Kristina's Portfolio

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Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my writing portfolio. You can either navigate by looking at the side bar to your left, or you can scroll down endlessly. Thank you for stopping by, and have a great day!

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A Brief Inquiry Into Online Friendships

Around 2011, getting a Twitter account was seen as the cool thing to do among teens and tweens, at least according to Mary*, a sophomore at Arizona State University. “My cousin told me that it was cool to have one,” she said. “So I made an account.” Young people would use it to follow their friends’ and celebrities’ online activity. Now, it’s almost impossible to find a young person without a social media account, let alone a Twitter.

It is very hard to interact on social media with just your friends and celebrities, though. There is always a random stranger that seems to butt in on your conversations, liking or commenting on your posts. Just ten years ago, some people thought that this was scary, especially because of the influence from the phrase “stranger danger”. Although Mary’s* parents were initially unnerved by the fact that she was making friends online, they have now come to accept it. “I’ve been making friends like this for so long now, and haven’t had any problems with it,” she said. “My parents are fine with it now, especially since I’m twenty so if something goes down it’s more my issue than theirs.” After asking Mary* what she meant by “making friends like this”, she said that it was from following fan accounts on Twitter and Instagram that she had the same interests as. Still, young people have always been taught to not interact with strangers, as it could lead to getting scammed, but today, it is the norm.

According to CBS News, more than half of today’s teenagers make friends online. Almost 60% of those boys surveyed make friends via online gaming systems, while almost 80% of girls say it’s because of social media apps that they were able to connect with strangers online. Additionally, 30% of those girls claim that they have met up with a stranger that they met online. What CBS News meant by strangers though was friendship cultivated online without being introduced to each other in real life yet. But regardless, there are definitely repercussions to this, seeing as how predators now have more access than ever to the internet. “I always make sure to interact with people from areas that I know,” Mary* said. “I also make sure that we have mutual followers or friends. It makes me feel a little safer when I interact with them if they directly or indirectly know someone I know in real life.”

In today’s society, we often hear of young people meeting other young people via the internet, and creating friendships that are stronger than their in real life one’s. In fact, Lena*, a freshman at Moraine Valley Community College says that she is closer to her online friends than her in real life ones. “I think it’s because we just have so much more in common,” she says. “With my in-real-life friends, whenever I try to bring up my favorite musician or band, they truly couldn’t care less.” Considering that most online friends never meet, it is strange that some people’s relationships with their online friends are greater than their real life friends.

However, just because you become friends with someone online, does not mean that the friendship will last. Online friendships are just like regular friendships in the sense that there will always be problems with some. No one is perfect. Alice*, a sophomore at Kansas University, agrees. “A lot of the online friends when I first made my social media accounts I don’t talk with anymore,” she said. “We’ve either gotten into big rifts or we just drifted away from each other over time, like normal friendships.” Alice* then elaborated on her big rifts comment, and how one time someone who was an online friend spread malicious rumors about her and ended up ruining another friendship of hers.

From that, we can see that a lot of online friendships can also be very intense. So much so that they don’t usually go a day without talking to each other. Even group chats between multiple online friends can be consistently blown up by constant text notifications. “I talk to a majority of my online friends everyday,” Alice* said. “But my group chats are really entertaining so I try to interact with them more.”

The pure amusement factor is another reason more people have been engaging in online friendships. When you are in person with someone, there is only so much time you can spend with them. You can only say so much in person. But, online, the conversations are virtually endless, and you have a variety of people to have those conversations with. Most young people today then ask the question of what is the point of nurturing a friendship in real life, when it’s so much more effort than one created online? There are no awkward pauses, there’s no mumbling -- the list goes on. Additionally, you can always look back at texts or private messages to recall something previously said. You can’t do that in real life. You need to actually put in effort to remember something that someone said.

So what changed? What made interacting with strangers online and becoming their best friends okay? We live in a world dominated by pixels and social media. Nowadays, almost everything can be done via the push of a button on our phones. Because we use our phones so much, we gain a sense of trust for the piece of technology. Using our phones and talking to a screen is also a lot easier than talking to someone face to face. For so many young people who have a hard time making friends in real life for a variety of reasons, whether they be from anxiety or being unable to pick up on social cues, finding people to befriend online is a lot easier and even comforting.

From this, we have also seen a deterioration in this generation’s social skills and ability to speak and have real life relationships. They have started to view the world from their phone lenses and computer screens, and not from their own eyes. This then begs the question, what does this generation value more? Is it making friendships that have more meaning to you, or is it whether or not we look up from our screens?

*All names have been changed for privacy reasons

References

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-than-half-of-teens-make-new-friends-online-pew-poll/

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-than-half-of-teens-make-new-friends-online-pew-poll/

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The Early Bird Gets the Better Grade

A great joy for young Americans that go to college is the ability to be able to finally pick all of the classes that they want to take, at the times that they want to take them. By being able to have this choice, young adults gain a stronger sense of independence and freedom in their everyday life, as it is something that is solely in their control. A study done by psychologists in St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York shows that there may be a correlation between student’s class times and their academic performance. I decided to test this study and ask my fellow students at the University of Illinois at Chicago if they thought there was any direct correlation.  

According to the St. Lawrence study, the later students had their classes, the lower the students’ grades would be. Prior to this, co-author Pamela Thatcher used to advise taking later classes. “But now, I would say that 8 or 8:30 AM classes are probably, for some students, going to be a much better choice,” Thatcher told Reuter News.

Multiple students at the University of Illinois at Chicago agreed that since they are used to having morning classes from elementary and high school, they are fine with waking up early to get to class. Some even went so far as to say that they are more attentive and awake in the morning than in the afternoon. McKenzie Alonzo, a sophomore pre-med student, prefers morning classes not only because she’s more focused but because of the possibilities she now has for her afternoon. “With morning classes, I have the afternoon free,” said Alonzo. “I now have the rest of the day to study, do homework, or even go to work.”

Shreyas Shastri, an undeclared sophomore, agreed with Alonzo. “Most clubs and extracurricular activities are only offered in the afternoon or evening,” said Shastri. “Why would I take a later class if it meant I would miss out on a club I really wanted to be a part of?”

There were some students, however, that realized they do better neither in morning or late afternoon classes, but rather, at midday. Rebeca Egedus, also an undeclared sophomore, said she performs the best in midday classes. “It’s late enough in the day where you’ve already eaten, but also early enough where you’re not super tired from just waking up,” she said. “It really is the best of both worlds.”

Students have also noticed that a majority of their peers at the university prefer to have class done before noon, or early afternoon at the latest to avoid rush hour traffic. Because of its reputation for being a commuter school and in the center of the city of Chicago, this idea makes sense. No one, university students included, wants to be held up in traffic trying to get home from school.

“At the end of the day, it really all is just a personal preference,” said Alonzo. “Some people are night owls, others are early birds.”

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UIC IS HOSTING ITS 41ST ANNUAL DIVERSITY CAREER FAIR

UIC PAVILION

525 S RACINE AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60607

www.uicpavilion.com

Phone: [phone]

[email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Samantha Carter

Phone: [phone]‬

Career fairs are an amazing opportunity to meet with potential future employers for all university students. On Thursday, September 28, the University of Illinois at Chicago is going to have its 41st Diversity Career Fair for all majors at the UIC Pavilion from 10AM to 2PM.

“The pavilion usually has a good turnout for events,” said Samantha Carter, a second year psychology major and member of the UIC Pavilion staff. “The pavilion usually has a good turnout for events,” she said. “Also, everyone always tries to make sure that these kinds of events run as smoothly as possible, so I think that it will be a good experience for everyone involved.”

Diversity fairs are important because it gives everyone of every race, gender, sexuality, and major an equal opportunity to showcase their skills to future employers. Employers from various walks of life and career paths will be there to talk to you about working for them. Prominent employers include Barilla Group, Walmart, and the Central Intelligence Agency. Different internships, part-time jobs, and full-time jobs will be offered at different booths around the pavilion.

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How To Actually Get A Career In Media

Ariyl Onstott was twelve and I was eight when we met for the first time. In our little friend group, Ariyl was always the one in charge and always acted like an adult. Fast forward eleven years, and Onstott is obviously no longer just acting like an adult -- she is a grown woman, working as a news reporter for WTOL in Toledo, Ohio. Yet this is not what she initially planned on doing after college. In fact, she didn’t even think that she would go into journalism. “I think I thought I would get an international relations degree and then go to law school,” she said. “Yet I ended up getting two degrees—one in broadcast journalism and one in public policy leadership.”

Over a Skype call, Onstott further elaborated that she had always been passionate about politics and policy -- more specifically, international policy and foreign relations. Even now, she still plans on eventually attending law school. But, the reason Onstott chose broadcast journalism as her career is that she realized it would allow her to try many different things and pursue her interests. It would also allow her to have a voice to make a difference, which is something she had been wanting all along.

Despite going into college not knowing what she really wanted to do, Onstott quickly realized that for going into media, she needed qualities that made her stand out against her peers. The most important quality, in her opinion, is having thick-skin. “Journalism is such that if you create content, your work will be on display for all to see,” she said. “People can be critical, and they can pick apart what you do -- often for no reason. “The key is to focus on the constructive criticism. You can’t please everyone, nor is it your job to. Just focus on producing great work.”

Another important quality Onstott said to have was a positive attitude, as well as a go-getter personality. Put simply, if you aren’t a doer and a problem-solver, you won’t get anything done. Stories can fall through, and things then don’t go according to plan. In fact, she told me that just the other day she was called to the scene of a deadly house fire and had to scrap the original story that she had. You need to be able to regroup, problem-solve, and move on.

In fact, there are times where Onstott does this on a day-to-day basis. Mostly though, her days consist of calling sources or people based on the stories that she has for the day. She then sets up interviews for those stories and goes out to get them done. Then, she comes back to the station to edit and write the full television story. Other days, she’s live at a location shooting a story.

Concerning breaking news stories, Onstott says that you have to be flexible and ready to throw away whatever story you first intended on telling. “Days are definitely hectic, regardless of what you cover,” she said. “And when you get relaxed stories that don’t take as long to cover or stories set up ahead of time, it’s a relief!”

Regarding advice for anyone pursuing a career in broadcast journalism or media in general, Onstott explained that you should make sure that you’re passionate about it. It can be demanding, exhausting, and draining, all at the same time. It can also be incredibly rewarding, but that happens through hard work. You have to be hungry and a go-getter who makes things happen with a “can-do” attitude.

Onstott also says that it also comes down to really knowing yourself and what you like to do. Don’t like to be in front of the camera, but still like to produce content? Pursue print media. Or, maybe you aren’t good at expressing yourself via writing. Consider pursuing work in the technical side of a news station.

Onstott’s most important advice? Gain experience. “I cannot stress enough how much a job or internship in your prospective field can help make up your mind when it comes to choosing your profession. Even if it’s just shadowing someone for a day on the job, do it,” she said. “Get as close and personal to any prospective career interest you have that you can. Experience is the best teacher and it’s necessary if you want to pursue a career in this field.”

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Experience

I am fluent in three languages, and I plan on learning more as I get further into my educational career.

But, it is because of my experience in university so far that I am now proficient in professional writing, and am able to do, but not limited to: press releases, op-eds, and general interest features. Additionally, I also do a plethora of creative writing in my free time, like prose and poetry.

Through extracurriculars like Model United Nations as well as debate team, I've learned how to effectively communicate with people via different walks of life and cultures, as well as be able to get my point across in a debate-like setting. This has also helped build my conflict management skills, creativity, and relationship building abilities.

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What Can We Do To Create Awareness For ASL?

For people raised in America, English is the most common language spoken, with Spanish leading closely behind. Most Americans usually speak one or both languages in their lifetime. But what about those in the United States who are hard-of-hearing or deaf? We should be implementing the same resources in our schools for ASL, or American Sign Language, classes as we are for English and Spanish classes. Why don’t the majority of Americans know American Sign Language, especially since one in twenty Americans are either deaf or hard-of-hearing?

In some schools American Sign Language is an option for students as a second language course, but that is not the case for a majority of the country. If we are to ever be an all-inclusive society, we must take into account our disabled brothers and sisters and accommodate to them like how they have accommodated to us by learning how to lipread. We live in what is supposed to be the greatest country in the world, in the 21st century. Why aren’t all of our people’s needs, specifically hard-of-hearing and deaf people, met? What can we do to help cultivate a change?

Over the past few years through social media, especially YouTube, users who create videos have started to put captions not only in English but also in a multitude of other languages to assist both the hard-of-hearing/deaf community as well as international viewers. The simple act of transcribing text from video means a lot to a plethora of people. Also, that means that the YouTuber’s channel is more user friendly and accessible to more people, which ultimately equates to more views. This is a win-win situation for the content creators and their viewers.

In addition, there has been a rise in ASL signing videos to songs. Most recently, Twitter user @saturnsfroot signed to Ariana Grande’s first number one single , “thank u, next”, which subsequently went viral and was even acknowledged by Nyle DiMarco, a prominent deaf model and philanthropist. I think that it is through these sorts of videos that we can increase the popularity and usage of ASL throughout the nation. In addition, because the video was shared on a social media platform, different people from various backgrounds who might not be aware of the deaf community and ASL have now gained positive exposure to it.

Because social media is so important to young people, we see an increased awareness in a plethora of social issues, like racism and mental illness. The hard-of-hearing and deaf community deserve to be acknowledged like other marginalized communities. In the United States’ Constitution, it says that in order to form a more perfect union, something we should do as a people is promote the general welfare. We can promote the general welfare by promoting those who create content for those who can hear and those who cannot.

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Brother Nature and the Problem With Cancel Culture on Twitter

To people who don’t spend a lot of their time on social media, specifically Twitter, the name Brother Nature really isn’t important and might not make sense. Yet, for those who do know who Brother Nature is, when he was “cancelled” on Twitter, it created a firestorm of controversy and opinion across the internet.

Kelvin Peña, known more popularly as Brother Nature, is a major social media person who was first known on Vine for posting a video with a deer he named Canela. Now, he posts videos with a variety of other animals on Twitter, Canela still included. A majority of his videos are him just interacting with the animals, specifically feeding them and picking them up if they are not wild,.

When Brother Nature was receiving a steady amount of retweets and likes, everything seemed fine. That is, until someone discovered controversial tweets of his from 2011 and 2012. Statements that he tweeted when he was a twelve year old child are now being used against him as a twenty year old man, to bring down his career as a social media star, as well as his non-profit foundation “Everybody Eats”  that helps single-parent families in providing food for their family. The Twitter community has now deemed him to be “cancelled” because of this.

The term “cancelled” in regards to social media started to become popular a few years ago. It is a term used to dismiss or reject someone, usually after when they say something racist, sexist, or controversial. Normally when used, virality hits quickly and the person who is being cancelled ends up on the trending page of Twitter for everyone to see and make note of.

However, when Brother Nature was subsequently cancelled from social media for those tweets, people responded with mixed reactions. Some users disregarded the idea that he probably had matured since he first tweeted those things, and continued to bombard the young man with hateful words. Most people were hurt and upset. That is, until Brother Nature tweeted out an apology note.

From that apology note, chaos ensued in the world of social media. People did not know what to believe. Should they accept Brother Nature’s apology and move on with life, or continue to cancel him like the small minority on twitter that was still doing it almost a week later? This in turn brought up an even bigger question on social media; when do we draw the line on cancelling people for their problematic past?

In his apology note, Brother Nature specified that he hopes that the people he affected from his hateful words will accept the apology of a now grown and mature man. We see evidence of how his personality is now when he interacts with his animals, other users on twitter, and when he works with his non-profit. This Kelvin Peña, who is so blatantly kind and respectful to others, does not seem like the same Kelvin Peña who tweeted out “Heil Hitler” in 2012.

Yet it makes sense why some people would be so distrusting towards an apology made from the Notes app on an iPhone. A plethora of past social media and famous people have similarly written apologies and posted them on Twitter in the same fashion, from Logan Paul to Kat Von D. But still, these people continue to do things that are deemed controversial. So, who is to say that just because you wrote an apology letter, it makes everything okay?

Still, who is to say that the people who are continuing to cancel Brother Nature are in the right for their comments? Why would you want to continually harass a young man for something he has already apologized for? However, it is okay to still be upset about it. He was probably one of the only social media stars without any controversies around him, or so it seemed. And then everything went downhill so to speak.

Despite what he said and what he may or may not have believed, the people on the internet, especially social media, need to realize that you cannot just cancel someone for something that they did that you did not like. We as humans are imperfect beings, so we are bound to do imperfect things and have imperfect ideologies. How would you feel if you posted something that someone else deemed controversial, and were subsequently cancelled for it? At the end of the day, we need to understand that cancel culture is extremely toxic, and should not be used necessarily for every person who makes a mistake.

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Contact

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Hi, I’m Kristina.

Welcome to my personal writing portfolio, where I will be showcasing my work and experience!

My name is Kristina Blagojev and I am a second year at the University of Illinois at Chicago, studying teaching of English and minoring in linguistics. 

My hobbies include but are not limited to: reading, binge watching Netflix originals, and going to concerts.