#Cross-Cultural Educational Programs

[nicholasandriani]

Welcome to ‘Learn Play Innovate’ - Navigating the Convergence of Educational Technology, Game Design, and Learning Through Storytelling

Unveiling the Synergy Between Learning, Tech Innovations, and Interactive Design Twitter Patreon GitHub LinkedIn YouTube Introduction: Greetings and a warm welcome to Learn Play Innovate! It’s an exhilarating moment to begin this journey with you, delving into the intricate blend of educational technology (EdTech), game design, and the profound influence of cultural narratives. Allow me to…

[littletism]

🎒✏️🍎 weekend activity for littles! turn your house into a school! 🍎✏️🎒

prepare your schedule the night before! what classes will you do at what time? what order will you do them in? write it down! set alarms on your phone for when each class will be, so you know when to switch!

don’t forget to prepare worksheets, activities, and make sure you know what rooms you’re using! if you have a cg, this job is best suited for them!

class ideas: math, spelling, writing, social studies/history, science, art, music, etc!

“downtime” class ideas: naptime, free time, movie time, free draw, computer lab, play time

wake up bright and early! get dressed, brush your teeth, brush your hair, and get your school supplies! go into the room that you’ve designated as your classroom!

if you have a cg, have them be your teacher for the day! if you don’t have one, that’s okay! you can do all of this by yourself pretty easily.

if the room has a closet, use that as your cubby! hang up your bag and any other belongings in it!

get ready for your school day! sit down on the floor like you would in a preschool or kindergarten classroom, and get ready to learn!

ideas on what to do for each class under the cut (to avoid this post being way too long!)

math

print out some math worksheets (or download and do them digitally, bonus points if it’s on a tablet with a stylus for extra realism!) and work on them! do whatever level of math is most accessible to you!

count stuff! count your toys, blocks, stuffies, anything! make problems and equations by taking away items, adding items, dividing items, etc and solve them!

play math games! multiplication .com has a lot of accessible math games, or you can use the flashpoint program to play math games from your favorite tv shows!

ELA

print/download handwriting practice sheets and practice writing your letters!

if you have a cg with you, have them read a book out loud to you! make sure to pay attention, and be prepared to write about what was just read to you!

read your favorite book, and create a book report based on it with pictures and decorations!

do spelling worksheets and exercises!

social studies

practice geography by identifying states or countries on an unlabeled map! start with your own country, then move on to other countries to make it more challenging!

learn about history by watching educational history cartoons!

do a cultural interview! find someone in your life whether it be a friend, a partner, or a family member and interview them about their heritage and culture! if you can’t find someone, write about your own culture!

science

use a store bought science kit and play around with it! write down everything you’ve learned.

make slime or oobleck! there’s countless recipes online that teach you how to make them! they’re both super easy to make.

draw a diagram of our solar system! label the planets properly and write one fact about each one!

art

draw your family! could be your biological or found family!

finger paint!

watercolor paint!

make pottery out of clay or play doh!

make a collage of your favorite things! print out pictures of stuff you like and glue it to a piece of paper!

music

sing along to your favorite songs! pull up sing-along versions of songs from disney movies or karaoke versions of your favorite songs!

if you have any kind of instrument, play it! try to play simple songs on it like mary had a little lamb or hot cross buns!

if you’re regressed a bit older, study sheet music! teach yourself what all the symbols mean!

nap time

take a 30 minute break to nap, or just lay down and rest! put on a soft lullaby or a quiet song you really like.

to make it more “school-like”, nap on the floor! preferably on a fluffy rug or mat, so it isn’t uncomfortable or bad for your back! lay out your favorite blanket, pillow, stuffie, and hit the hay!

play time / free time

just play!!! have fun and play with your toys, your stuffies, play dress up, etc!

if it’s nice outside, go play outside!

draw a picture!

read your favorite book!

if you’re an over-achiever, do some more worksheets!

computer lab

go on your computer or laptop if you have one, and play some educational games, watch educational videos, etc!

when you’ve done an adequate amount of learning, you earn free time! use this to play any fun game you want! (minecraft, roblox, animal jam, fun flash games, etc!)

field trips

(may require a cg if you can’t take yourself places when small!)

take a trip to a museum!

go to the library! find a cool book you find interesting and read it!

take a walk around town! write down all the interesting things you find in nature like animals, bugs, plants, etc!

end of the day

when your “school day” ends, have your cg grade how you did! if you don’t have a cg, grade yourself! but be honest, of course. if you get a good grade, you’ll get a reward!

i know this is elaborate and may seem silly, but i’ve heard a lot of littles say an elementary school environment would be really beneficial to them! i hope this helps some of you who are yearning for that!

[lapsed-bookworm]

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I’ve run into some of these organizations as places to donate, and it's fine for my followers to share other lists that have gone around. (I'm not going to be offended.) This is version three with some organizations that include long-term goals of Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and peace in addition to the initial organizations offering emergency aid. Organizations are listed alphabetically.

Alliance for Middle East Peace

ALLMEP is a coalition of over 160 organizations—and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis—building cooperation, justice, equality, shared society, mutual understanding, and peace among their communities. We add stability in times of crisis, foster cooperation that increases impact, and build an environment conducive to peace over the long term. (Even if you're not really keen on supporting AllMEP itself, searching Member Organizations may also be a way to find organizations based on sectors - environment, women, youth, etc. - or type - Palestinian, Cross Border, or Shared Society.)

American Friends of Magen David Adom

The most common way I’ve seen recommendations for USAmericans to donate to Magen David Adom. (Additional Friends Societies are on Magen David Adom’s site for other countries.)

As a fully-fledged member of the International Red Cross / Red Crescent, Magen David Adom serves as the Israeli Red Cross organization.

Anera

Anera, which has no political or religious affiliation, works on the ground with partners in Palestine (West Bank and Gaza), Lebanon and Jordan. We mobilize resources for immediate emergency relief and for sustainable, long-term health, education, and economic development. Our staff serve in their communities, navigating the politics that constrict progress to get help where it’s needed most.

A Land For All

A Land for All is a shared movement of Israelis and Palestinians who believe that the way towards peace, security and stability for all passes through two independent states, Israel and Palestine, within a joint framework allowing both peoples to live together and apart.

Doctors Without Border/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

An independent organization “focused on delivering emergency medical humanitarian aid quickly, effectively, and impartially.” This link goes to the Palestinian Territories section.

Friends of Roots

We are a network of local Palestinians and Israelis [in the West Bank] who have come to see each other as the partners we both need to make changes to end our conflict. Based on a mutual recognition of each People's connection to the Land, we are developing understanding and solidarity despite our ideological differences. Ongoing Initiatives include interreligious exchange, a women's group, partnership lectures, a children's summer camp, youth group, after school program, incident response team, and community de-escalators.

Hand in Hand

Hand in Hand is building inclusion and equality between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel through a growing network of bilingual, integrated schools and communities. [...] The curricula in Hand in Hand’s schools are based on values that reflect both cultures and languages, oriented in multiculturalism and shared and equal citizenship. In our bilingual educational model, Hebrew and Arabic have equal status, as do both cultures and national narratives. Our thousands-strong adult community members come together year-round in celebration, solidarity, and dialogue. These community activities are geared towards parents, staff, and other active citizens who are interested in taking part in a shared community. We believe it is not apt to place the burden of creating a shared future on the shoulders of our children. We, the adults, must lead the way. These community activities are an inseparable part of our work towards building a shared society.

MAUSA - Muslim Aid USA

An international charity that provides assistance from natural disasters and conflict. They have a specific Palestine Emergency page.

Mrs Najah’s Kitchen

Emergency food relief in Gaza.

Off The Grid Missions

Off-The-Grid Missions (OTG) is a global humanitarian aid organization filling the gap in disaster-response by providing Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people with critical life-saving resources in high-risk and disaster-stricken regions around the world.

Depending on the mission, aid can include assistance with evacuations, providing food, solar lighting and emergency electric sources, and assisting with alternatives to sound based warning systems. (Assistance with Deaf and Hard-of-hearing individuals in Palestine and Israel has been mentioned on quickly updated social media sites, like Facebook.)

Palestine Red Crescent Society

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) is an officially recognized independent Palestinian National Society. It is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Standing Together

Standing Together is a grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel in pursuit of peace, equality, and social and climate justice. We organize protests across the country demanding economic equality, climate justice, and an end to the occupation. We hold workshops on grassroots power, organize get-out-the-vote campaigns, and run candidates for student union elections [related to university chapters]. Our alternative media outlet, Rosa Media, produces Hebrew and Arabic podcasts highlighting underrepresented political stories and perspectives from across Israeli society. We maintain a robust presence in Israeli social media – combatting extremist voices and advancing hope.

Women Wage Peace

Women Wage Peace is a broad, politically unaffiliated movement, which is acting to prevent the next war and to promote a non-violent, respectful, and mutually accepted solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the active participation of women through all stages of negotiations.

World Central Kitchen

World Central Kitchen is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.

They have response teams and partners in Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt.

Charity Navigator page for additional organizations for the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Posted: 5 February 2024. (Link to Version 2.)

[submalevolentgrace]

for pretty much my entire life we have been locking up refugees in UN-certified human-rights-violating "offshore detention" camps for the heinous crime of daring to try and flee from death and worse, often from wars-on-terror we've helped wage, and have very much done highly decorated war crimes in. we hold them in conditions so bad that war-fleeing refugees have sown their mouths shut, tried to starve themselves, even children trying to kill themselves to escape what we're doing to them. WE are doing. because in my boots on the ground activism days i tried to fight the government on this, and the fact is, the australian public on the whole doesn't give a shit about us torturing refugee kids, half the country is in support of it, so the government gets a free pass no matter which side is in power. from howard to rudd to gillard to rudd to abbott to turnbull to morison to albanese, we lock up and torture refugees. the UN anti-torture inspectors aren't allowed to visit. the camps are run by a private USA prison contractor now.

and it's not like we can't organise a protest! we'll barricade MP's offices because of something an ally-in-law country is doing that we condemn, but when the blood is on our hands we don't wanna know, don't wanna fight, don't wanna admit. and albanese gets up there and says those barricades have "crossed a line", "there's no place for violence like this in our democracy", he says. you know where there is an implicit place for violence, apparently? cops beating indigenous kids to death on camera, the australian people are fine with that apparently. happens all the time. better have a curfew so those kids don't get too rowdy about it!

oh and the CIA agents and US soldiers we welcomed here to supposedly defend us, they rape a bunch of women and children, mostly also indigenous? better get ASIO and the AFP to monitor the population for anti-american sentiment, local cops do it plenty too and we can't stand up to the USA, we're about to go to war with our biggest economic trading partner on their behalf, the troop buildup locations have already been announced! sweep it under the rug little aussies, scrub it from your memory, who cares about raped children anyway? not worth protesting, apparently.

we are right in the middle of the asia-pacific, with loosely speaking about a 5th of the population ethnically or culturally asian, and they are absolutely terrified of speaking out about how many hate crimes they suffer constantly, because the other 80% of the population is more culturally invested in american politics than the fact that labor considers pauline hanson an ally. i don't blame the 20% getting hatecrimed for being scared to speak up, i sure as fuck blame the rest of us for not protecting them, and for doing those hate crimes. "wE'rE a MuLtIcUlTuRaL sOcIeTy!! nO rAcIsM hErE!!", but we'll organise citywide marches in the middle of a pandemic if a black american kid gets killed over there, and then tell blak people they're spelling it wrong.

then we flood the region with our white-bleached propaganda and "culture", to control smaller governments and and lure the people of the region here for our economic benefit; the wealthy as fodder to fund the education complex, and the poor to work below-minimum-wage-slavery "jobs programs" on our great proud aussie battler family run farms.

it's all out in the open. the torture, the murder, the rape, the hate crimes, the technically-it's-legally-distinct-from-slavery, it's all known, all reported regularly on the news, endlessly, cyclically, every few months or years, for my whole life. fuck knows what else we're doing and i don't know about because pine gap prevents it from reaching english language news.

i know the internet zeitgeist really only cares about the single latest trending topic to happen, so you're wondering what that is to make me react enraged and ashamed; but it's everything. i haven't even scratched the surface, just ranting off the top of my head.

every day i carry the shame of what a disgusting violent colony nation this is; to the people who consider themselves australian, to the people here before the nation and their descendants, to the people surrounding us now. i carry the guilt of failure to stop it, and casual complicity of having given up the fight because i couldn't handle it. i think that's what most activists do here, give up in shame, because activists aren't fighting the government - we have one of the most free and open democracies in the world, and the spineless cowards in charge absolutely will do what the populace whims of them - activists here are fighting the cruel and apathetic average australian, who either don't care, or active condone it all. we have the blood of this country on our hands.

so.

what has australia done now?

it's fucken wednesday, mates. nothing new.

[pcisin]

𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐆𝐎; a couple had a dream. A dream where humans and non-humans alike would one day live in peace as they themselves were cross-race lovers. The husband a non-human, the wife, human. Together they wanted to share their warm welcomes to both races alike; however the public did not share their sentiment.

They fought tooth, nail and claw, not even one to give up. They had their own family as well, but of course, that only angered the people. Their child treated with so much hate yet their parents still loved them.

𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 passed and the couple had grown old; little has improved but there was still hope for the future. Now their son is grown; even the son wishes to help their parents achieve such future. It was all coming together slowly; centuries has changed and the views between human and non-human has as well. Of course some do not believe in this peace between the races, but majority has welcomed them.

It is the only location in which both races are given a warm welcome as the surroundings do not.

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 the family had pushed for their agenda; they had realized this location would not budge; so they had built their own country, started everything from scratch. They shared news, spread it everywhere for those who wishes to seek refuge in their land.

And soon they saw the light in their future. That is how now, the land they had built is now called “Wisteria” became the most welcoming and loving place around. It was named after their family name and those who resides here shows their love and appreciation for what the family has done.

𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐘 have come to visit; many have chosen to stay. Many have heard such amazing things of Wisteria. From its culture to its education. The number one university is called Wisteria University. It is the first university built and has hold many history.

The entrance exam is quite difficult and many have strive to enter. They offer many programs and education. The Wisteria University also is funded by the government, so students will not be struggling with debt. After all, Wisteria wishes for everyone who resides here to be able to relax and to live in peace.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

#WISTERIAUNIVERSITY:   a multi-fandom discord rp server.   University modern themed.  SFW .  NSFW may be present .  21+  only  minors  are not allowed.  .  uses apps such as tupperbox & carl-bot,  accepting  OCs. no duplicates allowed.

                         [     est. 05/24 .     ]  .

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

𝐀  𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘  𝐈𝐍: education, monsters, humans, peace, unity, Wisteria, family, history, dreams, goals, independence, happiness, love .

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 reach out if interested!

[savvylittlecoxswain]

Have you ever seen those videos where the college grads are showing off a million stoles and cords and medals? That’s Bobby.

He was involved with the following organizations and activities per the UW yearbook his senior year:

Phi Gamma Delta aka FIJI

A social fraternity whose members attend university with the foremost goal of receiving an education, and that Phi Gamma Delta is a fraternity that promotes scholastic achievement amongst its members. Its mission statement lists five core values for its members: friendship, knowledge, service, morality, and excellence.

Oval Club

The Oval Club, formed in 1907, was an organization affiliated with the University of Washington. Its purpose was to promote student unity and cooperation, develop cultural leaders and preserve traditions of the University of Washington.

Big “W” Club (for Crew)

The Big W Club is a special organization that helps University of Washington letter-winners stay connected to their alma mater. Big W Club members retain the spirit and pride of being a Husky by taking part in exclusive gatherings and events, like hanging out at informal happy hours or reconnecting at the biannual Hall of Fame induction or team reunions. Membership is automatic when you receive your first varsity letter.

Minor “W” Club (for Fencing)

Membership in the Minor "W" Club is dependent upon participation in some University minor sport. Men who participate in wrestling, swim-ming, golf, fencing, cross-country, ice-hockey and rifle are awarded the small "Circle W."

Beta Gamma Sigma (Sr. Yr. - Treasurer)

An International Honor Society Serving Business Programs. Its mission is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business and professional excellence in the practice of business. Membership in this honor society is by invitation only and is very prestigious as BGS invites only the upper 10% of the upperclassman undergraduate classes. An invitation to become a member in BGS is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive.

Alpha Kappa Psi

A business fraternity with the goal to bring together students who share an interest in business and provide them with opportunities to learn and grow through professional development, philanthropy, social events, and more.

Rho Sigma Chi

A social fraternity that believes a principle-driven lifestyle should be paramount in an individual’s lifelong quest to achieve progressive development, and that the world has a great need for ethical leaders whose core principles were based on the possession of remarkable character. Their goal is to enhance the leadership abilities of men by refining their character through the framework of Friendship, Justice and Learning — our three guiding principles.

Varsity Boat Club (Sr. Yr. - Manager)

A platform and guide for the men and women of Washington Rowing, collectively encouraging the values of hard work, team before self, and personal improvement. All men and women participants at Washington are eligible for membership after rowing four quarters.

Not listed:

Schaller Scholarship Plaque Recipient

Awarded to crew member with the highest grades on the team. Bobby Moch won this award all three years he was on crew.

Phi Beta Kappa Key Holder

The Phi Beta Kappa is “America’s Most Prestigious Academic Honor Society.” It was founded in 1776 and aimed to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, and to induct outstanding students of arts and sciences at select American colleges and universities. Fewer than 10% of US colleges and universities have Phi Betta Kappa chapters and these chapters select less than 10% of their arts and sciences graduates to join.

[canmom]

Animation Night 169: Sex. 2.

So. Storytime.

Two years ago, we had a joke. "We should totally show some hentai on Animation Night 69." we said. Having said that, we were honour-bound to totally commit to the bit. Teaming up with @mogsk, I wrote a massive post on sexuality in animation and the history of 'hentai', from the hentai seiyoku discussed in 20th-century sexology journals to the modern subcultural kaleidoscope.

It is, genuinely, one of my favourite posts I ever wrote in this project. It's definitely not perfect - the sections on BL and the lolicon boom are especially weak, but still! There's no way I'm beating that.

Mogs, meanwhile assembled a perfectly pitched playlist of animation dealing with the theme of sexuality, from classic oldschool BL like Kaze to Ki no Uta to charming little comedies like Oruchuban Ebichu, and a scattering of actual h-anime like Weather Report Girl. For my part, I led with the genuinely classic film Kanashimi no Belladonna (Belladonna of Sadness).

So somehow - somehow! - we managed to make the idea of getting together with your online friends to watch a bunch of anime about sex just... plain fun and uplifting, to the point that @footsteps-on-the-dance-floor will tell me years later how much she enjoyed it. Not to mention, we got a pretty good cross-section of the different dimensions of sexuality in animation as well!

I didn't even get banned on Twitch.

This week, the counter has drawn the sex number. So can we do it again? Well, my friends, we're gonna try~ Tonight, @mogsk and canmom present: the long-awaited sequel to sex. Sex, 2.

This time we're narrowing our focus a bit. One of the distinctive elements of eromanga, by the analysis of Kimi Rito in The History of Hentai Manga, is how particular images get encoded as signs that can be reused by other mangaka, and these signs can become the seed for particular subgenres. So, our selection tonight is in part designed to give a brief cross-section of some of these visual tropes.

So let me introduce you to our program. CWs: sex, obviously; also a couple of these films (Cleopatra, Parade Parade) cw for rape. Here's the programme, read on for brief descriptions of each item and a lil cultural context~!

Cleopatra (1970) - oldschool Tezuka weirdness

Boku no Sexual Harassment (1994-5) - 90s salaryman BL

Interspecies Reviewers (2020) - monstergirl sex comedy, and an instance of the trend of recent cable TV h-anime

Agent Aika (1997-9) - panty shots to the most ludicrous degree

Comical Psychosomatic Medicine (2015) - ONA comedy framed as fetish education

Parade Parade (1996) - futanari + yuri

Golden Boy (1995-6) - 90s sakuga and a classic comedy

Queen's Blade (2009) - kyonyuu

Colorful (1999) - panty-centric comedy skits

after that: if you still have energy, I might take requests~

[n.b. a lot of these are TV series - we will only really be getting a 1-2 episode sample of each one, for runtime's sake.]

Cleopatra (クレオパトラ), 1970

Last time we led with certified classic, genuinely moving and good as hell film Belladonna of Sadness. This was part of a last gambit by the struggling Mushi Productions, the studio of Osamu Tezuka, credited with inventing TV anime back in the day with Astro Boy. Long before there would be such a thing as an h-anime subculture, Tezuka experimented with creating erotic animated films based on history and mythology.

Belladonna is the best remembered of the three, and with good reason. Tezuka was largely not involved by this point. The others, though... are some plain fucking weird movies, I'll tell you that much. So tonight we'll be watching Cleopatra (1970). I may have shown you the trailer before - this is the Caesar trampoline movie. That is only the beginning.

I recently finished reading Osamu Tezuka's manga Ayako, written in 1972-1973 - not long after this movie, actually, during Tezuka's gekiga phase. I'm sure it's common knowledge by now, but Tezuka was one horny old guy! Ayako has all manner of skulduggery: incest, murder, gangster stuff, more murder, etc., but the core story is about a girl who is imprisoned in an underground cell for 20-some years by the machinations of her family. As she grows up, she ends up in an incestuous relationship with her protective brother - and once she finally escapes, she is highly agoraphobic but also throws herself at nearly every man she meets.

It's very much a story of the sins of the past echoing down into the future, shot though with post-war history and gangster movies, but its central fixation is the figure of Ayako herself: the soft cloistered object of obsession and attraction. Whether they want to protect Ayako, seek absolution from her, fuck her, or exploit her.

But it's also in places a really wacky manga, with a lot of very comical contrivances or hyper-cartoonish panels with extreme squash and stretch. It's a completely different way of displaying action.

I think this gives me a sense of the sort of wavelength Tezuka was on when he draws a scene where Cleopatra is tied down by stakes and a bunch of guys line up to rape her while she shouts at them defiantly. It's all very theatrical, a huge contrast to the much more internally oriented Belladonna. Just a plain strange movie, but it's one I've been fascinated to watch for ages.

Whatever we make of Cleopatra, we'll jump into the program that Mogs drew up! Once again she's come through magnificently.

My Sexual Harassment (僕のセクシャルハラスメント), 1995-6

Our next act is some old school yaoi! One day I'll get to do that big effortpost on the history of BL, but not this day. In any case, Boku no Sexual Harassment is an OVA from the mid 90s about a young man called Junya Mochizuki trying to fuck his way up the company ranks for the sake of himself and his partner Kazunori Honma. In particular, he has an affair with his boss, Mr. Honma, running across the whole OVA.

This is perhaps best known for an infamous scene involving corn. It's here as a window into this period of BL - not quite as high-mindedly aesthetic as its 80s predecessors, and with its erotic focus being on like... 90s salarymen, which is quite a specific thing!

Interspecies Reviewers (異種族レビュアーズ), 2020

Next, a series which has the dubious distinction of proving too steamy for Crunchyroll. Interspecies Reviewers enters the general milieu of modern videogame-inflected fantasy anime, a comedy dancing along the line of whether it's too overtly porn to air on TV. The story tells of a group of fantasy characters who are the clients of monstergirl sex workers, hoping to encounter as many different species as possible. This is a frame device for a series of episodes focused around what it would be like to have sex with various kinds of monstergirl.

This is an example of a recent trend in TV anime, namely very overtly sexual cable TV anime such as High School DxD, which have in a way come to fill the gap left by OVAs. This is a niche that also includes the likes of Goblin Slayer and Redo of Healer. In contrast to those series' "big grimdark plot with a side of rape" approach, Reviewers is light-hearted fantasy sex comedy mixed with (if you live in China) a certain amount of actual porn, which fansubbers have kindly spliced back in to the censored release for us.

Agent Aika (AIKa), 1997-9

The panty shot is one of the more popular visual tropes in eromanga, to the point that Even a Monkey Can Draw Manga dedicates a whole two page spread to the history of the trope. (Surprisingly, I can't find any more substantial account in Kimi Rito's History of Hentai Manga).

You'll see it often enough in anime, overtly or subtly, and certainly in the early works of Katsuhiko Nishijima, who debuted in 1986 with Project A-ko, a classic Kanada-inflected OVA that still bears signs of its hentai roots. But there is nothing that takes the panty shot to the same extreme as Agent Aika (1997). The degree to which the camera in this action anime contrives to show panties at a machinegun rate... it crosses over into a level where it feels less like outright fetish material and more like experimental art.

This is a series that is only coherent through the erotic focus. And yet, it's not generally categorised as porn. Nobody actually fucks. Lines are very arbitrary...

Comical Psychosomatic Medicine (アニメで分かる心療内科), 2015

This ONA adapts a gag manga series themed around the idea of an education series on fetishes, paraphilias, and so on - not so different in concept from Peepoodoo and the Super Fuck Friends, from the sound of it! The ONA is produced by Shin-Ei Animation, a venerable studio known for beloved characters like Doraemon; it's a bunch of five minute bite-sized chunks which I plan to sprinkle in between the other stuff we watch as a palate cleanser.

Parade Parade (パレードパレード), 1996

Having warmed you up sufficiently, this is the point in the evening where we pull out the futa porn.

Parade Parade is an OVA by the studio Pink Pineapple, one of the giants of the 90s erotic OVA scene - I wrote about them a bit last time. It's a relatively "tasteful" example of the futanari (二形) trope, literally 'two forms', referring to basically a character with a mostly cis woman-typical body except for a penis (generally in addition to a vulva), which she will typically use in penetrative sex. This is typically represented as either the result of magic, an intersex condition, or just a fantasy world where it's not unusual.

Depending on your subcultural corner, this might be further distinguished from other niche variants of dickgirl (e.g. a futa must have both sets of genitals).

In anime and manga, the futa trope apparently traces back to the introduction of American trans porn magazines to Japan, inspiring mangaka such as Kitamimaki Kei to start drawing futanari characters. Futanari manga first spread through dōjinshi in the 80s, and became popular in eromanga in the 90s, before circling back to the West. So actually yeah I guess this one is on us trans girls! I always assumed it was like, an independent invention. The more you know...

Here we have succesful idol Kaori, who's secretly intersex - and only her girlfriend Yuko knows. She's very careful to let nobody know, for the sake of her career, but a rival lesbian idol is about to find out...

Golden Boy (1995-6)

Now here is a true classic.

Golden Boy is a comedy series about a wanderer named Kintaro, who dropped out of uni to travel around Japan getting into sexual escapades. Each episode, he runs into someone and hopefully falls for them while coming across as an idiot pervert, but gradually reveals that he's actually a decent and resourceful guy - and yet, having found love, there will always be a reason he must move on. A setup to hang all sorts of plots, carried by some honestly unreasonably impressive animation from the realist school, most notably Mitsuo Iso. It's just... very very well done.

The above clip did the rounds on here a while ago (I think maybe the dubbed version), and we will indeed be watching episode 4 to put that in context.

Queen's Blade (2009)

So this is a studio ARMS OVA - the guys who did stuff like Mezzo Forte with Yasuomi Umetsu - a fantasy story about a warrior tournament. But for our purposes it's standing in for the 巨乳 kyonyuu subgenre - meaning 'huge boobs'. So if you wanna do the meme in Japanese, that's the word you need.

This has a rather specific history in eromanga, recounted by Kimi Rito in The History of Hentai Manga. Per Rito, the popularity of the term dates back specifically to 1989, where it was used to promote porn star Kimiko Matsuzaka, as well as Western gravure porn magazines. Gradually displacing other terms like 'D-cup', the onomatopoeic ボイン boin and portmanteau デカパイdekapai, kyonyuu soon became cemented as the term for a type of character design. It grew in popularity in the space opened up by the bishōjo genre established by the lolicon boom.

So under the pen of mangaka like Kei Keitamimaki (him again!), designs with massively exaggerated boobs became very popular, defining a subgenre of their own. Artists would sometimes express anxiety over whether they would be 'allowed' to draw such extreme designs, but it became widespread in seinen magazines. Gradually, these genre boundaries dissolved and boob size started to become a symbol of characterisation.

Queen's Blade is a fairly longrunning series but as far as I understand, it's broadly a silly ecchi anime about women with very large boobs fighting to become queen. It's not the most comical example of this trope necessarily (nothing can really beat High School of the Dead's supersonic bullet dodging tits) but it's pretty up there.

Colorful, 1999

Colorful is a comedy series of brief (~7 minute) skits about boys trying to see panties and suffering many consequences. As a late 90s anime it's got some interesting stylstic Y2K stuff - look at that rotoscope clip! - as well as strong animation from people like Norio Matsumoto of Naruto fame.

So!

Mogs's encylopedic knowledge of weird obscure horny anime once again coming to the rescue: I'm fascinated to see where this night will take us. And whether I'll still have a Twitch account tomorrow.

I realise this is a much later start than we'd like with such a big programme, but I hope you will come join me for some weirdly educational sexy animation! Dip in and out or stay for the whole programme, the choice is yours - see you at twitch.tv/canmom, going live now, programme starts in about 30 minutes at 22:30 UK time!

Animation Night 169 is gonna be a little postponed - we'll be going at 7pm UK time on Tuesday (29 August) at twitch.tv/canmom! Hope to see you there! I will try to write a little more interesting info as we lead up to that~

[uwmspeccoll]

It’s Feral Friday! 

This week we’re highlighting Petroglyphs, a chapbook of poems by Shawnee/Cayuga poet and indigenous activist Barney Bush (1944–2021). This 96-page edition was published in Greenfield Center, New York by Greenfield Review Press in 1982 and features drawings by Meenjit Tatsii (b. 1954). 

Greenfield Review Press was founded in 1970 by Abenaki writer (and current poet laureate of Saratoga Springs, NY) Joseph Bruchac (b. 1942) and his wife Carol Bruchac (1942-2011). While the Greenfield Review, a cross-cultural magazine featuring poetry and storytelling, ended its run in 1987, the press grew into a non-profit multicultural publisher with the mission of “giving voice to marginalized peoples by amplifying their wisdom, stories, and experiences”. Since its inception, the press has released over 150 books and anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction (25 of which are in our collection).  

In addition to his work as a writer, Barney Bush was a musician and spoken word performer. He was also an educator who was instrumental in the establishment of the Institute of the Southern Plains (a Cheyenne Indian school located in Oklahoma) as well as the development of numerous university-level Native American studies programs. 

Meenjit Tatsii (also known as Christy Vezolles) is an artist, writer, educator, art appraiser & collector, and a member of the Shawnee Nation United Remnant Band. She began her professional work as the illustrator and traditional crafts columnist for her tribal newspaper (TOSAN) in 1976. Her work (which includes drawing, printmaking, beadwork, leatherwork, and pottery) has been exhibited nationally.   

--Ana, Special Collections Graduate Intern 

View more Feral Friday posts.

View more Native American literature posts.

View more Greenfield Review Press posts.

View more Joseph Bruchac posts. 

[verdantcrimson]

Heaven and Earth / Creation of Heaven and Earth - 2

(Unproofread)

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[An hour later, a discussion room in the RhythmLink office.]

Souma: Kiryu-dono, I have made some tea for you. Here.

Kuro: Thanks. I’m parched, all that studyin’ was more exhaustin’ than a workout.

Souma: Fufu. Once again, thank you for your hard work…♪

Souma: However, Hasumi-dono has been involved in discussions for quite a while now. We had merely come here to accept the job offer to host ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’.

Souma: From what I could see, he has been talking to the higher-ups with a rather terse expression.

Kuro: Maybe they’re sayin’ somethin’ like “Actually, we changed our minds, we don't wanna give you youngsters this job”.

Kuro: I’m worried about him, cause if somethin’ like that is happenin’, he’s gonna be all stubborn and pushy about it. It’d be better if we didn’t piss off the higher-ups and have them turn on us.

Kuro: I know Hasumi always has a lot on his mind, but I’d personally prefer he just drop it instead of gettin’ in trouble with the agency.

Souma: Fufu. It seems as though Kiryu-dono is truly determined not to study.

Kuro: I just don't understand people that actually like studyin’. You seem to enjoy it a bunch though, Kanzaki.

Souma: I believe that the accumulation of knowledge is similar to training one's muscles or mastery of an art.

Souma: The difference simply lies in the fact that what is being exercised is the brain, rather than the body.

Kuro: The thought of trainin’ my brain never crossed my mind, cause I never really needed it.

Kuro: But well, just like trainin’ your body, it's not really useful in today's peaceful world. Bein’ good at beatin’ people up doesn't matter in this day and age.

Souma: Umu. Neither knowledge, nor martial arts, are strictly necessary to live in the modern world.

Souma: However, that is largely the reason that grants it significance.

Souma: Which makes one wonder, would it really be ‘correct’ to simply forgo it?

Souma: Humans are the only animals on this planet with a ‘culture’. We do not subsist solely on food.

Souma: Isn't the very fact that we have lived while partaking in such unnecessary behaviors what makes humanity valuable?

Kuro: Seems like you're thinkin’ about some seriously deep stuff, Kanzaki.

Souma: Yes. And I am speaking quite seriously, so I would appreciate for you to listen seriously.

Keito: —Sorry for the delay. I had expected this to be a short and easy conversation.

Keito: There was a surprising amount of confusion and contention. How incorrigible.

Kuro: Use words an idiot can understand. Cuntenshi- What's that?

Keito: Simply put, the agency has just revealed quite a few troublesome things just now.

Keito: If we are to take on the job of hosting ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’, we have to fulfill a set of conditions presented to us—

Souma: What…? Were they not the ones that approached us in the first place? It does leave an acrid taste in one's mouth to have it be revealed to one that the job they are on the cusp of undertaking covertly has strings attached.

Kuro: I'd appreciate if ya spoke in plain Japanese for once, Kanzaki. Well, I've known ya long enough that I can pretty much understand what you're sayin’ through vibes.

Kuro: So basically, the agency is bein’ an unreasonable pain again, right?

Keito: I wouldn't necessarily call this particular case unreasonable. Since ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ is such a long-running show, there are more involved parties than in other shows.

Souma: By involved parties, you mean to say?

Keito: If I were to specify, it's that ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’ is a program produced with the support and opinion of actual historians.

Keito: Which sounds about right. Since it's an educational history show, it goes without saying that they would create it with the support of major authorities in the field.

Kuro: Oh so It's like if ya wanted to open a food stall, how that territory's established yakuza gang would say “ya gotta pay a protection fee to open up shop!”

Souma: Kiryu-dono, being Kiryu-dono, often speaks in a manner difficult for me to comprehend.

Keito: You don't have to go and learn that strange Kiryu-nese (?) language.

Keito: Anyways. Though we aren't being asked to pay a ‘protection fee’ of any sort—

Keito: I was told that in order to become the hosts of this show, we had to gain the recognition of the show's advisors.

Keito: Even if we, and the agency, feel like we're up to the task, the show won't succeed unless the advisors approve of it.

Keito: They said that without their approval, the show would be unfit to air.

Keito: So that's why, we have to travel around to seek the approval of those advisors— A group of historians known as the ‘Three Sages’.

Keito: We must have these ‘Three Sages’ endorse us as suitable hosts for ‘Rumbling Heaven and Earth’.

Kuro: They're called the ‘Three Sages’ huh… Doesn't it sound like somethin’ from a video game or manga?

Keito: That’s a rather interesting way to put it. Well, it is similar to your standard RPG storyline. Like when they say you must collect these five crystals to restore peace in the land.

Keito: It sounds ridiculous, but this is a crucial step. It's a journey we must go on in order to reach a brighter future.

Keito: In order for our protagonists to embark on their journey, they must first be recognized as heroes by a higher power. That’s how the story goes.

Kuro: And to do that, we gotta collect proof of our heroic deeds.

Kuro: Got it. If that's what we need, let's go and get it. Sounds a whole lot more fun that bein’ stuck at a desk and groanin’ over textbooks.

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[thenightfolknetwork]

Hello! I'm a big fan of your network and I find your advice very soothing after a long day of studying. I was wondering if you can help ease some worries I have about a future career? I'm from the states, and I'm entering into my final year of college. I'm planning on becoming a teacher for middle school (unfortunately I'm unsure of what you call it overseas where you are? I want to teach the age range of around 12-13 year olds. My apologies). I've really enjoyed the program so far! I've made quite a few creature friends entering into the career as well, both in and out of my genus. Unfortunately, there's some harmful fear-mongering and stereotypes surrounding my genus, specifically with regards to kids? And they're just the most ridiculous, too? Like, these people think I'm gonna kidnap their kid and pull them to the nearest lake and drown them! Seriously.

Regardless, I'm rather worried about how they could affect me in my future career. I'm not very good at ignoring how people perceive me. While I was working as a lifeguard over the summer, I felt very on-edge and hyper aware of every sapio who looked at me funny. Even though many of these stereotypes are easily disputable, I've still seen quite a few articles spreading this misinformation alongside a wider surge of similar misinformation regarding other genuses. I guess my question is, how do I cope with this?

I'm sorry you're having to cope with this kind of prejudice, reader. Liminal culture in the United States is not – obviously – my area of expertise. That said, we certainly have our fair share of bigotry and anti-creature sentiment here in the UK, so I have high hopes I'll be able to help, at least a little.

The first thing I would stress to you is that it is far easier to be vocal in the name of hate than acceptance, and that venom and vitriol will sell more newspapers (or garner more clicks, as the case may be) than open-mindedness and a live-and-let-live attitude.

Do not mistake the loudest voices for the largest population. Very often, they have been artificially amplified by a media industry that knows the selling power of outrage.

Besides which, people are not generally speaking inclined to march in the streets and wave home-made placards at news cameras for the sake of telling the world, “This is an issue I have no strong feelings about.”

I don't think you should be trying to ignore this issue. But you need to be able to see it for what it is – a loud, vocal minority whose success is due more to the passive silence of the majority than any truth or charisma on their part.

After all, their beliefs are patently absurd! The world is full of aquatic creatures who manage to go their entire lives without drowning anyone – or at least, nobody who didn't deserve it.

Rather than ignoring these people, I think it would be healthier and more fulfilling for you to actively seek out ways to counter their ridiculous narrative.

Look into opportunities to get involved with cross-community education projects. Make your classroom an explicitly creature-friendly space. Support the children you teach and their families to learn more about liminal folk.

In short, let your own liminal life stand as example of the good that can come from mixed genus communities.

There will always be people out there determined to believe the worst of anyone they consider to be the “other”.

But with time, energy, and kindness, we can build a world where they are seen and understood for what they are – small-minded bigots more interested in making themselves feel important than in building any kind of lasting, healthy community.

And if they really get up your nose, remember: you can always drown them.

[For more creaturely advice, check out Monstrous Agonies on your podcast platform of choice, or visit monstrousproductions.org for more info]

[haggishlyhagging]

The increase in illiteracy among the urban poor in the United States is consonant with a new rise in overt racism and contempt for the poor. The illiteracy is programmed into the system: an intelligent child can go to school and not be taught how to read or write. When the educational system abandons reading and writing for particular subgroups, it abandons human dignity for those groups: it becomes strictly custodial, keeping the animals penned in; it does not bring human life to human beings.

Cross-culturally, girls and women are the illiterates, with two thirds of the world's illiterates women and the rate rising steadily. Girls need husbands, not books. Girls need houses or shacks to keep clean, or street corners to stand on, not the wide world in which to roam. Refusal to give the tool of literacy is refusal to give access to the world. If she can make her own fire, read a book herself, write a letter or a record of her thoughts or an essay or a story, it will be harder to get her to tolerate the unwanted fuck, to bear the unwanted children, to see him as life and life through him. She might get ideas. But even worse, she might know the value of the ideas she gets. She must not know that ideas have value, only that being fucked and reproducing are her value.

-Andrea Dworkin, Right Wing Women

[monstercampus]

OKAY this is lame of me to ask since it’s super not important but *how* exactly did the reader get invited to monster campus? were they sent a letter inviting them to attend & when the reader registered the school realized the mistake? or was it something else entirely? SORRY for the long ask I’ve just been insanely curious

OMG not at all!!! i love these questions hehe <33

So basically, in the MC universe, there are groupings of monster-only and human-only universities that keep tabs on the human/monster populations in their districts based on the local census, and after graduating secondary school or coming of age the universities send out registration letters for new students to attend. Monster universities will sort through the potential applicants first as they have a more defined system to categorize profiles into their particular species, as well as detect more sophisticated strands of DNA that may cause monsters to appear human to the untrained eye, and they then send the remaining non-monster profiles to a selection of human campuses in the area. Higher education is free pretty much everywhere aside from private schools, but the difference with monster schools is that attendance is pretty much mandatory unless one makes a personal appeal to the school board. Since there aren't many monster universities and they offer the same options in programs as well as getting more funding than their human counterparts, it usually isn't too much of an issue to pick from one school or the other since they're all pretty similar (although it's definitely possible to switch schools or relocate and actually isn't too difficult of a process). Plus, monster universities are much fewer and far between than human ones since the monster population is extremely low compared to humans, with about 1 monster citizen for every 50 human ones. But the main reason for obligatory attendance is because of how sparse the monster population is nowadays, including the vast array of endangered monster races, so it's basically a worldwide program to help rebuild monster society and preserve monster culture through education.

Which brings us to our human MC! Since the attendance letter process isn't by application but automatic invitation, the admin system at Monster Campus detected monster DNA in your biological profile and thus sorted you into the "registration" pile, rather than the "rejection" pile that would then be sent to a viable human campus in the area. Even the higher-ups at MC aren't entirely sure of why the system singled you out for such a small percentage of monster DNA, as it isn't entirely uncommon to find human profiles that have some monster blood from centuries-old interbreeding--but for the most part, that would only come into play if your blood was made up of 50% monster DNA or more, not as little as the 0.01% that you contain. Curiously enough, even upon closer analyzation of your blood with some of their best technology and most knowledgeable technicians, they still aren't even sure which monster species you belong to as your genetic code doesn't even match any extinct species they have on record--much less that of a monster you might encounter in a human space. But by the time your letter was sent out, the Dean had already made a case for your attendance and the school's elder council had voted on the exception, with the hope that having a human attend would perhaps be an example for the rest of the world to follow as monsters and humans attempt to unite and work in harmony.

Monster-human interaction in general has been extremely rare in this world aside from political clashes, and while there are cases of interspecies communities living together and cross-species couples and families, it's looked down on in many countries and there are many monsters in secluded habitats that have never even seen or interacted with humans in person before. So to welcome an almost entirely pure human into an exclusively monsters-only campus is a huge feat and could turn out to be a great stepping stone for both species--and it's all thanks to you! <3

[musiqjukebox]

Here’s a recap of my grad school education conference

We went to Cuba for a week and learned a lot🇨🇺

The purpose of the trip was for intl education students.

I thought growing up in south Florida it’d be familiar.

However I ended up realizing it was like Cameroon!

The country reminded me so much of my father’s.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to visit Cuba

[visit-new-york]

The Mall

Here are a few attractions and activities associated with the Central Park Mall:

Horse-Drawn Carriages: Visitors can often spot horse-drawn carriages offering rides along The Mall and other parts of Central Park. It's a charming and nostalgic way to explore the park while taking in the scenic beauty.

Public Art Installations: Central Park frequently hosts temporary art installations, and The Mall is no exception. These installations can include sculptures, art exhibitions, and interactive displays, adding an artistic dimension to the natural surroundings.

Cherry Blossom Season: In the spring, The Mall is a popular spot to admire the blooming cherry blossoms that line the pathway. The delicate pink and white blossoms create a stunning contrast against the green canopy of elm trees.

Wedding Photography: The Mall is a favorite location for wedding photography. Couples often choose this spot for its romantic ambiance and picturesque setting, with the tree-lined path providing a dreamy backdrop for their wedding photos.

Historical Lamp Posts: The Mall features distinctive cast-iron lamp posts with decorative scrollwork. These historic lamp posts contribute to the park's old-world charm and are especially enchanting when illuminated at night.

Birdwatching: Central Park is a haven for birdwatchers, and The Mall is no exception. The combination of trees and open space attracts a variety of bird species, making it an excellent spot for birdwatching.

Summer Performances: During the summer months, The Mall often hosts outdoor performances, including concerts, theater productions, and dance recitals. These events are a delightful way to enjoy culture in a natural setting.

Community and Social Gatherings: The Mall is a gathering place for various community and social activities. From picnics to group yoga sessions, it's a space where people come together to enjoy the outdoors and connect with one another.

Fall Foliage: In the fall, The Mall transforms into a canvas of vibrant autumn colors as the elm trees change their leaves. The sight of golden, orange, and red foliage makes it a must-visit destination for leaf peepers.

Quiet Reflection: Amidst the activities and events, The Mall also offers moments of quiet reflection. Many visitors come here to find solitude, read a book, or simply enjoy a peaceful pause from the demands of city life.

Accessibility: The Mall is wheelchair and stroller accessible, making it a welcoming space for visitors of all mobility levels. Its wide, paved pathway allows for easy navigation.

Winter Village: During the holiday season, Central Park often sets up a Winter Village near The Mall. This festive area includes an ice-skating rink, holiday market, and seasonal decorations, adding to the charm and festivity of the park during wintertime.

Educational Opportunities: The Mall's natural setting and historical significance provide opportunities for educational programs and guided tours. Visitors can learn about the park's history, ecology, and the significance of its design.

A Venue for Proposals: The Mall's romantic atmosphere and beautiful surroundings make it a popular spot for marriage proposals. Many couples choose this location to pop the question, creating lasting memories amid the natural beauty.

Historical Preservation: The Central Park Conservancy and other organizations are dedicated to the preservation and maintenance of The Mall and its surroundings. Their efforts ensure that this iconic feature remains a captivating destination for generations to come.

Artistic Inspiration: Artists and writers have long been drawn to The Mall for its inspirational setting. Many have found creative inspiration while sketching, painting, or writing beneath the canopy of trees.

Cross-Cultural Appeal: The Mall's design and ambiance transcend cultural boundaries, making it a beloved place for people from diverse backgrounds to appreciate nature and find solace in a bustling city.

Central Park Tours: Various guided tours of Central Park include stops at The Mall, providing participants with insights into the park's history, design, and natural elements.

Iconic Views: As you stroll down The Mall, you'll encounter several vantage points that offer stunning views of Central Park's landscapes, including the picturesque Bethesda Terrace and the Central Park Lake.

Recreation Opportunities: Beyond leisurely strolls, The Mall provides space for activities such as frisbee, yoga, and picnicking. It's a versatile location where visitors can engage in a wide range of recreational pursuits.

The Mall in Central Park continues to be a beloved and ever-evolving destination within this iconic urban park. Its ability to offer a unique experience in each season and its appeal to a broad range of interests make it a cherished and enduring part of the Central Park experience. Whether you're seeking natural beauty, cultural enrichment, or a tranquil escape, The Mall delivers an enchanting experience in the heart of New York City.

In conclusion, The Mall in Central Park is a multifaceted destination that caters to a wide range of interests and experiences. Its natural beauty, cultural significance, and seasonal transformations make it a beloved and enduring part of Central Park's charm, providing both New Yorkers and visitors with a tranquil and enchanting urban escape.

[abwwia]

Judy Chicago, Immolation, from the portfolio "On Fire", 1972, printed 2013, inkjet print on paper

https://palianshow.wordpress.com/2024/07/20/judy-chicago/

image: 16 × 16 in. (40.6 × 40.6 cm) sheet: 24 × 24 in. (61 × 61 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum Purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment, 2018.11.6

The title Immolation and the cross-legged pose of the nude figure bring to mind a famous photograph of the Buddhist monk Thích Qu?ng Ð?c, who self-immolated to protest the South Vietnamese government in 1963. Other monks and American peace activists later repeated his radical act. The colorful smoke in Immolation might also evoke the war's "rainbow herbicides"--most notoriously, Agent Orange--used by U.S. forces to defoliate combat zones. Chicago created Immolation when she led the country's first feminist art programs, initially at Fresno State College and then at CalArts

Judy Chicago (born Judith Sylvia Cohen; July 20, 1939) is an American feminist artist, art educator, and writer known for her large collaborative art installation pieces about birth and creation images, which examine the role of women in history and culture. via Wikipedia

#JudyChicago #Immolation #OnFire #Smithsonian #AmericanArt #artherstory #artbywomen #womensart #palianshow #art #womenartists #femaleartist #artist

[amberlihc]

Intro

Hello everyone, this is Hanchi Li and you can go by Amber. I’m now a master student at the Newhouse School, taking the MMI 634 course by professor Sean Branagan. As an interdisciplinary student, I hope to be exposed to more forward-looking and socially reflective discussions in this class, as well as master the ability to predict the social changes in the industry and globalization.

Having a pair of open-minded parents who resisted traditional exam-oriented education for their daughter, I have experienced a very different route. In addition to the scenic spots in my homeland, China, they also took me on trips to different countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, and so on. My rich travel memories since childhood have made me refuse to establish an unshakable development path for life too early. I am very interested in traditional culture, but I also aspire to a future world influenced by technology.

Since 2020, I have witnessed how social change can be adjusted efficiently through cross-communication both offline and online under the impact of the pandemic. As a student from a developing country studying in a developed country, the impact of culture collisions and the rise and fall of domestic brands made me aware of how communal needs, economic crises, and human emotions have come together to shape a diverse digital social landscape. I was lucky enough to encounter a commercial film from China UnionPay on Bilibili, which combined China’s ancient culture and current social challenges, attracting and inspiring me to create more similar meaningful stories. Therefore, I’ve independently made a digital map about the residential stratification in the United States and an e-Zine about the development of musical forms from southern countries, and I hoped to promote different cultures to all those who may come into contact with my work while completing academic research. Such special media forms made me realize that creative ideas could be conveyed to non-professional audiences through visualized and vivid data, which undoubtedly opened a brand-new world for me. 

These skills also gave me a solid foundation for my internship at BlueFocus and made me stand out in the brand campaign related to consumer insights and other practices of communication works. As I constantly attempt to use my knowledge from undergraduate studies to solve workplace difficulties, I am even more eager to enhance my abilities through more systematic and diverse communication studies. In addition, through other projects I realized that communication study is able to affect people from different social aspects. It can not only spread information widely and quickly, allowing specific enthusiasts to find and expand their social scope, but also allowing me to personally interact with many talented people in different fields, thereby improving my aesthetics, cultivating a logical and forward-looking awareness, and practicing all third-party tools for team work, continuously accumulating and exercising my creativity. For example, I have understood what the metaverse is through online interactive mini program and got to know Chinese young designers like LOXEL who created many valuable Non-Fungible Tokens; By participating in the Lay’s brand PR activities, I have the opportunity to indirectly collaborate with the famous photographer Xiao Quan whom I admired; Through “Pepsi Sugar-Free National Tour EPR Communication” project, I have written press releases and flash event scripts for my favorite celebrities in the entertainment industry.

Compared with others, my unique sense of identity and inclusive interdisciplinary research make me more inclined to respect and appreciate differences, while using an open mind to accept and understand different voices to explore the communication fields that combine innovation and pragmatism, such as cultural and NGO communications. This ability is also valued by an inclusive advertising industry that embraces diversity and open-minds. Therefore, I take this path as my ideal career choice.