Talking In Your Language

In many states, people hear stories about monolingual English speakers telling Spanish speakers to talk English because they are in america and English is the american language. This is quite frustrating to hear because it's no one's business what Spanish speakers are saying. If two people are speaking Spanish in a park or grocery store, anywhere really, it's not any one else's business what they are talking about. People say they feel unsafe when people talk in Spanish. This is incredibly racist because they're judging people are bad simply because they speak a whole different language from them. People should be able to express themselves to their friends and family in the language they want without other people telling them what they can or can't say.

Freedom of Expression: Clothing

        Women can wear anything but the amount of skin they show or don't show is always a problem for most people who don't know how to mind their business. Men are usually forced to wear shirts and pants/shorts and if they wear anything else, like skirts or dresses, they are seen as weak or stupid. Clothes have always been a form of protection but they've also been a form of expression. What someone decides to wear should not affect anyone around them in a negative way. Fashion is a form of expression and people have the right to feel comfortable in what they wear. People find women in suits or men in dresses or skirts to be less womanly or manly than those who wear what society has deemed correct. Some women like to remain more covered up than others and that's okay but some people don't think the same way. A woman can be wearing a tuxedo to a dance or a meeting and suddenly, she is considered gay or a prude when in fact no one but the woman in the tuxedo herself really knows. The same can apply to a man. If a man is seen wearing a dress or a skirt, he's suddenly labeled as gay and a joke. The fact of the matter is that no one should be treated differently based on what they  wear.  

Year One

Edel Rodriguez. Year One. 2018. Digital. TIME Magazine. time.com. January 22, 2018.

        In this TIME magazine cover, we see, in the center of the page, President Donald Trump with hair so big and wild that it looks like a flame. The words 'TIME' are at the top center of the page and are being blocked by the fire/hair of the president. The background of the cover is all black, highlighting the wild hair. We see Donald Trump's face but no details on it other than an open mouth and the classic orange skin tone. He is wearing a black suit which blends into the background. He is also wearing a red tie. The words 'Year One" are at the bottom right of the image. This image as a whole shows how the president behaved during his first year in office. It is a summary of what happened in 2017. 

        From this image, people can see how Donald Trump behaved during his first year in office. The hair being fire represents how wild he is. The artist of the piece said, "It’s sort of this president that you’re always trying to contain, like a wildfire that’s moving from one place to the other at all times" (Cavana, 2018). Trump is like a wildfire. Every day, it's new drama and more news about what he's done or what he wants done. That includes how his wishes will affect the people living in the US and even those who don't. In the image, Trump has his mouth wide open which shows how all he does is talk and yell out everything he thinks of. This ties into his fire hair. He causes constant drama. Trump is sporting a red tie to show he is a Republican. 

        This cover of TIME magazine shows how Trump is like a wildfire and all he does is behave loudly and uncontrollable. 

        

Welcome to America

TIME Photo-Illustration. Welcome to America. 2018. Photoshop. Time.com. 10/25/18

        The cover for TIME magazine shows a red background with a little girl, dressed in a pink shirt, cuffed jeans, and pink sneakers, in the center looking up at President Donald Trump who is standing at the far right of the page in front of the little girl. He is looking down on her and he is wearing a full suit and tie. It looks as though he is smiling at the crying girl. At the far left of the cover, the words "Welcome to America" are written in a small, white font. In the top middle of the page is the name of the magazine, TIME, in big bold, black letters. A bit of back story to the cover is in early 2018, President Trump had signed an order stating that children of illegal immigrants should be held in camps in the United States, away from their parents.The little girl in the cover of this magazine is part of a photograph a photographer took on his visit to the camps. He was shocked at how inhumane the treatment was towards the children. The little girl was crying for her parents and that sight really pulled the heart strings of the photographer. He submitted the image to Time magazine and they turned it into the cover of one of their editions. This image speaks volumes on the treatment of illegal immigrants and their children by the US government, mainly by the president. 

        For years, the United States of America has had problems with illegal immigrants coming into the country, but no president had been so inhumane towards them until Donald Trump created the 'no tolerance' policy in April 2018. This policy stated that children had to be separated from their parents if the family was caught at the border. Families were torn apart and that left children and parents afraid and upset. The image on the cover of TIME magazine shows how children felt when they were torn away from their parents from the president of 'the land of the free'. It shows how little Trump cares about families and what they go through. 

        America is usually seen as a free country where dreams come true and a place for future generations to become successful and happy, but in the cover for TIME magazine, the statement 'welcome to America' shows that the U.S. is not the country most foreigners think it is. What is shown is that the U.S. does not care for people who come here illegally; they are seen in a way that makes them feel isolated. The phrase 'welcome to America', to people who are in cages at the border, says to the people they have to figure their lives out on their own. 

        The cover for TIME magazine shows how the Trump administration, portrayed by Trump himself on the cover, is behaving towards illegal immigrants and their children, shown by the crying little girl with the words ' Welcome to America' implying that America is a country where the only people who get sympathy are American citizens. People reacted to this image in ways that were unimaginable. Many realized that the U.S. is not as great as foreigners think it is.

Mansplaining

       



        The term 'mansplaining' refers to when "a man explains (something) to someone, typically a woman, in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing" (Google Dictionary). Mansplaining communicates to women the following: Women do not know anything they claim to know. Even if they have a degree, certificate, or personal experience that proves they have knowledge on a topic, they still do not 100% know what they are talking about. Women everywhere have experienced mansplaining at least once in their life. An example of a woman's experience with men mansplaining her is, "I've had men explain what the female orgasm is like, what the menstrual cycle is like, and yes, even what having a baby is like (All inaccurate accounts, incidentally.) I don't have to tell you what that felt like, or how hard I had to fight not to interrupt, roll my eyes and walk away" (Quora, 2016). When a man mansplains a woman on anything the woman knows a lot more about than him, it can cause the woman to become annoyed because the man, by mansplaining, communicates his opinions about the woman's education/ expertise levels. He is communicating that he believes a woman is ignorant and less educated than him.

Communication In Relationships

      A common phrase that most people in relationships hear is "communication is key" but what does that mean? There are many ways of communicating; verbal and nonverbal forms of communication are important in maintaining a good relationship. Relationships succeed when the people in them communicate with each other verbally and with their body language.

    Spoken Language Cliparts 2916237. n.d., Digital Art. clipart-library.com. 9/30/18.

        Verbal communication is one of the main forms of communication that people in any relationship use. Talking allows two people to be able to communicate their wants and needs to each other. The article "Relationships and communication" states,"Talk about what you want, need and feel". This shows how a relationship will work if the people in it can communicate to each other about what they desire. The article "Relationships and communication" says, "We need to communicate clearly to avoid misunderstandings that may cause hurt, anger, resentment or confusion"(Relationships and communication, 2016). Verbal communication between two people in a relationship is incredibly important because if nothing is verbally communicated, the two parties would cause more harm to each other than good. In order to "share positive feelings with your partner, such as what you appreciate and admire about them, and how important they are to you" (Relationships and communication, 2016) talking to the person is important. Verbal communication is important in relationships so the relationship(s) can thrive, but there's also nonverbal communication.

 digesture clipart nonverbal communication #73597418. n.d., Digital art. ubisafe.org. 9/30/18

        Nonverbal communication is the second main form of communication used in relationships. There are five types of nonverbal communication most relationships use. The article "Nonverbal Communication", by Jeanne Segal, Melinda Smith, and Greg Boose, states, "The many different types of verbal communication include: facial expressions...Body movements and posture...Gestures...Eye contact...Touch...Space...Voice" (Nonverbal Communication, 2018). Nonverbal communication is more broad and includes more options to communicate something in particular. The article "Relationships and communication" gives a good example of a nonverbal form of communication, "lean towards the other person and make gestures to show interest and concern" (Relationships and communication, 2016). To have a good relationship, nonverbal communication speaks just as much, if not, even more, than verbal communication. A person can understand how their friend or partner is feeling based on how the other person is standing or their facial expressions. The article "The Importance of Non-verbal Communication" states, "Nonverbal signals can increase trust, clarity, and add interest to your presentation when yielded properly" (The Importance of Non-verbal Communication, 2018). By using the right gestures, a person can demonstrate a certain thought or feeling to their partner or friend (other person in the relationship). The way a tone of voice a person uses is a form of nonverbal communication that also affects how someone perceives the message being sent. The article "Relationships and communication" says, "Be aware of your tone of voice" (Relationships and communication, 2016). The tone of voice used in a conversation can make someone feel the message being sent is either aggressive, upset, happy, excited, etc. Nonverbal communication is important in expressing emotions.

        Verbal and nonverbal communication in relationships is important in order for them to succeed. By speaking to ones partner or using a certain tone of voice, so much information can be given and both parties can benefit from the understanding that communicating brings. 

Too much homework is not good for college students

   The problem most college students face is the large amounts of homework they receive. Most people say it is a way for students to learn time management skills, but at what cost? Having too much homework in college causes stress, anxiety, and it takes time away from students who need jobs to pay for school.

   Having too much homework causes college students' stress levels to increase. The article "School, homework, activities, sleep, repeat: College stress takes a toll on students" by Hayley Curtiss states, "Time management becomes harder and some students have too many assignments and not enough time to complete them". Having so many assignments to do in a short or even long period of time still causes a lot of stress and panic for many students. Students should be taken seriously when they say they are stressed. The ADAA says, "30% of college students reported that stress had negatively affected their academic performance"(ADAA 2015). College students have enough to worry about and homework doesn't help.

   Many college students have jobs, so time for homework is short. The article "Working Too Much Harms US College Students' Academic Progress" states, "[Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce] found that almost half of undergraduates work more than 30 hours per week. And one-quarter of students study full-time while working full-time". A lot of college students have jobs; having a job allows college students to pay for school. That being said, it is extremely difficult for any working student to be able to complete their homework and balance a job that would help pay for the student's education. Balancing a job and the large amounts of homework a student receives is a tough task, but what doesn't help is adding in the anxiety a student gets in situations where there is just too much homework.

    In the article "School, homework, activities, sleep, repeat: College stress takes toll on students" by Hayley Curtiss a student says, "School and work definitely causes my anxiety because I want to get good grades and sometimes I want to feel like I don't have enough time to give my 100 percent on all my assignments since I have so many due at once". Having so much homework really affects students' mental health. Most students feel anxious when thy have to do their homework because they know it's never just one assignment that has to be completed for each class. Each class students have assigns more than one homework assignment. Usually, those assignments are all due on the same day. Students put in less time and effort on their assignments because of all the work they already have to do.

   Having too much homework in college takes away time students could be spending on getting money through their jobs to pay for school, it causes stress, and it causes students to become anxious. The only way these problems will be solved is if there were policies in place to help students not have too much on their plates.