Cultured Cooking

The project, Cultured Cooking was actually a good project that really caught my attention, and I am not saying that because of the food that was provided. The idea of having people become exposed to different cultures while helping those in the process is actually an amazing idea. As it has been mentioned, there are many Americans who have never truly experienced any other culture outside of what they are accustomed to. For example, this was the very first time that I myself have ever tried a Mexican and Colombian empanada. Not only was it delicious, but it also made a good first impression on their project. The overall project was basically similar to Blue Apron, but for a better cause. The money that is earned will be sent to those in need of food.There would be a country of the month which would determine what type of food would be delivered to your home. Within that theme there would be four meals that would be sent to your home which fall under breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. In addition to that, there are ingredients that are listed that are provided in order for people to know what they are consuming, and if there is something that can’t be eaten, then alternatives are available. Personally, I think this is a great idea, but there are a few concerns I did have.

My first concern was certain ingredients. There may certain countries that serve “unique” dishes that other people would not be willing to try ( trust me, I don’t think many people will be wanting to try warthog anus any time soon).  People can change a few items on the menu, but there can be no significant change or else it would take away from the purpose of the program. I suppose this does make sense since the purpose is to get people to expand their boundaries, but you can’t bring in much money if people won’t want to try it. However, this does sort of prepare those who do want to travel abroad, because there are certain restaurants that won’t appreciate ingredient changes all that much. Aside from that, another concern is cost. I know that some of these ingredients can’t be cheap, especially if there are certain foods that are only in another country. However, foods here ain’t so cheap either. Prices are rising and organics were never something that was of little value. Therefore, I don’t think that $50 bucks a month would cut it. Overall, I still think that it’s a good idea with the for the dauntingly adventurous.

Blame

Catfish. What is a catfish you might be asking? It is a freshwater or marine fish with what school are you barrels around the mouth, typically bottom dwelling. Basically it’s a fish. The meaning of the word changed completely in the 2000s. What is the new meeting meaning you ask? Well a catfish is someone who doesn’t appear the way that they said they were online. It was a lure. They blatantly lie and trick you into a relationships or friendship by means of a fictional online persona. Then the most prominent platform to get catfish is social media. Networks like Facebook, Twitter,or Instagram allow people to hide their true self with the mask of a person. In the documentary, Catfish, you see a woman called Angela manipulating a man named Nev. She uses her daughter to get closer to him. They then proceed to message each other to discuss Angela’s daughter fascination with Nev and the photos he captures. The relationship blossoms into a friendship. Discussions lead to talk about her family life with Nev. He seems to be more comfortable with the family and their life. This leads him to get closer with someone by the name of Meghan. Meghan is supposedly Abby’s older sister. As things started to heat up, the relationship started to get deeper and it turned from friendly to intimate. Nev starts to realize that somethings just don’t add up in the web of lies that the family has spung. However, Nev ultimately decided it is time to meet the family and get to the bottom of these lies. It’s scary really. This is how today’s society really is. We never know if you are a real friend, real person or genuine with your feelings. These situations almost make you scared to become close with anyone. After this documentary, I’m sure the Nev became less trusting of people. With today’s society it is hard for us to truly trust someone. We don’t get close to people so we become detached. And in certain situations we do not know how to react. We often downplay the situation or turn it comical because we don’t know how to react anymore. Society needs to work on this. Maybe it’s from social media. You have this screen that allows you to be anything you want and say whatever you want without consequences because no one knows who you are. We become these giant asshole of people.

Cultured Cooking Review

Cultured Cooking was an absolutely amazing idea, especially since it was inspired by the different people that made the group up. The idea of having a different meal, from a different country every month sounds amazing. Like they started off their project, who doesn't love food? I loved the way they started out with saying that when anyone goes to a different part of the world, or just a different region, the first thing you pretty much do in any country is try out the food, get to know what the people there eat daily. There would be so many options with this idea, there is a variety of countries, and each have a few signature dishes, so it would be a while before they ran out of options. I also enjoyed tasting the dishes they prepared for us to enjoy while they presented, it added a nice little touch to it. Their idea was great in the first place, but it got better when they mentioned that with each "box" that each family purchases, another box goes to another family that is considered to be "low incomed." In this sense not only are people getting to enjoy other food from around the world, but they are also helping lower the hunger statistics. Their website was nice and simple, self-explanatory which was great. 

The front page mentions the country of the month, and what would be included in your box. A neat thing that they would also incorporate past recipes from the past countries to its members. The Website was very simple, but elegant in a way, it wasn't bland. Some of the problems they would run into were discussed, and from this they took suggestions on how they would make that better, or how they would incorporate it into the program.

The presentation of the project was great, each member had equal speaking opportunities, and each were familiar with the project to the best of their knowledge. On the website, there was a page that shared a bit of information about the "founders" of the program, and I found that neat. Everyone got to write a short biography about themselves and read it to the class. They were also pretty good at answering the questions the class provided them with, and they also took suggestions from the class. Overall, I believe this program would be amazing if it were to be up and running once it figures out the minor problems, because like stated before, who doesn’t like food? 

Group Sync

I thought that this was a good presentation. I thought that the group was well prepared and had a lot of useful information. I thought the idea itself was great. I would have never thought of creating an app like that. It was almost an obvious idea but it's not really something people would think about.


There was an issue that I had with the app. I didn't understand how the app could bring together people from other classes. Group projects are specific to each class and the students within that class. So I didn't get how other people from other classrooms (and other schools) could work together on a group project. It just didn't make sense to me. I think the app should be specific to each individual classroom. And then the app will be more successful. I think it would be awesome if I could go on an app and be put in a group based on everyone's skills and personalities. It really is an interesting idea. I also think that the students should be able to be rated by other students.


Overall, I thought this was a good presentation and idea.

Cultured Cooking

This is a great idea and I believe the thought of culturing the world through the dishes and culinary enlightenment from nations worldwide. I do believe that cultured cooking can help solve the larger problem of racial ignorance and prejudice, mainly here in the US and from those across seas. One question that have is how can this prove to culture someone? First ask yourself the question o what is culture? Is it food? Music? Activity? However, personally I love food and even if there was no moral or social issue this was trying to cause I would still support just because of the great food I would be able to try. The PowerPoint and the idea was well-organized and the group was very knowledgeable of their subject and were prepared. I find it fascinating how they were such a diverse group that made a great idea involving something we that we have on a daily basis. The videos they showed were visually pleasing even though it made me super hungry. The food the group prepared was delicious and was great way to introduce their topic. I believe that the food boxes make a great way to outsource cultures to everyone but the 50 dollars a month is too low of a price to start the company off. A more appropriate price just based on the price of maybe the food, shipping, and delivery would be in the $120-170 range and that's probably even with donations and four boxes would just cost too much. Even if they were to partner with local groceries and a combination of donors, that would just be a smaller piece of the larger economic struggles. 4 boxes a month , just like Dr. J said, I also think is a bit excessive and just making the company work harder and lose profit. The fact that for every box someone buys, they would send one to a poverty stricken family in the Memphis area is very wholesome and can alleviate one of the underlying problems in Memphis with kids not having a meal and going to bed hungry.  This was my favorite project and it's a great plan to both better introduce people from foods all around the world , along with the culture behind the food, and help the poor have a nice meal every once in a while.

Nirvana

I think it's great that this group decided to talk about mental disorders. I feel like it's a subject that isn't always talked about and it is dismissed. I really appreciated that they surrounded their entire project on this matter. Anxiety and depression are more common than people realize, and I think it's important to talk about.


Design wise, I think the website could have been a bit better. The background was pretty busy. I think it was way too busy for a web site that is supposed to be calming for people with depression and anxiety. There was just too much going on. I like the idea of having music on the web site. I am an avid music listener and it always helps me when I'm stressed. I also appreciate that the music on the site varied, because not every person will be calm from the same type of music.


I think the group should have focused on depression and anxiety. I don't think that adding information about autism. Because I feel like it wasn't really the appropriate platform for people with that condition to use and benefit from. 

2nd WIn

The second wind presentation was one of my favorites out of the class and I believe with enough work and effort, it could be a real thing to help homeless people not just around Memphis, but nationwide. I know everyday that I drive from my house to campus, I see at least one homeless person usually sitting on a street corner or as I get off/on the interstate begging for anything to help them get by another day. It really is disheartening to see and I try to help with anything I can whether it be spare change, snacks, money or just some kind words. Some of these people are our veterans who fought and risked their lives for the freedom or you and me and I know they deserve more. The second wind program I believe is well thought system that, with a little work, can be great. I say this because it seems to be the case that the program can get jobs and help homeless people both manage and find jobs along with places to stay, but not live. The system overlooks the problem with finding homeless people housing so that they can get a job. The most major problem with people finding jobs are housing. You have to have an address to get employed, otherwise what's the point? Other than that, the idea was extremely nice, well though out and could prove to be beneficial to Memphis area along with places worldwide. The program seems heavily dependent on sponsors and very intricate to say the least. As for the presentation, the group was quite knowledgeable of the subject and a lot of research was done to make this a reality. The video of the homeless couple on S. Parkway helped get a visual interpretation of what homelessness is and a story of a couple in Memphis living it and how the program they have could help them intensely. The group seemed to have thought out what everyone was going to say along with all the avenues on how the system would work except for the finding a home part, but overall was really nice. I feel that this idea tackles a huge and growing issue around America as the poverty rate increases drastically in Memphis, and all around with unemployment still high. This system with little more productivity and research on the behave of the group to find or introduce programs that could also help homeless people finds jobs along with housing could be a million dollar idea that could greater help this country in both dropping unemployment rates and helping people who have fallen have a second wind.

Nirvana Review

Nirvana was a great project that would help people with anxiety disorders, depression, autism, and just stress with all the relaxing techniques they have available on their website. From games to music, and from advice to soliloquies, there's a different range of options that the website offers for not only anxiety, but other disorders as well, such as stress and depression. The idea was great, and I would definitely use this website if I was ever under a significant amount of stress. I thought it was a great way to kind of relax in a way, because it offers different copping methods, whether it be by listening to music, or watching funny videos or videos of puppies, all of which help the person with one of the disorders they mention. If this website were to actually launch, I believe that it would help a lot of people. Also, I would love to learn how they would incorporate autism into the spectrum of the services they would provide to aid with that area. The website was nicely put together, each compartment was organized and had plenty of options to choose from, for example the music portion and videos have a variety of topics or genres for each and every person. 

The group did a pretty good job in presenting even though I feel as if one person did the majority of the talking in the presentation. They all did seem familiar with their project, and they were open to suggestions on how to incorporate things. They did run out of time to present the whole website in a timely manner, but in the end, everything was explained briefly and simply. Over all this project would be a great use, for a good cause. I really enjoyed this project even though one thing I would change about the website would be the background, because it is a bit crazy and distracts the person on the website. The quote of the week was also a clever thing to do, because every now and then people need a bit of positivity in their life. Everything about this project is unique in it's own way, and that's what captured my attention. Also, I like the name choice of the website, it's different. Over all, this group project was one of my favorite ones, it was presented in a nice manner, and provided evidence for their research. 

Group 1

The first group gave an awesome presentation. They were all very well prepared and they presented a great idea. They gave great statics and background information on the way people react to group projects. Some people enjoy group projects while others do not. And how everyone has faced that one person who does not do anything. The person who does all the work or bosses everyone around. Everyone is different so with their app it could help people find someone they actually want to work with.  I also think this app could work for people not working in a group. If you have an individual project to work on ands need help you could use their app to find someone who is also working on the same topic. And you could exchange information. It could also be used to get help on projects or be recommended information that could help you with your project. It's also a great advantage that their websites works worldwide and it is not just limited to a small area. You can also meet new people and essentially make new friends which is most definitely a plus. This group did an amazing job and obviously took the time and effort to come up with this idea.

Cultured Cooking

Cultured Cooking is an awesome idea. At least I think so. We live in a world filled with different cultures from all around. We try food from different backgrounds but don’t actually know the background. Everyone loves food its part of being human. So I believe using food to educate people about different cultures is a great idea. People would be able to enjoy delicious dishes from all around. And at the same time get a brief summary of where the dish originated from. Being able to actually taste something from a different culture while reading about it can stimulate more interest in a person. Educating people about different cultures could be the next step for people to accept cultures other than their own. The US is considered one of the most diverse countries. Yet many people are not opened minded about the people surrounding them and their cultures. People will eat food from different backgrounds but not “accept” the culture and the people who created the food. Food can not change someone’s point of view but hopefully it can start by opening peoples’ eyes. With the help of the food we can help cultures be known.

Although this project is a great idea it does have one problem. The price they have set is essentially to cheap. $50 a month for four boxes would not be sufficient amount to cover all four boxes and to give the unfortunate a box for every box bought. $50 a month would be ideal for one box a month. Vegetables and meats can get very expensive so $50 might barely be sufficient amount to cover one box. And one the one box that is bought I do not believe it would cover the cost for the purchased and given box. That price could be the right price if what you are receiving in the box is only enough for one person but most households have more than one occupant. And is the $50 the final amount or will there also be a shipping and handling fee? Everything about the project was very well thought through except for the fees. Besides the price I believe this project could actually work out and produce a lot of attention. Congratulations to the group for coming up with such an amazing idea!

Cultured Cooking Review

            The cultured cooking project was great! I absolutely loved the food they brought to sample and thought it was a good way to introduce people to a new more culturized way of cooking. I thought of it as an opportunity to tasting all the delicious food you might see on a cooking show, tourist show, or even on social media. It could also help bring people out of their shell by getting them to try new things. They’re presentation, power point, and website was well organized and there was only one concern as to how the cost would supposedly cover 4 boxes of food. Other than that, it was a good idea of theirs as well for them to deliver some of their food boxes to homeless shelters/food kitchens so none of the food would go to waste. In addition, I liked their promotion that they offered in which a family would buy one box and they would give a low income family a box of food as well! 

Helping Hands

Helping Hands was a great presentation. Nationwide, we have a ton of single fathers that don't get enough attention as they should. Most people just think of single moms trying to raise children, but it's also the fact that single fathers are now facing those issues as well. I think Helping Hands is definitely a great start to that idea. There's a lot that could be added, but I think their current additions to the idea are really great. The fact that there is a resource for dad's to go on and chat with other dads, get some help from the government, and get advice from the website is definitely a great benefit.

Nirvana Review

The third group caught my attention with their focus on the mental health awareness of people. Not many people truly understand a person with mental health issues and how they cope with it. My sister has anxiety and I didn’t quite know how she actually felt about things and why she acted the way she did because to me she was being dramatic all the time or overreacting to little things. Thanks to some research I’ve learned how to help her deal with it. I felt like Nirvana was a really good project to help give people an insight as to how people live with mental illnesses.

             I felt like the whole group was good at doing their job even if they didn’t get to meet together. The project was very well organized, and it had lots of funny memes. There was too much information on their slides and they did handle criticism very well. 

PLACES App

The PLACES app presentation was really great. The fact that it could help prevent child abductions is definitely a great benefit. I think it will be of great use for parents who are worried about their kids, and they can see their location, see if a predator is in their area, etc. I think overall that the presentation went really well, and that they definitely worked out many kinks that would normally be in an app like that. They chose to hide the transponder in a necklace or watch, which is discrete and normally not thought of tracking someone. I think the fact that there is no real age limit, leaving that to the parents, is also a good idea.

2nd WIn

2nd Win is designed to help reintroduce homeless people, veterans, and low-economic status people back into society. The link for our PowerPoint, Website, and App is down below.

Check out our PowerPoint!

2nd Win App!

2nd Win Website!