JOUR 132 Gia Pham

The first Black animator employed at Walt Disney Studios echoes the words of Steve Jobs, advising the youth about the path to success.  Floyd Norman, 85, spoke to a journalism class at San Jose State University on March 22.  "There are no shortcuts. There are no easy ways of doing this. You have to knuckle down and do the work," emphasized Norman. "Work hard. Dream big, work hard. And that's the path to success."  Drawings of various Disney characters like Donald Duck and Pluto serve as Norman's Zoom backdrop.  "Good heavens, the best way to not get old is that don't start acting old."  "[They] made me a Disney legend," Norman smirked. "That means now [they're] stuck with me." "But the key thing is: to make a good picture, and to tell a good story," said Norman. 

"There are no shortcuts. There are no easy ways of doing this. You have to knuckle down and do the work," emphasized Norman. "Work hard. Dream big, work hard. And that's the path to success."  Norman was extremely emphatic to his audience about following dreams and working hard. He had a fairly traditional mindset about how one can achieve anything as long as one works hard and perseveres.  "[They] made me a Disney legend," Norman smirked. "That means now [they're] stuck with me." I found it interesting how Norman loitered the Disney office after they made him retire. I find his "floydering" a bold and quirky move that speaks to his youthful mindset despite being of old age. I also like how this quote made a few of his attendees chuckle. The reader can get a sense of his calm and humbled yet witty personality.  "But the key thing is: to make a good picture, and to tell a good story," said Norman.  I like how this quote...

  Read and evaluate the Ruby Bridges' speaker story and then do the following: 1. Rewrite the lead by paraphrasing one of the quotes from the story. For example: Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges often equates racism to a disease that "festers and grows and spreads." 2. Evaluate how effectively the direct quotes were used in the story. Did the direct quotes reflect colorful or emotional statements made by Bridges? Offer examples. Lead Rewrite: Ruby Bridges,  one of the first Black children to attend New Orleans’ all-white public school system, reflected on her experience with coming face to face with our  " common enemy"  during her Presidential Colloquium at Smith College on Friday, Feb. 2. Quotes Evaluation:  Direct quotes were used well and sparingly throughout the story. The story flowed well. In my opinion, I enjoyed how the author weaved bits of a quote with paraphrases or indirect quotes. I can also almost "hear" Bridges through her quotes as the w...

Disney kept firing you because they thought you were too old to animate. Besides being so passionate about animation, why did you keep trying to work specifically for Disney? What attracted you to the company?  How has your animation style changed over time ? 

1. How has the pandemic impacted your business?  How were you able to stay in businesses during the shutdown? Did you receive aid? Did you make sales online or offer "plant takeout"?  2. What are you looking forward to with the reopening of your shop? 3. "Plants R Us" just reached its 50th year anniversary. As a Black-owned business, what does "Plants R Us" mean to the community? 4. Why do you think people buy plants for their homes and what makes "Plants R Us" a unique spot for someone on that market? 5. What is the one specific plant in your shop that symbolizes the energy/values of your business in times like these?  6. How do you see "Plants R Us" in the future? 

Everyone on the Zoom call exhaled with their right hand on their heart, releasing the tightness in their chests and the turbulence in their minds.  “We don't get to do that very often,” said public speaker and social activist Thea Monyeé during her “Sustaining Joy in the Midst of Social Change” webinar as part of a San Jose State University’s Black History Month Speaker Series.  Monyeé is a self-identified Black woman creative who is also a spiritual healer and licensed marriage and family therapist.  This “heart clearing” exercise is one of Monyeé’s favorite ways to tackle an action-packed day filled with social activism work.  “Ahh I feel so grounded,” expressed SJSU Associated Students Department Manager Diana Victa in the Zoom chat after partaking in the exercise.  Monyeé continued her speech by guiding attendees on bridging their mental health and activism.    “The work of putting your body on the line to face hatred, to face systemic oppression i...

Write at least 150 words or more for the rough draft of your 500-word feature. Include at least one of your three interviews in the rough draft. KEEP in MIND: The rough draft is a work in progress and you will be adding more to the story and improving it for your final draft. With their right hands on their hearts, e veryone on the Zoom call exhaled , releasing the tightness in their chests and the turbulence in their minds.  “We don't get to do that very often,” said public speaker and social activist Thea Monyeé. “Because our lives are structured within the same system that we are trying to tear down.”  This “heart clearing” exercise is one of Monyeé’s favorite ways to tackle an action-packed day filled with social activism work.  Monyeé is a self-identified Black women creative and spiritual healer who guided attendees on bridging mental health in the midst of social change during her webinar on March 2.  “The work of putting your body on the line to face hatred, ...