APPLICANT #24: Is Leah Byrd the Young & Free SC Spokesperson?
Y&F SC TeamLeah Byrd is a 20-year-old from Columbia, South Carolina.
Here is Leah's video application:
Here is Leah's current situation:
"I just completed my senior recital a couple of weeks ago, so now I have more time to work on personal projects. I sing on probably three or four choirs. The main group I sing with is a gospel group called Geneses. I also work closely with the youth department at my church. I was the videographer for women's sports at Coker all four years. I volunteer at the Hartsville Boys & Girls Club. I was the videographer for women's sports at Coker all four years. After graduation, I want to continue learning about music so I will study Audio Engineering @ the Midlands Audio Institute."
Here is Leah's blog post:
"Is Google Making Us Stupid?
I have not had much experience outside of the internet phenomenon, it seems to have been all that I have known and understood. I like to think that technology has made life more effortless, but for the better. With each generation comes a new level of wisdom and knowledge. As far as internet and technology, this wisdom seems to be bittersweet as the downfall of it tends to be laziness and impatience. I’ve heard our generation referred to as the “microwave” generation which may, in fact, be true. Our “quickie” mentality has trained us to rely on instant progression. We are not ones to waste time, for we value it. With advancements, we have been able to obtain information from all sources at lightening speeds. The “old school” way of research has been overridden with mouse clicks and strokes across a keyboard. The way we process information is a lot different now.
It is amazing because lately I’ve found myself skimming through articles and books just to get the “goods” out of it. With all of the unnecessary particles omitted, I found myself not actually getting a full understanding of the text, only to read it again. It was like “hurry up and get me to the good parts,” not being able to wait until the subject resolved. Power, strength, quickness, and ease: all of which are goals of the “microwave” generation. To achieve these goals, not much time is spent retaining information. As I look back over research that I’ve done for classes, I find that most of what I remember about certain topics is what I researched manually, not electronically. It’s like the work and effort put into manual research makes you spend more time to analyze the topic. Reading and re-reading text forces you to think and formulate your own ideas. Reading causes you to attentively pay attention to each word, while skimming allows you to overlook the most important parts. Skimming does not make you think about the topic. You only find the information you are looking for and then it is on to the next thing.
It makes me wonder if I’m making the right choice every time I sit down at a computer to research. I am so caught up in this technology that I have found that more than 95% of my drafts are electronically composed. My brainstorming is rarely handwritten, almost as if I cannot write fast enough at the speed I am thinking. But does that really help? Usually when brainstorming, I’m also multitasking. I almost always have other applications carrying out functions. Distractions are always pulling at my attention. With manual research, your focus is always on what you are doing. You’re so intent with your work, because there is no spell check or grammar check. Rarely am I ever in complete silence. Music is a must. But does it really help? Am I immune to it or have I just adapted? It is almost inevitable to go without using some sort of technological device in one day. Technology is everywhere and it is changing with every second. Either you can change with it or get left behind. We have trained ourselves to rely on the internet for its efficiency, speed and availability. So it is not like we are training ourselves, it has now become more of a practice. It is always important to find the truth. However, I wonder if our approaches or methods of finding the truth are always the best choice. Is sacrificing content and thought for time always the best decision? Maybe we should try cooking in the stove.
Leah"
The Y&F SC Team
