SHORT AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

The first time I wrote an autobiography, I didn’t know what to write. I’m just a student who had just graduated from high school and I didn’t have too many things to write on, this assignment was like a simple paragraph that introduced myself. I searched the information on the Internet, it has different methods of writing an autobiography. After I watched the video and some examples about the way to write an autobiography, then I tried it. At first, I did something wrong in the first draft of my writing, but then my prof helped me to revise it, pointed out the mistake, and wrote some comments for me. I think this is a good experience for me in the future and very helpful.

In this assignment, we have to watch a documentary. Before I chose the film, my professor gave us some recommendations. It has many different kinds of film in it. I chose a movie about war, named the Civil War. The first reason why I chose this film is that I am interested in this topic, and I want to know more about the documentary on this topic, the second reason is that I think it is a controversial topic, so I have a lot of things to write on. The civil war tells us the real story and the life that happened in that period. This topic is related to history, society, and politics, so it also made me think about our life now.

DOCUMENTARY REVIEW:

in this assignment, we have to watch a documentary. Before I chose the film, my professor gave us some recommendations. It has many different kinds of film in it. I chose a movie about war, named the Civil War. The first reason why I chose this film is because I am interested in this topic, and I want to know more about the documentary on this topic, the second reason is because I think it is a controversial topic, so I have a lot of things to write on. The civil war tells us the real story and the life that happened in that period. This topic is related to history, society, and politics, so it also made me think about our life now.

I saw the cruelty of war, the physical and mental shock, and torture, people were very painful and suffering. I was very impressed by the last scene of this film. A warrior wrote a love letter to her wife, he loved his wife very much, but he didn’t know if he could come back alive. This makes me think that being able to live in a peaceful world is very lucky. We have family, we have the chance to love ourselves, and the people around us, we don’t need to worry about death by war and medical care every day. When I was writing this assignment, I watched the movie without taking notes for the first time, so I watched the movie roughly. Then I looked at the assignment requirements, and I had some idea of how to write this assignment. Then I went back and watched it a second time, taking notes as I watched it, recording details such as the time and location. When I finished writing the draft, I modified it again. If I need to go back to a certain part of the movie to find information (details, evidence), then fast forward to that part.

OP-ED:

In this assignment, I found three articles for outside research to support as evidence. In the beginning, I was a little confused about this writing. I was struggling with the outside research. The topic that I wrote is strict gun law, this issue is related to our contemporary social issues. Guns can be used as a tool to protect people or as a weapon to hurt others. I think guns should be banned. so I found news, data, and pictures to prove my statement. I need to tell the facts and evidence to convince the audience. I learned how to cite in the text, at the first I used the wrong format for the citation, then I searched online the way to use it but still did it wrong on the first draft, then I used citation machine to help me. There are three types of citation, for example, APA citation, MLA citation, and Chicago citation. We generally use the APA citation and MLA citation for the writing. also, I learned that when you want to quote the sentences from an article, you need to use in text citation. in this writing, what I have harvested most is how to cite from an article.

Interview:

Interview is a difficult assignment for me. I was worried because I had no experience in interviewing others and did not know any famous people. But fortunately, my professor explained the assignment to us, and my classmates helped each other in class, then I have a little idea of this assignment. I searched for a lot of information on the topic of my work on the Internet. My topic is travel, so I searched for a lot of information about travel in the ccny library, then I went to interview and recorded the interview,

I have looked for a lot of local customs and food, and I learned about many different styles of places, such as the difference between the south and the north, their climate is different, so there are differences in lifestyle and custom. The south is humid, and the north is dry, so the northerners like to drink and eat spicy food, and they also have food, and southerners like to eat one meal and not often eat spicy food. in this assignment, I learned some knowledge when I was reading the article, it is a very interesting and helpful skill for travel, it might use in the future.

Travel to different places

Xiaoqing Yu is a 37-year-old woman who lives in Brooklyn now. On a sunny day at noon, she was wearing a white pajama watching TV at home. She is good at cooking, and cooking is something she does and likes to do every day. She was sitting on a sofa with a picture hanging on a white wall, wearing a silver bracelet in her hand, smiling. “I like to go to different places and learn more about the characteristics and culture of different places.” She is a gentle woman and speaks softly.

Can you describe the places that you have been to? Beijing and Xi’an are two cities that impressed her very much. she said, “I have been to Beijing and Xi’an and I like it there. These two cities have similar but different feelings for me, Beijing and Xi’an both are ancient cities, and they both have a profound cultural background. Beijing has the Forbidden City, Xi’an has the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, and Xi’an attaches great importance to the protection of ancient cultural heritage.” In Xi’an, summer is hot, sultry, and sloping, and winter is very cold, it has Da-Yan Tower and Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Beijing is the capital of China and has the very famous Great Wall in it. They have a lot in common. “Beijing is the capital of China, this city is a mixture of ancient and modern features, it has many iconic buildings there, such as the Great Wall, the Bird’s Nest, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and others. (LI). Xi’an is a city with a very long time of history and culture in China. A feature of Xi ‘an is that it retains many ancient buildings, such as temples, ancient city walls, and terracotta warriors. She said, “When I was traveling, I would feel tired sometimes. I went from one place to another place, and the climate and culture are different in different places, so you might feel inconvenienced. The environment forms the special customs of the locals, so you also can feel the style. (Ma) 

What is the difference between these two cities? She said, “The customs are different, because the weather is different, so people dress differently and diet. It is wet in the south, so people do not always store food in their houses. In the north, the weather is dry and cold, so many people would buy a lot of food at home, they also like to drink and eat spicy food to make my body warmer.” then added, “Beijing has Peking Duck, Old Beijing Fried Noodles, Saqima, BingtangHulu and candy that are made by the shape you want, it can be a word or your name, or an animal such as cats, dogs, and horses. Xi’an has Liangpi and Sour Soup.” People can feel different customs and food, which is also one of the charms of travel.

Many people get shocked by the cultural difference, and something unexpected leads them in trouble because they are not prepared, so bringing travel books, maps, magazines, and travel guides will help you sum up the experience. When you see cultural differences, you won’t be so surprised, and it is in expectations. Traveling is a very beautiful thing. When you see the sights after a long history, you can imagine how many people have been in this land and what happened here. The same actions can be opposite meanings in different places because they have different local customs and laws. For example, vehicles use the right rudder in Japan, but in the United States, cars drive on the right and the driver’s seat is on the left. 

Do you have any travel recommendations or any places? “It depends on that person, before going to travel, you should consider the safety and adaptability. You might not get used to the local food and feel uncomfortable after you eat the food. Many Cantonese don’t eat spicy food, Chongqing and Sichuan are cities that like spicy food very much, so Sichuan is not a good choice for them to travel. “So, think before you go, choose the right place will make yourself happier.

Any travel tips? “If you choose to go with the tour guide, you need to follow a team, and you might not be able to do something you want, it has more restrictions. But the tour guide can provide you with a lot of information and guide you in the direction and the road. When you see the cultural relics or scenic spots, the tour guide can explain to you the history or the source, so that you can understand better. If you choose not to go with the tour guide, you can go wherever you want. You can stay for as long as you can stay in one place, it doesn’t have that much of a limit.” then she continuous, ”I have some suggestions if you are a person, and it is the first time you plan to go to that place, you are not familiar with the place, then it might be a good choice for you to go with a tour guide, so if you have any question, you can ask for help. If you want to go alone or with your friends, better to check the information before you go, plan for it, and prepare for it. Be careful and keep the connection with your family.” Traveling is not only for fun, but also you will learn and see more new things through traveling. Although you can see images on TV or hear from other people, it will feel more deeply and real after you go there. But the most important thing is to be safe.

Work Cited:

Cassady, Carolyn. “From Travel Tips for the Timid.” 2018, web-a-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=6b37f223-c03e-4240-a028-4be0ffba715a%40sessionmgr4006&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=135193488&db=a9h. Accessed 29 Apr. 2021. 

Ma, Y. J. “XI ‘ AN CALLING OF AN ANCIENT CAPITAL.” Chien Kun Magazine, 2005, pp. 58–59. 

LI, ZHANG. “Beijing: China’s Irresistible Fashion Capital.” China Today, Mar. 2016, pp. 72–75. 

LI, ZHANG. “Beijing’s Cultural Charm.” China Today Feb. 2016: 72-75. Print.

 Gun Laws

In 2017, 39,773 people died by the gun. Gun laws are a very controversial problem in U.S. society (Gramlich, 2020). Some people believe that guns are a method to protect themselves, so gun laws should not be too strict. But guns can also be a method of hurting someone. Based on the statistics, many people died from guns, and the number is increasing every year.  I agree with the strict gun laws, if gun laws become more lenient, it can cause more social issues in the U.S. so many people now call for no gun in the U.S. 

In people’s daily life, there are more and more gun cases. There are very few laws related to the regulation of guns, and in some states even have no gun regulation. However, some states have strict regulations that require training and background checks to be able to buy guns, making it easier for people to purchase guns. Guns states with stricter laws generally have a lower gun death rate. California is the state with the most stringent gun laws, and its gun death rate is the seventh lowest. Based on the statistics, when states have strict gun laws, therefore the rate of gun owners is lower, so the rate of gun death also is lower. It is related between the gun death rate and gun ownership rate, such as Massachusetts and New Jersey have the lowest gun (World Population Review, n.d.), and they both are grade A strictness in 2019. The facts show that the ownership in the U.S. that there is a corresponding relationship between the strict gun law and gun death rates, for example, in Mississippi, 2019 Strictness Grade is F, it has the highest Gun Death Rate, and its Gun Death Rate is 22.81 percent (World Population Review, n.d.).

By the report of Christal Hayes, two incidents of gun violence occurred in March. In Georgia and Colorado, 18 people were killed by the gun. six days later, a man that was mentally ill attacked a store with a short-barrel rifle and killed ten people (Hayes, 2021). The gun cases keep happening, causing social unrest. So, this is a question, why can a person that is mentally ill get the gun and cause ten deaths. The problem is that the law is not strict, if the person did not pass the background check and test, they shouldn’t buy a gun. Although he wants to do something bad, he can’t kill ten people, and the police will get more chances to stop him. Some people might think that guns are a weapon to protect themselves, but if the control of guns is not strict, this is a weapon to hurt themselves and others. Some people can kill others with a gun because they hate that person or for some purpose, such as robbery. This is not correct. If a person does something wrong, the law will sanction him. Therefore, many students are protesting, calling for people to stop gun violence. In conclusion, this society needs strict gun laws, so make it become more stable and bring people a better life. 

Work Cited: 

Gramlich, John. “What the Data Says about Gun Deaths in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 30 May 2020, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/16/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/. 

Strictest Gun Laws by State 2021, worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/strictest-gun-laws-by-state. 

Hayes, Christal. “’Why Does This Keep Happening?’ Mass Shootings in Boulder and Atlanta Expose Loopholes, Weaknesses in Gun Laws.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 1 Apr. 2021, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/04/01/mass-shootings-georgia-colorado-expose-lax-gun-laws-amid-cries-reform/7061512002/. 

Gramlich, John. “What the Data Says about Gun Deaths in the U.S.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 30 May 2020, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/08/16/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/. 

The Civil War

The Civil War mainly talks about the characters and background of civil war, the cause, and the real story that happened at that time. The audience for this documentary is students, African Americans and Americans, because this is a great documentary that shows the pictures during the time of civil war and explanations by authoritative historians, so it is very helpful for students to organize the timeline and story when they study. Also, it is very important for people get to know better of what happened during that period and have a deeper understanding of society.

This documentary records the civil war, the director wants to pass to the audience the idea of civil war, the issue of different factions and races, it has many different factors that lead to civil war. People can improve society as they know it, we can learn from the experience, and learn from the mistakes, we should promote the development of the culture, therefore we can improve the society. Before I watched this film, I learned about the topic of civil war in high school, I was curious about the life during the war. In this documentary, I saw the details of their life from the pictures, and it is very painful.

 The battle started between Northern and Southern. Lincoln was the president during the period, he promised not to interfere in slavery, but he didn’t want any states to secede. Civil war started at 4:30 a.m. in April 1861, General Pierre Gustare Toutant Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter, and southern won with no one hurt. Later, Virginia seceded on April 15. Then Lincoln calling for volunteers and making war on secession then on July 9. first war began, 5000 soldiers’ casualties, the southern won the battle at Manassas. although they lose the fight, the gov leaders still refuse to receive the slaves as soldiers.

I really like the interview, sound effects, camera work and special effects in this video because it makes me feel like I was in the situation when I hear those sounds. But due to technical problems at the time, the pictures are a little blurred. From the interview, I feel like we are very lucky that live in a peaceful world, and we should respect everyone.  

 “Senator William H. Seward of New York famously described what he called an ‘irrepressible’ conflict between opposing and enduring forces that could only end once the United States became ‘entirely a slaveholding nation, or entirely a free labor nation.’”(Earle, 2011) I agree with this opinion very much. I think the civil war was inevitable, because it is very difficult to have a unified opinion for a country. When the opinions of two opposite sides are strongly inconsistent, war usually begins. It is the way to make the other people obey, so I think the civil war was hard to avoid. It was very difficult to have a unified opinion of slavery. “Civil War combat was a thoroughly terrifying experience for inexperienced volunteer soldiers, a violent assault on all the senses that promised injury or death at any moment.”(Davis, 2021) This shows the impact by the civil war on people are unprecedented. The sudden war caused the soldiers on the pain of mental and physical. The unstable life made them panic and fear their own destiny.

I was surprised when I saw pictures of slaves’ daily lives and injured skin. The most impressive part for me is when I saw the letter that Sullivan Ballou, who is a soldier of the civil war, sent for his wife: “Sarah, my love for you is deathless. It seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing, but omnipotence can break, and yet my love of country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly with all those chains to the battlefield.” I saw his love for his wife and the responsibility for the country. He loved his wife deeply, but he had to shoulder his mission to the battlefield, it reveals that the cruelty of war, death and parting, pain and sickness, there were many families broken by the war. 

I would recommend this film to my friends, because it introduced the civil war very clearly, and I can see the details from those pictures and feel the pain of them, but I think the disadvantage of the documentary is that the photos are not clear, it doesn’t give much information.

Works cited 

Earle, J. (2011, April). The Political Origins of the Civil War. OAH Magazine of History, (2), 8-13.

Burns, K., Ward, G. C., & Burns, R. (Producer). (1990), & McCullough, D. G. (Writers). The civil war: A film by Ken Burns [Motion picture]. United States: PBS.

Davis, A., James ‘THE BRASS MOUNTED ARMY’: CIVIL WAR BANDSMEN AND HUMOR.” 2021, web-b-ebscohost-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=5&sid=a78b8eae-cc5d-4927-b809-eed8cd5e6fcb%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=149428035&db=a9h. 

Liying Huang is a freshman student in The City College of New York, she is 18 years old. She was born in China, but never lived in a big city before moving to New York City in the USA. When her family decided to move to America, it changed her life completely, because of the cultural differences and language, she was trying to adapt to the new environment. Liying lives in Brooklyn 8 avenue now.

Usually, Liying likes to play badminton and cook at home, and she is interested in detective fiction. She wants to be a teacher, her intended major is education, and she is trying to achieve her goal, so she is currently taking Introduction to Human Development and Introduction to Sociology. 

In the summer of 2018, she worked as a volunteer near 5 Avenue. She had the experience of copying files and learned how to take care of children. She graduated from Edward R. Murrow High School in 2020 with a high school degree, she took the class of AP Chemistry and AP Chinese. Liying also took classes at College Now in statistics in high school, which prepared her for college. She got a 5 on her ap Chinese exam and passed the regent exam of chemistry. You can reach her at the email [email protected].