Virginia Tech Essay Example for Free

Virginia Tech Essay With the most resent massacre at Virginia Tech the issue of media ethics has once again been brought into question. This, I believe, is because of the need to understanding why or how this could happen. Perhaps this understanding could prevent another violent incident from happening to our children and to our society and allow a certain type of closure in our grief. In researching the topic of journalistic ethics and its effects on behavior, I found three distinct concerns that related to the Virginia Tech massacre does the media influence or encourage behavior? And if so, what steps is the media taking to understand this issue? Is the media industry trying to create a plan to regulate how incidents of this nature are portrayed, or how they will be reported and in what context? It should also be noted that in all the information on violent behavior everyone agrees that there is not one single indicator that will predict human behavior and that all avenues must be explored to fully understand human behavior which is very complex. But there is evidence available that does show a correlation between media and adolescent violence. In the United States children and young adults are among the highest at risk for experiencing violent crimes and violence. We can also claim that a large portion of our time is spent interacting in the world of media. Some forms of media used by American adolescents have been found to be very violent and this is where the question of media’s effect on behavior comes in. Shortly after the Virginia Tech incident a USA Today article told of a popular game called â€Å"Assassin†. This game is played on both college and high school campuses across America. Police officers have been urging students, â€Å"to halt the games, which involve ambushing other players with sometimes realistic looking toy gun or other objects, after the Virginia Tech shooting last week that left 33 people dead†. The local authorities did this as a preventive measurement for the safety of the kids playing as well as others by mistaken intent (Welch). The Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Student Press joined together to discuss how school violence is to be covered. The discussion was to try to see how to balance reporting the news with minimizing harm to students across the country. If shooters get their fifteen minutes of fame†, especially is they are dubbed as the heroic outlaw, then this opens the possible problems of increasingly more disenfranchised nobodies who may view violence as a way to become noticed. Reporters pressured to get the story and make it central on the nightly news may not be sensitive to the effects of their coverage in the larger scheme of things (Fitzgerald and Mitchell). Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is important to justice and the foundation of democracy. The organization also believes that the duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. They believe that all journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. They go on to say that professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalists credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Societys principles and standards of practice (www. spj. org). In more resent weeks NBC news has been under fire for the way it handled the pictures and writings of the student who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. NBC announced that it would limit its use of images to â€Å"no more than 10 percent of airtime†. Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, strongly defended the network’s decision to broadcast the material. Families of some of the victims, some law enforcement officials and executives from competing television news organizations have accused NBC of being insensitive or exploitative in the way it presented the materials on the air. (Carter). Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance. Journalist must recognize that private citizens have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy. Journalist must show good taste, avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes, be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges and balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed. Works Cited Fitzgerald, Mark, and Mitchell, Grey. , Eds. Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved May 3, 2007. http://www. spj. org/pressnotes Greene, Kathern. â€Å"Predicting Exposure to and Linking of Media Violence: A uses and Gratification Approach†. Communication Studies, March 2005. V. 56, Issue 1, p. 71-93. 23p.

The Comedy of Tradgedy Essay -- Literary Analysis, Charlie Chaplin

Watched by grandparents, known by parents, but quickly fleeting in the minds of young ones, Charlie Chaplin is the original â€Å"tramp.† From films such as The Kid or The Circus, Chaplin is the face of silent films. His unique combination of comedy and tragedy is a modern reformation of Shakespeare’s style. Many would agree that Charlie Chaplin is the Shakespeare of silent films. From rags to riches to exile, Chaplin is a timeless comedian and will always be remembered as the â€Å"tramp.† People look at a famous figure like Chaplin and imagine a glamorous life with everything at their disposal, but the last thing people would imagine is a childhood full of suffering and poverty. According to Alan Schroeder, noted biographer, Chaplin was born to a drunkard father and a mentally insane mother (22-24). April 16, 1889, the day one of the greatest actors of the film age was born. Charlie Sr. and Hannah Chaplin named him after his vaudevillian father (Schroeder 21). Charlie Sr. was one of the greatest vaudevillians in England at the time, until his lips touched alcohol (Schroeder 22). Charlie's father became an unbearable drunk that ended up leaving Hannah and their two kids, Charlie and Sidney, to fend for themselves (Schroeder 22). The stress this left on Hannah was toxic. Hannah tried to provide for the children by working as a seamstress for the church (Schroeder 22). Before she had Charlie she too was a vaudevillian, but after Charlie's birth she had given it up (Schroeder 22). Well, until she could barely afford food. She attempted to get back to a stage career, but work was scarce and time-consuming (Schroeder 22). Sidney and Charlie were living a life no child should have to endure. Within a few years, Hannah had given birth to two chil... ...lways be someone out there that idolizes him.Van Gogh, Picasso, and Chaplin will always have two things in common: their artistic abilities, and their lack of appreciation until they were gone. For Picasso and Van Gogh "gone" meant death, but for Chaplin "gone" meant exile. After Chaplin's long-term exile for his "communism" ideals, he once again returned to the U.S. after the Second Red Scare had died down (Encyclopedia of World Biography 439). Upon his return, Chaplin was contacted about receiving academy awards (Authors and Artists for Young Adults Par.2) 4 Academy Awards and 4 Academy Award nominations were only part of the many recognitions he received (Authors and Artists for Young Adults Par.2). Finally Chaplin had received the awards he deserved. Chaplin was a man who contributed so much to the film industry as well as thousands of laughs his films provoked.

Of mice and men †dreams Essay

Many of the characters in ‘of mice and men’ have dreams. What are their dreams and how near are any of them to achieving what they want? Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in 1937 during the Great Depression in America. He came from California and the farmland and the ranches around Salinas, where the novel is set. The novel ‘Of Mice and Men’ is based on the realistic view on America, by Steinbeck allowing dreams to fail, because in the real world dreams do not always come true. He also wanted the novel to seem real so it would have been unrealistic to show people succeeding and achieving the American dream. Steinbeck was writing during the Great Depression and wanted to show that the Great Depression was an era when people’s lives were most difficult. The depression was between 1929-1933. It all started from ‘Black Thursday’ when 13 million shares were sold on 24th October 1929. This lead to the ‘Wall Street Crash’ when shares fell and Americans were doing anything they could to sell their shares as it was affecting their savings. Even people who didn’t have shares were affected as many banks went bankrupt, as people could not pay back their loans. This all added to the depression which left 25% of Americans unemployed, people were forced to travel around to look for work and many were homeless with no welfare. Steinbeck chooses to focus on two migrant workers, Lennie and George. At the start of the novel, they are about to start work in a ranch near Soledad. They are victims of the economic situation. George spends most his life looking after Lennie and dealing with Lennie’s actions. Lennie is mentally challenged so he needs someone to look after him. George manages to get a job for Lennie and himself. Luckily Lennie is very strong which is helpful for his work at the ranch. However he doesn’t know his own strength, which causes several incidents in the novel. George is a ‘smart little guy’ who has a dream but Lennie holds him back. A number of the characters in the novel have dreams. Thinking about their dreams gives Lennie and George a goal to aim for. The dream is also a form of escape, of avoiding the reality of their lives. They are not happy with their lives. George and Lennie’s dream is that one day they will own their farm with a cow, a pig and some rabbits for Lennie, â€Å"we could live off the fatta the lan’†¦ an’ have rabbits!† mentions by Lennie. George says to Lennie that they’ll â€Å"have a big vegetable patch and a rabbit-hutch and chickens. And when it rains in winter† they’ll â€Å"just say the hell with going to work.† But there is a very little chance to succeed their dream together as Lennie gets caught up in many incidents. One important incident, which ruined Lennie’s chance for achieving his dream, is when he accidentally kills Curley’s wife. Not being aware of his own strength he strangled Curley’s Wife without knowing he is hurting her. When she died and everyone else found out, Curley went after Lennie to kill him. Instead George, Lennie’s only companion, shot dead Lennie straight after having another conservation about their dream. Lennie arguably achieves his dream towards the end – mentally. When the others found George and Lennie, Slim says, â€Å"come on, George. Me an’ you’ll go in an’ gat a drink.† This shows hope for a new friendship for George and Slim and even higher hopes for achieving his dream. This tells us Steinbeck did not let George’s dream totally fail. George dreamt for independence, security, stability and freedom, which he succeeded when Lennie died. Curley’s wife’s dream was to become an actress. She wanted to be ‘in the pictures’ but thinks her mother stole a letter from a director asking her to come to Hollywood. Instead she married Curley to get back at her mother although she didn’t actually love him. She mentioned in the novel what she wanted, â€Å"an’ I coulda sat in them big hotels, an’ had pitchers took of me†¦an’ all them nice clothes they wear. Because the guy said I was a natural.† She often says the phrases ‘ I coulda’, ‘I woulda’ and ‘I shoulda.’ Steinbeck chooses these words for her as she often thinks it is too late to do or have done something, meaning she has no hope for her dream. Because she married Curley, a controlling man, she ended up with someone she didn’t love and feels lonely and trapped, as she has nobody to talk to about her thoughts and feelings. This is because there are only men on the ranch and Curley would not have allowed it. She also dreams for friendship and not being abandoned. Just before her death she does achieve a glimpse of this part of her dream when she talks to Lennie about her thoughts and feelings. She gets to tell him what she wanted in life and how she feels in her life. Steinbeck does not allow her dream to totally fail, as she is able to talk to someone and does not feel lonely. She also would probably feel happier that she has died, as she does not have to face Curley and his controlling actions anymore, ‘And the meanness and the plannings and the discontent and the ache for attention were all gone from her face.’ Candy’s dream in the novel is to be wanted and to have friends. He does however foster some friendships with the men on the ranch. Candy thinks he is ‘useless’ because he can’t work anymore like his dog. His only companion was his old dog, but his dog gets shot as he is too old and smelly to live with for the men sharing a room with Candy. This was a very tragic time for him as his dog was the main part of his life. Candy suffers ageism, which drags him down. He constantly tries to make friendships, â€Å"s’pose I went in with you guy’s† – â€Å"how’d that be?† He also experiences pessimism just like many of the other characters in the novel. Candy wants to be useful and admired. He does not want his age to take over him and wants people to see the inside instead of focusing on the outside of him. Slim says, â€Å"†¦ I wisht somebody’d shoot me if get old an’ a cripple† when referring to Candy’s old dog which makes him feel old and useless. He wants his own land but would rather prefer friendship. Steinbeck makes him fail when Lennie dies because Lennie was the strongest friendship he had in the novel. Now Lennie has died Candy’s friendship with him fades out. Crooks is a character who most likely suffers the most. In Steinbeck’s words he is a ‘Negro’, which is a very difficult position to be because at that time there was a lot of racism towards blacks. His dream is to be treated equally just like the rest of the men in the ranch, to have friends and to be accepted for his color. The ‘stable-buck’s’ dream is very much like Candy’s because they dream for similar things. Steinbeck shows Crooks is not accepted, as he is not allowed into the bunkhouse because of his color. Like Steinbeck he is cynical and knows that his dream is most likely to fail. Crooks has a sarcastic and bitter tone to his voice, â€Å"you talk about it a hell of a lot, but you won’t get no land.† He talks like this because he wants other to feel the cruelty he is going through. In the novel there is a point when Crooks feels happier and is a little closer to his dream, ‘Crooks’ face lighted with p leasure in his torture.† This made him feel in control for once. He loses his hope when Curley’s wife drags him back down again; â€Å"well you keep your place, then Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so it ain’t even funny!† this brings out a cruel part of Curley’s wife and makes us feel sympathetic for Crooks. This sympathy follows our partial dislike for him after he becomes cruel. He makes fun out of Lennie, â€Å"a guy can talk to you an’ be sure you wont go blabbin.† He is tragically well aware of his place on the ranch, â€Å"if I say something, why, it’s just a nigger saying it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Momentarily he believes he will achieve both his dreams – live with the others (George, Lennie and Candy). This is how crooks and candy join Lennie and George’s dream, as they have dreamt they will live with them on their land. Crooks gives up on the dream. Steinbeck has allowed him to fail because Crooks is cynical and knows that achieving the American dream is extremely unlikely to happen in the American society. In conclusion dreams are important to these characters because it means they have a goal to aim for in their lives. The point Steinbeck is making is that in the realistic world dreams do not always succeed and wanted to show how futile the American dream was. He represents the prejudiced nature of the American society in the novel. He is critical of this because he knows these were the boundaries that stopped Americans from achieving their dream. Readers respected him for his honesty. There is hope offered to the reader for George as Slim offers physical and mental support at the end giving us an idea that a friendship can begin. The title ‘Of Mice and Men’ represents small people (mice) and big people (men) in the terms of status positions. Steinbeck’s purpose for writing the novel was to show the American dream and the reality of it.

How to Find a College Off-Campus Apartment

You may be exploring the idea of living off-campus because you want to or because you need to. By following these tips, you can make sure youre making the most of your search and considering all of the factors that will effect your new life away from campus. Figure out Your Finances Knowing how much you can afford to pay, and whether or not living off-campus will be cheaper than living on-campus, is perhaps the most crucial information you need to know. Make sure youve thought about the following: Where will my money come from? Will I pay my rent from student loans? A job?Do I have enough cash up front to be able to pay a deposit and (possibly) first and last months rent?What will it cost me to commute? Park on campus? Buy my own food? Do I need to keep my on-campus meal plan?How much will my utilities cost?How much can I afford for rent? Start Looking at Listings Once youve figured out how to pay for your apartment, and what your budget is, you can start looking. Often times, your on-campus housing office has information about off-campus apartments. Landlords will provide information to your school because they know students are interested in learning about off-campus rentals. Ask your friends if they know of anyone who will be leaving their apartments, and where the good places are to live. Explore joining a fraternity or sorority if its appealing to you; Greek organizations frequently have off-campus houses that their members can live in. Keep in Mind What a Year Means To you, a year may be from August to August, since thats when your academic year begins. To your landlord, however, it may mean January to January  or even June to June. Before you sign any lease, think through where youll be over the next 12 months. If your lease starts this fall, will you indeed still be in the area next summer (when youll have to make rent payments regardless)? If your lease starts this June, will you indeed be around enough during the summer to justify what youll pay in rent? Set Yourself Up to Still Be Connected to Campus You may be excited now about not having to be on campus all of the time. But as life in your off-campus apartment progresses next year, you may find yourself more and more removed from the everyday on-campus happenings you took for granted. Make sure you are involved in at least one or two clubs, organizations, etc. so that you dont begin to drift too far away from your campus community. You may end up feeling isolated and stressed if you dont maintain your ties. Dont Overlook the Safety Factor Life as a college student often runs on a pretty unusual schedule. You may be used to staying at the library until 11:00 p.m., going grocery shopping at all hours of the night, and not thinking twice about the front door of your hall being propped open. However, the context for all of these factors shifts dramatically if youre off campus. Will you still feel safe leaving the library late at night if you have to walk, alone, to a quiet apartment with no one around? Keeping these important factors in mind will help in making sure your off-campus apartment is all you wanted and more.