My Website

LINK TO WEBSITE: http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~hsayrs

I had a lot of fun creating my personal portfolio website. I intend to keep adding to it over time. My contact information is available on my website as well. Feel free to contact me if you ever need anything or are wondering about things happening next semester with the SOS and TU Fit clubs.

Also, please visit my website and leave comments here about improvements and or questions!
See you guys around campus :)

Dear Newbies

This tech class covers so much more than the basics. Coming in, I expected to not learn as much as I did. Surprisingly, this class has pushed me to new levels and has allowed me to try new things such as website design and photoshop. I never thought I would be able to create my own website from scratch! Friends always ask me what project is that for? I tell them the EIT class and they are shocked. This is the kind of class that you can take to whatever level you want. Ms. Belisle creates an environment in which all of her students can succeed in and feel confident about their work. There is nothing to fear! Sit back and enjoy your EIT experience :)

Gazing upon the Wasteland

Gazing upon the Wasteland

For my photoshop assignment, I took the opportunity to express an environmental concern that has been building up globally and primarily in the United States: Waste. Waste and pollution are directly correlated to overconsumption, something quite prevalent throughout the West. Specifically, the consumption of plastic and plastic waste is what truly upsets me. Plastic is toxic (contains BPA), most of it cannot be recycled, and over 80% of all non-recycled plastics end up in developing nations (such as the one used above from India) who suffer the consequences of our first world consumption. This week (today and tomorrow in Coates), SOS is promoting a school-wide "Bag the Plastic" campaign. We are asking students to be aware of their plastic use and try to limit it as much as possible. How to combat this global issue is by starting with the self: Reduce, reuse, recycle, in that order.

I chose to place the landfill photo in a spherical shape, which represents the earth. The idea of a higher power represents the hand holding the earth among the heavenly backdrop (clouds and light). Both the landfill and the clouds photos were not distorted, which I find truly fascinating [See original images below]. I use the image of the child in the gas mask to provoke a feeling of an uncertainty and fear for the future generations that will be dealing with the waste and pollution problems our generation and the one before us have created.

Preliminary Photos Used in this Work:

Photo Fakery: How Food Images Influence Taste Perception

How Images of Other Consumers Influence Subsequent Taste Perceptions

This article addressed photo manipulation from a very specific perspective on food images. These images are seemingly everywhere, and yet the influence that such images have on consumers outcomes is not well understood. The authors propose that the effect that image exposure has on taste perceptions largely depends on the interaction between the type of food (healthy vs. unhealthy) and whether the image shows the food alone (food image) or the food being consumed by a person (consummatory image). Specifically, the authors show that exposure to consummatory images that have been distorted with tools such as photoshop of unhealthy (vs. healthy) foods, also manipulates taste perception relative to food images. The author proposed that the effect of seeing an image of someone else engaging in unhealthy food habit makes it seem socially acceptable, and therefore the audience will perceive it as such. 

Interestingly, this argument would be useful in reform of fast-food (unhealthy food) commercials. Obesity is an epidemic in the United States. Part of this epidemic directly relates to how the average US citizen interacts with the market. We are a consumerist nation and companies that market and promote unhealthy foods are partially responsible for the consumption and obesity problems prevalent throughout the country. If we can change the norms on food consumption in the United States perhaps we would see a decrease in obesity rates.

Works Cited

Poor, Morgan, Adam Duhachek, and H. Shanker Krishnan. "How Images Of Other Consumers Influence Subsequent Taste Perceptions." Journal Of Marketing 77.6 (2013): 124-139. Business Source Complete. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.

Class Presentations

My Presentation

Before presenting, I had a sequenced plan of how I wanted to present my topic. That plan sort of just went out the window when the person going right before me also chose yoga as a topic! Because of this, I was forced to adapt my presentation. Ironically, the most important thing I learned with this presentation was to allow for more flexibility in the outcome of the presentation. Flexibility is a key component of yoga, as well as life. If you fall out of a posture, you are told to get right back in it and to keep persevering and not to worry about how your posture looks (especially compared to others in the class). Flexibility is key in the outcome of poses: both physically and mentally.

Class Critique

Wow. The assortment of topics was most interesting to the say the least. Everyone's presentation was extremely different and unique. I was most surprised by the amount of personality and individuality that came through with each presentation. My average class presentation rating was a 9.167 and in my opinion, every presentation was well done. However, there were some that stuck with me more than others. One of the presentations that I have not stopped thinking about was texting and driving ( by Andrew).  Not only is it a pressing issue, but the topic was presented in  a heartfelt and informative way. Another presentation I though was very well done was on the topic of couch surfing. Will brought a lot of experience and enthusiasm to his subject and truly made me want to create an account on couchsurfing.com. His information was very clear and the presentation was graphically pleasing. I enjoyed the presentation from start to finish!

Google: Searching for the Right Results

Today in EIT...
Chris Nolan raised some interesting points about the structure of Google's database and how it makes money as a monopolistic firm in the market. Statistics show that Google is the most popular search engine today, and is used by over 66% of all U.S citizens. Not surprisingly, over 90% of all of Google's revenue is from advertising. There is some controversy around this idea because Google is so widely used. Although Google claims they do not alter searches based on advertising (i.e. type in a search and get first page of results), there are a lot of things that slip through the cracks. Google tries to prevent spam but because the database is so large, there is a lot more room for firms to manipulate the database.
How It Works
Ever wonder how search results come up? The mechanisms used to find information are very complex and highly technical. Strategic algorithms, page quality and "web crawling" are all used to compute a result from the search engine. Web crawling defines how sites have links from page to page. There is also an invisible algorithm that is being developed on social networks as well as Google. For example, the more information you provide on these various networks, the more they tailor to your interests. All of these mechanisms work together to produce a result from your search. Ranking algorithms are evolving every day. Today, there is an occupation called search engine optimization (SEO), where firms try and research the best ways to advertise a product based on search results in Google.
NEW TERMS 
 "internet junk food" defines pop culture information that floods websites and is fun to read (usually false information)
"information bubble" is defined as the bubble that social networks and other internet filters place around you based on your personal interests and frequent searches

Next time you type a search, ask yourself: is internet is telling you what it wants you to see? Or are you telling it what you want to see?

5 Reasons Why Powerpoint Can be a Drag....

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH TEXT

• Presentations should not be overwhelming with text. If you want the audience to read it
• Text can be distracting and taking away from the overall point of the slide

NO Interaction

• It is important to interact with audience rather than just talk at them
• Bring visual aids, conduct demonstrations and ask questions to engage the audience

Linear/ Lack of Unique Mediums

• Dynamic presentations are always better than static ones
• Include transitions, videos and cool graphs to change up the flow of the presentation

Irrelevant

• Presentations should be focused as if you were presenting a paper. 
• It should be formatted with a beginning, a middle and an end!

Unorganized

• Organized presentations are easier for the audience to follow and stay tuned in
• avoid tangents and unnecessary info.

The Misconceiving Eye: A commentary on True Lies by Suzanne Salvo

How much a photo can be altered aesthetically and still be within the bounds of reasonable ethical standards?

 IF the intention of the person in the image is distorted, I feel that it would be unethical. Even if the artist was making an aesthetic adjustment, I think it is unreasonable to alter the perception of said person in the image. For example, if there was an image of a female that was taken at an unflattering angle, the artist may distort her figure to look thinner. This does not seem unethical in certain contexts. However, if the image was suppose to be used as a real life example of a woman's figure for a poster titled "body awareness", then the adjustment alters the intent of the person being photographed, which in my opinion is unethical.

Without editing, photos can still be taken in a certain context with an artistic perspective or an aesthetically pleasing view. There are examples when this can be unethical as well. For instance, if the photographer is capturing images of a forest that has an abundance of waste and habitat degradation but decided to only capture areas in which these non-aesthetic aspects are removed, then the image is misleading. This does not necessarily mean the image is unethical depending on what context it is used in. If this image was used in a scientific paper representing a forest that is unharmed by waste and deforestation, then I would consider it unethical.
Ethics are a set of rules that we invent that define what we think is good and bad. The dictionary says ethics are "a set of moral principles or values" and that ethical means "conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct". 

Ethics and Art have a complex relationship. Whether or not an artistic piece is unethical or not is dependent on the intent of the artist as well as the context in which the photo is used.

Learning from Technology: CLT

I have been to CLT before, but this past visit really added a layer of depth to what I previously knew about the advanced forms of technology this wonderful facility offers to trinity students and faculty. Every time I come to CLT I tell myself "Im going to start doing homework here", because the computers are really sweet! One of the most exciting new additions to the CLT supply are the 3-D printers and scanners. The amount of potential for creative ideas and applied use of these printers are endless. I am really excited to get more involved with this technology in the future for both classes and personal use.

Thanks again Gregory!

Photo Manipulation: Distortion and Enhancement

pt(I) - Distortion
Coincidentally, I had been discussing our countries' criminal justice system with my roomate and the infamous O.J. Simpson trail came up. Although we put minors in jail for life for manslaughter, we let famous celebrities off scott-free...

The above photos are both mug shots of O.J. Simpson the night of his arrest. On the left in Newsweek, the image is not edited. On the right, it was manipulated to make O.J.'s face darker with a vingette edge around the image-- adding a shadowy effect. These subtle dark addtions add to the overall  give off a troubling and guilty look. OJ becomes the shadow of the night that he "allegedly" killed his wife. The photo editor probably believed that O.J. was guilty and felt that the picture needed some darkening and menacing effects. Although some digital  alteration can be harmful to the person in the photo, I have no sympathy for O.J. and his mugshot in this situation.

 

pt(II)- Enhancement

I really enjoyed watching this short artsy clip on photo manipulatino. Oringinally a picture of a Burlesque dancer, the photo becomes something quite astonishing and supernatural at the end of the clip. The addition of galaxies and stars as the backdrop as well as the brightly colored hair and lips transforms this photo into something out-of-this-world!

Avoiding Artificiality

Situation A.

A first-year medical student in California whose personal blog is hosted by a large weblog content provider posts explicit directions on facilitating an assisted suicide in the interest of “serving the rights of competent, terminally ill adults.”  Is this legal? Is it ethical? A teenager in another state who is being treated for depression reads the post and succumbs to a fatal, self-administered overdose of drugs, crediting the blogger for “helping her do it right” in her last note to her family.  Who is responsible for the tragedy?  The teenager herself? The medical student? The weblog content provider for allowing the blog content to be posted? The parents for not monitoring their emotionally fragile child’s Internet access closely enough? What, if any, crime has been committed and who can and should be prosecuted?

Suicide is clearly not a matter of black and white, such as many situations under the copyright law. If you torrent a song, you downloaded it illegally and that is wrong. If you provide information on how to properly kill yourself is that wrong? Intuitively I say yes. Then I step back. If I were dying of stage 4 malignant cancer, how much longer would I want to be around? Life seems to be about quality over quantity. If the situation is reversed however, and this information gives a teenage girl the necessary tools to end it all, this information is harmful. Then I step back even further. In my generation, we have complete access to an abundance of information that connects us to the global sphere. People everywhere are on the Internet voicing their opinions on blogs, providing falsehoods on Wikipedia and exercising their rights. With an exponential amount of voices and opinions, you are bound to find the answer to life’s questions that you are looking for. Meaning, this teenager could have just as easily researched a suicide-watch hotline online or a site that gives helpful tips on how to deal with depression.

This is where my argument shifts. The information itself that the teenager used to commit suicide is not inherently evil. It is on the part of the medical student to state explicitly how the information should be used (ex: this webpage is designed for terminally ill adults battling cancer).  It also falls on the parent’s shoulders to regulate how much time their daughter spends on the Internet as well as making a daily human-to-human interaction with her. There are too many situations where young adults feel disconnected and isolated and then look to the web to find artificial relationships. It is also critical that schools begin to address how to use the Internet at a young age. Understanding that not everything you read is true is helpful when you are still absorbing everything you hear and see. On a larger scale, the government needs to regulate what citizens can and cannot put on the web. Too many sites provide false information or justify acts that would be deemed unconstitutional.

So there may not be one right answer to whether this website is a crime under copyright law, but I am arguing that all of these people, institutions, and connections in this teenager’s life played a critical role in her suicide. Last semester, I had a close friend commit suicide and I was confused and heartbroken. But most of all, I was angry. I was angry with myself for not seeing the signs. I was angry with her parents for not allowing her to follow her dreams and forcing her to take certain classes. I was angry with the school for not acting quickly enough when she went missing. However, underneath all this anger was sadness. Over time (and with the help of therapy), I had come to realize that this situation was clearly out of my control. There was nothing I could have done that would have changed her mind. Nevertheless, I had influenced her in some way because she was apart of my life. Every day gets easier. I remember the good times and integrate all that she has taught me into my daily life. I make a conscious effort to acknowledge and smile at people when I pass by them. I do not ignore my intuition when a situation does not seem right, I take action. Life is a beautiful gift, that’s why its called the present. Living in the moment is the hardest thing to practice, but consciously practicing has been very rewarding and I look forward each new day.

Excel Skills from Lynda

Lynda.com is a great resource for a quick tutorial on anything computer oriented. I have thoroughly enjoyed using this website to draw on for excel and word. I will most likely end up going through some of these tutorials in order to refresh on minute details before the midterm. I honestly have no complaints about lynda, shes awesome!  I am so glad we are going over how to properly use excel because it is such a frequently used program in school as well as the workplace. Learning some essential skills will really go a long way. Whether you are using excel to collect profit data as economics major, or plotting graphs for a lab class excel is truly something every student needs to know.

Copyright Law: Black and White, with Shades of Uncertainty

The Debate
Copyright law is a form of "intellectual property" that allows for artists, authors and any individual with an idea to protect it, redistribute it and in many cases, make a profit from it. This makes an individual's work a sort of tangible mean of expression. Copyright is also said to incentivize creativity. Currently, Copyright is an evolving  form of law in today's judicial system. When a person breaks copyright law, it is called copyright infringement. Not to be confused with plagerism, copyright infringement is taking or copying something without paying for it sufficiently, whereas plagerism is claiming authorship of a work that is not your own. There are many debates on whether or not something is technically not your own. One of the most interesting debates in this area is whether or not an artist doing a song cover of another artist is technically considered copyright infringement. So many up and coming artists become known through recreating or doing a take on a song created by someone else.  Personally, I feel that information, art, and music are things that should be shared and recreated. I don't think torrenting music is the answer, but I would not consider a cover copyright infringement either. We must be able to find a happy medium to appreciate music and art without harming the creator in any way.

Copyright Quiz
Q:An elementary school transcribes the lyrics from the album "Cats" and puts it on as the school mini-musical. A teacher plays the music by ear on the piano and the students perform every song. There is no admission charge. This is legal.
A: False.
I was suprised to find out that schools cant use media or re-enact plays without the permission of the owner. Mistakenly, I considered this to be "fair use" but apparantly in this situation it isnt. 

Copyright: Shades of Uncertainty by Hayley Sayrs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

One's Self in a Spectrum

The self reflects life as life reflects the self. 

Contrast.

Duality.

Light.

Dark.

The elements of living that we transcribe into art.

We are the colors of this spectrum called life.

 Heavy rain and sun rays meeting at the perfect moment.

A rainbow.

A smile.

How do you make every day worth while?

Learning from Lynda

I had no problems using the lynda tutorial system. Self-paced tutorials are always favorable in my opinion due to the fact that I can be in my PJ's in bed (lol). Also, it is nice to be able to skip past things that I am familiar with as well as replay things that I want to hear again.

I am so glad Lynda taught me about the photo browser feature in word. It is so much faster to import media to word documents with this feature. I have been doing it the long way my entire life! I also learned how to edit and change borders for tables in word. I will be using these newly learned features to make creative flyers and tables I use all the time.

TU Network Diagram

Network Server Diagram

Check out this informative diagram about the Trinity network and the different types of folders and drives we have access to as Trinity students!

Mantra of the Day:

All great changes are proceeded by Chaos - Deepak Chopra

Provided by Zen Quotes

Best Tech Tip

Ender gave some great underground IT information in class today. Newly located in the Winn 042 tech center, you can find some awesome people to help with any computer problems. What I thought was the most useful tip was that if I have problems with my iphone or need screen repair I can ask these IT guys for help after hours (with the addition of some monetary incentives).

Thanks again Ender!

Who is Hayley Sayrs?

The Basics: Sophomore (Class of 2016 whoo!)

Environmental Science & Biology double Major☯

Yoga = Life.
I enjoy shooting hoops occasionally.
Vegetarian cuisine and ethnic foods such as Thai, Indian and Vietnamese are my faves.

picture of me chillen' in Hermosa Beach, Cali

I currently reside in Arizona, but I've lived in a variety of places around the country (Wash D.C, Hawaii, New Mexico and Florida just to name a few). On campus, I am heavily involved with Trinity's SOS (Students of Sustainability) Club. SOS works to promote eco-consciousness and sustainable practices in many of Trinity's affairs. This year, we are hoping to expand our community garden 4-fold with the help of faculty and new student involvement, fingers crossed.
I also recently began my work/study career at the Coates Lib. Its pretty sweet. I get to do homework, doodle on white boards and say the announcements on the loudspeaker before closing.

Over the summer, I held a position with Phoenix Children's Hospital where I wrote and designed brochures on Microsoft Word. This is where a large part of my computer understanding was solidified. I have take numerous IT classes starting in elementary all the way up until my sophomore year in high school. When myspace was cool, I also taught myself how to write HTML because I wanted to have the flyest profile haha. Those were the days, kindof. I am really interested in improving my photoshop skills this semester because I love photography!

Something the average Trinitonian dosen't know about me is that I have a weird thing for spiders. Over the summer I started having tons of dreams where spiders became a motif or theme in the dream (I love to analyze and interpret the meanings hidden in my unconscious). I used to hate and fear spiders but now I embrace them and look to them as dream helpers. Spiders appear to be scary and dark creatures that bite and do harm. But in fact, spiders are very misconceived beings. Yes, there are some spiders that are venomous such as the infamous black widow and the brown recluse, but many spiders are harmless and would never bite someone unless they thought they were being attacked. Spiders are also very creative and flexible. They reconstruct their glistening webs almost every day and no pattern is ever the same. We could learn a thing or two from these misunderstood invertebrates.

You can always reach me by email ☏