Graphic Design Projects
Graphic Design Projects
Media Scholars Reflection
Brandon Fung
12 December 2021
After three semesters of being a part of the Media, Self, and Society Scholars program at the University of Maryland, it is sad to see it end. Within those 3 years, I have learned so much about myself and have grown into a wiser, more mature person. Academically speaking, the program gave assignments in forms that I have never done before. Of course, there was the traditional essay or PowerPoint presentation, but we were also given the opportunity to submit assignments in the form of short videos, photographs, and even TikToks! As a result, I have definitely learned how to make not only informative presentations but also concise and effective infographics and videos. The program also made the transition from high school to college easier, not even mentioning the fact that it came during unprecedented times in a pandemic. Co-curricular-wise, the program introduced me to some of my closest friends in my life. Living on the same floor during a pandemic inherently made us closer since we were for one in the same classes, but also cooped up together in a new environment. The program introduced me to so many different experiences through course events and opportunities to meet new people, being the most influential part of the program that has made me into the more outgoing person that I am today.
Media Scholars took a trip to Annapolis where we laid flowers at the Guardians of the First Amendment memorial in honor of the Capital Gazette staff who lost their lives
Our program’s full title is after all, “Media, Self, and Society”, meaning that it aims to analyze the role that various forms of media play in society. In my life, I see media as a way to both inform and entertain. At its core, media is meant to inform the audience about some topic or event. For me, I like to stay somewhat informed with the world around me, using Apple news to send me alerts about news stories happening daily. I also like to stay informed about both my friends and celebrities, following them on social medias like Twitter and Instagram. I also use media to entertain myself whether it be playing video games late at night with my friends or watching movies to get my mind off things. In our society, media informs the public about events and news, but I also think media is a watchdog, exposing any corruption or wrongdoings in higher offices. Over the past 3 semesters in Media Scholars, I realized just how important of a role media plays in keeping government officials in check. Guest speakers like Scott MacFarlane introduced me to the world of investigative journalism, and opened my eyes to not only their importance but also the tough conditions they have to go through.
Myself and fellow Media Scholar Anaya Steward study together for our computer science final late at night in McKeldin Library
Being a part of the Media Scholars program and a computer science major made me draw connections between the two fields subconsciously. In my major, we learn how to create programs that make computers do things for us as well as learn algorithms that make computers do these tasks in the most efficient way. With this knowledge, we can create programs that assist in creating and editing video content. We can also use algorithms to determine what audiences most want to see and use this information to decide what movies to create. Beyond the program, I can apply the lesson of identifying fake news in my everyday life and be a smarter consumer of media. The Media Scholars program gave me insight into how media impacts both myself and the world, and for that I am forever grateful.
Myself, Emmett Siegel, and Evyenia Zoulis celebrate Media Scholar Ami Makadia's 20th birthday
Practicum
For my practicum, I enrolled in ENES140 or Discovering New Ventures, in which we explored dynamic company startup topics by working in teams to design a new venture. We were able to research various aspects of starting a company and some potential challenges that these entrepreneurs would face such as the competition and potential growth of an industry. I found my practicum by looking through UMD's schedule of classes and picking a class to earn my Distributive Studies - Scholarship in Practice credit. Out of all the classes listed, I thought ENES140 would be the most interesting and potentially applicable to my future. After completing the course, I found out that there was a list of classes that satisfied the Media Scholars Practicum requirement, so I would advise Media Scholars to look there if they are having trouble finding a more traditional practicum such as an internship. After taking the class, I learned what it takes to build a company from nothing. I learned that sometimes the connections you have are more important than the skills you have as you do not need to be an expert in all relevant subjects, but instead could be proficient in just one. Then, you can sell your idea to those whom you know and attempt to get them on board with your startup. Not only will you be able to use their skills to advance your project, but you may also be able to gain financial support. I have grown as a student and person by taking this class by completing the final project of pitching a new idea/invention and answering questions to explain why I believe that it has the potential to succeed. As a student in STEM, I am oftentimes not required to use such raw creative thinking and be able to formulate an idea for a company. I had to pick an industry that I was interested in, and I used Artificial Intelligence, and create a scheme for making that idea into a company and being profitable, something that my computer science classes would never teach me. In other words, my computer science classes may teach me the technical skills to be successful but ENES140 has taught me how to think for myself and undergo a similar procedure that an aspiring entrepreneur would go through. Moving forward, I can apply my experience in ENES140 to my future by taking a step back to see if the programs and technologies that I am creating for a company are what clients are demanding and providing my personal input to my future bosses and the direction we should go with the programs. If I do come up with some idea that I believe can change the way society lives, I will have the knowledge to bring that idea to reality. The rest of my time at UMD will consist of earning my Bachelor's degree, forming new and meaningful connections with my peers, and having a good time while doing it. Post-graduation I intend on working for a larger tech company, specifically as a software engineer, to build programs that will help the company succeed.