Jhenry18's Blog

Body Language can portray up to half of what you are communicating. This is high amount, so it is important to make sure you use your body to show what you are trying to get across. Your body can be used as a tool. It can either be helpful or harmful. I found some basic translations of everyday body positions at this website http://deltabravo.net/custody/body.php.

Some of the examples of body language and what it portrayed included:

• When you stand tall and erected, you portray confidence.
• If you stand with your hands on your hips, it comes across as being aggressive.
• Sitting with your legs crossed while tapping your foot is a sign of boredom.
• If you sit with your legs open you come across as being relaxed.
• If you have your arms crossed in front of your chest you look defensive.
• If you have your shoulders hunched with your hands in your pockets while you walk you look rejected.
• When you have your head resting on your hand it is a sign of boredom.
• If your hands are behind your head when you are sitting, it comes across as a sign of superiority.
• Rubbing your hands shows anticipation.
• An open palm portrays openness and sincerity.
• If you wrinkle your nose and have your eyes closed, you come across as thinking negatively about something.
• Tapping or drumming your fingers is a sign of impatience.
• Constantly touching or playing with your hair shows a lack of self-confidence or insecurity.
• You show signs of interest when you tilt your head to the side.
• It looks like you are trying to make a decision when you stroke the bottom of your chin.
• Biting your nails shows a sign of  nervousness and insecurity.
• You come across as indecisive when you pull or tug at your ear.

These examples provided helpful insight. If you are speaking with someone such as an employer, a boss, or an elder you want to make sure you act respectful towards them. Although you might be speaking to them with respect if you are doing something as simple as tapping your foot you are portraying boredom. Your body language can completely off set the attitude you are trying to convey. This is an example of why it is important to be conscious not only how you are talking, but also what the rest of your body is doing.

Body Language is a form of non-verbal communication. Help Guide helps show the importance of non-verbal communication.http://www.helpguide.org/mental/eq6_nonverbal_communication.htm I thought the authors described it well when they said “The way you listen, look, move, and react tell the other person whether or not you care and how well you’re listening. The nonverbal signals you send either produce a sense of interest, trust, and desire for connection—or they generate disinterest, distrust, and confusion.” This shows how much of an effect non-verbal communication can have on a relationship or situation. Some of the main ways you show non verbals are by:

• facial expressions
• body movements and postures
• gestures
• eye contact
• touch
• space
• and voice

I hope that this provided you with some tips about both body language and non-verbal communication and how to use it for your benefit in the future.

     This week’s blog topic for my PR Practicum class is cover letter tips. I have looked at different websites for advice on how to properly write a good cover letter. The first place I looked at was Professor Nixon’s blog post on her website,  http://publicrelationsmatters.com/2009/09/17/resumes-that-resonate-revisited/. This post emphasized how important it is to avoid  overuse of words like “I” and “my”. Instead the post recommended staying ‘company focused’ in your cover letter. The blog also provided advice on how to correctly address your cover letter. It stated that you should not begin with the phrase “To whom it may concern…”. You should address the cover letter to either the name or title of the hiring manager.

    The second place I looked for tips was  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CoverLetter_13348_7.pdf  This article mentions that your resume’s cover letter can serve as a marketing tool. The article then goes on to say that your cover letter should consist of three main parts. The first part is where you state the position you are applying for, also mention how you heard about it and why you are interested in applying for it.  The second part of your cover letter is where you should mention why you are the best person for the job. You should mention your personal skills that will give to the job and the company. The article says that in this part of your cover letter, you should also mention your characteristics and part experiences that will show your qualifications. The third part of your letter is your closing paragraph.  This is where you thank your potential employer for overlooking your resume and considering you for the job. You should also provide a phone number where you can be reached.

    Some additional tips the above article mentioned is to make sure you remember to sign your name at the bottom. You should use a standard business letter format that coördinates with your resumé. Your font size is anywhere from 10pt. to 14pt. Your cover letter should only have print on one side of the paper. The color of your cover letter should be white or off-white. You should avoid jargon and grammatical errors. Finally, the article advises that you use terms that apply to the employer.

     After reading about cover letters I have a better understanding of how important they are. They can really enhance a resume. The cover letter is the frist part of your resumé that a potential employer will see. It is the first impression of you that they will see. This is why it is vital to make sure that you have a good, strong cover letter. If your cover letter is sloppy, or poorly constructed your employer might toss your name out as a potential employee without even glancing at your resumé. If you can’t take the time to build a good cover letter then why would they take you seriously as a dedicated and hard worker? I have learned a lot more about how to properly build a cover letter, and I will keep these tips in mind when it is time for me to write my cover letter.

     It’s that time of the year again. The time for holiday cheer and all that comes with it. As we set up the christmas tree and hang our wreaths it is also the time we are supposed to focus on helping others, our loved ones, and how lucky we are. I think that one of the problems with this time of the year is that a lot of people forget the important reasons to celebrate. They are focused on getting presents, getting the house ready for guests, and preparing for a feast. In the end, none of these things really matter. People are caught up in the excitement of everything and forget to take time and enjoy the holiday. Whether or not you are celebrating for religious purposes, or just a day to have a break and spend time with people dear to you, make sure to take time and remember what it is you are celebrating. Happy Holidays to all!

     Recently,  I went to see the German film “Don’t Let the Right One In”. It was a part of the Cinema Arts Film series at Georgia Southern. The audience was made up of a several different ethnicities and, to my surprise, a variety of age groups. The film was about a young vampire who befriends a boy. Since the film focused on a vampire it is difficult to say whether or not it accurately represented the German culture. I don’t think that I would attend this particular film series again just because I am not a big fan of horror films. However, I would be interested in going to see a film shown in next semesters series. I normally enjoy foreign films, this particular one was just a little too gruesome for my enjoyment. This movie showing seemed exactly the same as American film showings. Popcorn and beverages were even available for purchase. I felt very comfortable at this even, at first I was a little worried about being able to read the subtitles quickly enough, but this ended out not being an issue. Although I was not fond of this particular film, I still though that the film showing was a success because the theater was crowded considering it was a week night and the audience seemed to enjoy the show.

The U.S. places a high emphasis on image. Since image is important the government tries it’s hardest to portray our nation the way it wants other countries to see it. This is when censorship becomes an issue. Censorship is the control of information and ideas. I think that when censorship is used you are not able to clearly see something for what it is. A good example of extreme use of censorship is the movie “Wag the Dog”.  The movie shows American Public Relations representatives for politicians and the lengths they go to to portray a certain image. Although the movie is fictional, it still has a good point. How much of what we see or read is actually true? The government has the ability to censor what we do or do not see.

     When we did our world news presentations for class, I really learned a lot about different ways the news is influenced. One theory I thought played a part in our news is ethnocentrism. A rough definition of ethnocentrism is the belief that your own culture is superior to others. We were assigned the task of watching a news station for a week at a designated time. Throughout the week we were supposed to note any international news that was reported during that time. At the end of the week I was shocked at the lack of international news covered. This exemplifies the ethnocentrism theory. It appears that our society believes that news focused around the United States trumps news from other locations.

     I think that this attitude is absurd. The belief that news from other countries is not as important or as “newsworthy” as news in the U.S. is egotistical. It is important for the U.S to acknowledge other countries as equals. One of our guest speakers, Richard Bailey, pointed out an important fact. The U.S. currently has the most power, but this will probably change over the years. Once our country is not at the top of international power, how do we want to be perceived? I hope that American citizens are able to expand their minds and realize that our culture is not better than others. However, I think that this mindset will take a while to sink in.

    As Thanksgiving approaches it is that time of the year for everyone to focus on just what it is they are thankful for. I have several things I am thankful for this year. To start with I am thankful for my family, I seriously have the best family in the world. They support me in everything that I do and they give as much to me as they possibly can. I am so lucky to have the parents that I do. I am also thankful for my friends. My real friends are always there for my when I need them. Having friends like that are really appreciated, especially while I am at college away from home. I thank God for how lucky I am. Even when times are rough, I know that they could be so much worse. I need to keep in mind what I am thankful for and what I do have.

     The event I choose to attend on Georgia Southern’s Diversity calendar was the international talent show. The show took place at the Russell Union Rotunda. The time that I was at the show the audience was not that large. However, the spectators were made up of college students of different races. There were performances that included a Spanish dance group, and a Jamaican music band. There were also booths set up around the stage. One booth sold authentic Latin cuisine, which featured rice and beans, different types of meat, and a dessert. The other booth was selling flags from different countries including, Jamaica, and Barbados flags.

     I thought that the performances did accurately portray the culture they were representing. The Jamaican band sounded almost identical to the music I heard when I took a cruise that went to Jamaican. The Latin performers were dressed in authentic costumes. The women wore brightly colorful dresses which spun out as the twirled. They used the dresses they wore to show movement with the music. The female performers were also wearing headpieces made with ribbons and flowers. The male dancers were wearing traditional bull fighting outfits, with a decorative sombrero. The hats they wore reminded me of the ones that hang on the walls as decoration in Mexican restaurants. As I watched the dancers perform I noted that the male dancers had taken colorful rainbow blankets and were dancing with them as well. Like the sombreros used as decorations in restaurants, I have also seen blankets similar to the ones they were dancing with hung on walls also. I always assumed that the only purpose of these blankets were for warmth. I was surprised to see that in their culture, they use them to dance with also.

     Compared to American talent shows, I preferred the International one. It seemed like the performers were just enjoying themselves. The atmosphere was non-competitive. I think that the majority of American talent shows are focused around a competition and who is better than the rest. It was refreshing to see people performing just for fun.

     I would definitely be interested in attending any future events similar to this one. I enjoyed the entertainment along with good food. I felt very comfortable in the atmosphere I was at, I felt like the performers were welcoming me by showing me a little bit of their heritage. I thought that the event was a success because it provided and easily accessible way for GSU students to see a little bit from cultures other than our own.

     Georgia Southern prides and promotes itself on being a diversified university. When you look around the campus you see a wide variety of[ethnicities and cultural background.There are many clubs and organizations throughout the campus that attempt to promote unity. There are also several classes which can help students understand acceptance of other cultures and ethnicities. Some examples are foreign language classes, and international studies courses. The purpose of these courses are to help us as students understand different regions other than our own. This can help students understand other people unlike themselves. I also think that the diversity calendar the school promotes is a good step in the direction of unity amongst students.

     However, GSU can only do so much to encourage unity throughout the campus. It is really up tp the students to make it happen. While I think that students as a whole say that they feel like the campus is diverse and unified, I don’t necessarily think that this is true. There still seem to be cliques around campus. The majority of the time if you look at groups of friends on campus, they look like each other. The majority of people hang out with people that have similar backgrounds as them. I think that GSU is taking the right step in becoming diversified, but individuals need to integrate better amongst each other.

     This week is GSU’s homecoming week. Different events are planned throughout the week, giving students the opportunity to show their school spirit. For me personally, school spirit isn’t about winning competitions. It is about having pride for my school. I am proud to go to Georgia Southern and I know that I will always hold onto the memories I have made here.