ENG216 - Cultivating Curiosity

There were many things that stood out to me while watching this film. The first thing I noticed was how a lot of the prisoners were still wearing their own clothes instead of some sort of prison uniforms. In a lot of movies and pieces of media we see prisoners forced to wear a uniform in order to strip them of their individuality (everyone's familiar with the black-and-white stripes or the bright orange jumpsuits) but that wasn't the case in this real-life prison. Another thing I noticed was the immense amount of segregation on Rikers Island. In the prison, not only are male and female prisoners separated but even gay prisoners had their own facility. Additionally, the prisoners would even separate themselves by race within their facilities. Lastly, it was somewhat disturbing to see just how many prisoners accepted the idea that that was their life now. We were introduced to some prisoners who had practically made homes out of their cells, with all their clothes and furniture a...

 Article link: The History of Police Brutality As the issue of police brutality is beginning to be brought into discussion more and more, it was interesting to read more about the history of it. The combination of information and statistics in this article helped me to better understand what was being explained and the problem at hand. A common phrase is that we must learn about the past in order to create a better future and I do believe that by further researching the history of police brutality and studying our past mistakes we can work to prevent this problem in the future. Article link: Why Reforms Haven't Changed Police Culture First of all, it's especially interesting (and perhaps slightly more disturbing) to read about when these occurrences happen locally. Oakland is in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's only so far away. I feel like when things happen nearby it makes it feel a lot more real. Additionally, the fact that this article is an interview also makes it feel...

 Video link: Why Isn't Learning Enjoyable Anymore? - How To Revive Your Curiosity This video perfectly explained something I've believed in for years but haven't been able to put into words. For the longest time, I thought I hated school and learning when really I just hated the way school drained me of my curiosity, forced me to study things I thought were pointless or wasn't interested in, and took the fun out of learning. The way my mindset changed as soon as I entered college and was presented with the opportunity to study things that I actually give a shit about was obvious. I now find myself excited to go to class and learn about the things that I'm passionate about. Something else that the video touched upon that I agree with wholeheartedly is the issue with grades. For me personally, I know I've always pushed myself (perhaps a little too hard) to get good grades. While this did bring positive results, it certainly cost me my mental health and further dee...

 Video link: CURIOSITY - Featuring Richard Feynman I had to watch this video a few times before I could actually grasp its message because I kept on getting too engrossed in the quality of the video. From an artist's perspective, this video was an absolute masterpiece, from the transitions to the effects and even the music. As for the actual lesson, my main takeaway is that curiosity truly is something amazing and can breed countless innovations. I may not be on the same level as Richard Feynman as I'm not quite as interested in math and science as he was but I'm still a human being and inherently curious and I believe that that curiosity can open doors. Video link: The Preciousness of Time: A Stephen Hawking Tribute Once again, absolutely stunning video, but while the visuals were beautiful, I was actually more focused on the narration this time. There's something about Stephen Hawking's quote "Our destiny is in the stars" that stood out to me but that co...

Article link:  The Search for Social Identity Leads to 'Us' versus 'Them' When I first started reading this article, I didn't quite agree with it, I'll admit. I can recall times throughout my life where I had to seek out communities of people with similar experiences to myself in order to better understand my own identity and doing so quite literally saved my life. But as I continued reading, I began to understand what the article was truly trying to say. It wasn't just about wanting to be with people similar to yourself but rather about much more. It's about actively seeking out communities of people who share your exact same ideas, opinions, beliefs, and ideologies for the sole purpose of remaining ignorant and stubborn. This practice can be harmful. We see this in our everyday lives. As we're scrolling through social media, we encounter content that is specifically targeted at us over and over. Algorithms follow our viewing history and can throw c...

  Hello! I'm Mackenzie Rebello and I use she/they pronouns. Major, reason for choosing SF State, and future plans I am a first-year English literature major at San Francisco State University. I chose to study at SF State because it's a great school for studying liberal arts but mainly because I've basically grown up in the city and it's close enough so that I can easily go visit my family as often as I want. At SF State, I plan to extensively study English and get my English degree to one day be an author. Where I'm from I grew up in Danville, a town located in the San Ramon Valley in the San Francisco Bay Area. Because of my close proximity to the city and the fact that my father even works in the city, I was already very familiar with San Francisco before attending SF State. Hobbies and interests Writing isn't my only creative outlet--I've been dabbling in art and music as well ever since I was little. I play a variety of instruments, including flute, picc...