is also a problem here at University of Alabama, according to students and professors.
University of Alabama sophomore Jessica Stupeck witnessed a physical abuser bang his girlfriend’s head on the car dashboard late one night after Alabama’s defeat against Auburn. Stupeck and her roommate were caught off guard as a 21- year-old man and a girl were sitting in a car in their parking lot yelling each other, according to Stupeck. They could hear the couple yelling from the third floor of their apartment building, according to Stupeck. The apartment is located on Grace Street off of University Boulevard.
“I have never witnessed anything like this before,” Stupeck said. “ It brought tears to my eyes.”
Stupeck said the man was pounding the dashboard and his steering wheel with his fists. As the man was yelling, the girl was holding her head to her knees, according to Stupeck.
“My neighbors and I watched the couple from outside for about ten minuets,” Stupeck said. “And then her head hit the dashboard.”
As Stupeck and her roommate Natalie Lotz watched the tragedy, they headed downstairs to the car to stop the abuse, but were stopped by their neighbors, according to Lotz.
“I wanted to yell and scream at the guy,” Lotz said. “ I was afraid of what he would do to us though.”
The victim’s friend eventually came downstairs and got her out of the car, according to Lotz.
“As she got out of the car, the girl was holding her head and crying.” Lotz said. “Her head was bleeding.”
Stupeck and Lotz called the cops as the girl was taken to the hospital by her friend and the abuser drove away, according to Lotz. The friend was persistent on getting her to a hospital because she needed stiches, according to Lotz.
“I regret not going down to the car to get the girl,” Lotz said. “ I could have prevented her head busting open.”
Professor Ana Schuber has been teaching a woman studies course for years at the University of Alabama. The main subject she focuses on through out the year is abuse, according to Schuber.
“Women need to learn to stand up for themselves,” Schuber said. “It took me a while to learn to stand up for myself.”
Schuber says she unfortunately is a victim of abuse. Her mom abused her physically and emotionally through out her whole life.
“I left home at 17,” Schuber said. “I realized my life was going down the drain.”
Schuber was told that she needed to be a stay at home wife her whole life, with no education. Schuber said she paid her way through college.
“I’ve witness abuse here on campus,” Schuber said. “A boy was banging his girlfriends head against the wall of B.B Comer one afternoon and the sad thing is that no one was stopping him but me.”
Schuber said the guy was hitting his girlfriend’s head against the wall for a while before she made it over there to stop him.
Many girls are afraid to report their abuser, Schuber said. When a victim grows up being abused, it is considered normal to them, according to Schuber.
It takes a lot to realize what a normal relationship is, Schuber said.
“Even though my mom abused me I maintain a relationship with her because she is my mother,” Schuber said. “ I love her unconditionally.”
The University has a women’s resource center located on campus called Safe Harbor for women who are seeking help with abuse, according to Schuber.
Someone is abused every two minuets, according to RAINN statistics, the nations largest anti- sexual violence organization.
###
Jessica Stupeck- jmstupeck@crimson.ua.edu
Natalie Lotz- nclotz@crimson.ua.edu
Ana Schuber- aschuber@ccs.ua.edu
I am very glad that I was able to take MC101 my first semester of freshman year. I really did not know what to expect because it seemed like such a broad subject. I soon came to find that we would be learning mostly about technology. Technology has impacted our past and now, our present. There is something new being made everyday that will make communication easier with one another. One of the most interesting things that we first learned about, was Steve Jobs. I did not know much at all about Steve Jobs until he was brought up in class one day. I was glad that this “wizard” was brought up, because I then decided to write an english paper about him. He died a few days later.
MC101 introduced a lot of things to me that I found facinating. We studied the history of television, films, newspapers, internet, magazines, and the radio. At first, my thought was that history is usually boring. However, this kind of history was so interesting, because if these things were not made, then our level of technology would not be anywhere like where it is today. I realized how significant people such as Edison, Muybridge, Morse, and Farnsworth are. I think one of the most interesting things about this class was learning about the people that played such an important role is the history of mass media. I realized that everyone knows who our presidents and celebrities are, but do people think about the people that made the technology that rules our world today? Where would we be without the camera that takes pictures of celebrities or to capture memories that we always want to remember? Where would we be if we did not have the internet, where you can literally type in anything and it will come up with something? Where would we be without Steve Jobs’ idea to make a little thing that is so tiny and skinny, but can do anything you want it to? I’ve realized that people are usually so caught up in using technology, that they don’t take the time to acknowledge the history behind it.
This course has changed the way I think about mass media. I try not to get so caught up in all of it, as most people do. One of our blogs was to not use technology for a day. When I did that, I realized that I needed to be “in the moment” more. I realized when my mother asks me to put the phone down, I now, will gladly put it away. It makes me wonder what mass media will be like in our future. Each day, people come up with better and better ideas of how to make media smaller and easier. I think that it is hard to think of whats going to come next.
I ‘ve learned that media has not only made it easier for people to communicate, but it also has made it easier for people to become individuals. For example, without the internet, I would not be able to write this blog right now. People would not be able to express the way they feel, like they do now through facebook or twitter. People now can easily have a voice about anything by simply typing it on the internet. I also found it interesting that though college, you use a lot of technology. A lot of my classes require me to do things online. Before college, I did not use my computer as much as I do now.
Through out this semester, we also had various guest speakers who were in the industry. They talked about different things such as media and the law, interviews for a job, media itself, ect. I was excited to hear the things that they said and advised. I think the msot interesting speaker was today. His name is Will Nevin. He talked about law and media. He first introduced the first Amendment,then stated examples of different cases, where the first amendment was questioned. For example, a man had a jacket on that said F*** the Draft back in 1971. Even thought people have the freedom of speech, it is hard to decide what was right and wrong.
The most important thing that I learned from MC101 that mass media has well in doubt, made its mark on history. It is everywhere. Media exists in our daily lives and it is hard not to use it. Media has come along way to make our lives easier and the only way it can go is up.
Rosa Duffy is my brothers girlfriend that he has had since the 5th grade. Everyone knew that she would be famous one day, whether it be designing or writing. When I asked messaged her on facebook to tell me about how she got to where she is now, I didn’t really know what to expect. Rosa started to tell me the things she did in highschool and the connections she started to make. Rosa’s dad works in the music business, which automatically created a instant network. Connections. Connections. Connections. That’s all I hear about now a days.
Rosa was always the girl in high school that didn’t care what people thought. She’s one of the more stronger girls that I know. Throughout high school, she designed dresses made out of different material, which my sister also did. Rosa did a program at Parsons in New York her junior year of high school. This was the start of her career. Rosa quickly made connections and started her network. She is ambitious and when she wants something, she will get it. Rosa now goes to the Parsons design school in New York where she works with Teen Vogue. She writes, helps with designing, and overlooks photoshoots. She may be young, but she does have a lot to offer. The most important thing that she advised for me to do is to start early. When you know someone in the industry, it can do wonders for you. She also has taken many designing classes throughout college along with journalism classes. She told me to never be afraid of whats out there. Rosa now is planning on opening her own store up in Atlanta sometime in her future.
Rosa has always been a role model for me and I’am proud to say that she is dating my brother. She stands independent and focuses on the things that she wants. This summer, I am now going to do a program at Parsons in New York or Paris. Rosa had advised me that that is a good start. Since I am majoring in Journalism and minoring in photography, I thought that doing a program at Parsons for photography would be a good start. I also met the producer of the CNN website while I was working at a church, serving the homeless during Thanksgiving. He overheard me talking about my major and where I go to school, then quickly jumped in and offered an internship. Wayne, the producer, emailed me that day and told me that he would be available to talk this week. I have been told by my friends and family that I am ambitious and easy to talk to. I am determined to be something in this industry no matter what. Rosa has set a wonderful example for me and for many other girls. I am currently taking journalism classes and an art course next semester. I hope this will be a good start for my journey.
The things that I have learned from my family and Rosa are to put myself out there. Being a strong independent woman is one of the most important things apart of life.
The Spiral of Silence Theory was made by Elisabeth Noelle- Neumann. It is thought that increasing pressure people feel to conceal their views when they think they are in the minority. As many people do, the fear of isolation is a natural feeling. The pressure of feeling out of place or nervousness to speak our own opinion is felt by many people. Social rejection is a fear among all of us. However, it is thought that if we were to be apart of the majority, then they are more likely to express their opinion. Examples of reasearch have been done such as “Noelle-Neumann showed subjects a picture with one person angrily saying, “It seems to me that smokers are terribly inconsiderate. They force others to inhale their health-endangering smoke.” Respondents were asked to phrase a response to the statement whilst other ‘planted’ people were there. When nonsmokers were nearby, many smokers were less willing to openly support smokers’ rights.( The University of Twente)” The disadvantages of this theory are that the role of the media is presumed to be uniform and ambiguous. Also, it relies on survey research which is often criticized. It also believes that the media is a powerful force in accelerate the muting media. Also, media is what the public looks to to find what the public opinion is. I can see and understand this theory because even I can think of times where I did not state my opinion because I was the minority. This all relates back to feeling “attacked” if someone disagrees. For example, back in middle school, we had a debate on the election. Since I was shy back then, I never stated my opinion and also the strongest debaters were on the other side. This gave me the feeling that they would just attack me if I even said anything. It is said that the studies have drawn “different conceptualizations, employ inconsistent operationalizations, and give short shrift to imintportant macroscopic variables”( Public opinion research). Some studies that are thought to show spiral of silence may instead show something else. For example, there was a study from 1991 that had to do with the Gulf war. The amount of people that supported the war was measured. The people that were asked about their opinions of the war were less supportive of it. However, the people that watched television and created an opinion from media supported the war. This was thought that it may show spiral of silence, but it actually showed the bandwagon effect. In conclusion, I can see why the SPiral of Silence theory has been studied and researched because media can easily effect our society. Turning on the television and agreeing with whats on the show happens a lot because it may show what the majority’s opinion is. We tend to want to be on the side of the majority, not the minority. This theory is still studied. Studies can be sometimes criticized because they are depended upon different variable such as age, sex, ect. We are all influenced by different things, but the Spiral of SIlence shows that we like to be on the side thats winning.
http://www.utwente.nl/cw/theorieenoverzicht/Theory%20clusters/Mass%20Media/spiral_of_silence.doc/
www. utwente.nl
It is obvious that the movie “Slumdog Millionaire” stood out compared to most other movies. There is simply nothing like it. The movie that was made in 2008 is to this day my favorite movie. Its not the “typical” American family movie which made it stand out to me. It was taken place in the actual slums of India. The director, Danny Boyle, combines real life situations such as poverty in India and ties it into and modern fairytale. The main actor, Jamal, gets put on to the show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” but gets arrested for assumption of cheating. The director includes flashbacks of the Jamal’s childhood in the slums and shows how he knows each answer to the questions. The movie has an underlying message of destiny. It shows us another side of the world that is struggling deeply so it also was an eye- opener to its audience here in the United States. “The Slumdog Millionaire” made me very openminded to understanding other cultures and see what they experience. It shows that people experience things through out their whole lives that turn into knowledge as Jamal knew every single answer to the questions through his experiences. Here in the United States, we are so focused on getting our education and forget that life experiences can teach us so much more than what books can do. Jamal, his brother, Salim, and Jamals’s love, Latika, were all abandoned at birth and they grew up together facing corruption and fighting for their lives. The flashbacks between his past and present really pulled the movie together well. Also, the cameraman did a very good job showing the action scenes in the slums as the kids ran through. The cool fact about the setting was that the slums actually do exist. Their lifestyle was not just a setting of another movie. The best part about this movie was that Jamal did not even really care that he won the money. He wanted to be on the show to find his loved one, Latika because they had been separated. This also made me realize that we are so focused on the money in life and sometimes totally forget about what living is all about. This film is without a doubt an amazing film that combines intensity, love, destiny, tragedy, and life itself all together.
In conclusion, This movie has been one of the most influencial movies of all time. It has opened it up my eyes. to a whole different world. The director has created something that creates a dramatic feel that is also a love story. I was especially drawn into it because of the storyline. No other movie’s storyline is like this. The overall mood is a combination of exciting, sad, and oh so joyful. The flashbacks to Jamals childhood represent his hard childhood and makes the movie even better. Jamals kind heart is shown by trying to get his love back by being on this show. The director was a success at creating a movie that no one will ever forget.
Ashlea Cartee
A day without mass media almost sounds simple and easy. You would think that “Boy finally a day to relax and get away from this chaotic world.” At least that is what I like to think when I travel and have no kind of mass media to look at or think about. There is an ongoing thought that sometimes we lose ourselves through media because we are so persistent to look at the news and constantly think about everything else except ourselves. What I have realized without having the normal technology used in my daily life is finally my mind is a little less chaotic.
I usually start the day off by turning on the television that always seems to be the focal point in our dorm room, but today I decided to just ignore the controller sitting beside my bed. The over-played, reality TV shows wouldn’t be turned on today, along with the weather forecast and news. As I walk beside my desk, I see the new Vogue for this month that I had purchased yesterday, but again, I ignore it. It’s not that I don’t want to read the magazine, that I hope to work for one day, but it’s that I want to not have any influences of how I view things today. I think that when watching television and reading newspaper or magazines, it can instantly set a different mood for the day by what you read or watch and how you reflect upon it. A great concern for our present day world right now is being badly influenced by things and by one another.
As I grab my book bag, I, again, ignore my iPod that I usually listen to on the way to class. Once again, if I listen to an upbeat song, it instantly gives me energy and gives me positive thoughts. However, if I put on a slow song, I begin to wish I was in bed again. This makes me realize my psychology class has a lot to do with this. We have learned how things influence your mood and those things are mass media. The mood you are in will then determine how you judge things and what kind of outlook you will have on things that day. As I walked to class, I notice how I realize more of my environment without the music playing in my ears. My phone stays off and for once I feel as if I’m “in the moment. “ My mom would love for me to do this around her because she constantly tells me to “turn off that TV,” or to “get off that phone,” and of course “you don’t need to be reading that trash.” It is true that a lot of the mass media today is filled and compiled with drama and people are constantly thinking “OMG” as they hear the things people do. I think mass media has influenced our life with out a doubt. Think about it. The older generations have more manners and are nonetheless thought of as “nice people.” However, the younger generations have started drinking, drugs, and even sex a lot earlier in their life now. It may be that we are evolving, but as technology grows, generations are changing by the minute.
Through out the day, I am not constantly looking down at my phone from texts that have something to do with what “has happened” or what “will happen.” It’s never what “is happening”. We are constantly thinking about our past and future and our present is most of the time ignored. Although I may have been more bored today, I am able to get things done without being distracted by mass media. However, as technology grows, it is clear that mass media will take over our lives. We wont be able to live without phones, computers, TVs, magazines, and what not. I enjoyed a day without mass media, only because I got to be more social and not worry about what other people are doing all the time. Sometimes we get so caught up in other things, we forget what life is all about.
Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.
Here are some suggestions for your first post.
- You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.
- Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting page you read on the web.
- Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can always preview any post or edit it before you share it to the world.
ashleacartee 