Reflection

Creativity & Originality

During the process of the magazine (book), Creativity and Originality was an important factor. This factor makes the magazine unique. In my opinion, each article of the magazine has to be unique. They are many related topics, but they always differ. For example, Amanda's and Evan's article are related to mine. The three of us talk about economic advice, but the advice itself differs from the others.

What did you learn? How did you learn? Why is it important?
I learned America's current economic status and plans on how to save it. With the research I did, I learned about current laws that aid the economy. I learned more about energy efficient matters and opinions from owners of independent businesses. I learned a plan on how to save the hardships times that America faces.
America is faces a new Recession. We need to act now to improve our economy. People keeps losing their jobs every week, day. Also, the environment gets affected more everyday. With energy efficient things, we'll save our economy and environment.

Magazine Reflection, Second Part

1. Overall, when you think about the big picture of your writing, what improved? How did it get better? Why?
Throughout this project, my writing improved due to the many drafts I had before my final product. I was able to make paragraphs and sentences shorter and still have the same message. Also, my group helped me. They gave me good critique and pointed out what could be fixed and how to fix it.

2. Overall, when you think about the big picture of your writing, what still needs work? What do you think will help you improve? Why?
My vocabulary can be improved. Its all up to me though. I have to start reading more books in English so I can learn new words and also how to use them. Having a bigger vocabulary will improve my writing because I would have more words to choose from.

3. Specifically, show us something that improved and describe the path it took to get better. You can quote your article, your drafts, link to evidence, etc.

4. Describe something specific (or a few things!) that you learned about writing.

Magazine Reflection: The Beginning

1. What went well for you during the process of creating this magazine?
During the process of this magazine, I improved my writing skills. My group gave me great critiques. They mentioned what wasn't appropriate for a a magazine and they even told me how to fix these flaws. I also learned how to make the article shorter and still have the same message.

2. What challenges did you face as you moved from an early draft or idea to a final product?

Time was a conflict during this magazine, as well as pressure. If we compare my first draft with my final product, we would notice a significantly difference. My first draft was my blog entry, but I fixed the spelling and the word usage. With drafts, I improved my article and I managed make it shorter and still have the same message.

3. What other examples of work—student and professional—stood out as exemplary and served as a good model for your own work?
Amanda's article served me as a model because we both wrote about Economic Advice. We shared advices and opinions about our work.
Josh was a great help for my layout design. He gave Elmo, my editor, a great idea for my layout.

Obama and Socialism

Google the phrase "Obama Socialism". What do you get? Try google news... what did you find?

When I first Googled "Obama Socialism" I found many articles regarding to regarding to writer's 0pinion of Obama being a Socialist, or that he was a socialist. Many articles include comments from other readers, telling about what they think. You can see many argue on comments, disagreeing with the author or agreeing with others.

Photo Essay - Maritime Museum of San Diego

During my internship immersion, I did most of my work aboard the Berkeley, a steam ferryboat which is the main part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Working on a ship made my immersion more interesting because I wasn’t working in a regular internship, bringing coffee to my mentor or just doing small errands, I actually helped with work that benefits the Museum. For example, I helped on setting up exhibits, updating the Museum’s website and cataloging the Library’s picture collection.
Being part of the staff has its benefits. I’m allowed to go to any room where only staff members are allowed to go, including the galley “the kitchen”, storage rooms and exhibitions rooms. I realized that my parents would love to see all of these things and, luckily my mentor Kevin, asked me one day if I wanted my parents to come and check out the museum. I took the offer and decided to give them a tour around the Museum.


Before I started the tour, my parents stayed outside the Museum for a few minutes. Since they have heard of the young Gray Whale trapped in San Diego Bay, they sat at this wooden bench (shown above) and tried to see the whale, which of course they weren’t able because the whale was miles of distance away.
I noticed how crowded it was outside the Museum. I could hear all these different types of languages and accents. “Looks like it comes out every six minutes for air” said a British tourist. So I came to the conclusion that not only locals, but tourists had come to Harbor Drive to try to spot the whale in San Diego Bay. The young Gray Whale had made it to the news. Reporters had been on this sidewalk and explained the facts about what the risks are for the whale. I realized that being a reporter, or working for a news channel, is not a bad option as a career.



Since I had to do finish a small project later that afternoon, I asked my parents which vessels they wanted to see. “Berkeley and the Russian Submarine” said my dad. So I started the tour with the Berkeley.
The Museum’s office, workshop, library and store were aboard the vessel, which makes it the main part of the Museum. The Berkeley, with an architectural significance that is reminiscent of the Victorian Age, is used for special events with room for 800 guests and includes valuable exhibitions from the Museum, as the Photograph Collection of Vessels shown above.
This Photograph Collection is my favorite exhibition of the Museum. With the elegant architecture of the silence room, the outstanding photos of vessels grab the attention from the public. It immediately grabbed mine the first time I put foot in that room. Now, it shows me another field of photography, with a different subject that I can use in projects at school.

After showing my parents the Berkeley, I took them to the B-39 Soviet Submarine. Outside the submarine, there is a type of tunnel. Public and members can practice how to go from room to room inside the submarine by going through the tunnel outside the submarine. My parents stayed there for a few minutes; they wanted to learn how to go through before going inside the submarine.

“The B-39 Soviet Submarine tracked down U.S. battleships during the Cold War” said a man from the public. When I heard that, I started thinking how all the crew from the submarine would rush in through those tunnels to start operating the submarine whenever they would found an enemy. “Man, that would be an exciting job” I said to myself, but then I realized that’s something I who have liked 5 years ago when I was a teenager with an army or marine dream. Now, each time I go to the submarine, I focus more on its architecture, since it has been grabbing my attention lately, due to the different type of architectures I see at my internship site.

When we were heading to the exit of the submarine, my mother told me "I hoped you have learned many things here" She knew I had, but she wanted me to know how internship helps me. Internship has allowed me to discard some career options for college, such as history, and it also has given more interest in other fields, such as architecture and engineering. I discard history and journalism because I haven't found something interesting there-it doesn't grab my attention. On the other hand, I have lain more into engineering because "it's the ability to create using science", as my father had told me once. Observing how these different types of vessels are composed, allows me to combine careers to have a new career option, perhaps an engineering on vessels, ships or aquatic-crafts. Having different career options for college is allowing me to discover which field is the one I enjoy the most throughout high school.

What I could bring to the Magazine

What article(s) would you like to write for the magazine? What photography could you contribute? Art? List three different ideas for your major contribution.
Articles, Photos, or Art:
1. Article: Since I'm from El Salvador, I could write an article about El Salvador and its culture, history, tradition and even food! Also, I could relate this article to what we've seen at class, by connecting how the presidential election from november affected this third world country, its positive or negative changes.
2. Photo: With the experience that I obtained through making the Tide Calendar, I could take a photo for a outstanding background on a page of the magazine. The photo's subject could be a specie from San Diego Bay, or a landscape picture from San Diego Bay.
3. Photo: I could take a picture based on what we have learned this semester. For example, a photo that shows the economical circumstances that the US is suffering at the moment, how it impacts and affects people's career, life circumstances or it affects the goverment, which at the end it affects us.

Suggest at least one (or more) possible title for the magazine. This could be a title with or without a subtitle.
To the World of Work: Experiences and Stories from Internships

Suggest a topic for an article that you were personally like to read in a magazine inspired by the internship semester.
I would like to read from experinces that interns obtained through their internships and how could they use them out in their daily life.

My First Client...

This two past weeks I have learned many things from my internship site. I learned how to work with strangers for a long period of time per day. Also, I learned how to interact with public. I had my first client on the first week of immersion. His name was Steve Lende and his request was to burn a CD for him with 10 pictures he had chosen from the MacMullen Collection, who was a reporter from San Diego. It was unexpected. My mentor, Kevin, approached to me with Steve next to him. I thought I had done something wrong, but I hadn't. I was nervous. Kevin asked me to help Steve with his request. I stopped working with the computer, but I really didn't had an idea of what to do. Steve kept talking to me and I didn't understand a word he was saying. I wasn't concentrating. I actually wanted him to be quiet, but then I remembered I had to interact with him. I started asking him what was his request, and he told me that he couldn't find the pictures in the system.