I believe that collages are better than traditional writing. The collage method works best for me because I am a visual learner. Going back to one of our old class readings I said that I agree with the following statement “It’s Google making us stupid”. Due to our access to Google, social media, and the internet, I believe that most of us have become visual learners since we are also exposed to photos and videos 24/7 through our devices. I love the creative liberty we had doing the collages, and the difference it was from reading long writings and getting lost in all the repetitive words and some unknown vocabulary, pushing me to read paragraphs twice or three times. Creating my collage I changed my idea 5 different times because I kept finding different things I wanted to use. I wrote with a clean feminine concept and used different words that I’m shooting to become in 2024 with different fonts, almost like a visual board Idea. I understand that the only thing I did not like about this assignment is I wish we were able to do more of this and I was able to create all of my ideas, even a slide show presentation assignment would be really interesting.

I personally really enjoyed this activity, we were able to make our own creative collage on anything we like or find interesting. I was able to create my own theme and figure out my own way of putting the images together while still making everything correlate with each other. I was able to express myself in a different way than usual. I was more passionate in my topic of gaming. Gaming is a way for me to escape from my reality and be in my own world. I can just play without worrying about anything else. It helps me feel something different and be away from all the stress in the world. I love to play different types of games but one of my favorites is Fortnite. I really like that game because it’s always changing. A new map, new weapons, new tasks and so much more. You are able to play with your friends, meet new people and always have an objective with the game. Overall this activity did bring me joy while I was doing it and I really hope we can do something like this again.

Doing this collage was a lot of fun doing this made me think more about what I want in life and things I enjoy doing as well. Also saw that with this I got to express myself not holding back on what i want to do right now and in life. I want to travel everywhere do anything I want to do and just having a great job as well. At this moment I know there’s a lot to do to get to where I want to be at but I know the first thing is to focus in school, graduate making myself and my family proud. Sometime it can be hard and I lose focus on what I want to do so something to help me is a quote which I also have on my lock screen which is “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.”- Jim Rohn This really helped and Im just happy I got to see that this is something I want to make as the years go by.

https://asulca.mmm.page/english

I enjoyed making the collage, even though I was having trouble with the website originally. I like the idea of collages as it allows you to express yourself and your ideas in ways that would be difficult with words. The use of pictures help your audience see what image you are trying to create and can really feel the emotion you are trying to get across. I liked how there were already gifs and images to use that would help structure my layout for my collage and how it was easy to copy and paste an image onto the collage. My only problem with the collage is that it kept shrinking down my work and some images simply would not work on the collage. If I were to expand on this collage, I would add a border around the edge of the collage and would upload some images that I took myself to show my connection to my topic.

https://dylanbudhr.mmm.page/budhr

I liked using the mmm.page because you was able to play around with the tools and it allows to you to expresses the message you are trying to send in your own way. It ‘s a way to express yourself visually and I like it. Instead of saying a lot in a piece of paper, you can show your message through the collage. In my collage I tried to show the side of what’s my version of being a girl. I made it pink, and started to add things like favorite characters and show quotes, simple images of shopping bags, and just things that make me feel girly. I honestly was playing around and threw in “I’m just a girl”, “how I love being a woman” and a bow that represents coquette because that’s the memes going on for the girls. There is definitely more that I can add on into that collage but I didn’t want it to look like a lot. Honestly all I can say is that it I liked making the collage and I loved making it pink. 🙂

https://grettell.mmm.page

I did really like this activity, I ‘m not super comfortable with telling people what kind of a person I am because of how they may judge me. I think adding simple pictures and memes such as like I did really helps people really understand who I am. It was also fun to with simply dragging and dropping whatever came into my head. Resulting in people who look at my collage get a sense of me and who I am, maybe not to the full extent but it’s better than nothing. I also think it was a great activity, there wasn’t much thinking and I loved that part, also self expression is super important like I’ve mention. Not just to other individuals but yourselves.

https://mmm.page/otislikedacow.main

I liked using mmm.page to create a collage. I think the full freedom you have to make whatever you want makes the experience very fun. It helps to have that creative freedom when trying to get a point across. My collage was just a collection of interests basically, no real message behind it, but it was fun moving things around to create an interesting picture. Due to the inherit freedom with collages, you can show a visual representation of the point you are trying to make, something that traditional writing cannot do. I don’t know if there was something I didn’t like about the website, it seemed good to me. I wouldn’t add anything to my collage seen as it was just a silly first one, but I would definitely want to make more for other topics.

https://irisc.mmm.page/iris

I put my collage together focusing on the topic of climate change. Climate change is a significant issue because it harms our environment and health. Not only does climate change impact us, but it will continue to impact future generations if something is not done. Instead of presenting this topic in a traditional writing method, a collage can better bring out the message with its images. We connect with images more than text because they instantly inject characters and emotions. In addition, colorful images are more appealing than black and white words which lessens the likelihood that readers will leave the page. I really liked this website because it was easy to use. There was a wide variety of stickers and it only took a second or two to add them to my work. It is much better than other tools like Google Drawing because all the tools on the website are simplified whereas there are so many tools on Google Drawing that it can be overwhelming. There wasn’t anything I disliked about the website and I find myself using it in the future.

https://wendyy4.mmm.page/climate_change

I enjoyed making my collage, it was fun to bring images and art that I like together. I think images and photography are able to communicate more immediately than traditional writing. It takes less than a second to consume a photo, but it may take anywhere from a couple of minutes to years to come to a comfortable understanding of even an excerpt of writing. Photos can invoke a desired reaction as quick as (or quicker) than music, in my opinion. Personally, I incorporated my love of art in my collage. I feel artists have a heavy impact on my life and I’m connected to the ways in which photography, pop culture, music, etc. all work to shape my taste as I get older. I think growing up in an environment that encouraged my creativity really contributed to my confidence which I’m grateful for. The only thing I wasn’t a big fan of on the digital page was that the GIFs seemed a little outdated. Other than that, I had a good experience. I wouldn’t add anything else to my collage, but I would definitely enjoy making another one.

https://mmm.page/ayab.main

After reading The Comet by W.E.B. Du Bois, I gained a better understanding of the use of genre conventions for rhetorical effect. Throughout the reading, the author showcased the use of speculative fiction and post-apocalyptic storytelling to articulate the way society works and the deep-seated racism in the landscape of New York City both then and now. In the story, the author sets the scene with a comet that takes place, and two people are alive, both of whom are of different races and different walks of life. When the character Jim was looking around NYC, he found another woman who was white to be alive. The author stated, “Not that he was not human, but he dwelt in a world so far from hers, so infinitely far, that he seldom even entered her thought.”. The author interprets that because of their way of life, they were unaware of society and other people of different kinds. An interesting interpretation of this piece of work from Du Bois is that it is still present today, and people are looked upon a certain way based on what they look like, and this story showcases this very well. Towards the end of the story, as the two are waiting at the building, a group of people, her father being one of them, finds them and automatically assumes the worst in Jim and that he did something to her. The author stated, “And this man here? He asked, encircling her drooping form with one arm and turning towards the Negro.”. W.E.B Du Bois articulated an interesting story to inform the readers of the use of speculative fiction and post-apocalyptic storytelling, showcasing the way society works and the deep-seated racism from past and present. 

“The Comet” is an afro futuristic, sci-fi story by Du Bois. A short story written in 1920 aimed to expand on what the color line meant. It was a post-apocalyptic story and allegory to bring up a powerful critique of racism in society, particularly within New York City. He wrote about a cosmic event and created a world where society was destabilized to be able to explore issues of race and power of stability on a blank canvas. Du Bois highlights the civilization and the resilience of some injustices, pre and post-comet systems. By portraying a post-apocalyptic scene and the city in ruins, Du Bois highlights the damaging effect of racism on society and the persevering through battle for endurance in a hostile environment. He employs symbols to critique racism. The protagonists Jim a black man and Julia a white woman are the first known survivors of cosmic devastation in the story. Their alliance symbolizes the potential of cooperation across racial lines. However, after finding out they were not the only survivors, their relationship/journey is fraught with challenges and dangers reflecting the influence of racism on societal dynamics. Through the main character’s interactions, Du Bois exposes the hypocrisy of racial prejudice and the nature of racial divisions ultimately advocating for racial unity, awareness, and understanding. “The Comet” serves as a cautionary tale and call to action kind off, challenging readers to confront racism and envision a fair future. lastly “The Comet” by W.E.B. Du Bois utilizes genre convection such as post-apocalyptic storytelling, and symbol a narrative that critiques deep racism in society. Through the investigation of subjects like endurance, fortitude, and fundamental foul play, Du Bois welcomes readers to consider the getting-through effect of racism and envision elective ways towards social change.

After reading the text I believe that often when privileged people seem to be in trouble or striped away from their privileges or social groups they are likely to change. I also believe that anyone would act the same way Julia did just in a sense of survival. In general, the story was really interesting to read and it was engaging to learn about Afrofutism since it is a term I hadn’t heard before.

In “The Comet”, W.E.B. DuBois utilizes genre conventions of science fiction to comment on racial and class inequality in the U.S. Like many sci-fi stories, the conflict unravels once the city has become a post-apocalyptic world and everyone is dead, except for the main character, Jim. Prior to the death that the comet has caused, Jim’s experience as a black man is narrated through his thoughts of bitterness as he feels the subpar treatment he receives from his white colleagues. In fact, the only reason he survived was because he was ordered to do the undesirable and dangerous job of searching an underground vault. With the same luck, the white woman he later meets avoided death by coincidentally being in her darkroom developing photos. While these two characters come from painfully contrasting walks of life, they are both survivors of the comet that could have easily killed them both. Mortality does not discriminate between race or varying degrees of wealth. Their humanity is shared through this daunting experience. As they search the city together, the labels that they carry with them everyday begin to fall. Jim is no longer a black man, he is just a man, who is somewhat timid but still has protective instincts. Ironically, in the absence of humanity, he has become humanized. The weight of Julia’s wealth dwindled in importance as soon as she found herself needing Jim for assistance. Her money gave her the power to never be in need of anything in life, but all of a sudden the only thing she needed was a friend.

Along with the genre conventions of science fiction, DuBois’ narrative decisions contribute to the impact of the story as well. For example, Jim’s name is hardly mentioned throughout the story and Julia’s name is only mentioned once, at the very end. DuBois’ decision to omit their names places a larger focus on the essential facets of their characters: their race, their class, and their position in society as a result. Additionally, DuBois’ style of omniscient narration when conveying Jim and Julia’s thoughts illuminate the way racism has infiltrated their existence so implicitly. Rather than providing dialogue, reading the thoughts of the characters feels more reflective of the slight, subliminal ways white supremacy truly permeates the world. For example, when Jim first looks at Julia he thinks, “Yesterday, he thought with bitterness, she scarcely would have looked at him twice” (56). And as Julia finds her trust for Jim in limbo she thinks, “One moment she was terrified, then she thanked him silently for his delicacy and turned resolutely, with a quick intaking of breath” (58). At this moment, Julia is finding it difficult to erase the thoughts that infiltrate her white, female mind when faced with a black man. But if DuBois were to verbalize these thoughts, they would not be as powerful or hit the reader in the same way. Racism and class inequality are not just ideas that some of us learn about, they inhabit our thoughts and our bodily reflexes. Thus, I think DuBois does a great job in conveying this message through his very specific rhetorical choices throughout “The Comet”.

After reading and interpreting Atwoods writing, I can say that Atwood’s writing style is very intriguing, as it was able to capture my attention by telling a story in a different manner. The title of the text being “Time Capsule Found on the Dead Planet” makes me think of a cartoon, this sounds like the name of an episode where they maybe encounter a new planet and find a time capsule that explains everything that went on throughout life on that planet. However, Atwood goes on to tell a story in chronological order, numbering each part starting from the creation of gods, to the creation of money, to the evolution and what money became, and finally, the creation of deserts. Atwood is trying to tell a story in a creative way. The gods we “created” are what we pray to and what we put in churches, hence the “We forged them from shining metals and painted them on temple walls.” Then we created money, which is self explanatory, ” This money was also made of shining metals. It had two faces: on one side was a severed head, that of a king or some other noteworthy person”, as coins and paper money have former presidents on them. Then the evolution of money, the growth of greed and what money has become. And finally, Atwood talks about deserts, which I interpreted as cities or just anything that required money to create, that was not on earth before humans were created. Atwood’s writing style is very unique, it gives me a feeling that something else is being told (like a storyline for a cartoon, like I said before), but in reality its just a story on what money has done to us.