Day Six

Today was exhilarating. At first.

We were out the door by 8:30am to head out to the workforce center in school vans. Yup, we went on a field trip. Why don't schools in Malaysia approve of field trips? Sometimes, I would've really wanted my younger siblings to have had the opportunity to study in the United States of America! The education systems here are wholesome and covers every aspect; preparing you for the mean world. On that note, let's review a bit on the cultivation theory I studied in my pre-thesis Theories and Criticism class last semester:

George Gerbner coined the Mean World Syndrome. It is is a phenomenon where the violence-related content of mass media convinces viewers that the world is more dangerous than it actually is, and prompts a desire for more protection than is warranted by any actual threat.(Wikipedia.Org)

 And sure, one can argue that a lot of it is exaggerated, however, for someone with disabilities -- like Phanuel and the like, would definitely need assistance in discerning if they're being manipulated or otherwise. So this trip was just wonderful for my class. They learned about what is expected of them, they learned that there are agencies that will teach them their rights as employees with disabilities, and that there are services available to train them in to be able to lead normal, functional lives. Without the huge need of being assisted. So this was definitely huge for them.

It was exciting to observe Tom, already picturing angles and shots at the workforce center, for the videos they would make as a class. He will definitely be heading a lot of our projects throughout this program. Luke, though less dominant than Tom, has a lot of valuable critique and comments as well. It is exciting to watch them brainstorm.

Rob was here today. Today was the first time I heard him talk SO MUCH! It started in the school van and it conitnued. He is slowly getting used to me and all the new faces in class. I'm so glad.