Before we started recording, we had the issue of not having our batteries charged for the tascam. Thus, we had to reschedule to meet the next day. When we reconvened, the batteries were charged; however, it would seem that there was never an issue with the batteries not being charged, but rather there was an issue with the tascam. We were not able to figure out why the tascam wasn’t turning on. As an alternative, we used the voice recorder to do the assignment. For the bad interview, we used an iPhone as a recorder and recorded the interview in a disruptive area, as well as held the phone far away from the subjects. For the human world, we went with recording actual human life happening as we recorded an active event (a barbecue/party). The non-human world was tricky to figure out, but we decided to create the sound of stomping on leaves. Finally, for the made world, we recorded a washing machine in progress as it spun through its cycle.

I think a story that would be interesting to delve into in geographic borders of The Lehigh Valley would be the how equitable cities/towns in the Lehigh Valley are for migrants and immigrants from the Hispanic-Caribbean and South/Central America.

The number of Hispanic and Latinx identifying individuals in the Lehigh Valley continues to grow each year as does this number grows for the United States as a whole. So, why are people migrating here? What makes this area much more appealing to those coming from warmer climates, Spanish-speaking lands, and people who identify the same? I challenge the Lehigh Valley to these questions because maybe places such as Allentown and Bethlehem are very hospitable and equitable to those migrating or immigrating to the United States, that other cities may lack.

I also would like to question how does the Lehigh Valley respond to the influx of Hispanic and Latinix communities moving to these cities? Does this mean more equitable solutions? Or does this mean a gap between those born and raised in the Lehigh Valley and those who have just moved? Do the politics of these cities engage with these new community members? How are they fulfilling their needs?

This would mean following a family and their journey from their homeland to Pennsylvania. It would mean talking about their experiences in the Lehigh Valley both positive and negative. Perhaps even more than one family could be followed and see how their experiences compare. Also, filming areas around Allentown that assist in the hospitality for these new communities would be necessary. Interviewing different Hispanic and Latinx associations would be key as well. Above all, this would mean finding answers to how we can make the Lehigh Valley better for everyone.

Class was actually really fun on Monday! I enjoyed meeting people from different schools and getting to know their work ethic and skills. Communication was key in making these films and I feel our group was able to get a lot of ideas on the table and we were able to successfully decide on what we wanted to do. There was room for a lot of creativity in this project so it was fun to see how a group of people who do not know each other could come up with something funny and entertaining.

It was difficult to fulfill everyone’s ideas with the amount of time we were given, but as a team, we agreed on what would be kept and what would be tossed. It was also difficult to try and just get the film done without being a perfectionist about it, especially since I was working with other people. It was a nice challenge to try and create a film with new people in two hours. I think that is something all of us as a class should be proud of. Another difficulty was that not everyone knew how to use Premiere, so trying to communicate editing ideas was tricky, but we figured it all out.

Overall, I really enjoyed the assignment and was excited to already start creating something. I cannot wait to work with the rest of the Lehigh and Lafayette students whom I still do not know.