I am currently reading Naomi Klein's book No Logo as part of my Marketing course. While I don't necessarily agree with some of the content, it has increased my awareness of all the advertising that surrounds us everyday (let's face it, we can't escape it).
After class today I decided to go to the CIF gym for a workout. I was rather grossed out that in the workout room there was a MASSIVE advertisement for Burger King with a huge burger - I repeat; in the workout room! I can forgive the advertising we are bombarded with in bathrooms and buses and many of the other places we commonly see advertising, however this to me just seemed wrong. The previous ad occupying the space was for the vaccine to prevent cervical cancer. Even this ad didn't seem as offensive to me as the Burger King ad. I wish I had a concrete reason why I found the advertisement for the vaccine acceptable in the gym but didn't find the Burger King ad appropriate.
I guess it boils down to the health element. On some level the Burger King ad seemed a cruel joke being placed in a gym. I love burgers and pizza just as much as anyone else however being bombarded with images of burgers while I am trying to workout seems wrong. Yes, the purpose of both ads was to sell their respective products, but Burger King just doesn't fly in a place where people are going to do something healthy (working out).
Has anyone else seen ads that are out of place on campus or elsewhere?
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A world with no internet
With the chaos going on in Egypt and Tunisia right now, there is a massive number of articles reporting on the events taking place. One in particular stuck out. I knew that governments had some degree of control over the internet and the flow of information. China in particular has made headlines with blocking websites or intercepting people's e-mails. That in itself is terrifying. In Canada we are all accustomed to having free access to the internet, we are free to share ideas via e-mail even if they are questionable. The idea that you could try to Google something and the results page be blank is scary.
The Egyptian government managed to turn off the internet in about 20 minutes, limiting the ability of people to communicate with others and the global community. This move is unprecedented and has sparked concern from the global community. The motives of the government in doing this wasn't clearly identified due to what was going on. WikiLeaks Egypt was scheduled to be released that day (fears that it would increase the protests), the government could have been trying to prevent the protests from escalating as they have in Tunisia.
The swiftness of the shut-down indicates that the government contacted each internet provider to get them to shut off their services. There was collusion going on between the companies and the government. I still have to wonder how that discussion went and how the government managed to convince all the companies to comply with their demands.
People were resourceful by using Smartphones or even dial-up connections to get their message out following the shut-off. It's pretty incredible. Clearly the government was scared of the power of social media to help people organize themselves and protest the government regime.
It will be interesting to see how the situation in Egypt and Tunisia continue to play out. While it is not ideal for change to come following violent protests, sometimes it is needed to achieve the end goal.Pulling the Plug on the Internet
The Egyptian government managed to turn off the internet in about 20 minutes, limiting the ability of people to communicate with others and the global community. This move is unprecedented and has sparked concern from the global community. The motives of the government in doing this wasn't clearly identified due to what was going on. WikiLeaks Egypt was scheduled to be released that day (fears that it would increase the protests), the government could have been trying to prevent the protests from escalating as they have in Tunisia.
The swiftness of the shut-down indicates that the government contacted each internet provider to get them to shut off their services. There was collusion going on between the companies and the government. I still have to wonder how that discussion went and how the government managed to convince all the companies to comply with their demands.
People were resourceful by using Smartphones or even dial-up connections to get their message out following the shut-off. It's pretty incredible. Clearly the government was scared of the power of social media to help people organize themselves and protest the government regime.
It will be interesting to see how the situation in Egypt and Tunisia continue to play out. While it is not ideal for change to come following violent protests, sometimes it is needed to achieve the end goal.Pulling the Plug on the Internet
Me, Today
The packages for our placement have finally arrived! I haven't yet opened all of the attachments included in the e-mail but it is confirmed I am going to Ghana in the Fall. Now it's time to begin the doctor's appointments, getting my passport renewed, getting my finances in order (yep, I will be broker than I've ever been this May when all my fees are due) etc. etc.
But how did I get here?
Why INDEV?
The moment I decided to abandon my decision to go to University to become a vet and instead choose to pursue my interests in development studies, I was sitting in a council session at a Model United Nations conference at Trent University in Peterborough. I was in the midst of getting my university applications ready and I had been doing some serious soul searching about what I wanted for my future. I had a light bulb moment and I realized that my heart was just not into veterinary medicine and instead chose to pursue my interest in development studies. Thank you Mom and Dad for being on board with this decision!
But my story and adventure in global studies and learning about the world around me began years before I went to my first Model United Nations conference. I was fortunate enough to spend two years living and going to school in England (thank you Nortel). Everyday life was an adventure, whether it was getting lost with my Mom (which happened A LOT), or family weekend trips to heritage sites, or going to school. We were fortunate to be able to travel frequently and explore Great Britain and Continental Europe during our two-year stay. One memory that has remained with me was playing tag in an alleyway in Greece with my brother and some of the local children. Even though there was a language barrier, we still managed to communicate and play together. Those two years of living and travelling overseas piqued my interest in history and global studies. Being able to see castles and Roman Baths up close was fascinating, and I have maintained that love of history ever since.
I was very fortunate to have Mr. Edwards teach my Grade 10 Civics class. He suggested I volunteer at the Model United Nations conference the high school was hosting (I think I was driving him crazy by asking questions all the time). I am so glad I did. I enjoyed being around other students who were interested in the same things as me and who wanted to make a difference in the world. It was inspiring that many of my peers wanted to create positive change in the world, despite the many problems we face in the future. If Model U.N. taught me one thing about the world it is that the issues we face like poverty and education are complex and have no one solution. Being open to other views and ideas was also really important and despite everyone's best efforts, reaching a unanimous solution was difficult (impossible).
So here I am today, getting ready to download the attachments on that acceptance package from A Rocha. It's been an adventure getting here and I'm sure it will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
And thank you Mr. Edwards. I appreciate all your guidance and encouragement and I am forever grateful.
But how did I get here?
Why INDEV?
The moment I decided to abandon my decision to go to University to become a vet and instead choose to pursue my interests in development studies, I was sitting in a council session at a Model United Nations conference at Trent University in Peterborough. I was in the midst of getting my university applications ready and I had been doing some serious soul searching about what I wanted for my future. I had a light bulb moment and I realized that my heart was just not into veterinary medicine and instead chose to pursue my interest in development studies. Thank you Mom and Dad for being on board with this decision!
But my story and adventure in global studies and learning about the world around me began years before I went to my first Model United Nations conference. I was fortunate enough to spend two years living and going to school in England (thank you Nortel). Everyday life was an adventure, whether it was getting lost with my Mom (which happened A LOT), or family weekend trips to heritage sites, or going to school. We were fortunate to be able to travel frequently and explore Great Britain and Continental Europe during our two-year stay. One memory that has remained with me was playing tag in an alleyway in Greece with my brother and some of the local children. Even though there was a language barrier, we still managed to communicate and play together. Those two years of living and travelling overseas piqued my interest in history and global studies. Being able to see castles and Roman Baths up close was fascinating, and I have maintained that love of history ever since.
I was very fortunate to have Mr. Edwards teach my Grade 10 Civics class. He suggested I volunteer at the Model United Nations conference the high school was hosting (I think I was driving him crazy by asking questions all the time). I am so glad I did. I enjoyed being around other students who were interested in the same things as me and who wanted to make a difference in the world. It was inspiring that many of my peers wanted to create positive change in the world, despite the many problems we face in the future. If Model U.N. taught me one thing about the world it is that the issues we face like poverty and education are complex and have no one solution. Being open to other views and ideas was also really important and despite everyone's best efforts, reaching a unanimous solution was difficult (impossible).
So here I am today, getting ready to download the attachments on that acceptance package from A Rocha. It's been an adventure getting here and I'm sure it will continue to be for the foreseeable future.
And thank you Mr. Edwards. I appreciate all your guidance and encouragement and I am forever grateful.
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