Othello Final Project

This is my powerpoint on discourse and manipulation in Othello:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23844312

Sex in the Media: Where Is the Line Drawn?

Hello, my name is Violet Stone, editor and chief of Strength Publishing, a women's publishing company created for authors focusing on feminist ideals. Looking at this advertisement, my stomach curdles. No, not because I am a diehard carnivore, rather because besides the large bold print in the middle of the picture, vegetarianism is no where to be seen. Looking at this picture, males are immediately drawn to the flash of the word "VEGETARIAN" and the sprawled out beauty underneath, and left drooling and completely entranced by the picture. This advertisment, laced with subliminal messages, suggests to men that if they choose to become vegetarians that they will have something in common with this stunning woman, and will find happiness through sex in the future. Why are women subjected these days merely for the curves of their bodies rather than their intelligence? Touching upon the gripping topic of body image, this advertisement screams to all women, "If you want your body to look like mine, all you have to do is become a vegetarian". Yet another blow to the self esteem of many women young and old, it attempts to mold their thinking to believe that "this is how you are supposed to look"; anything else is just socially unacceptable.

A Town of Ages

Chelsea

Upon entering Chelsea there are a few things that are immidiately noticed. The beautiful common, the rush of college students during the weekdays on campus at the town college, the hustle and bustle of teens floating back and forth from the high school, the eclectic mix of people at the shopping centers, and the small town feel. During any season, the town is constantly filled with bewitching sights, sounds, and smells. Whether its the autumn leaves falling from the trees on the common, the captivating melody flowing from the various bands during the summer carnivals, the mouth-watering redolence of the little bakeries and sandwich shops in the warming spring air, or even the cool breeze brushing through your hair during the snowy winters.

Even with all these charming little entities, many teens seem to overlook them and only see the hard work lying ahead for them during their high school experience. The high school is the center of activity for kids and teens from ages ranging anywhere from 5 to 18. Adults may view this as a positive center for learning. Yet for the teens, this may feel like one of the worst places to be. There aren't many places in Chelsea that are uninviting and somber, but this could be considered to be one (all depending on the type of student). For me, it was an entirely different situation. Upon entering the high school at age 14, I was extatic and bewildered of what I was about to face. Yet after only a few minutes in the school, I could tell that there was nothing to be afraid of. All of the kids that I had left previously when we all went our separate ways for middle school were together once again. I had forgotten how much I had missed everyone. I was impressed by how astute and creative the teachers were when I got there, and how inviting everyone was (including those who I had never met before). Even though the workload was difficult, I always enjoyed working toward meeting my goals. After my engaging yet challenging adventure through the high school, I would definately speak highly of it to up and coming students and parents. Now as a senior, I am beginning to see more of the special things in town, rather than just blowing it all aside because of my heavy workload. What I used to overlook seem to now be some of my favorite parts of the town itself.

Traveling down the streets of Chelsea, you are bound to run into a plethora of quaint little shops and restaurants. The shopping centers and center of town are often times filled with multitudinous amounts of people searching for various types of items, including but not limited to groceries, clothing, restaurants, and hair salons. The town common is not very lively during the winter and fall seasons, but during the summer, the common holds many carnivals, concerts, and farmers markets. During the summer of 98', my parents brought me to my first St. Rocco's carnival. I could not even imagine what it would be like. To a child, the carnival is a place where their biggest fears lie, but in facing them, they are able to experience something incredible, something that words cannot describe. The carnival is like a coming of age for children. That point in time when they put aside their deepest concerns and take that leap of faith to go on that spinning, upside-down, whirling and twirling ride. They know that many children do not come out happy or quite clean (pardon the vulgarity), but they are willing to take that chance in order to grasp that once in a lifetime feeling. At the age of 6, I saw the Zipper and immidiately shyed away in fright. I could not believe that my sister had already gone on! I continued to contemplate what my options were. I could either suck it up and just go on, and be able to say that I had done it, or I could stay and ride on the kiddie swings and hold that feeling of regret for not accomplishing what my sister had. At that point, I knew exactly what I had to do. I grabbed my sisters hand, and pulled her into the caged seat. Every part of my body was shaking. I could smell the fried dough through the bars, and almost cried because of how much I wished that I could have been sitting with my mom eating that beautiful piece of perfection sprinkled with powdered sugar. I eventually snapped back to reality when the car started to move, and my eyes frantically widened. As the car traveled slowly up to the top, I turned to my sister and just looked at her. For some reason at that moment, I knew I would be alright. She grabbed my hand as we hit the highest climbing point and said, "scream as loud as you can". At that moment, the car dropped and I felt a rush of adrenaline. I could not tell you how loud I screamed that day, but I'm sure that my sister's ears are still slightly scarred from the noise. Those 5 minutes were one of the biggest 5 minutes of my life.

Although the places themselves are breathtakingly sublime, it is really the people and activities that bring them to life. At the high school, there is a very large socio-economic range of diversity. There are many children from high middle class, but there are also a large group of lower middle class. Not many would even realize this because it is not stressed by the teens at all. Even though these children are all brought up from well off families, they are very open and non-descriminating. In other wealthy towns, this is unfortunately not as apparent. The teens often times mesh into the groups of college students found in the center of town. The polite and mature nature of these teenagers is astounding and a definable characteristic of how these children were raised. The shopping centers are filled with all sorts of people, ranging from young children to older citizens. You can often times see these children gambling through the stores with their mothers traveling behind. It would not be entirely surprising if you were to see a child on a leash, just like a domesticated animal. The restaurants are constantly hectic and filled with scrumptious smells. Often times, if one is passing by during a long day of chores and perusing stores, they cannot help but give in to the tempting aroma of the smooth and spicy peanut sauce in Pepper Terris or the delectable dripping Italian Subs from the town Groceria. Even though Chelsea is a small town acres wise, it is definately not lacking in numbers or activites. If you are looking for a place to sit back and relax with a cup of tea, somewhere to frolic around and explore, or even somewhere to meet new people and socialize, this is the town for you.