Friendsgiving 101: Everything you need to know about this up and coming Holiday.

                             Friendsgiving 101: Everything you need to know about this up and coming Holiday.

By: Dihandra Wiliams 

Q News 

29 November 2020

    Not many things can beat the feeling of sitting around a table of great food surrounded by great people. 

This pretty much sums up the atmosphere at a successful Friendsgiving! This also probably explains why this "new" gathering has become such a popular tradition for younger generations in recent years. 

    To some people, Friendsgiving is the perfect opportunity for them to have a good time with the people of their choice, without the usual stressors that oftentimes come with the Thanksgiving holiday. 

So, What is Friendsgiving?

       Friendsgiving is a combination of two words. Friends and Thanksgiving. This made-up term can be defined as a gathering of close friends with the intent of getting into the Thanksgiving spirit. Statics have shown that it is more likely for individuals within Generation Z to celebrate this holiday, but it's pretty common for millennials to do so as well. 

    Considering that this gathering is so new, there aren't too many rules or traditions when it comes to how this gathering is spent. Friendsgiving is totally customizable which contributes to its uniqueness. If you want your to meal to consist of takeout or traditional home-cooked holiday foods, that's totally up to you! 

    "For the past two years, my friends and I have had a Friendsgiving, and considering everything that's going on in the world right now, I was especially grateful to have one this year," says Shiann Smith a junior at East Carolina University. "None of us can cook, but it's just fun to buy food and make memories with some of my closest friends," said Smith. 

    This year Smith and her friends went as far as creating a Google Doc to ensure that between herself and her 9 friends no one brought the same dish. 

    When did Friendsgiving Start?

    According to a Facebook post, the earliest usage of the term "Friendsgiving" can be dated back to January 2007, but some people credit the hit TV show Friends for originally inspiring this fun concept. Some other theories suggest that a campaign put together by Baileys Irish Cream used the word first. All and all since then, this informal holiday has been around and will be around for a while. 

    

When is Friendsgiving?

    

    While some choose to celebrate Friendsgiving prior to gathering with their families before the Thanksgiving holiday many celebrate after as well. Last week, High Point University hosted a Friendsgiving gathering in the Cafè! This gathering included turkey, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a variety of mini desserts. 

    The Cafè even went as far as including decorations to get into the holiday spirit. With mini pumpkins, fall leaves, and acorns scattered across the cafeteria it was almost impossible to not appreciate the event. 

"I honestly didn't know that our school was having a Friendsgiving in the Cafè, but I'm so glad I participated in it," said Daryn Joshua. "It gave me one last opportunity to spend some time with my friends before going back home for 2 months." 

Tips for Hosting an Amazing Friendsgiving Feast 

    Mya Blythe is another Gen Zer who plans to celebrate Friendsgiving this year. Considering that this will be her fourth year hosting a gathering, she shared some tips to ensure that you have the most enjoyable experience. 

1. Allow every guest to pick what they want to bring 

2. Set a price limit- you don't have to spend a lot to have a fun

3. Don't forget utensils 

4. Bring board games/ card games                                                             

5. Share what you're thankful for

TikTok Video credit: Mya Blythe

Hungry for More? Here are some Related Stories!

 https://www.buzzfeed.com/emofly/17-rules-of-friendsgiving

 https://fitfoodiefinds.com/10-festive-friendsgiving-ideas/

                                                  

The Scary Truth about Modern Technologies

The future is a scary place. Today's technological advances occur so often that it's almost impossible to keep up. There is no doubt that technology is only going to advance in later years, and of course, many of those advancements will be beneficial to us. Others, however, could prove to be less advantageous. After watching the TED talks given to us this one really stood out to me for so many reasons. Within this TED talk speaker, Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad talks about a popular toy made for children and goes on to demonstrate how that exact toy is more dangerous than the manufacturers probably imagined. This popular toy is a doll named Cayla. 

Sitting on a shelf in a store, Cayla looks like any other ordinary doll. She has blonde hair and blue eyes and wears a smile at all times. The role of this doll, like many others, is to serve as a child's companion. Except Cayla is not just any doll. Once Cayla is connected it allows parents to listen n on their children via Bluetooth microphone and a corresponding app. But this brings ongoing issues. Parents might not be the only ones with easy access to those conversations. The toy's vulnerabilities were first exposed in 2015 when a security researcher from Pen Test Partners hacked the doll.  Researchers found that a phone with the corresponding app could access a Cayla doll at 60 feet. 

This is why Cayla has been designated as a spy by the Federal Network Agency, a German telecommunication watchdog. The "forbidden" toy is banned and can no longer be sold in stores, purchased or even owned. Those who owned a Cayla doll within their homes have been ordered to destroy them and get an official certificate saying that they did so. Parents who do not destroy this toy could face a fine as much as $26,500 and two years in prison. 

Kids will always be the main demographic that companies aim their "newest and hottest" products towards. And it also isn't uncommon for those companies to try to incorporate digital advances within those toys, but it's important for parents to dig deep into how these products are being manufactured. Sometimes parents don't realize how dangerous one of their child's "innocent" toys can be until its too late. 

EOTO P2: Propaganda

Propaganda is a term that I've been learning about since elementary school. Propaganda can be defined as biased or misleading information used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. For the most part, schools have taught that propaganda is often used in wars. It was very useful throughout that time because it took on the form of posters, TV advertisements, and radio announcements. Often times it was used in order to ensure that people who were at home and not fighting in wars felt hatred towards their enemy. The information could tell that the enemy was evil and make them seem inhuman. Propaganda was even given to the enemy- telling them that the war was going badly for them and that they should give up.

Here are some examples of propaganda used during wars:

One of the most well-known users of propaganda in history is Adolf Hitler. Hitler's use of war propaganda eventually resulted in convincing his country of the National Socialism ideals, which ultimately resulted in the Holocaust and the extermination of millions of Jews. Hitler even once wrote a political statement explaining his hatred towards Jewish people and asking that after his death people continue to stay strong in their beliefs. This use of propaganda in order to spread prejudice beliefs of National Socialism and his dislike of Jews resulted in Hitler's army and country supporting the idea as well and the breakout of World War II.

In my opinion propaganda was and still is a scary and dangerous way to spread false news. Today, propaganda posters have been replaced with hundreds of digital visuals such as memes that can easily be made by anyone and distributed to so many people within minutes. Propaganda appeals to an individual's unconscious mind. The use of propaganda within the media can have the ability to sway someone's opinions or beliefs and can even have the power to control certain situations or outcomes. This is something that we often see in politics.

One thing that I've learned in college is that for the most part, students like myself tend to get almost all of their daily news on social media. When it came time for us as first-time voters to choose a presidential candidate, where did we get most of our information? The media. In a way, the media determines what information we see often and how much of that information is actually "relevant: or "important" to us. The media has a way of picking and choosing who or what they want to be in the daily headlines for the world to see, and this is exactly why we have to be careful as to what information we choose to take in.

I Googled Myself & Here's What I Found...

As a 19-year-old living in the 21st century, I pretty much grew up with social media. If I can remember correctly I created my first social media account around 7th grade. In the beginning, my parents were really strict about how much time I spent online and how I used that time. At one point they even had some of my passwords so that they could ensure that I wasn't doing anything I wasn't supposed to be doing. Compared to now, I was definitely reckless with how I portrayed myself on my social media accounts, so I'm kind of glad that there isn't too much from my past online.

I became really invested in this quest to find myself online and was surprised at what I found. To my knowledge, there's nothing negative online about me, and I probably owe that to my parent's guidance throughout my first couple of years being on social media. But I did find some things that I didn't expect to see at all. Things I almost forgot I participated in and didn't even know made its way to the internet. Of course, things like my Linkedin profile came up immediately which is fine by me because that's related to myself as a student and will hopefully play a role in me working in the field of my choice. I also found some "stats" from when I ran track in high school which really surprised me because I literally only participated for a couple of months. 

After digging a little bit deeper I also found some information from when I attended The Omega Black College Tour back in 2017 while deciding where I wanted to attend school for the upcoming years. This opportunity played a really important role in where I finally decided to attend school, but I had no idea there was this much about it online. Not only was my name mentioned multiple times throughout the tour's website, but there were also pictures that I've never even seen of myself before.  

As far as finding my different social media sites (like Twitter and Instagram) I didn't find anything at all when I searched my full first and last name. That's because on things like my Instagram I don't use my real name. I want to say it's because I prefer to use a nickname, but in reality, my real name was just never available. I think choosing whether or not you want your name on your social media accounts all depends on what your purpose of having that account is. If your purpose is to showcase a brand, and you want to develop authenticity with your clients/ customers maybe using your real name is best. But when it comes to more personal accounts where you share selfies I think going for something more fun or laid back is totally appropriate. 

UPDATE: 11/9/2019

For some random reason, I decided to search my name again, but this time using a different browser and I found something that I didn't see the first time. This website called Search People Free had my New York house address, my phone number, and the names and numbers of the other residents of that house. As if that wasn't scary enough, there were also names and numbers of other members of my family that have never even lived in that house. The website even had some of my parent's previous addresses that they confirmed were correct. 

The Rise of Tik Tok

Within the past year, this new video-sharing app has been giving other apps like Instagram and Snapchat a run for their money. Tik Tok is now the world's most downloaded iPhone app. It features short 15 second videos with your choice of music in the background. For the most part, the content you can find on this app is trendy, comedic, and sometimes interactive. It has taken the internet by storm, with over 1 billion downloads and 500 million active users daily.

Tik Tok first launched in 2016 in China, then eventually made its way to the United States in 2017. Then in 2018 this app merged with a similar app called Musical.ly. After the merger, Tik Tok really began to take off. Before essentially becoming Tik Tok, for the most part Musical.ly had the exact same format. It allowed users to lip-sync songs and have virtual duets with different people from all over the world whether you knew them or not. I think that the merger was so successful because it created a massive video database while combining all existing accounts to form a large community of users.

One thing that differentiates Tik Tok from almost all other social media platforms is the demographics that it reaches. The app is pretty easy to use so it allows users as young as 8 years old to become content creators. This makes lots of sense since it isn't uncommon for children that young to have things like cell phones or iPads. For example, the Tik Tok app gives people tools like filters, control over video speed, and access to professional audio and more all available in one place.

Tik Tok's success with younger audiences reminds me of when Facebook and Snapchat first started. Facebook was originally created for college students only and later gained popularity in other age groups. At one point Snapchat did something similar by focusing their age to one app group then eventually capturing other demographics.

I personally don't know many people who make Tik Toks, but I do know a lot people who have the app. Myself included. Tik Tok was one of those things that people considered "corny" or "stupid" but eventually ended up downloading. The first time I ever saw a Tik Tok was on Instagram because you can upload anything you make on that app to any other app. I believe that this app will only continue to grow and attract more people, even the ones who never had any interest in the app in the first place.

Here's a few funny TikToks :)

Lucy # 7: Freedom of Speech

"A community in which free speech is valued and protected is likely to be a more energized, creative, interesting society as its citizens actively fulfill themselves in many diverse and interesting ways." 

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. I don't even want to imagine living in a world where self-expression wasn't allowed or accepted. When I think of free speech I think of so much more than just putting different words together to make a sentence. To me, freedom of speech goes hand in hand with freedom of expression. It enables the free exchange of ideas, opinions, and information which allows us as individuals in society to form our own opinions on different issues that we face.

When the thought of not being able to have free speech came across my mind for some reason a specific episode of Fairly Oddparents came to my mind. In this Nickelodeon animation, Timmy Turner has godparents that grant his every wish with some guidelines attached of course. This episode is a prime example to be careful what you wish for because in it Timmy wishes that everyone was exactly the same. This eventually resulted in everyone turning into gray blobs.

I personally think that the world would be a lot like this if we didn't have any ways to express ourselves. Well of course minus being bray blobs. But without self-expression, the world would definitely be a very boring place. I think that we would have no real way of showcasing who we really are.

Music, art, films, and books are all different ways that people used their own ideas and ability to speak freely in order to create. When we can appreciate different forms of art we can also learn to empathize with it. These things help us learn what emotions are like and how to deal with them. When we experience and appreciate the works of others, we are better able to understand them and their emotions.

Living in a world where there is no form of self-expression or freedom of speech would be very sad and boring. Sometimes we fail to realize how much of our lives revolve around our ability to express ourselves freely. Taking that away would take away who we are. It's important for us to continue to express ourselves and encourage others to do so as well. I truly believe that as we begin to share our experiences and ourselves, our world continues to grow for the better. 

First Smartphone: Everything you need to Know

Was called the “Simon Personal Communicator” & was created by IBM more than 15 years before Apple. 

Launched at $899 with a service contract 

First device to combine the functions of a cell phone & a PDA 

Featured a monochrome LCD touch screen measuring at 4.5 inches by 1.4 inches, & came with a stylus

Could be used for calls, sending emails, faxes, pages, & third party applications

Extra features included: notes collection, an address book, calendar, world clock, and a way to schedule appointments

Before there was Samsung or Apple there was this device. On November 2nd, 1922 Inter nation Business Machines (IBM) debuted the very first "smartphone". Like all the newest iPhones it was something that everyone couldn't wait to get their hands on, but not everyone could afford it. Without a contract this phone could be priced as high as $1,300. There were many setbacks, but people loved the idea of being able to have the internet on the go. Only about 50,000 units we sold and IBM did have plans to redesign the device and perfect all of its imperfections, but they never ended up doing so.

It's a Mad World

Music and art are some of the most powerful ways to convey a message to an audience. The music video for "Are You Lost in the World Like Me" by Moby and the Void Pacific Choir did an excellent job of showcasing how technology might be changing our lives for the worst. Between the combination of sad music and 95% of the images being in black and white, it's almost impossible for the person watching to miss the big idea of the picture.

Honestly, the video was sad. Not just because of the things going on in it, but because of how accurate it was. In the music video, a man is beaten up and receives no help from the people around him, but is recorded instead. A woman is taking a selfie while there's a building burning behind her. And the saddest part to me was the woman who humiliated all over social media after her "terrible dancing skills" are posted, and the aftermath of that is her suicide.

All of the people in the video are numb. Our dependence on technology and obsession with being cool or liked on the internet is literally causing us to be detached from the real emotions of the world. People can deny the fact that they're addicted to their phones all they want, but in reality, we all demonstrate addictive tendencies, and if we don't change our ways we will be the people in this video.

"The Surprising History of American College Dorms"

While scrolling through The American Conservative website this article stood out the most to me. The first thought that came to my mind was living here at High Point University. In 2018 Niche.com ranked this school at number one for having the best dorms in America. As a second-year student who lives on this campus in a dorm, I understand why our school was given this recognition.

My dorm represents so much more than just a place for me to sleep at night. I consider myself to be introverted, so after a long day I look forward to going back to my room to unwind and prepare for the upcoming day. I can sing as loudly as I want in there and just be my genuine self without the judgment of others. I cook in my room, do homework, have movie nights with my friends, and occasionally pull all-nighters when I wait until the very last minute to complete an assignment. Living in a dorm also encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and introduce myself to new people. It's almost impossible for me to leave the building that I live in without seeing someone, so I always look at that as an opportunity to interact with someone new.

The article that I read did bring up a very good point that I can agree with about living in dorms. It stated that dorms can be secluding (especially off-campus ones). I can kind of agree with this statement because in the past I spent too much time in my room and never really left it. This was not healthy for myself or my social life.

Does Privacy Exist Online?

There was a time in my life where I would literally post anything on social media without really thinking about it. I was the type of person that would senselessly tweet Drake lyrics on Twitter or post a silly selfie that probably would have been better off if it stayed in my camera roll. But as I've gotten older I've learned to properly manage my engagements and interactions on social media for many good reasons.

 Social media has become apart of my daily life for some years now. An obvious pro is that it allows us to connect with different people all over the world no matter the time of the day. My parents use Facebook to reconnect with old friends from high school and I've used Google Hangouts to stay in contact with family members that literally live across the world. Not only is social media convenient. It's also extremely fast. Instead of having to use a landline or a handwritten letter to quickly get in contact with someone we can easily send a quick direct message on Instagram or use one of the thousands of instant messenger apps we have available to us.

Like all things, social media also has its cons. Because it is so easy for us to share things on different social media platforms people tend to overshare. To overshare means to reveal an inappropriate amount of detail about one's personal life. In the past, I was notorious for doing this on social sites, but I've learned how important it is to be mindful of the things you put on there because some things can't be undone. It isn't uncommon for social sites to store your information and sell it/ give it away without your knowledge or permission. Facebook is one of many sites that have been caught up in a scandal where users have been finding out that their information was being given away. This freaked many people out, but the scariest is that even after users took the initiative to delete their Facebook accounts they learned that their information was still somewhere on the internet.

CNN BUSINESS reported on the issue and stated that "even when you delete your account, it can take up to 90 days for Facebook to remove the content like photos and updates stored in backup systems. But some information, such as messaging history, can still be seen by the Facebook user you wrote to even after your account was deleted." They also went on to say that it wouldn't be unusual if some third-party apps that you've never even used before had access to your personal information.

Significance of the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the nation. Because of this, its decisions are supposed to be followed by all of the other courts in the United States. It consists of justices, who have a lifetime appointment. This means that they are required to serve until death or retirement. Here are the 9 current justices:
1. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
2. Clarance Thomas
3. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
4. Stephen G. Breyer
5. Samuel Anthony Alito Jr.
6. Sonia Sotomayor
7. Elena Kagan
8. Neil Gorsuch
9. Brett Kavanaugh

The Supreme Court isn't just important to us as COM majors, but as human beings, because it rules on cases that affect many aspects of our lives. I think it's safe to say that we've all watched at least one legal show where someone was getting arrested, the majority of us attended public schools, and we all appreciate the fact that we can speak freely. All of these things have something to do with the Supreme Court. Issues such as desegregating schools and legalizing gay marriages.

Many people ask the Supreme Court to handle their cases, but are often denied. According to the video we watched the court receives around 7,000 cases a year, but only 100 of them are accepted. Most cases are submitted in writing and then have to get permission from the court to overlook the cast. Eventually, if the case is chosen, it is heard in public before the Supreme Court. I personally like the fact that lawyers have to make their case in front of all 9 justices because I think that would especially encourage them to put together a strong argument.

In conclusion, the Supreme Court has and always will play a significant role in the history of this country.

Sources:
Video 1
Video 2
Supreme Court Justices

Newest iPhone: What will it bring?

Apple products are arguably some of the most popular technological devices used in the world. Between the simplicity of their designs, easy functions, and widescreen displays it's understandable as to why Apple products always sell so well. 

The first iPhone was introduced to the public on January 9th, 2007, marketed by Apple Incorporations. It was in many ways quite different from the ones we see and use everyday. For one, it was extremely small especially compared to the newer phones. I measured at just 4.5 inches by 2.4 inches. By comparison, the iPhone XS Max that launched in 2018 is 6.2 inches by 3.05 inches. It also had no third party apps at all, and only about 16GB worth of memory. But despite all of these short comings, the creation of the first iPhone was a huge step for Apple towards the creations of their later and more advanced products. 

Here is a comparison of the very fist iPhone to the latest one:

3GS (2009)

Height: 4.5 in

Width: 2.4 in

Depth: 0.36614 in 

Weight: 4.86 oz

Screen size: 3.5 in

Screen resolution: 960x640

Camera resolution: 5 megapixels

Battery life: 12 hrs

XS MAX (2018)

Height: 6.2 in

Width: 3.05 in

Depth: 0.30314

Weight: 7.33 oz

Screen Size: 6.5 in

Screen resolution: 2688x1242

Camera resolution: 12 megapixels 

Battery life: 25 hrs

With the release of the newest iPhone coming up many people (myself included) are really excited to see what new features it will bring to the table. Apple has a habit of sticking with an obvious pattern for the releases of their new phones each year. Their big launch event usually always takes place in the beginning of September. The iPhone doesn't actually arrive in stores on the day of the launch, but customers do have the option to pre-order the device at the end of the event. I personally don't have any realistic expectations for the phone, but I do believe that it will have a better camera resolution and possibly a better battery life. Whatever new specs the device does bring, I know for sure that it will continue to contribute to the way we was humans interact and communicate with each other so freely.