Back in 2012,  a clip of the opening scene of HBO’s “The Newsroom” began circulating on the Internet. The 6-minute scene portrays what seems to be a panel discussion. A group of college students have the chance to ask the panelists questions regarding politics. The first couple of students ask simple questions that receive vague and repetitive answers. When a young women approaches, she poses the question, is America the greatest country in the world? The next couple of minutes takes the audience on a roller coaster of emotions as one panelist gives his honest answer. This has been a question that has caused controversy among the public, as there are seemingly two distinct sides. Either yes, you think it’s the greatest country in the world, or you don’t. This clip immediately came into my mind, as I remember that despite being only 12, it made me being to question the question itself (even though I had never seen the actual show).  The clip was aired roughly 6 years ago, and is still very much relevant now. I choose this clip, as it ignites conversation about topics that we are uncomfortable talking about, which is something we are seeing so blatantly in these times. It is important to analyze this scene, as it’s main focus seems to be trying to get the audience to question and inform themselves about the state of our country and the injustices that occurred and still occur. It also provokes the discussion of questions posed today such as, has America ever been a great country? What exactly constitutes it being a great country? I think this clip has a lot of substance, and is really thought provoking.

 

Hello! My name is Daniela Robles and I am a freshman here at Stony Brook University. I’m 18 years old from a small town in Suffolk County, Long Island called East Quogue. Super obscure. My zodiac sign is a Leo and I have a pet Cocker Spaniel named Pecas (which means freckles in Spanish). I am currently a Spanish Language and Literature major, but will hopefully be minoring in it when I apply to the School of Social Welfare to do social work. My undergraduate college is LDS and I live in H-Quad. I share a room with my roommate Hemma in the Benedict building. Go Benny Bears! I am currently enrolled in the fellows program to be a full-time fellow next school year and help out the incoming freshman, and get involved in school events. Maybe you’ll see me around! I come from a huge Mexican family, and really enjoy learning more about my roots and culture. My favorite pastimes are hanging out with friends and family, eating at new places, watching new movies and TV shows, and visiting the beautiful beaches in my town. Taking polaroid pictures has been my passion ever since I got a polaroid camera gifted to me on my 15th birthday. I’ve accumulated two albums full of pictures of mostly friends, family, and vacations I’ve been on. Twitter is my favorite social media platform, as it allows me to interact with people I would never be able to meet in real life. I also love that platform because there are so many people sharing their various ideas whether it’s social or political. It’s nice to have a place to share ideas with people who share your interests. Something interesting about me is that I am an avid fan of the tv show The Walking Dead. I started watching it since it’s third season was aired, and have been to two Walking Dead themed conventions. There I got to meet my favorite actors and actresses from the show. Some of them include Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, and Michael Cudlitz, and Christian Serratos . I also traveled down to Atlanta, where they film, and took a tour where we visited various sets from the show! It was crazy to see the sets with my own eyes. I’m a hard worker and have high hopes for my second semester here at Stony!