More of my portfolio articles are due to be uploaded in the next week or so, when I have a bit more time. I’m currently trying to finish a 3,000 word Media Essay, but will be back on here soon. A lot of work has slowly piled up, and Im beginning to notice the stress!

Will be uploading a lot more stuff in the coming weeks.

Follow me on twitter – @rebeccakatie

Feedback is much appreciated, its the only way to keep improving.

“When life puts you in tough situations… Dont say why me? Just say try me!

Continue reading

Published on Source Online

http://www.cusu.org/sourceonline/news/index.php?page=article&news_id=293093

Pension Reform Strike

Thousands of people in Coventry failed to turn up to work on the day of the latest public sector strikes.

The largest strike in living memory, made it very difficult for the general public to continue with their normal daily routines. The strike has resulted in many parents having to find childcare for pupils who could not attend school, and streets were left with wheelie bins unemptied.

The strike, which took place all day across the country, was seen as the only option for many employees and trade unions, following criticisms of devastating changes of pensions for public sector workers.

Ministers have said that the strike has cost theUKan approximate £500m and has resulted in many risking their jobs. It has been claimed that the strike has had a similar economic impact on theUKto a National Bank Holiday.

Public Sector employees, particularly within the NHS, schools, local government, and Civil Service are angry at the pension reform plan recently discussed in parliament. Workers took to the streets in an attempt for the Government to negotiate the plan.

It has been suggested through the reform that the Public Sector workers will now have to start paying more money from their wages, into their Pension savings. This is in order to save money for the economy. With life expectancy increasing, the government believe there will not be enough capital to cover the cost of the retirement funds.

The Government have already made a very small movement in improving the proposal they are offering, but the Unions found these negotiations didn’t satisfy. With the hope of any further negotiations appearing to satisfy the unions vanishing, the Unions decided the next option was to make a stand.

The University and College’s Union is one of the largest Trade Unions that took part, representing over 120,000 academics, lecturers, teachers and any other professional association working in further and higher education in the UK.

Jon Baxter, the Principal Lecturer of Motorsport and Engineering atCoventryUniversity, has recently been elected Chair of the UCU Coventry Academic Branch. He said:

“I have been involved with the Academic Unions for the majority of the time I have worked at the University, just over 22 years now, where I’ve had various roles during that time. It is all about looking at staff salaries and conditions, making sure we get the best and equitable deal for everybody.”

The Coventry University Union Branch now has over 300 members, who all took action on the day. It was encouraged for many more staff to get involved as the changes could have a huge impact on younger workers, who have recently entered the profession as well as all those more than a few years away from retirement.

Jon believes the Trade Unions were not satisfied enough to call off the strike. He said:

“We had many Unions coming in all of the time, saying that they are actually supporting the strike, including Headmasters/Headmistresses, overwhelmingly chose to support the strike for the first time in their history.”

The Government has only discussed the Public Sector Pensions however no progress has been made into improving Pensions within the Private Sector. Many Public workers are simply looking for an equitable scheme, which reflects their contributions and salary through their careers. Jon continued:

“Rather than actually diminishing our Pensions within the Public Sector, what they should be looking at is improving the Private Sector provision. In the past the Private Sectors have taken huge sums of money out of their Pensions Schemes. They can’t just blame the better Pension Schemes, which a lot of the Public Sectors get, as a reason for actually reducing the benefit behind the Public Sector.”

Andy Fryer, Communications Manager from the Universities and College’s Employers Association (UCEA) said:

“Pensions are a crucial part of an attractive recruitment and employment package, and all workers in the sector will want to see pensions arrangements placed on a sustainable and affordable footing because costs through longevity and other issues continue to force significant rises.

However, Higher Education employers are not the driver of the changes and we all look to the Government and the TUC to resolve the issue and negotiate an agreement.”

Teachers in the public sector are not the only group of people to have been affected severely by the proposed pension reform. Workers in the NHS will now also have to pay a lot more money towards their individual scheme under the new plan. However, Alison Jennings, a Manager at a Doctor’s Surgery, believes changes to the system merely reflect changes in life expectancy.

It does worry me that I may have to contribute more of my salary to the pension scheme but I can quite understand why.”

“I may well also have to work for longer. I was looking forward to retiring when I am 60 but I don’t think that will be possible. I will have to continue until I am at least 65 to get a really good pension pot behind me. Every day there are new medical breakthroughs, which is fantastic but we pay a price for that.”

The Pension reform forms part of the coalition government’s programme of reducing public debt since the 2010 General Election. The aim of the cuts is to save the country money in terms of services, such as education, emergency services, the NHS and other demands on the public purse.

We’ve seen through the past year many demonstrations against the Cuts, such as the Student Tuition Fees in November 2010 and the ‘March for the Alternative’ back in the Spring.

We Will Remember..

Hundreds of people gathered around the centre of the West Orchard Shopping Centre in the City Centre on Armistice Day, to remember the fallen soldiers of both the past and the present. 

Known toBritainas a day where ‘We Will Remember’, on the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the public congregated on all floors of the centre, along with representatives from local churches, counselors, and members of the Royal British Legions and regimented associations.

An introduction was given by West Orchards Centre Manager, Andy Talbot, who felt extremely proud on the turnout. He said: “I am very pleased to see so many people ofCoventry, supporting the Royal British Legion, joining to pay their respects, for those who gave their lives for our future and freedom.”

Two heartfelt poems written by pupils from St Mary’s Primary School were read out to the congregation, followed by prayers of remembrance from David Mayhew, the vicar fromHolyTrinityChurch.

Alison Armitage, who attended the service said: “This is a lovely way to remember those who fought for our country. My Grandfather fought in the First World War, and he would be so proud to see us all together, paying our respects.”

The service finished with a two minute silence, signaled after the symbolic ‘Last Post’ played on the Bugle, echoing around the centre. Thousands of poppy petals were then released from the ceiling, in memory of the country’s war heroes.

Chelsey Jackson, a student atCoventryUniversity, who also attended the service said:

“The poppies falling from the ceiling was a beautiful thing to see. I have never seen anything like that before and definitely reminded us why we are all here today.”

Many gathered around the cenotaph, with representatives from the Royal British Legion andCoventryand Warwickshire’s Army, Navy and Royal Air Force, laying down poppy wreaths.

With the recent public FIFA Poppy dispute overEnglandplayers wearing a poppy on their shirt, during the friendly match againstSpain, the Remembrance Day services aroundCoventry, continued to represent the real reason for remembering the fallen, around the City.

Hundreds ofCoventrycivilians gathered around the centre of the West Orchard Shopping Centre in the City Centre on Armistice Day, to remember the fallen soldiers of both the past and the present.

Spectacle

I have chosen the 2001 Martin Scorsese film ‘Gangs of New
York’ as my media product, which I believe uses memory/history/the past and
power as key themes throughout.

The film is set between the 1840s and the Civil War in the
Five Points district of New York City. The city is extremely divided into
cults, tribes and gangs of a different nature, where everyone despises one
another. The film represents the past of New York
and the slums of the gangs, where nothing was pretty or clean to look at,
depicting the typical America
lifestyle at the time. The streets were filthy and the civilians even dirtier.

With the use of costume, setting, props and dialect, it is
obvious to the audience that the story is not set in the present day. The film
also uses a selection of flashbacks to create the effect of this age. The main
flash back used is to 16 years previous, where Amsterdam is a young boy, before the fight
between the Natives and Irish Catholic Immigrants begins. The flash back is
through the mind of Leonardo Di Caprio, thinking back to when his father was
alive beside him.

The point of the film being in the past allows the audience
to witness a different time. It depicts a different culture, before New York became the Big
Apple it is today, full of businesses, retail and tourism. Martin Scorsese
presents the ethnic and immigrant divide in the 1800s. This is a recreation of
history, but not a glossy and vibrant one. It is bloody and gruesome, where the
Police and Fire Departments despise each other; unwanted migrants are attacked
and left for dead, brutally in the streets.

I believe Power is the key theme throughout the entire film.
It is represented through hierarchy, through politics, costume, and of course,
the gangs. Everybody wants to please ‘Bill the Butcher’ and his infamous
‘Natives’ gang. Bill, played by Daniel Day Lewis is a Protestant with an extreme hatred of recent
immigrants. His followers obey him, knowing if they don’t, will be punished
with extreme consequences. The devices used to show the operation of power is
mainly through acting and dialect. The civilians bow down to Bill, which Daniel
plays to an astonishing level. His icy demure and charisma is enough to present
solely as the theme of power. He is one man, with no necessary attributes, yet
still has a hold over the Police, Politicians, Women and equally strong men.

The power of Bill
is clearly visible throughout the whole film, however, as we work our way
through the second half, Leonardo Di Caprio, becomes powerful through his
actions and re-building the Dead Rabbits in memory of his father. The final
fight in Paradise Square,
also joined by cannon fire from the Union Naval ships is a strong piece of
theatrical work.

I don’t think the
pictures chosen for my memory object and the ‘Gangs of New York’ film are
linked in anyway. The film focuses more on the memory in the mind, through the
use of flashbacks, instead of focusing on one particular object. When Amsterdam looks at the
knife that murdered his father, it brings back a haunting and devastating
childhood, however, when I look at my collage of photos, I see happy memories,
accomplishments, events that I have been a part of. Memory when comparing the
two are on completely different ends of the spectrum.

I have only
watched the film once, so at the minute, I don’t feel a full and complex with
it as I do with other films. I think it was a brilliantly crafted film,
however, at many times, I was slightly confused at some scenes and as a viewer,
I needed to look on the internet at the plot.

I have always
wanted to go to New York,
so it is connected to me in some respect where as a tourist, I now know a
little about the history. I absolutely loved the ending, which showed the
development of the city from the 1800s to the present day, with the structure
of Brooklyn Bridge appearing, and the World Trade
Centre. Leonardo Di Caprio narrates the scene, about how the fighters, who
stuck up for what they believe in, are no distant memories of the city. During
the dialect, the graves of those who died in these fights slowly erode away
over time. This piece to me, is enough to represent memory.

Power

I chose to visit theBritishMuseum, located inGreat Russell StreetinCentral London. This museum greatly deals with the past, particularly as it holds a collection of world history, art and culture. The artefacts and exhibitions throughout this museum are based specifically on the past, especially factual events in history. In my opinion, I do not think the museum is based necessarily on memory, as most of the pieces are far beyond where the memory can reach in different centuries and past times.

The collections would have been assembled through a vast amount of in depth research, archaeology, exploring and great knowledge with the help of intelligent historians. The museum was first established in 1753, founded by Sir Hans Sloane, who even though originally was a physician by trade; he was also a collector of objects and artefacts from around the world. After his death in 1753 he had collected over 71,000 objects, which ultimately became the first collection of theBritishMuseum.

As the museum is divided into different areas for different collections of the past each section can tell a completely different story to the next. Most of the narrative throughout the museum depicts the life and culture of that particular time. A brittle skeletal collection of bones, which were described to have very little nutrition, with the owner believed to have suffered a particular death, describes the quality of life in that era, perhaps in Roman times. On the other hand, a beautiful gold-painted vase presents a high standard of art and culture and what the people would have valued as a prize possession.

I don’t think many people actually think about the collections inside the museum until they actually see them, so in terms of a national memory, these items are only thought about during the daily visits. Since the visit, I haven’t sat and wondered over the collections, because I don’t feel they had a particularly great impact on me. It was an enjoyable day out, but with so many pieces it’s difficult to remember one momentous artefact. I regularly visit museums, because I enjoy walking through history, admiring the pieces, so I definitely feel I belong. At least once a month as a child, my family and I, continuously took a trip up toLondon, to visit many museums, including theScienceMuseum, the Natural History Museum and theVictoriaand Albert. As this was a regular occurrence, I have grown to appreciate these even more. I value what I see whilst walking around, listening to the headsets given, in order to learn more. I would never wander around the museum not paying attention to what I have paid admission to come and see.

There is definitely an air of authority at a museum, particularly when it comes down to the protection of the artefacts. An everyday visitor is permitted to touching the pieces, whether this be through barriers, lasers, glass cases etc. Employees are possibly allowed to touch and move the pieces, but I don’t think this gives them much power, as in most cases, everything stays where they belong, unless whilst being cleaned. There are other rules, such as no eating or drinking, no smoking, but I believe these are carried out entirely in the museum. There is a sense of respect and graciousness as a tourist towards these pieces, as someone’s time and effort has gone through finding the collections.

In terms of the BritishMuseum, the public do have a lot more freedom, considering most of the pieces in there are either sculptures, art, worldly belongings and some skeletons. I don’t think these can be compared to freedom in a human sense. If I was comparing freedom to Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana’s dresses are displayed, I would believe this is extremely restricted, particularly for the designers of the dresses, where they are simply locked in a glass cabinet. Every museum is different in terms of freedom, but I think its difficult to compare this to the British Museum of history and art.

Memory

The object I have chosen from my family home is a collage photo frame filled with 32 childhood photos of my sister and I. The frame is extremely personal to me, as it includes important events from when I was young that show my personality from a young age. Each photo symbolises a particular time in our lives up to the age of 6, such as the first day of school, being a bridesmaid, and sitting in out first toy car. 

This object reminds me of who I am every day. It reminds me of what I have done and how fortunate I have been in some aspects, such as taking a number of trips to the seaside with my family.

The frame is situated right by the front door, at the bottom of the stairs, so everyone someone enters or leaves, it is the first piece of the Gilchrist Family they see. It has always received comments, where our friends and family study the photos, laughing at what they see. It is an object which has a great talking point.

We moved house twelve years ago, and this is the only piece of memorabilia that I remember being in both houses. We have lots of photos in our family, from holidays to birthdays, yet this is the only one that means something to every single one of us. If this picture was ever destroyed, I know that the whole family would be devastated.

I asked my sister to describe in three words what the photo frame means to her. She said;

• Meaning
• Childhood
• Memory

I also spoke to my Mum who spoke about how she feels about the frame:

“When I stand and study the collage of photographs, I have a feeling which is a mixture of sadness and happiness. Sadness because the years have flown by so quickly and my babies are now all grown up and are ready to fly from our family nest. Happiness, because every single picture is a memory of a special time in our lives.”

202MC RAO Project Assessment Reflection

Below is the PDF file for my RAO Reflection;

RAO Reflection

Presentation Reflection Essay

PDF – Reflection Essay

Updated CV

Rebecca Gilchrist – Updated CV