Tutor profile: Gabriella R.
Questions
Subject: French
Charlie Hebdo, la liberté d’expression et la laïcité en France
Le jour du 7 aout 2015, la France a connu l’attaque la plus violente contre un media et donc contre la liberté d’expression dans son histoire contemporaine. L’attaque effectuée principalement par les deux frères Kouachi, a fait la une de tout les journaux et à rassembler l’opinion publique ainsi que les chefs d’états du monde entier. Appart, les 12 mort et les blessés, cet évènement a été étroitement lié à la question du terrorisme islamiste qui se répands dans le monde occidental depuis septembre 2001 et la chute des deux tours, le World Trade Centre, à New York. Donc ce qui est intéressant est que cela représente le croisement entre une tendance mondiale qui mobilise l’opinion public et les forces de sécurité ainsi que la question concernant la liberté d’expression. Salman Rushdie, écrivain célèbre arabe a lui même dit que « la satire doit pouvoir s'appliquer aux religions ». La France, un pays laïc, a une tradition de satire politique qui a était en général assez répandu et qui a fait partie de la scène socio-politique française. Il est aussi important de reconnaître le rôle de ces medias satiriques, de dévoiler certains scandales toute en utilisant l’humour, ce qui rendent ces histoires accessibles au grand public. Il est possible que l’attaque dans l’immeuble du magazine Charlie Hebdo est aussi lier à la perception du déclin de la France qui elle même a longuement représentait dans l’histoire, notamment depuis la Révolution française, les droits de l’homme, la liberté d’expression et le droit de protester.
Subject: Writing
Strategies and visual displays of information: the art of captivating the viewer
Information, we see it, process it, analyse it every day. Our world moves so fast that everything is done in fast-forward; skimming instead of reading has become the norm. Therefore, authors and artists alike have been trying to master the art of quickly captivating the viewer. In Edward Tufte’s Envisioning Information, he argues that “it is not how much empty space there is, but rather how it is used” and again, “it is not how much information there is but how it is effectively arranged”. Concentrating on Washington DC's Vietnam War Memorial, he emphasises its lack of towering columns and dramatic entrances. In its place lies “calm reflections” shown through the polished granite and a sense for the individual due to the etched names of the fallen. Tufte praises its powerful impact and the success of the design that Maya Lin created. Infographics are also able to captivate readers and lend themselves well to Tufte’s argument about the effective use of space. Although there is often a lot of information, it isn’t portrayed as a “confusing clutter” which Tufte says would be a “failure of design”. The different graphics often used such as the bar charts, text-boxes and images are notably eye-catching.
Subject: English as a Second Language
What is your most unpopular opinion?
Stan Smith is the best shoe in the world. The red carpet is pulled out for one of the biggest film events of the year and Usher walks out in his tailor-made suit. On his feet: Stan Smith. The same sneakers your grandfather rocked during his high school days. The same sneakers David Beckham pulls of so easily. The same pair that made the cover of Vogue Paris. And the same sneaker I own sixteen of. Effortlessly sliding into that sneaker has become a part of my day. The classic form with the bright green heel has stuck with me through high school, cold winter days, my first steps onto my university's campus, and I know I will walk off in a similar pair. For anyone still unconvinced: who wouldn’t want a shoe with history, that goes with anything no matter the occasion, that works for boys and for girls, that survives your nights out and your days in and that will look effortlessly cool.