Getting the News

Although I would love to say that I consistently read a daily newspaper, I don't think the Daily Trojan counts as "reading the paper." It always used to be a highly praised attribute in my family if you read the paper, but I just never saw the enjoyment in it.

Many people read news papers because of everything they get out of it. They get their headline stories, their opinion section often accompanied by differing viewpoints, information about community events and even stock analysis. Personally, when I want the news, I want just that: the news. The fastest way to get the news in my situation is by means of the Internet, something quick that I can read from a highly-acclaimed newspaper company for free. Sometimes I make a conscious effort to read a variety of online news sites, so I'm not completely out of the loop when it comes to global issues. I never visit any particular site on a consistent basis, though. If I'm not checking a site for a specific issue, the news only really seems interesting to me when I'm browsing and find an intriguing headline.

My interests in just getting little bits of information simply don't warrant a full subscription to a newspaper. Online news seems to be the easiest things to satisfy my needs.

Why a computer museum?

For our museum assignment, I chose to focus on and create a museum dedicated to the history of computing. Although I first decided to write about this mainly because it was the best idea I could think of, I later realized that computers really have had a profound impact on our lives and have significantly shaped society as we know it.

One of the main reasons there should be a museum devoted to computers is the sole fact that the subject matter is highly relatable. Most people today own computers or even use computers in the work place; computers are essentially a part of everyone's lives. I challenge anyone to imagine life today without a computer. It would certainly be harder, to say the least.

Computers also have an immense history, just like any other subject that has been enshrined in a museum. They began changing lives when they were first implemented as data-input devices and will continue to change lives in the future as one of the most used pieces of technology currently on the market.

More importantly, though, the aim of the modern museum is to educate. A computer museum would provide an interactive, educational experience beneficial for a broad audience, ranging from those completely inexperienced with computers to even young children. It would provide a valuable experience for the visitor to help them learn about this dynamic force that has changed their lives forever.

The Norton Simon Art Museum

A couple of months ago, some friends and I decided to check out the renowned Norton Simon Art Museum in Pasadena. Sitting right along a busy highway in the heart of one of Southern California's most historical cities, it provides the ideal home to many fantastic works of fine art.

The museum itself is comprised of two floors, one ground-level and a basement. These floors then extend outward to form massive wings on either side of the main hall. I particularly enjoyed the way the artwork was organized, the top floor housing all western works and the basement, eastern. Though one work of the same region after another could become repetitive, the separation provided that clear contrast necessary to understand the vast differences between works of the east and west.

There was not much interactivity employed by the museum, except for guided audio tours. Then again, there can only be so many interactive techniques available when dealing with priceless art.

After visiting the museum, I realized that I knew nearly nothing about some of the great artists responsible for such fine work. With this in regard, I would suggest perhaps a pamphlet that gives a background on some of the major artists represented at the museum or even added information on the cue-cards displayed directly next to the work.