Play Make Write Think

Tag: sq4

What’s In Your Bag?

Student Posts

items in my bag:

  1. Laptop: I used my mac all the time to do homework and editing for different documents and excels. It is also used frequently for me to send emails. As a college student studying online, laptop is indispensable for me especially in terms of academics.
  1. Phone: a device that is with me all the time no matter what size of my bag is. I not only use it for some basic applications like camera, phone call, but also use it as my social tool to pay by apps, listen to music, and text friends.
  2. Mask: obviously need it at this time since covid is still here. Many public places in China require people to wear masks to get the permission to get in.
  3. iPad: I used my iPad with apple pencil in college every day. I used to be a person stick with hardcopy. However, after college started, I noticed that it is hard to keep notes on separate notebooks for all the subjects I learn. It is much more convenient for me to record down in a single tablet and review whenever I need. The iPad is also used for me watch videos and dramas for entertainment.
  4. AirPods: I used it to listen to audio, music in the public space. The design of AirPods really makes my life simple and convenient.
  5. Calculator: some of my courses, such as chemistry, require complex calculations and Ti 84 really becomes my tool when calculating. Laptop, iPad, calculator, and sometimes AirPods have become the only things I need for study.
  6. ID card: I keep my ID card all the time with me so that I would be sure it is placed safely and I can take it out whenever I need it in the society.
  7. Key: having my key with me makes me easy to enter my house even sometimes my parents are not at home.
  8. Umbrella: it is with me all the time through summer to protect me from sunburn. Self care is another topic of my life that I pay attention on.

I like this interesting side quest since it made me start to look at myself from an angle that I have not paid attention on before. Though many people may say this small part of life cannot represent one’s life entirely, it gives people a different perspective to reflect on which type of people they are; some details usually can tell something objective about an individual surprisingly. This image is actually easy to make since I basically only grab these stuff when going out. My life is regular like many other peers; I am into technology and also keep organized and relatively simple . Writing in catalog is a special type of writing, because we are complex enough that cannot only be represented by certain items, but through an objective view, we are actually describing ourselves to readers; this exploration makes writing not limited and boring but more interesting.

My bag, my stuff, my world.

Student Posts

Basically college students’ necessities.

  1. Laptop with 100 folders for classes and random edgy/ cute stickers.
  2. Chargers (for both laptop and phone). Portable charger in case I can’t find any outlet.
  3. Wallet – most of the time carried around for fun but in certain times would be used for food purchases.
  4. Mask – can’t forget it whenever I leave the house. Plug: my family sells masks. If professor Morgen or friends need one just hit me up.
  5. My notebook. I carry a big physical notebook with me all the time. It is a habit since middle school days. I still can’t seem to get used to taking notes on a screen. I use this Emory notebook mostly for my math class.
  6. Sweatshirt – Atlanta weather is getting more chilly these days.
  7. Lastly, my passport. I think this is a bad habit because I might lose my passport if I keep carrying it around all the time. However, part of me is afraid that one day an officer would come up to me and ask for my IDs for whatever reasons. I should leave my passport at home.

I had a good time with this assignment. I think it was much more straightforward and easier to showcase what I have in my backpack than to describe myself or tell a story about me, per se. I, however, do not think that this post would be helpful for anyone who wants to know me, or just any other student in this class. I think we all carry relatively the same items in our bags on the daily basis, things that help us “survive” the day. However, they don’t paint a picture about our thoughts, our traits, or our most interesting characteristics. At most an unusual object would give others a glimpse into one’s idiosyncrasies, but it cannot portrait his/her identity.

Side Quest 4

Student Posts

Here is a picture of all the things in my bag:

  1. A Macbook computer
  2. A facemask
  3. Two notebooks (One for my previous internship, another for my classes )
  4. One pencil
  5. A wallet
  6. AirPods

It is funny that I have a NYU bag instead of an Emory one. I got it from the NYU bookstore. Because I went to a high school in New Jersey and NYC is just a 40 minutes drive. I like to take notes during classes or doing homework, so it reflects that part of my personality. Moreover, I am a “semi-Apple fan” that is why all of my electronic products are from Apple. As many can tell, I carry little items in my bag since I can easy loose things everyday in my life. There isn’t many challenges while I was doing this project since I just laid out all of my stuff. Yet, it is a little bit embarrassing to have only one bag and it is printed with a NYU logo.

What’s In Your Bag?

Student Posts
clicked by me

This is a list of things which I suppose would be in my bag on a usual day in college. The list is not in order of preference (all are dear to me).

Charger: necessity since my phone’s battery life is just as short as my patience

Calculator: considering I’m on the Finance and Quantitative Science track, I’d require it

always

AirPods: for both music and talking to people on the phone while eating food

Nachos: The half filled Cornitos packet right there signifies that food will always find its

place in my bag, no matter the space

Chocolate: Something sweet to digest the day 

Pencil kit:  The pink one is worn out from school, but it’s lucky so I’ll take it along

Art Journal: To sketch and scribble whenever I get a chance

Peach Folder (with that quote): I do have brain tabs open but they are organised

White register: class essential

Sticky note pad: To stick stuff in my frontal lobe of the brain that I tend to forget

Lip Balm: advised by my mom but I am sure I’d never use it

Fidget Spinner: That’s fills the void of a ‘game’

No matter how hard I tried, I could not get that charging wire in the right form. That picture is 100 for me on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the messiest. Those items placed in a disorganised way make my organised self want to weep. I placed the objects in such a way to hint at the fact that a picture is not enough for you to know me. It’s just as good as seeing my face because you wouldn’t be able know all my traits. Its only my comments from above that might reveal that I love food or I’m organised enough to have a folder (taking a long shot here). The most challenging part about this assignment was that it’s been over six months since I have carried a bag, so I’d forgotten how it felt packing a bag and having your essentials loaded on your back. Unfortunately, Zoom universities do not require it. I went around my room looking at stuff thinking what deserved that space in my bag. It was a tedious screening process. 

Representing oneself in a catalog of the stuff in one’s bag is a type of writing since it almost fulfils all the parameters on paper. It’s a medium of communication through symbols( objects in the bag) and can be reconstructed by other human beings. It just leaves too much space for assumption. I’m all for open ended writings but this one is like an open ended introduction, body and conclusion. It is a form of writing but definitely not my type of writing.   

What Would Have Been…

Student Posts

Pictured here:

bookbag: the Isabella is so old, you can not find this style in stores anymore; was rescued from an old closet when my Herschel broken down in the middle of senior year

iPad: the lightest 5-subject notebook I’ve ever owned

laptop: functioning was better pre-quarantine when it did not need to be charged every other hour; likely weighs 100 pounds since I nearly break my back carrying it

pencil case: contains 2 pens & correction tape for the mistakes that are too tragic to look at

calculator: stoichiometry

wallet: carries embarrassing ID pictures & expired metro cards that I will one day exchange

planner: my pride & joy; withstands my tears and aggressive cross outs; understands my limits

vaseline: a necessity when it gets lower than 65 F; must constantly be replenishing itself because it never runs out

airpods: great for traveling, bad for Zoom

earphones: great for Zoom, bad for traveling

I have been studying at home for months, so I tried to show that things that would have been in my bag. It was interesting to see how many of my “materials” have become tech, because a few years ago I would only carry a pair of Apple earphones to school. Overall, though, my picture certainly feels a bit odd: a mix of study-influencer with my airpods, laptop case, and planner cover, but also a bit of whatever she could find and need–which I think is representative of who I am. I try to fit an aesthetic, but I mostly just care about functionality. I would say the part I enjoyed most was the cataloging portion because I did not feel restricted by traditional grammar rules and went free form in my descriptions. I definitely do consider it writing because I was able to describe my items in a more comical way that revealed my sarcastic personality (speaks to the autobiographical nature of this assignment).

What’s In My Bag?

Student Posts

Image: Clicked by me

  • Laptop/phone: 80% of my world is on there, now even more so thanks to virtual classes.
  • Powerbank and charger: To save me from panicking in the middle of a Zoom meeting.
  • AirPods: To watch funny videos and listen to embarrassing voice notes from my friends, without the fear of getting judged (or worse– my parents hearing someone swear :p).
  • Mask and sanitizer: Because COVID is still very real.
  • Wallet: Only reason I need this is to buy food when I’m hungry (that is, always).
  • Driving license: Subtle plug that I can drive a car.
  • Comb and hair tie: To maintain the bush, otherwise referred to as my hair.
  • Hoodie: I have extremely low resistance to cold temperatures. (‘Noice’ and ‘Toit’ are references to my favourite TV show– Brooklyn 99)
  • Sanitary pad: Hopefully don’t need to explain this.
  • Painkiller tablet: The only reason I survive period cramps.
  • Umbrella: Because it’s easier to predict the position AND energy of an electron (what’s up, Heisenberg?) than the weather in Mumbai.
  • To do list: A small effort to manage my time well and avoid procrastination.
  • Body spray: Just to, you know, smell good.
  • Sunglasses and watch: This is just me trying to act cool. I don’t really use either on a daily basis.
  • Snickers bar: For emergency hunger and/or stress situations.

This is definitely one of my favourite posts so far. I use the objects in the image almost everyday. These objects, and the post in general accurately represent who I am as a person– just another average (virtual) college going girl with a questionable sense of humour. This kind of representation of self through an image of contents of one’s bag seems random. However, I believe that it actually gives an interesting take on a person’s personality which other forms of writing may not be able to shed light on completely. Often, seemingly irrelevant details add depth and character to the impression of a person in a reader’s mind, and thus make the person feel more real.

What’s in my Bag?

Student Posts

Welcome to the backpack content of a normal college freshman. A laptop with its charger is a must, along with a notebook and a pen- a “basic starter pack” for any college freshman. The most fun thing in my bag would be the hard drive. This has my most valued collection of movies, tv-shows, and anime, not available on NETFLIX. I downloaded around 500 episodes of Naruto Shippuden, which I finished in two weeks during lockdown. It also has a USB to Type-C connector because that’s the only thing that works for apple, and my headphones which I just use when listening to music. 

The crafting took little to no time. So, I learnt this term mis-en-scene in my film class and it basically means how you represent a shot. Filmmakers look at mis-en-scene carefully, as to “amplify” the characters present in the scene. I chose to keep the white charger on my notebook so you know its there, without looking at the picture very carefully. Since I’m at home doing classes online, I don’t keep a backpack, because I don’t need it now. But, this picture is just a representation of what would have been in it, if I were on campus. The only thing challenging about this assignment was figuring out what would I should have been in it. And I think just showing a catalog of the content of the backpack is a form of writing because there is a very famous quote- a picture is worth a thousand words.  

What’s In My Bag

Student Posts

Notebooks: to take notes

Pencil case: for write down

Cough drops: love the taste

Laptop: need it for doing assignments

AirPods: love music, a must-have for me

Sunscreen: always forget putting on sunscreen before going outside, so I put one in my bag

Lipsticks: to make me look less pale

This is the bag that I usually use when I go to the library. Therefore, I do not agree that these items inside my bag could fully represent myself or my personality since I carry these things mainly because I need to use them in the library.

It was not hard for me to take this picture. I started with taking out everything that was inside the bag. Then, I put these on the floor and grouped items together based on categories. For me, this should be considered as writing since there was truly a message that I wanted to share in these paragraphs.

Side Quest 4: What’s In Your Bag?

Side Quests

Due: 9/20

Tag: sq4

Find a relatively large empty space. Take your backpack, messenger bag, or whatever sort of bag you carry around with you regularly, empty all the contents out, and arrange them carefully so that they represent a visual snapshot of the stuff you tote around with you on a normal day. Then take a clear photo showing your bag and the stuff and upload it to your site.

Note that like the avatar or the literacy narrative, this too is a type of autobiographical composition. If you have something in your bag that is private, embarrassing, or for some other reason you don’t want it in the picture then make the editorial decision not to include it. Or vice versa: if you would like to assume a certain kind of persona then you might consider including items in your catalog that might be less than fully true.

Add some text to your post listing the items represented in your photo, preferably adding in a bit of explanatory and/or funny commentary along the way. This can be a paragraph of text or a list or whatever format seems most appropriate for you. When these sorts of posts are done by publications, like say The Verge or Timbuk2, they are often not so subtle efforts at product placement but for our purposes there is no reason for you to engage in such advertising games.

Along with the photo and your description of the items, include a paragraph reflecting on what it was like to craft a self-portrait through this photograph. How actually representative is this image of you as a person? What sorts of choices did you make in order to create the image? What was challenging about this assignment? Is representing yourself in a catalog of the stuff in your bag a type of writing? Why or why not?

css.php