Performing Identity; How visual mediums allow for personal growth

Identity performance is a theatrical dance in which the performer conveys emotions or stories through movement, costumes and music.

Manipulating these aspects of theater allows the audience to experience the dancers story. Identity pieces often focus on one aspect of the dancer. This differs from everyday experience because humans exhibit more then one facet of identity on a daily basis.

Ethnicity is a common identity portrayed through dance.

Meghan Abadoo’s dance thesis demonstrated the difficulty she had in coming to terms with being a black woman in modern society. The dark ethnic music played throughout the piece emphasizing Abadoo's current struggle as an extension of the slavery of the past. The entire cast was also African American, further showing her connection to her ethnicity.

The audience is also engaged in the search and portrayal of identity during a performance. 

Humans learn through visualization. Seeing culture allows one to choose the values associate with and which to discard.¹   Audience members sift through the information presented and determine what cues to follow and which to discard. Senior Demi Adamopoulous, said Abadoo’s piece resonated with her deeply, and made her think about her own identity. 

"We don’t think about being white, but seeing how much not being a white person shapes your identity and shapes your outcome of life is a big learning experience,” Adamapoulous said.

Performers also use world events to give personal identity context.

Devin Seldon, a senior, choreographed and performed an original work called Every Day in the spring student dance showcase. The work focused on the Black Lives Matter movement and his experiences as an African American youth. 

Critical thinking and research needed to take on a roll helps one to understand themselves and others on a deeper level¹.

While doing research for his piece, Devin Seldon realized just how deeply the Black Lives Matter movement resonated with him personally. He also learned how to approach others about his piece and the topic itself.      

Taking on a different identity can also mean portraying a version of self one does not usually show. 

Dance is often used a form of therapy for this reason. One is able to try out a different version of self on stage and see how that self resonates with others. LGBTQ youth at About Face Youth Theater, were encouraged to write pieces about the struggles they face in their daily lives.³ 

The written pieces were then turned into performances. The study proved that after portraying different versions of self the youth had a more positive outlook on life.³

Portraying identities he does not carry is the most difficult part of performance for Seldon.

His concern stemmed from his sensitivity to cultural appropriation. Seldon wondered if it was his place to depict a life he had not personally experienced. Though he was uncomfortable taking on a different identity at first, he did learn a lot during the study. "It challenges you in a good way and changes your outlook in a positive way" Seldon said after the performance. 

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1) Freedman, Kerry. “Curriculum Change for the 21^st Century: Visual Culture in Art Education.” Curriculum and Visual Culture 36 : 815-828. Web. 1 December 2015.

2) Hubner, John. Last Chance in Texas: The Redemption of Criminal Youth. New York: Random House, 2005. Print.
3) Halverson, E.R. (2005). InsideOut: Facilitating gay youth identity development through a performance-based youth organization. Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 5(1), 67-90. - See more at: http://www.artsedsearch.org/summaries/insideout-facilitating-gay-youth-identity-development-through-a-performance-based-youth-organization#sthash.UrRvhQMH.dpuf

South African Portugese fusion resturant, Nando's Peri-Peri opens new College Park location

Nando’s Peri-Peri, an international chain, known for its flame-grilled chicken, opened its 26^th U.S. restaurant in College Park.   

Soon after Ratsies, the late night pizza joint on the corner of Baltimore Avenue and Knox Road, closed in April heavy construction began. The restaurant was gutted and remodeled over the course of several months.

Anticipation built as the South African Portuguese fusion restaurant began to take shape. The restaurant's grand opening started Sunday, October 25, 2015 at 11 a.m. sharp.


The music was blasting and the energy was high as people filled in and out of the restaurant. Hostess Harley took a quick break from her duties as a greeter to talk about how opening day is going from her perspective. 

Students were excited to finally have a Nando's in College Park. Junior, Mina Abdu is no exception.

In 2008 the first Nando’s on US soil opened in Chinatown, Washington, D.C.
However, the Chinatown location is different then the one in College Park. Every Nando's is unique. Nando's prides itself on being a chain that doesn't have a cookie cutter feel. 

South African artist, Kilmany-Jo Liversage, was commissioned to paint a mural on the alley wall next to Nando's.  

The company tries to support South African artists by having them featured in the different restaurants. Nando's Peri-Peri started in South Africa and the company wants to stay in touch with its roots.

The Nando's legend is that Portuguese explorers looking for spices landed in South Africa where they tasted African Bird's Eye Chilli. 

This spice also known as Peri-Peri eventually became the base for Nando's secret sauce. The explorers' ancestors used the ancient spice rub to create the first Nando's Peri-Peri in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Nando's also tries to make a positive impact in each community it becomes a part of. In College Park, Nando's partnered with UMD Campus Pantry. As people entered the restaurant hostess Harley greeted them and reminded diners of the partnership.


Not only were the opening day profits donated, the following Monday and Tuesday's profits were also added. Three full days of profit were given directly to Campus Pantry, totally $29,700. That is 3,604 pb and j's and 29,403 cans of vegetables. The graphic below demonstrates just how many sandwiches could be made with the donation.

Campus Pantry collects and donates non-perishable food items to University of Maryland, students, faculty and staff who struggle to afford food.

College park is considered a food desert. This means it its residents have less access to food, especially nutritious options. This is why Campus Pantry is so important, it provides for members of the community in need.

Running can be intimidating; expert Dan Russo helps you get started

Fitness apps are more useful for people who want to become fit ratherthen those who are already fit, experts say

Determining the effectiveness of a fitness app starts with studying the perceived body image of the user. 

People with a negative body image and are looking to make a change, are the most likely to use fitness apps according to a study published in the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Researchers believe fitness junkies are so ingrained in their current work out habits they don't have the time or the need to add a new component to their routines. Former University of Delaware softball player Tori Conrad talks about her experience with work out routines and fitness apps.      



This study argues that since college students are very technologically literate they are the most likely demographic to try fitness apps in general. The overwhelming majority of the respondents to the Cyberpsychology survey were female. In general females are more sensitive about their bodies. The desire to change/improve one's body makes female college students the most likely audience to adopt a new tool such as a fitness app. 

In a survey of 77 University of Maryland students 73% said they work out regularly. Of that 73% only 4% said they use fitness apps. The Cyberpsychology study only surveyed interested students. This skews the data in favor of people who use fitness apps. The graph shows the results of the University of Maryland survey.


Health related apps make up 19% of smartphone use; 31% of these are used for calorie counting and 38% are used to track exercise. In a secondary follow up study, published in the American Journal of Health Education, participants interviewed confirmed that physical activity and healthy eating/weight loss were the two main uses of fitness apps. The secondary study proved the hypothesis from the first study; using a fitness app did in fact help the person to achieve their goal.

Most of the participants in the American Journal of Health Education survey felt health apps had a positive impact on their lives. The respondents believed the visual and auditory cues provided by their favored apps helped to raise awareness about problematic behaviors. The apps then prepared a plan to shift the negative behaviors to more positive ones. The users stated they liked the trainer like qualities the alerts and reminders provide. "Its like your own little motivator in a way (Participant 15)."

Erin Moser and her mother both bought Fitbits this summer in order to help them get back in shape. Fitbit can keep track of steps, heart rate, and sleep patterns. Moser and her mom use the ConnectWithFriends functions in order to challenge one another to fitness matches. The app allows each person in the challenge to see the progress of the other, motivating both parties to work harder. 

MyFitnessPal is one of the three most popular fitness apps according to the American Journal

study, and my survey.

It is popular for weigh loss. The user creates a profile detailing age, weight, height and fitness habits. The app generates a caloric plan based on the original data. Then user scans food and beverages consumed each day. He or she also records exercise in the app. The calories and nutrients in taken as well as calories burned calculated by the app. It then shows the user how many calories he or she has left for the day.


Dietitian Jane Jakubczak warns users to take the calorie recommendations as more a of a guideline then as rule. "The calorie guidelines are way too low. Students become very restrictive" Jakubczak said. She recommends students record the types of foods they are eating rather then the specific calories.

Sophomore Michelle Smith agrees with Jakubczak. Smith shares a personal story about how MyFitnessPal caused her to have an unhealthy relationship with food. After realizing how the constant self scrutiny was negatively affecting her body image Smith stopped using the app and admitted she is much happier now. 

Both studies admitted to needing further research over a wide section of audiences to determine if the apps were as effective in changing fitness behaviors as the participants believed. While the generations of digital natives may think that fitness apps have "been around forever," they are a relatively new technology. It is difficult for researchers to measure effectiveness of the apps since it is self report data. However, with the increase in popularity, studies imperially testing the fitness advice given are sure to follow.

News organizations attempt to attract smartphone users by adding more visuals to content

The average time currently spent on a mobile device is 177 minutes or two hours and fifty-five minutes per day. The majority of that time is used for gaming. Traditional news organizations are struggling to convert the long form print of yesterday to the mobile platforms of today. Only three percent of time spent on mobile devices is used for news consumption.

 The article "Dial "M" for Mobile Media" outlines the struggle of the new smart phone generation and suggests ways in which the fickle new audience can be reached. 

The first hurdle traditional media must overcome is the loss of direct readers. Today social apps produce and host news content. Younger audiences see the top news stories of the day shared on their Facebook feeds.

 They no longer need to seek out the news; it is being integrated into their social networks. 41% of Facebook users are using the site to read, watch, and seek out the news, according to the Reuters Institute 2015 Digital News Report. In short, Snapchat is now in competition with the Washington Post. 

Traditional news organizations are being forced to work in a more visual medium. However, there is potential for an increase in engagement with the shift to a mobile viewing platform. The constant increase in processing capabilities allows news organizations to use more graphics, photos and videos in conjunction with articles. Analytics like Google Now constantly monitor viewer traffic and can be viewed in real time. 

The post-publish feedback is faster then ever. This can help news organizations to tailor their content more effectively. Native advertisements produce the most revenue of any web ads today. New media believes that native ads are the best ads for the mobile market place as well. 

The popularity of Buzzfeed's sponsored "listicles" is proof that when done in a witty and transparent manner native ads do belong in the mobile world, according to "Success in Native 
Advertising Hinges on Preserving Best Practices" an article in AdWeek by Pam Horan. 

Finally, news organizations that have dedicated apps are more likely to get traffic. "The app is sexier and it engages better," according to "Dial "M" for Mobile Media." However, in terms of monetization, the app costs a lot more then just hosting content on a website. 

Tradional and new media battle for readers and revenue with rise of smartphone

The average time currently spent on a mobile device is 177 minutes or two hours and fifty-five minutes per day. The majority of that time is used for gaming. Traditional news organizations are struggling to convert the long form print of yester to the mobile platforms of today. Only three percent of time spent on mobile devices is used for news consumption. The article "Dial "M" for Mobile Media" outlines the struggle of the new smart phone generation and suggests ways in which the fickle new audience can be reached. 

The first hurdle traditional media must overcome is the loss of direct readers. Today social apps produce and host news content. Younger audiences see the top news stories of the day shared on their Facebook feeds. They no longer need to seek out the news; it is being integrated into their social networks. 41% of Facebook users are using the site to read, watch, and seek out the news, according to the Reuters Institute 2015 Digital News Report. In short, Snapchat is now in competition with the Washington Post. 

Traditional news organizations are being forced to work in a more visual medium. However, there is potential for an increase in engagement with the shift to a mobile viewing platform. The constant increase in processing capabilities allows news organizations to use more graphics, photos and videos in conjunction with articles. Analytics like Google Now constantly monitor viewer traffic and can be viewed in real time. The post-publish feedback is faster then ever. This can help news organizations to tailor their content more effectively. Native advertisements produce the most revenue of any web ads today. New media believes that native ads are the best ads for the mobile market place as well. The popularity of Buzzfeed's sponsored "listicles" is proof that when done in a witty and transparent manner native ads do belong in the mobile world, according to "Success in Native 
Advertising Hinges on Preserving Best Practices" an article in AdWeek by Pam Horan. 

Finally, news organizations that have dedicated apps are more likely to get traffic. "The app is sexier and it engages better," according to "Dial "M" for Mobile Media." However, in terms of monetization, the app costs a lot more then just hosting content on a website.