From B-town

Ladies, Gentlemen and Friends,

My first full day in Baltimore for Eastern Communication Association has been pretty interesting. However, I must not start on today without outlining last night for it was magnificently magical!

After checking into our “swanky”  hotel (We have used this word, now, 50 times to describe it), Alisha and I ascended the hotel floors to our own via a glass elevator. A very nice sight. The room is pretty good and the hallways perpetually smell like just the right amount of febreeze which is glorious.

The hunger and curiosity of the city drove us out of the hotel to walk but across the street to the Chesapeake Bay. There is a small waterfall park/garden with metal art and nice lights which we wandered before reaching a swanky bank of restaurants and stores along the bay. Two things were on our minds: Cheesecake Factory (for cheesecake) and P.F. Chang’s (for lettuce wraps).

We got the best of both worlds in choosing Cheesecake Factory (my debut at the establishment). For not only did we have a charming date (the lovely Alisha and I) with a beautiful view over the night lit water but we also enjoyed lettuce wraps and fresh guac followed by Kahlua Coco Cheesecake. It was a great time! We rolled ourselves back to the hotel. But let me say quickly that lettuce wraps are awesome! Tacos only… better!

This morning was a nervous matter, for me, of getting ready with an outfit that I realized too late doesn’t really work all that well together. That’s a sad thing to figure out in the hotel. But I owned it. Hello fucked up fashion rules, my name is Alia. In any case, Alisha and I decided very last minute to attend a Lambda Pi Eta Panel about rhetorical criticism on campaigns. It seemed up her alley for her paper and up mine when it comes to my interests. These were the papers:

Campaigns and Critique: Rhetorical Criticism of Media Messages

“World War II Propoganda: We Can Do It! & Rosie the Riveter” Lori Caldwell, U. of Pitt undergrad – feminist critique on these two images. How did the US gov use campaigns to illicit women? playing on women’s emotions and patriotism. (I think this was the best paper on the panel – it did the best job of being critical from all sides)

“Truth: Manipulation of the Tobacco Industry” Lauren Filotei, U of Pitt undergrad – cluster analysis about some video anti-tobacco campaigns aimed at youth on the internet. I thought it was to be about the discourse on both sides but she really focused on just those videos which meant, as the respondent said, that it was a critique of a critique. It was a basic presentation about the images and what they meant. It could be really cool with the respondents suggestions of problematizing the message more because the speaker seemed to simply focus championing the advertisements.

“Herbal Essences’ ‘Organic’ Campaign” Melissa Marullo, U of Pitt undergrad – Cluster critique – what kind of images showed up most often and what were they doing. She discussed the sexualization of the advertisements and outlined the necessity of the company to do it as it was failing then the company’s hailed success as sales went up. She did a thorough job of outlining the organic elements and linking it to the orgasmic ones. the respondent made a great comment in that we can wonder what the implications are of replacing the male in traditional sex acts with a consumable product. critique that up the wazzo.

“PETA: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals” Phoebe Nixon, U of Pitt undergrad – feminist critique but Alisha and I are wondering how that was. She started out great with some ads for us to look at. She outlined well what a fem crit can be 1. explore the gender construction 2. explore the patriarchy and it’s ability to perpetuate itself or how to reform it. She didn’t seem to do that in the presentation (the paper may be a different story). She said that fem crit is useful with PETA images because feminists align themselves with other oppressed groups. Then the student discussed how the animals are depicted as lesser, helpless and unwanted. but… I don’t know. She didn’t have a reason for why only the ads she showed us. Her reason was because these were the ones that supported her argument. but eh. PETA has gotten into trouble for objectifying women inadvertently when trying to help the animals out in a Catch 22 (not to mention the “pure white” racist issues that may be there too). It would have been awesome to hear what she had to say about that.

They were interesting and very well written presentations. The subject matter was really great! And I applaud these girls for doing the panel. The greatest part about the presentations, for Alisha and I, is that we are right there. What these students worked on is something we can definetly see ourselves doing in terms of quality. So….

The next panel was sponsored by Voices of Diversity and it was so GREAT! for a later post though because Alisha and I are going to the Baltimore Aquarium like right now because it’s only a few blocks away and some shindig is going on with ECA. Lots of thoughts running through my mind. Much worry about the poster session tomorrow. I love having this experience and especially having it with Alisha.

Good Morning, Baltimore!

I’ve a million and one things to do today but this proclamation must be made. Last semester one of my Rhetoric professors suggested that students in his class should submit their final paper to the ECA (Eastern Communication Association) Undergrad poster session.

I did.

I was accepted.

SO exciting!

Anzaldua and I shall travel together to Baltimore in April to my very first academic conference. Albeit, I haven’t heard the most flattering things about academic conferences… excuses to shack up… bureaucratic… boreaucratic… anti intellectual in that the sharing of ideas and intent to hear those that others have is insincere… However I can’t help but feel all grown up now! Somebody important thought my ideas were worth talking about… or at least worth the glue to paste them to a poster and drag them to Baltimore.

Dear Academic World,

I will not let you down.

Regards,

Alia