Genocide Explored through Hotel Rwanda

The masterful movie portraying "acts of genocide" in Rwanda used many elements in order to educate the audience.



Paul and his wife are easily distinguishable as a Hutu-Tutsi couple through skin color. In the beginning, a reporter asked random people how to distinguish between the two groups, and skin color was a differentiating characteristic. In this picture, a sense of worry yet curiosity can be seen on Paul's and Tatiana's faces. They understand that something horrible will take place because of their neighbors being beaten outside. In addition, Paul being at the front of this picture shows that he is the dominating figure in the household and later in the movie when he takes the position of leader. His sense of leadership and the community's feelings of fear bring the community to Paul.



As they leave their hometown, Paul's family understands the cruel situation at hand. The small community or family that Paul has is very close to each other and strengthened by the presence of the children. The image's capture of the family's strong embrace connotes love and safety that binds the family together. This sense of caring is also given to the Hutu refugees when at the hotel.



In this image, Paul is set apart from the rest of the community and has children in his arms. He is starting to establish his leadership and has a sense of entitlement in order to protect everyone. The scariness of the situation is constantly being embedded within the audience's mind. Every person in this picture has a look of fear on their faces, and the sense of war and violence is heightened with a soldier in the background.



When the community of refugees have sought shelter in the hotel, they form a stronger bond together because of the situation. No matter where they came from or their differences in beliefs or religion (seen in the picture), they stand together. After the UN help forces left, their bond and feelings of hopelessness bring them together, which are accompanied with rain--a symbol of sadness. They stand with the same despairing look on their faces, and Paul as their leader stands in the forefront. His professional business attire makes him stand out from the rest of his peers and makes him easily distinguishable as the leader.



No matter what happens, the people still have hope, especially Paul. Even with rain, his skin glistens, and he removes his sense of sadness. Paul and a child are the focus of this image, with the people blurred in the background. Although drenched from the rain, Paul will seek a way to help the people, especially the children, who are symbols of hope and prosperity of the future. Thus, the movie incorporates facial expressions, clothing, and body positions to prove a point.

Works Cited
All Images except movie poster:
"Hotel Rwanda." Photo. Thecia.com. N/A. 25 Oct. 2009. .

Movie poster:
"Hotel Rwanda." Photo. Dvdloc8.com. Apr. 2009. 25 Oct. 2009. .

Conflicts between Communities

Today, I've chosen to create an audio to explain the drug conflict between the United States and Paraguay.

You can access the audio from here:

http://www.esnips.com/doc/bcfd1756-6889-4f69-9853-d01befba21db/Blog

or here:



Amy Winehouse's "Addicted"



Enjoy!

Works Cited

"Amy Winehouse-Addicted." 6 Nov. 2007. Youtube. 17 October 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVWNWSTg9QI.

Garelli, Sanie Lopez and Brice, Arthur. "Mexico, Paraguay Top Pot Producers, UN Report Says." CNN. 25 Nov 2008. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/11/25/paraguay.mexico.marijuana/index.html.

The Importance of Community Service within the Local Community

At least twenty-four percent of Atlanta’s population is under the poverty line (US Census Bureau). With so many in need, community service is necessary. In September 2009, I volunteered with the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) to work in the Trinity Church Soup Kitchen. When using the MARTA system in Atlanta to get to the Soup Kitchen destination, I passed by homeless people on the streets begging for food. A homeless man came up to the AMSA group, repeatedly asking what we were doing with bread in our hands. We told him that the bread would be used in the Soup Kitchen, and that he was invited to come. After being threatened several times, the AMSA group fled to nearby McDonald’s, where we saw a man buying a McDonald’s breakfast biscuit for an elderly woman in rags on the street.

When arriving at Trinity Church and seeing the poverty-stricken people take their soup and sandwiches, I personally felt more aware of society and received an indescribable emotional experience. Helping others have a warm meal was wonderful yet saddening. When a pregnant woman came in with her three-year-old child, my heart went out to her. I hoped that she and her family’s life could change and that her children could live a successful life. All of the volunteers stated that this was a wonderful opportunity that opened up the volunteers’ minds and also help people receive a meal that they would not have had otherwise. At the end of the day, the volunteers prayed for the people that came in for a meal that day to change their lives around and find a job to support themselves. The experience was more than food. It was a time for the volunteers to realize how fortunate they were and to help the poor turn their lives around. Enacting in community service strengthens the community as a whole—poor or rich.

Works Cited

US Census Bureau. 4 Sept 2009. US Census Bureau. 5 Oct 2009. .

"Soup Kitchen Logo." Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild. 5 Oct 2009. .

Community in Gaming Form

Football is the sport that draws the pre-existing community (in this case, Georgia Tech) to come together.

The attendees are part of a community. They will stick together through the harshest circumstances (i.e. downpours and floods).
Their goal is to support the team and watch a good smack-down.

And when someone (i.e. a referee) gets in the way of the community's entertainment, the community will communicate to him by "booing" him or throwing footballs or trash at him. Or, the leader of this community (Coach Paul Johnson) will do so.

All in all, football games strengthen the sense of community--not build it. No matter who the "enemy" is that day, the community will always belt out "TO HELL WITH GEORGIA!" and how we're a "helluva, helluva, helluva engineer." Georgia Tech, no matter what setting, is a community.

Works Cited
Cappy, Craig. 26 Sept 2009. Sportsmagazine.com. 27 Sept 2009. .

Weiss, John D. 26 Sept 2009. Josh D. Weiss Photography. 27 Sept 2009. .

Help! I'm all alone!

Stereotypes with heavy Internet users include cave nerd, loners, geek, and forty-year-old virgins staying home with mom. Nothing positive.



Data supports this critical thinking. “In short, no matter how…and…which type of social activity is considered, time spent on the Internet reduces time spent in face-to-face relationships, and concomitantly increases time spent alone (Nie, Hillygus, Erbring).”



But without the Internet, we may be less likely to keep in touch with our long distance friends and forever lose them. With programs like Skype, we can keep up face to face contact.



So the key idea is go out and socialize! Spend time with your real life community.



But have some online time to your friends and you, too.



If a balance isn't maintained, then the real life community could be destroyed by the Internet.

“The 40 Year-Old Virgin.” 23 Aug 2005. Artists Direct. 13 Sept. 2009. .

“FaceToFace.” Transition Towns WIKI. 13 Sept 2009. < http://transitiontowns.org/uploads/TransitionNetwork/FaceToFace.jpg>.

Klepek, Patrick. “Fat Princess.” 31 July 2009. G4. < http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:01Ik1iykEmvISM:http://cache.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/170642_S/Sony-Aware-Of-Fat-Princess-Online-Issues-Working-On-Solution.jpg>.

Nie, Hillygus, and Erbring. "Sociability, Interpersonal Relations, and the Internet: Reconciling Conflicting Findings."
American Behavioral Scientist 45 (2001 Nov): 420 - 435.

“Skin Alone.” Skin. 13 Sept. 2009. .

“Socializing Women.” July 2008. Awaken Your Soul & Change the World. 13 Sept 2009. < awakenyoursoul.files.wordpress.com/2008/07>.

Online communities: Are they really communities?

“Welcome to "We Bang Steinways!"

You don't belong here if you are not a fan or a student or a performer of the great classical piano repertoire composed by gods such as Bach, Beethoven, Mozart…etc That means NO B.S. crap like "Heart & Soul" or … even "Fur Elise"… We just won't accept weak sauce like that around here. We've all practiced … TOO much to deal with lowly Pop & Rock pianists! …Okay, that was a joke... sort of...Interested in studying with a professor at a school you have never visited? Have a question about a passage from your Bach fugue? … Sick and tired of those lameass YAMAHAs [a type of piano] in the practice rooms? … Is the Piano turning you into her own little bitch? Now you can vent your anger, share your knowledge, and ask your questions to your fellow pianists on the Discussion Board! (We Bang Steinways!)”

When I first clicked on this Facebook group, I read this introduction and was extremely interested in being part of a group of piano aficionados. Being from a small Southern town, very few classical pianists were present in order for me to speak about subjects like whether Mozart piano concerti were more developed than Beethoven sonatas. When talking to others, the lack of pianists is a problem found everywhere, especially teenagers who are not enrolled in a music conservatory. What’s intriguing about this group is that it pulls people all over the world and lets them express their frustrations, announce to the world about an accomplishment, or help each other through difficult times. The “We Bang Steinways” group is like a safe haven for pianists, especially for those who do not live in more cultural cities such as New York or LA.

Although I do not believe every online group or even Facebook acts as a community, “We Bang Steinways” definitely exemplifies one. Some leadership is enacted in the group by having administrators. The list of officers is substantially large because each person represents a specific school/conservatory. The creator of the group is from UCSB, one officer from Juilliard, the list goes on… Even with a wide array of members and locations, everyone can understand each other and focus on a single topic. For example, right after the Van Cliburn competition (the Olympics for piano), one of the contestants thanked the group members for their support while he was competing, and a flurry of members continued congratulating him for his fine performance and couldn’t believe they were talking to a piano celebrity (We Bang Steinways!).

Yes, most of the group members have not seen each other in real life, with the exception of the famous members. In the group, we express ourselves through words in a wall post or a Youtube video of our playing. We are all connected through our passion with classical music and piano.


We Bang Steinways!. N/A. Facebook. 6 Sept 2009 .

Community: An All-Encompassing Term

Community (n.): a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage (“Community”).

When I try to understand something, I look it up. In this case, the dictionary was used as a source. But, I cannot wholeheartedly agree with the definition. Firstly, can a community really be of any size? When I glance at a couple enacting in PDA, I immediately think, “Ew.” In context of community, I do not classify a couple as a group either. The dictionary consequently lists what a community’s members have in common:

1. Locality
2. Government
3. Heritage

I can quickly find a flaw to each point. A community does not necessarily need to be fixated in a certain area blocked off by certain boundaries. People can still be members of a community through electronics (i.e. cell phones, e-mail, Skype, et cetera) (Wellman and Gulia). The various localities of these members also affect the idea of government. Yes, a community may abide to similar rules, but not necessarily the same government. For example, everyone in the United States abides to the same national laws. However, state laws differ. Lastly, the United States is known as the “melting pot,” breaking the idea of one specific cultural background.

Georgia Tech is a prime example of community. Yes, the football players ("GT Football") to the partiers ("GT Party")to the computer nerds ("Nerd") are all interconnected in this little area in the midst of bustling Atlanta. How is that so? What makes Tech a community? Simply, all of us came here wanting something not at Georgia State, U(sic)GA, and/or MIT. We came to Georgia Tech for a reason, taking similar classes, and being part of the Tech college environment.

Although community is a difficult term to pin down, most people can identify it. I highly doubt anyone would disagree that Georgia Tech is a community.

Works Cited

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2009. Web. 29 Aug. 2009.

"GT Football." Photo. blog.islandcasino.com. 29 Oct. 2007. 29 Aug. 2009. <blog.islandcasino.com>.

"GT Party." Photo. s.wsj.net. 20 May 2008. 29 Aug. 2009. .

"Nerd." Photo. andrewsteinhome.com. 2009. 29 Aug. 2009. .

Wellman, Barry, and Milenia Gulia.“Net-Surfers Don’t Ride Alone: Virtual Communities as Communities.” N/A. N/A. N/A. Print.