Tid bit for the day :)

I am truly glad I learned how to make and edit an i-movie this semester. I actually enjoy the process and editing of them. It became second nature to me and it really is interesting to view things on camera with a multimedia perspective.

I can definitely get used to doing things in multimedia. I think people do act different though in front of a camera which leads to maybe not so honest opinions. Whatever the case, it has definitely been a wonderful learning experience that I will carry with me throughout my career.

Attraction level survey RESULTS!

Robert Dewitz, the attraction level surveyor, called me tonight to inform me of his results. He will be discussing his research at the Symposium on Thursday, 6/2 in Haag Recital Hall. They are very interesting but since I won't be able to post them on the site, I will post them on my blog.

His sample size totaled 173 participants, 88 men and 85 females. He found that men are more satisfied with their overall body satisfaction, and women are not. Women have misconceptions about what they think men want. Women think that men want them to be smaller than what men actually want, from results in this survey. Men want to be in the middle of the spectrum because they want to have the body that women find attractive, which tends to be in the middle-ish of the scale spectrum.

"I found that women are significantly more dissatisfied with their bodies. Women tend to want to be thinner because they believe that men want them to be smaller, when in actuality that is not the case. Women are more dissatisfied because they have to shift farther on the scale to meet their ideal body type whereas men are closer to their ideal body type thus equaling more satisfaction," Dewitz said.

sound slide initiation

My very first sound slide was a bit of a challenge. My partner Donn Gruta and I set out to Venice Beach one day to find a potential character with a story.

We began roaming around looking for interesting subjects and approaching people to get a sense of who they were and what they did in Venice. It was sort of a pre-interview before the actual. I found this helped a lot so we could narrow down our choices. at first it was difficult because we hadn't found that interesting of a person.

Finally, we came across a Jamaican wood carver, Gilesey Williams. We asked him about his times in Venice, the amount of money he makes, what his art does and who it attracts. As people began to stop and examine his work, we would ask them what they thought of it. Donn and I would feed off each other when asking questions and switch taking pictures. It was a lot of fun.

The editing took a bit longer, but once you get the hang of it it's a lot similar to the i-movie editing process. I believe this sound slide is a vital part to the multimedia process and for my future. I am glad I was able to experience this and learn it.

Japan Relief

The devastating earthquake that recently rocked Japan had an impact across the globe, including El Camino's student body.

Wasting no time, the Japanese club on campus held a Japan relief Fundraiser. The club raised a tremendous $6,224.85. I interviewed the club's president, Ashley Arikawa. She is very passionate about this cause and presented the money to the Japan America Society of Southern California. While interviewing her it hit me that all the clubs on campus had become intertwined. this truly conveyed how much support and huge hearts students at E.C. have. "The fundraiser was a huge success, thanks to the students and faculty for being so generous. It shows that students really do care about people beyond their borders," Arikawa said.

The club isn't sure where exactly the money will go in Japan but it will go towards supplies, facilities and shelter. I witnessed how adamant the Japanese club was about this cause. They set up a table on the Library Lawn continuously asking passerbys for donations.

One student particularly caught my attention. Jeff Kim, 20, psychology major believes relief funds are mandatory, "The second we stop helping other people is the moment humans aren't humans anymore. They did a great job, the money will help but it's more about coming together and doing something positive."

Attraction Analysis

Interviewing Robert Dewitz, 21, psychology major for his gender differences in body satisfaction survey was an enlightening experience.

I gained access to a lot of knowledge. I took the story because it exposed me to an interesting topic. Dewitz specially targeted fitness classes, because he figured they would be interested in his topic.

"My overall goal is to see gender differences in: motivation of physical fitness, actual versus perceived body image, ideal versus current body, and overall body satisfaction," Dewitz said.

I found the interview especially easy because I am truly interested in the topic. I have always wondered why people choose the bodies they like, what males truthfully like and females as well.

Currently he is gathering his data, and will have the results within the next few weeks. I will certainly be posting them :)

OMG SEX???!!!

Sex, that horrific word not many discuss openly for shame of being obscene.

Well, at The Union Online, we decided to bring attention to the taboo topic by shooting an imovie for the "People on the Street", weekly video.

I began the journey with my co-reporter, Viridiana Vaca-Rios. We set out around campus to find students who would share their points of view. Some were open for discussion, others hid in shame and were not so willing to share.

Entering the field, we approached a diverse spectrum of individuals. I particularly enjoyed the 2 males in our video who debate the topic, next to each other, it allows the viewer to see both sides of the issue. They brought up good points: the sanction of marriage and the loss of a meaningful relationship versus the opposing side, of being that sexual intercourse brings you closer to your partner which could lead to a meaningful relationship.

I believe many people have misconceptions about sex. I think many students felt that discussing sex (on camera, for that matter) may lead to preconceived judgments about them. Some students, didn't tell the whole truth when answering the question, "Would you have sex on the first date?" Again, I think it was because they were on camera, they skewed their answers to what the moral answer is...NO. In actuality, I believe many college students engage in sex on the first date. I mean, hello, the term "one night stand" screams college student. I'm not saying everyone in college is promiscuous by any means, I just believe people skewed their answers in our video to portray what they believe people would want them to say or what is "politically correct". All in all, we had a greater amount of cons rather than pros.

Overall, I enjoyed this project. It was fun and allowed me to engage in my reporting skills, first hand, by approaching complete strangers. I love that feeling. It also let me see many different opinions and viewpoints of student's on campus while promoting the new website. www.eccunion.com :)

Watch our video now:

A little tid bit about news

Reporting newsline, each week, allowed me to stay informed about what was going on around campus. I became more aware of all the different programs El Camino has to offer. I wild search for sources in a bagillion places.

I became a keen sight in the Student Services Building. I was always heading to the transfer center for updates. It assisted me in my transfer process, which is always a plus. I found out when certain workshops were being held and such. I gained valuable information from the coordinators. Especially, Sue Oda-Omori. She was always very helpful and gave me insight onto some transferring tips.

I would also periodically check the bulletin boards around campus. Many fliers that you could not find online were posted on there. Sometimes it would feel weird to gaze at them. Many students do not become involved when they are at a community college. I believe it is best to give something your doing your all, and be proud of your home. My home right now is El Camino College. By reporting newsline, if the information I reported somehow helped someone become involved, I am happy because I succeeded at my goal. I enjoyed doing newsline because I not only informed the students but I also informed myself, which feels good. Without reporting some of this information, students may have been lost in the sweeping crowd that is college. Note: READ YOUR COLLEGE'S NEWSPAPER! Your using brainpower while you're at it. ;]