Writing my last COMM101 reflection made me realize that this week’s topic was a fitting way to wrap up the course. Over the past two and a half weeks, I have learned about many different parts of communication, and this week gave me a different perspective on them. Through the assigned podcasts, class discussions, and …
Category Archives: Reflections2026
Sound, Story, and Perspective
Week 2 of AYA at Annenberg was packed with hands-on activities and teamwork. Week 1 felt like we had USC to ourselves, but for the first few days the dining hall was full of international and local students our age, and easy to talk to. We ended up swapping stories about LA, and they told …
Audibly Connected
This week, we began our Comm class with the idea, “The medium is the message.” This means that the way in which you present your story to the public can really create a big difference in how your message is viewed, and how your audience engages with the ideas you present. This is why radio …
Listening Beyond the Story
By Diamond Rangel Reyes Giving Voice to Others This week’s focus on podcasts made me think more intentionally about how storytelling shapes the way we understand social issues. Because I hope to become a lawyer in the future and advocate for people whose experiences are often unheard, I felt especially connected to this week’s material. …
The Decameron
The voice. It’s the thing you’re subconsciously using in your head while reading this. It is a most peculiar thing(?) and the power it holds cannot be measured. I mean, when actors started talking in films it basically changed everything for cinema, from public perception to it being widely accepted as an art form. The …
Community Was Already Here
By: Amaiya Medley This week, a word that resonated with me everywhere I turned was “community.” I didn’t expect that to be my key takeaway, but by the time we left the Natural History Museum today, I could not think about anything else. In COMM 101, we recorded a podcast together as a class. Lots …
The Power of Podcasts: Uniting Voices for Change
“Three, Two, One” I counted down before leaning in to record my answer for our podcast. This week at AYA we learned all about the significance, and the history of podcasts. Through demonstrations we learned how podcasts can be a tool to share our thoughts. Due to the lack of visuals, the radio is classified …
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Transforming Identity Through Media
How is identity communicated through media? In order to answer this question we must acknowledge that communication is unlimited. Everyday interactions with those around us (both verbal and nonverbal) serve as expression outlets to create and interpret meanings as a society. We make sense of what’s presented in front of us through communication. This doesn’t …
Decoding Media, Designing Meaning
On June 15th, the first day of USC’s Annenberg Youth Academy, I stepped onto campus with a mix of various emotions and thoughts. Part of me was filled with anticipation, eager to discover what the program will offer. But on the other hand, I also felt a sense of uneasiness, anxious about navigating an unfamiliar …
Enamored by Curiosity
I will never forget the immense happiness I felt stepping onto the University of Southern California campus for the first time. Walking up to the School of Communication and Journalism felt surreal. I was greeted with some of the friendliest students I have ever met while we all completed Bingo charts for a welcome activity. …
Communicating Change 