Woah… Can you believe that we’re almost done? Unfortunately, time marches on without caring about anyone’s feelings. But that doesn’t matter, we’re here to reflect on the second week! All in all, my second week here at AYA felt manageable. It felt like I got used to the schedule. It makes taking two trains here feel routine. Even though the work piles on, it still feels manageable.
Our Communication class this week seemed basic enough to understand. I was familiar enough with the basic concepts, like how radio could be used as a tool for unity or manipulation. I learned more about this concept through the assigned reading by Siegel and Spangler. They talked about how Trump capitalized on using newer forms of media, such as podcasts, to reach the younger generation of dissatisfied men. I understood how this was a big factor for audience reach because it certainly feels like my generation is more likely to watch a Tik-Tok about some podcast clip than tune into the News. This also ties in with the topic my group chose for the podcast. We talked about how redpilled podcasts instilled harmful misogynistic thoughts into impressionable minds. The people more likely to be more influenced are young teenagers and dissatisfied men. All they can see is someone with fancy cars and think that is what peak masculinity is. They absorb hateful speech and believe that can make them a so-called “Alpha Male.” These connections make me feel surprised at how different topics can be connected.
But I think the highlight of my week was the field trip to the Natural History Museum. I was excited about it because I hadn’t been to the museum since I was in elementary school with my family. Walking through the exhibits brought back memories that I had forgotten. But I couldn’t be focused purely on the memories, I had to focus on viewing the past with an academic perspective. When I asked myself what the “place” the museum was reflecting, my answer changed depending on the exhibit. My “place” was Los Angeles when I saw the “History of Los Angeles” exhibit. I found it empowering to know how the city I love came to be. But when viewing the exhibits about animals, my “place” was the entire world. We were being shown beautiful creatures from all over the world, some facing extinction. This made me feel like the world needed to do better. We need to get our stuff together and find a way to preserve these precious species. And not just animals shown on display. Humans should try to protect the Earth they came from, instead of causing harm.
Overall, the second week here went pretty well! I learned many new topics and had fun with new friends. It bums me out that the third week will be our last week. It felt like we just got here! But I will use all the time we have to gather experiences that will help me later down the line. See you in week three!!
Works Cited: Siegel and Spangler (2024). Joe Rogan and the Fifth Estate: How the Podcaster and a Group of Cable News Exiles Became More Powerful Than Traditional Media
Communicating Change 