Doomsday

President Truman established the Federal Civilian Defense Administration in 1951to prepare U.S. citizens for the possibility of an atomic attack. The program was based on a similar project developed during WWII. The very weapon that had ended the war became the greatest fear of the American public once the technology fell into the hands of its communist enemies.

This documentary explores the Civilian Defense Program through the eyes of those who experienced it. The beginning of the Cold War was fought in American classrooms. The 1958 National Defense Education Act provided funds for the expansion of science and math programs that would help the United States win the space race as well as the arms race. Richard Lebenson noted in his interview this educational push while he was in school and indicated that the launch of Sputnik was the catalyst. Continue Reading »

Hi everyone,

Below is my creative project/ short story.

Have a great holiday!

– Priya

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I wake up and drag myself out of bed as I have for the past six months. It is mid-December and my frozen apartment in Hamilton Heights is pitch black as it always is at two in the morning or at night or what ever. I shuffle across of the tiny part of my bedroom floor that isn’t covered in dirty clothes and trash to make my way to the kitchen. I, then, place a kettle filled with water onto the stove with the all the energy I could gather.
I saw the blue fire of the burning gas and wished I could muster up the courage to throw myself into it. I want the flame to grow and engulf the house and me and everything I knew. And then there were no more thoughts. Those are all the thoughts I ever have. This is how it has been for six months, or for as long as I can remember. Continue Reading »

Hi everyone,

My project statement can be found on my participant page.

Can’t wait to see the videos from last week’s class. Thanks to Professor Quinby,  John, and of course everyone in the class for all the great discussions in class and on the blog.

-Ariana

THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE! from Daniel Cowen on Vimeo.

Straight from the book and that’s the honest truth it is.

An expert on mood disorders from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the co-author of one of the most read textbooks in the field, Manic Depressive Illness, Kay Redfield Jamison, once detailed her experiences with and expertise in bipolar affective disorder (subtype I), and suicide in an interview with Charlie Rose. When asked about her suicide attempt, Jamison told Rose that in an episode of severe clinical depression, “the first thing that hits you is hopelessness.”
After having read many books about the personal experiences of those with psychiatric illnesses and suicidal tendencies, and having known many who have gone through spectrum of mood disorders, I wondered what a world without any hope—without even the hope of suicide for a dignified death—would look like for its inhabitants. A complete loss of hope in the absence of any real cause seemed like a very interesting Doomsday scenario. Continue Reading »

I realized that my original version of my project proposal was located on my old laptop which is being serviced so this version is somewhat different from the original.

I aim to film a 8-10 minute documentary on current  Apocalyptic theory and understanding in the Afro- Caribbean church. After reading Strozier’s interviews on evangelicals in the twentieth century, I will be adapting the questions he posed to the people I will include in the documentary. Ultimately, I would like to know has the apocalyptic sentiment changed for the twenty-first  century for parishioners and  how this is molded in the wider context of life in America as an immigrant or person of color etc. I will be interviewing Dr. Richard F. Christie, President of the Manhattan Bible Institute and Dr. Steve Jagdeo, Pastor of Global Christian Network along with others.  At the end I might be able to draw some parallels between what Strozier may have discovered and hopefully add some more insight in terms of race, class and international thought. I have had some experience with making a documentary because I worked on one this past summer with the National Park Service. However, I will certainly need help with editing and creating release forms because I am somewhat unfamiliar with those things. Below are a few sample questions. During interviews I work best extemporaneously so the final content will be much more in depth than what these question portray.

Sample Interview Questions:

What is the Apocalypse? Please define this term.

Do you believe that “the end” is near? If so please explain why?

How might one prepare for the end?

How will these apocalyptic events play out? Please describe the arbiters and others who might be involved.

Where do you see yourself and others like you during the events?

Have you any questions or doubts on the book of Revelations? Should it be taken literally or symbolically?

Do you remember first hearing about the end? How did you receive this information? Please describe your feelings.