For my first passion blog of this semester, I deemed it reasonable to start this blog with one of my all time favorite shows ever. This show, known for its drama as well as its impressive length in seasons is one of the first series that Netflix picked up and has been one of their most popular for years. This series comes from none other than the genius Shonda Rhymes, and is most likely her most well known television hit, Grey’s Anatomy. As a child, I remember watching random episodes with my parents of Grey’s Anatomy here and there, but never as a full series. I would catch an episode once or twice a month, and try to piece together within the what seems like shortest hour ever recorded. As I got older, I decided I had to start from the beginning of the show and watch it fully to understand what the characters were really about, and be invested in the plot. When I began to watch Grey’s Anatomy from the begging, I remember it being a long process, but being overjoyed to be able to catch up on the show as the tenth season was about to air live on cable. I rushed to finish all of the nine previous seasons, and waited anxiously to be able to fully enjoy an episodes of Grey’s while it played on television, and be informed about all of the characters and drama I had previously been blind to. Even now, as a college student, and as Grey’s Anatomy is venturing on to its sixteenth season, I still text my parents every Thursday night to check if they are watching the show as well, and then every Friday morning to discuss if we liked that a episode or not. As for my friend group, I would say that the series is definitely one of the most popular ones I have heard of or was encouraged to watch, and continue to encourage others to watch for themselves.

The series itself, for those who may be living under a rock and are unfamiliar with the basics of the phenomenon, the plot follows the story line of surgeons at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in Seattle on their medical endeavors as well as their personal drama that often influences their focus while at work. Though the show has gone through definitely its fair share of broken relationships, lost jobs, medical malpractice, divorces, death, and even a plane crash, somehow the show is much less bleak than it sounds. Weaved in with all of these disasters is also an equally important amount of happy loving relationships, marriages, children, saving thousands of lives, some amazing job opportunities and unbreakable friendships. Grey’s Anatomy, being one of the most well known drama television series in the world, did not gain its name for the simplicity and lightheartedness. Rather, the large popularity, I would predict, as it is what draws me in, is its key factor different from many other shows. The extensive work within the hospital. The writers of the show do not leave the audience in the dark when explaining a medical condition involved in the show, and often times explain it in depth while attempting to find solutions to the health issue. Often times, there are two or three patients involved in each episode requiring a life changing, or life saving surgery from the surgeons at Grey Sloan Memorial, and the audience becomes familiar with each case and possible measures to take, all within the forty two minuets of actual air time. The audience is also taken inside an operating room, as the team recreates visually what a surgery would look like.

I believe Grey’s Anatomy earned its popularity from the excessive amount of drama, as well as the medical aspect that many shows do not have. While some seasons come up a little short, and it is hard to write so many season, I believe the show still has some pretty good years left in it to provide quality entertainment. This season actually begins airing again this Thursday. While I love the show, and would recommend it to all, I would advise for anyone with a weak stomach or anyone who becomes anxious seeing blood to look away during surgery scenes, but keep your ears open, that is where some of the most important heart to hearts happen!

Greys Anatomy Logo Vector, www.brandeps.com/logo/G/Greys-Anatomy-01.

For our HoPc presentation, each of my group members and I all decided on certain focus questions, and decided who would answer which questions. Then we elected who would have which role in the construction of the video. I was put in charge of finding the videos and sound audio clips to add into our video. My question to focus on for the video is: Is the aid available to each student decided by the college/university or the government? The following is what I wrote for my script. Though there are many different sources of financial aid available to aspiring college students, perhaps the most well known, and most dreaded in the United States is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA. As students around the country, ranging in degrees from community colleges to ivy leagues fill out their financial and familial information into the application, and the financial aid office at the school of choice then decides the amount of aid a student is eligible to receive. Though each college manages the financial aid amounts provided for their students, the process of obtaining financial aid is also attributed to the government. 

After an individual school calculates what is believed to be a reasonable about of financial support, by subtracting a student’s expected family contribution from the total cost of the institution, a number is generated. From there, state governments use the number provided by the FAFSA to hand out state-funded grants and scholarships. Though the amount of financial aid a student receives varies depending on the college, the equation used to find the number is stagnant across all schools in the nation. This aid, which come in forms of both grants and scholarships are considered need-based, relative to the information provided by the student and their family. The aid provided to each family is specific to their own situation, after considering both the expense of the school as well as the contribution of the family, which can vary greatly, and is dependent on many factors. One factor that often leads to discrepancy with how many grants or scholarships a student can receive, is if a family is eligible to receive in-state tuition, which runs at a much lower rate than the total price of tuition for an out-of-state student. Often tens of thousands of dollars cheaper.

Though our society seems to be nearly built around controversy, many stand out greater than the others. There are some more obvious ones such as abortion, capital punishment, and religion, but there are also many important yet not as recognized controversies that seem to effect certain groups of people differently. Some controversies that specifically influence those on campus include the newly arising issue surrounding the rules of vaping products, as well as the cost of tuition and distribution of aid provided by universities. An issue that has newly come to light is the rules regarding the possession of vaping devices. Though I am not familiar with the rules on other campuses, at Penn State, the rules regarding any form of vaping device is that a student is allowed to own one, just not use it. It is understandable that this may be seen as controversial, because the rule itself allows for students to have the devices is practically encouraging the idea of vaping. Many students find this rule useless in the fact that no action can be taken if an authoritative figure sees the device, unless a student is seen using it. A topic that nearly every college student as well as their family could agree with is the increase in college tuition, and its unnecessary price. The most controversial aspect of the prices, come with the discussion of financial aid provided by these schools. Many of them distribute their money unfairly or unequally to many families who may need the help. I think either of these choices could be used for our project because both of them are very relatable to us, as students on campus, and have an interesting history with both becoming more relevant in recent years and having a very new history to find information for.

In my TED talk, focusing on my paradigm shift of marriage and divorce around the country, I plan to emphasize the drastic change that has taken place in our nation over decades, and the cultural impact this has had on society. I plan to begin my talk with a personal anecdote that helps to emphasize and convey the theme of my speech, that the concept of marriage has shifted in its meaning and well as stigmas as time goes on. Though maybe not all at once, there have been countless changes around the concept of matrimony, many most people would not correlate with a changing society. Though there are many factors that could contribute to the case of the evolving perception of marriage, the points I plan to articulate most throughout my speech are: the changes that have occurred within marriages themselves, the values marriage seems to represent as well as the stigmas around it, and the change in divorce rates and what that may signify around the nation. I plan to relate this to the audience and make it more relevant through asking them to think about their own personal lives, and reflect on how many people in their immediate relatives these findings could relate to. How many couples they know who have wed, and those with failed marriages. This topic is also one relevant to my audience, because the topic is one that is constantly changing. Altering to coincide with contemporary culture, all of these trends will soon be applicable to their own lives, as well as the new ideas around married as times and societal views are changing. I intend to conclude my ted talk by explaining the potential change that the country may face in the future, and the predicted outcome of what many happen regarding the decades to come surrounding the idea of marriage as well as divorce and how they are viewed within our nation.

With a topic as complex and circumstantial as divorce and marital relationships, it is hard to narrow the topic down to specifically one aspect that can be applied nearly across the board. Though it is easy to look at the statistics and conclude one trend amongst the millions of marriages in the united states, including those who have ended, and those who have not, any one piece of data could be irrelevant to any one specific marriage. One of the most interesting aspects, however of this shift is the change that marriage itself has taken over the past century. Formerly only associated with the actual possession of a woman in a marriage, that idea has changed drastically around the country. In 2019, even the slightest implication that a woman ‘belongs’ to a man would result in a large amount of ridicule, and hardly any room for explanation of the statement. Only some decades ago, however this concept of possession in a relationship was extremely common. Women have always been seen as more of the subordinate  role in marriages, with men serving as the breadwinner and women staying home with more of a domestic lifestyle. Thought this concept is one that has evolved more and more with each decade, our modern society has been by far the most progressive the country has seen. With some women even now serving as the main source of income in their home and a stay at home father, the idea of a ‘typical’ marriage continues to change consistently with time. The fact that this topic is one that is so hard to apply to every situation, and the fact that it is one that can be constantly changing and conforming to the standards and norms makes it even more interesting to analyze a paradigm shift within. Because there has never been truly one large shift, but numerous smaller changes over time, the views and structure of marriage themselves provide a different outlook than many of the other cultural shifts our nation has experienced.

          The paradigm shift I chose to evaluate, is the increase of divorce rates in the United States, and the changed perception of marriage. In the past century, the evolution of the meaning of marriage is a large one. The early 1900s considered marriage more of an arrangement than anything else, and while that view has shifted majorly over the years, the contemporary view of the sacrament is not valued as much as it was only a few decades ago. In the United States alone, it was recorded that roughly forty one percent of first marriages end in divorce, while second and third marriage divorce rates are even higher, sixty and seventy three percent, respectively. The United States is ranked fourth in the world for the highest divorce rates, following Russia, Belarus, and Gibraltar. 

             In comparison to the frequency, as the country entered World War 1 in the 1910s, there was only one divorce within every one thousand Americans. The following decade the rates rose to 1.7, and stayed at less than five percent of American marriages until the end of the 1970s. Within the last nearly fifty years, Americans have increased the rates of divorce drastically. Views on divorce have faced much less resistance in recent years than in the previous decades, and it seems nearly normal now, for a marriage to end in divorce. Many people believe the increased results of this divorce was due to the decreasing value of marriage and the commitment it truly is. With the accessibility to instant Vegas weddings, and online marriage licenses, the importance the sacrament once stood for has been quickly forgotten.

            The millions of Americans who get divorced each year are the sole contributors to this paradigm shift. Entering in marriages either doomed from the beginning, or slowly falling apart throughout, lead to these shocking statistics of separation.  This increase in the divorce rates within the country have only emphasized and encouraged the idea of marriage as a less than valuable and irreplaceable commitment between two people.

My two ideas of paradigm shifts are the increase in divorce rates in the United States, and the change in intensity of the meaning of words used in a contemporary society.

For the divorce, it seems as though the ending of a marriage is seen as an extreme commonality amongst families in the country. This is much different than how the idea of marriage used to be perceived, and where divorces were extremely rare. They used to be viewed as a tragedy, which they still are, yet the actual rate that they occur is extremely higher than they used to be. In earlier decades, which are actually much more recent than they may seem, marriages were built to withstand anything. The idea of fixing something rather than throwing it away was much more practiced and valued than it is now. It seems that now many marriage either end or temporarily pause with the slightest inconvenience. Nearly fifty percent of marriages within this decade are presumed to end in divorce. That is a drastic change from how divorce used to be considered so rare.

Another paradigm that has changed over the years is the use of certain words. The meaning and degree as to how offensive certain words are has shifted greatly. As some words now appear to be more offensive than they used to be, others are much less offensive than they used to be perceived. It seems like words such as ‘bitch’ are used between teenagers to greet one another after a long day of not seeing each other. Decades ago, being called that would be the source of a great fight and possibly even end a friendship. Now, it might even be seen as someone actually showing their fondness for someone. Also saying things such as “I’m going to kill myself” do not nearly mean the same thing and have that intensity as they used to, or as they should. Now it seems like if anything minor happens at all, people will throw that phrase around without realizing the real meaning and intensity of what they are saying really means. This change in the importance of words has shifted their meanings so greatly and are no longer as important and valuable as they once were.

Seeing these two artifacts from a surface level view, many people would not be able to find many, if any, similarities they share. One was produced by a razor company, while the other released by a sports apparel brand. One is in the format of the video, while the other is a single image with text written on it. So what may the two artifacts actually have in common?

Both of these two important advertisements that have made noise within the media within the past few years have been seen as controversial, and to some, just offensive. While the two both poke at and address generational issues through their message, the topics are both very polarized, with strong opinions on each side. As the Gillette ad was released, the company faced backlash for the company supposedly targeting and not supporting men as a whole. This of course was not the intended message of the video, yet a part of the audience perceived it in that way. The Nike ad also faced a tremendous amount of controversy with its inclusion of Colin Kaepernick. The ad was claimed by members of the audience to be unpatriotic and disrespectful to the country and what it stands for, claims associated with Kaepernick.

The two artifacts I chose are also similar in their appeal to the audience. They both use a strong sense of pathos and encourage their audience to have a strong and personal connection with what they are viewing. Aside from the pathos of the two different advertisements, the kairos of their release also greatly influenced their popularity. Both of these pieces were released at a time in which the issues they are addressing are both extremely relevant, but seen as sensitive as well. With the Gillette ad, bullying and sexual harassment cases are more prominent now than they ever have been, and are being more vocalized. The same thing with the Nike ad, as Kaepernicks famous kneel during the national anthem was still circulating the media everyday.

“Gillette-Logo.” MMR: Mass Market Retailers, www.massmarketretailers.com/gillette-debuts-heated-razor/gillette-logo/.

“Nike. Just Do It.” Nike.com, www.nike.com/.

I plan to begin my speech with a direct quote from my artifact. The same line repeated almost an overwhelming amount of times throughout the advertisement is one that everyone is familiar with, and has been used over decades. The main claim of my speech is the importance of speaking up for what is right, and encouraging the same thing in children from a young age, to act as a preventative measure. The speaker of my artifact is a narrator, the voice of an adult man, addressing the audience of primarily other adult men, who are the company’s main consumer group. The message is intended to be interpreted as persuasive and almost as a measure to wake the audience up, and realize the issue within our country, and how to make a change. The advertisement expresses a level of civic by acknowledging how frequent these issues occur, and the commonplace of wanting to create a safer and overall better environment in the future, and teach younger generations how to behave for years to come. The kairos of this advertisement is extremely important, as sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement have been extremely prevalent within the past year. Including many famous names associated with incidents of assault or harassment, preventing rather than dealing with these issues after they occur would be the most logical next step. This advertisement can be seen as one of those possible preventative measures. Gillette specifically uses logos as well as logos to appeal to the emotions of the audience, and emphasize their credibility by using clips of many different real situations going on around our country currently. There are also countless tactics in regard to presentation of the advertisement by utilizing a change in tone throughout the video, as well as repetition and many examples of symbolism. The artifact I chose is one that can be seen as sensitive and somewhat controversial, I plan to highlight all of these strategic incorporations into my speech and prove the civic impact Gillette has had through their advertisement.

2019, though still months away from coming to an end, has been one of many controversies, as every year now seems to be, yet many with a commonality across the country, and ultimately the world. Issues regarding sexual assault across the nation have taken a drastic change from a tragedy to a commonality over the last decade, yet only have been so widely addressed in what seems like recent years. With campaigns such as the Me Too movement providing insight and support for victims of sexual assault, the trend of awareness seems to align with the trend of case reports. As one increases, so does the other. Many companies have voiced their opinion on the topic, many following a sexual harassment accusation involving their own corporation, and some just to simply show their support of the movement. Gillette, a company known for their quality razors since 1901, has begun to add to their list of accomplishments through their 2019 commercial “We Believe: The Best A Man Can Be.” Being released at a time more prominent than ever regarding inappropriate comments and gestures, the advertisement acknowledges the issues our country currently faces, and encourages action to be taken. The timing of the advertisement is extremely effective as the news fills with more and more accusations, Gillette responds to them with the idea of being better, and encouraging men all around the world to make a change within themselves, and those around them. The commercial heavily relies on its graphics and claims to further the understanding of their goal. By inserting clips of different and realistic circumstances across the country dealing with sexual harassment, and bullying, the audience is provided with a first hand example of real life events taking place in our country, and highlights the need for changes to be made. Actually seeing the clips is much more effective in encouraging action rather than describing the interactions. The repetition of the stigma “boys will be boys” also draws the audience to the idea of how outdated that excuse is, and to teach accountability at a young age, rather than turning a blind eye. The advertisement refers to the phrase many times, almost mockingly, to discourage the bad behavior of young children solely because they are boys, and intended to act rowdy and loud. Gillette tries to eliminate the passiveness of wrongful behavior in all men, and encourages that idea to be taught early in the lives of young boys, being preventative rather than being required to fix their actions later in life.