Step Two:
I learned a lot about writing and taking observations this week. I learned that it is very important to separate observation from thought. Observations are factual ideas, and do not contain any bias from the observer. Thoughts are the ideas that you deriver from your observations, and usually contain some sort of opinion or assumption. I also learned how important it is to maintain confidentiality when observing people. It is important to do it in a public place and make sure to not identify anyone you observe. I also learned that in order to have a successful observation and story, you have to make sure to not have a confirmation bias. A confirmation bias is when the observer/researcher has something that they want to prove with their experiment so they do not perform the experiment partially. I also learned a lot about podcasts and our podcast project. Podcasts can tell stories. Step Four: The podcast I listened to was from a series that I have grown to love listening to: Strong Opinions Loosely Held. This series focuses on issues facing women and the empowerment of women. The particular episode I listened to was about makeup and fashion. It talked about how women who wear makeup are often thought of as less smart or serious. They might be seen as people too focused on outside appearances and not focused enough on scholarly issues or topics. It also talked about how wearing makeup or clothes that you love can help you find what you love, much like listening to different types of music or hanging out with different people. It can make you feel like yourself and can make you feel liberated. The speaker talked about her experience with these situations. Step Seven: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115125827.htm Report on University of Minnesota Study on the Health of College Students This article was about a study done by the University of Minnesota school system in 2007. It looked at a variety of health indicators like mental health, physical health, sexual health, tobacco use, alcohol use and health insurance. Because I am going to be observing the dining commons, this article helps me narrow my focus. It included many statistics that I think would add credibility to my podcast and would help me backup my story. Quotes: "College students are a large and growing population and are establishing lifestyles and behavior patterns, they are the trendsetters and the role models for younger people and they are the future leaders of our society. That is why we need to make them a priority," Ehlinger said. “Nearly two-fifths or 38.5 percent of all students surveyed fall within the overweight or obese/extremely obese categories.” http://www.newsrecord.org/news/students-face-insecurity-about-getting-enough-food/article_f29b6934-9664-11e6-9673-b34554bb5eaf.html Students Face Insecurity about Getting Enough Food This article was about college students and how they have trouble getting enough food. This is because of a variety of reasons, including debt and not enough nutritious food on campus. 22 percent of students surveyed said that they have low levels of food security. It talks about what colleges can do to fix these issues. The author writes that colleges can start Meal Swipe Programs, in which people donate meal swipes at college cafeterias to less-fortunate students. The article also suggests that campus pantries be started. At these pantries, students can pick up bags of donated food for free. “Nearly half of respondents reported food insecurity in the previous 30 days, including 22 percent of respondents reporting very low levels of food security, qualifying them as hungry, according to the report” “Colleges should pursue a wide range of creative ways to address food insecurity, including the creation of campus food pantries, campus community gardens, food recovery programs and coordinated benefits access programs, according to the report.” Steps Twelve- Fifteen: Main Idea/ Thesis: College students have a hard time getting food that is nutritious and cheap. This causes them to change their eating habits in ways that may not be healthy. Observations to include: -high prices for meals -most students are eating quickly -girl with 4 plates/ multiple guys with 3 plates -girl: “got to eat a lot because I am saving my swipes” -girl: “this is going to be my lunch and dinner” -22 percent of students surveyed said that they have low levels of food security -Nearly two-fifths or 38.5 percent of all students surveyed fall within the overweight or obese/extremely obese categories Thoughts to include: -students are trying to save money so much that they skip meals -hard for students to prioritize eating over saving money -“Colleges should pursue a wide range of creative ways to address food insecurity, including the creation of campus food pantries, campus community gardens, food recovery programs and coordinated benefits access programs, according to the report.” -"College students are a large and growing population and are establishing lifestyles and behavior patterns, they are the trendsetters and the role models for younger people and they are the future leaders of our society. That is why we need to make them a priority," Ehlinger said. Step Sixteen: I learned a lot from this observation activity. It feels weird to observe people, but I enjoyed being able to slow down for a while and take everything in. I noticed a lot of things that were irrelevant to my notes and podcast, but they were things I had never noticed before. It was cool to take everything in, details that most people don’t notice. It also made me wonder a lot about the nature of observations. So much of it depends on luck and chance. If I hadn’t been sitting where I was and seen the particular things I had, my podcast would have most likely gone in a very different direction.
2 Comments
Kira Vaughn
11/3/2016 10:36:36 am
The idea of college students as a whole collectively forming an amalgamation of lifestyle habits and behaviors is very interesting, especially when campuses across the United States, and the world, have very different environments. Through your sources, I learned that the effects of food regarding students' health has extremes on both ends of the spectrum, in that a significant percentage of students are within some definition of overweight or obese and a percentage of students report low levels of food security and may skip meals as a result. I would definitely devote time to discussing the different meal plans offered and the variety of food options offered at the DC (vegan, gluten-free, etc.) as it relates to the nutrition aspect of your main idea.
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11/4/2016 08:56:41 am
I learned that you love to listen to Strong Opinions Loosely Held, which focuses strongly on feminine empowerment. I also believe that makeup can also give confidence to young women. I liked how you found articles that explains why some students are not always able to get nutritious food daily and how this affects their health. I would like to see you emphasize more on why students are trying to save money and describe the statistics of how meals are becoming more expensive.
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AuthorCarly, 18, UC Davis Archives
November 2016
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