When embarking on a new journey there is always a mix of emotions. From being excited to try something new and interact with new people, to feeling nervous about your first impression and overanalyzing every detail. A Journey is just that, a journey. You have to take the highs and lows that this journey will throw at you as you step into something unknown. But the unknown can be something that is the most rewarding. That’s exactly why my first week at the Annenberg Youth Academy was rewarding.
Stepping onto the USC Campus to say I was intimidated was an understatement but the feeling of intimidation disappeared when I took my first class on communication. my emotions went from intimidated to captivated. Communication was one of the first surprises I got attending AYA. I didn’t know what to expect from Communications 101. After taking the course for four days and digesting the complex concepts that communication had to offer such as the “good citizen” that relates to civic media. were captivating concepts with nuanced points of the three citizens, personally responsible citizens, participatory citizens, and justice-oriented citizens that continue to intrigue me. Along with Zackermans idea of the leverage of change, I found particularly interesting the connection between activism in social media playing a role in civic media engagement. My perspective on communications came as a surprise to me as I didnt know what to expect when I first heard the class name. The readings were intimidating at first but I found myself indulging in the different concepts and ideas that were being placed in front of me. I discovered myself flipping each page with excitement while I was connecting them back to the world around me. One of my favorite reads from this week was The DREAMer Movement. The DREAMer movement uses superhero narratives to frame their struggles and aspirations. “Erick Huerta referenced Superman who was ‘from another planet… and grew up in the United States, just like me.” Superman, created by immigrant Jewish high school students, embodies the immigrant experience and provides a relatable narrative for undocumented youth. I found the DREAMer movement to be an inspirational idea for immigrant youth and I was lucky enough to see the role communications played in that. The connections that communications play in the civic engagement of people across the country and the consumption that is used when conveying a message are fascinating to me and I’m eager to learn more.
Taking journalism I was very enthusiastic to learn about. Journalism being one of my favorite classes and wanting to pursue journalism as a career I was eager to immerse myself in the concepts that were being presented to me. Taking a journalism class at the college level confirmed to me more that journalism is a field I want to go into. Learning from Professor Lopez ways to write a proper article was very helpful. Through the course I learned many different things about writing articles and making sure they appeal to the target audience. One of the most useful pieces of advice that I have learned was how to get out of a writer’s block. Which he conveyed by starting the story with a proper hook and a nut graph and from there filling in the rest of the story. Journalism has been a course I have enjoyed but I find the freedom of journalism as a whole to be difficult because I like having a strong structure to be able to exceed in my writing. I find it kind of ironic that the thing that draws me to journalism the most is the freedom that comes with it is also what intimidates me the most. Overall I think that the freedom that comes with it makes journalism and communication so beautiful as if someone next to me and I got the same prompt our pieces would be completely different. I’m glad I got to discover and experience the beauty of that this week through different assignments from a Vox pop, zine, and short reflections. I can’t wait to uncover more of this class
Annenberg youth academy had the privilege of taking on the California African American Museum to commemorate Juneteenth and the Japanese American National Museum. CAAM (California African American Museum) explored history, art work, and culture of African Americans with an emphasis on California and the west. There was everything from paintings, artifacts, and interactive pieces that reflected African American history in california. An exhibit by artist Simone Leigh, a newly added exhibition since the reopening of CAAM that captivates the viewer as soon as you lay your eyes among the different pieces she has created. There were plenty other enrapturing pieces of art by many different artists that represent the diverse and rich tapestry of African American history. The Japanese American National Museum was very interesting to learn about the incarceration camps that many Japanese Americans were forced into after the bombing of Pearl harbor. Talking to the volunteers that worked at the museum is something I am so grateful for hearing their accounts and personal ties to the stories filled my heart with gratitude and I’m so lucky to be able to hear them tell their stories relating to their history.
Communicating Change 