Category: Weekly Assignments (Page 1 of 66)

Unit 1

There are many different community’s that many individuals come from. In fact, being part of a community can honestly help you learn and grow as an individual.  For example, in my community I was able to adapt to the words that we seem to play with. In other words, what I mean by playing with the words is that we seem to have different terms for the words we use. For example, “aguas” is a word that is expressed in different ways.  In reality aguas is a word in Spanish that actually means water. Yes, when many hear that word, they think water but, in this case in my community, they seem to be using it as “watch out”. But don’t get me wrong we would also refer it as water as well. You would often hear the word be used by your grandparents, cousins, uncles, siblings and even people who aren’t your relatives but that are around you. Furthermore, it is used in different scenarios such as your household, family gathering, or even if you’re having a conversation with an induvial.

ONE Saturday morning, I woke up around nine something, both of my siblings already awake one watching tv and the other on their phone watching YouTube. I briefly ask both of them “did you guys just wake up as well” they both replied, “yeah not that long ago”. So, then I decide to ask them if they knew where our parents were at. One reply’s “not sure” and the other reply’s “honestly not sure there probably outside” So I quick look at the weather on my phone because I remember the day before the news mentioned how good it was going to be outside, as I checked my phone it shows me that it’s about 80 degrees outside. I then decide to call my parents and ask them where they were. My mom then replies, “we’re outside your father is looking for parking, we just came to buy Mexican bread”. So, then me and my siblings decide to contribute and help set things up beforehand. One of my siblings started to make hot chocolate while the other decided to start setting up the table and I decide when the hot chocolate was ready, I would serve.  My parents got home just in time that the hot chocolate was made, and I said, “you guy can sit down ill serve”.  So, as I began to walk to the kitchen, my sibling said, “oh watch out its hot”. But as I walk further in the kitchen, all I heard was one of my parents shout out Aguas esta caliente.

Since it wasn’t my first time hearing those words, I was able to acknowledge what they meant. But if you ever wonder someone who isn’t very familiar with the certain words that are being used with different meanings they would just totally get confused or even just make them wonder why they are shouting water. On top of that, it is literally spelled the same way nothing seems to change but the way it is being expressing. Plus, it’s understandable because who would think that aguas could also possible mean “watch out”.

I don’t remember the first time I ever heard the word being used in the sense of not referring to water. However, what I can say is that I would use it couple of times. The way I would use the word would be whether I have a conversation with someone, or if someone is asking me a question. For example, if I come home from outside knowing that it’s raining and one of my family members or anyone in genral is planning to go out but doesn’t know it’s raining, I would instantly say to them “aguas esta lloviendo”. what I mean by that is watch out its raining outside.

As you can see the way that the word is being expressed in my community many people would refer to it as a slang word. As a reader you may be thinking to yourself where this word come from or how did this word come to existence. After hunting for answers, you may correct me if I’m wrong but it’s a word that Mexicans would use back in the days when they would conduct a modern sewage treatment. So, they would basically collect the dirty water from their homes and toss it into the streets. But before tossing the water they would shout aguas to prevent any induvial to get hit with the water.

Aguas, is honestly a faster way to break down what you’re trying to say. Also, it’s one of many word that I will always remember and carry with me because it’s part of my culture. Besides, not only that it’s something that has been said within my surrounding and I seemed to adapt with. It’s like another new word that has been in adapted to my vocabulary.

Unit 2 

What would you do if you were put in a position where you are knowing that the opposite gender is having preference despite on your accomplishments? Not to mention, the U.S women soccer team has faced a problem similar to it where’s they weren’t rewarded equal as the males who are in the U.S soccer team.

With that being said Soccer is more than a sport. In fact, it’s a job where people have to depend on to be able to provide for their family. Even though many may not see what’s going outside the pitch they should be able to get knowledge on what’s really happening. What I mean by this is that people aren’t being treated equally. Many may complain that males seem to pull more streams which should led them to get more money but in reality, the sport of soccer males and females both have the same objective.

In the U.S people seem have a dispute on the United States nation soccer team based on curtain circumstances of the wages that are given to the males compared to the wages that are given to the females. For example, in February 22,2022 Andrew Das writes a statement from the Goalkeeper of the female nation team. “The numbers speak for themselves,” Solo said, though U.S. Soccer immediately disputed them. Men’s players, Solo said, “get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships.” In other words, Andre Das is getting to hear out people point of view based on the debate. While many people have different point of view, what Solo means by “the number speak for themselves” is that it makes one wonder is it really fair that the females can accomplishes more tittles than the males but yet still get paid less than the males.

The U.S women National soccer team have won about 16 titles in total. They have won in numerous competitions for instance in Olympic, Concacaf, and even the World Cup. Out of those 16 titles 4 of them are wins from the World cup, where 32 nations around the world face one another to see who lifts the title. Where is for the males, they have only had 7 titles in total and all those tittles have only been won in one tournament.  So, there honestly shouldn’t a preference for neither because both seem to bring eyes that just lead to help build up their team. On the contrary, the women deserve a raise where it’s to match the males’ wages because they have accomplished many things.

Its stunning just to know the difference between the way a male and female would earn averagely in soccer. Many female players from the U.S nation team have decided to speak out in an interview where they talk about the wage caps. In the interview with NBC its states that “28 members of the U.S women national team alleging they were paid less than 1/3 of the men’s team bonuses.”

According to The New York Times Magazine Lizzy Goodman published an article about the right of equal pay for U.S Women soccer team. For example, Goodman talks about the huge wage gaps between a male and female. In Goodman article it states that “If a male and a female national team player each played 20 exhibition games in a year, members of the men’s squad would have earned an average of $263,320, while members of the women’s squad would have earned a maximum of $99,000.” Basically, in the industry of soccer a male and female can both do the same thing, but males are the ones to seem to be the favorite. Apart from that, the sport soccer is meant to bring people together not to leave people out. People shouldn’t have to feel that there less worthy based off their gender. Now it’s just worth questioning how would you feel if you were in their shoes?

Overall, it’s always great to speak up because it helps encourage others. For instance, take this for example this isn’t just a matter of women who love to play the sport but it’s for everyone all around the world. It is showcasing that you shouldn’t feel trapped and left out. But you should speak up and fight for what you think it’s right.

Reflection

I just wanted to start off by saying that writing isn’t really my thing but after looking at my previous work I could honestly say that there has been improvement and growth throughout this semester. Overall looking back at all the assignment, I would have to say unit one Portrait of a word was my favorite because I was able to talk about something that is relatable to me. Not only that but it felt very pleasing to being able to share things that I know, and the way things are seen from my perspective. I would have to say that I didn’t really have a least favorite assignment but if I had to choose from all three, I would have to go with unit two Feature story. The reason why I would have to go with unit two is because it was the one where I felt like it was the most challenging. What I mean by this is when creating the structure of the essay for example adding resources to help clarify my sentences. Therefore, when writing these essays, it helped change my writing and the way I looked at it as I was writing for example, I had to put myself in the reader shoes and question myself as I was writing.

For all three unit I didn’t really have a trouble finding a topic or coming up with ideas but what I did find very challenging was trying to get my ideas across and being able to explain it. But when creating the drafts, the professor and my classmates would comment under my posts, I found it very helpful because they help me look at my writing in a different way. ln which I felt like it helped me expand my writing and get my point across. When comparing my previous finals for unit one and two before and after revision I was able to see that there is also room for improvement. The reason I’m saying this is because I learned that after you complete your final you should go back and revise it again because you would find some sort of piece where there needs revision.

My audience is City tech freshmen. My main point is to inform people that New York has so many problems that just keep negatively affecting New York that everyone is leaving and we must change New York for the better. My genre for my project will be in a form of a video like me explaining everything what using a slide show as to some evidence but the main points would come from me speaking. My plan is to make a slides of certain things like my for my introduction of my unit 2 I talk about how New York was better when I was younger so I will try to show some photos of then and now. Another thing would adding statistics to the slide in the video like the crime rates, the picture of certain people that were on my unit 2 like Andrew Cuomo and the person that did the anti-Semitic attacks. How I would approach my audience in my video is on telling them to do certain things for the community like helping pick trash, go vote, tell others to vote, and etc. My schedule is to make a the slides and also come up with a script to make it sound better, and I want to finish everything by the end of the day.

Artist Statement:

The reason why I wanted to make this piece is to inform people to make New York better for everyone that lives here. New York has been in a downfall for a while and I am angry and sad about it. Crime has been increasing every year that murder is up, larceny is up, and other crimes have all been increasing. It has gotten so bad that a man was stabbed and killed because of an argument not even 4 blocks away from my house a few days ago. my neighborhood is somewhat safe how does this happen. Another thing wrong with New York is bad politicians and their bad law-making. Some do perfectly fine and some do not majority of the time the bad ones are the really important ones.

The people that I am addressing are City Tech freshmen and overall college students. College students are the closest to doing anything for NY. The majority of us can vote but the majority of college students do not vote so telling them to vote could help make NY better. Some college students don’t know what they want as a career, we could inspire others to become politicians so they are better than the politicians now.

The genre I have chosen best reaches college students because the majority of college students grew up on youtube videos so going for a video approach can bring engagement to my piece. Making a video is a pain because you have to make it sound good, majority of the time people will talk in your video causing you to restart the video, forgetting lines is also a big problem. What I would do is go into a room that has no one in it and lock it to record a video. what I learn about making videos is it is a pain but rewarding. I hope my viewers can do the things I recommend to help fix New York.