My Recent Experience

This term I took a “Writing for Multimedia” class. I do not have much experience in this area so I was hoping that this class would teach me some skills, as well as give me some experience by putting me out there, challenging me, and letting me face and solve obstacles that come in my way. This class was very rewarding to me, because I was able to choose a topic that inspired me, and I was given freedom to express it in my own way. It was also rewarding because of all the obstacles I have faced and did my best to overcome throughout the development and execution of my project. In the second week of class, I decided that the topic I wanted to focus my project on was PLUR, the heart and soul of the rave culture that is found in EDM events. After I decided on this topic I had a vision of creating a multimedia piece that joins together all the aspects of PLUR in an authentic and natural way. I planned on finding EDM events in Eugene in which I can capture the PLUR society; I wanted to let the people express it in their own way, and by using their own words. My image was to create a piece that lets the viewer feel like he/she is experiencing the atmosphere of the event, and seeing what PLUR stands for, first-hand. As soon as I had my idea set I started contacting officials in charge of press passes to different events coming up. To my disappointment I was only able to get one response, so I had to let my project rely on footage I would get from that event alone. When I got there I realized that the majority of the crowd was not at a legal age, because the event was a 16-and-over event. I had to filter the people I interviewed by making sure they were over 18, and this decreased the number of interviews I was able to successfully gather. The organizers of the event gave me a press pass along with a few conditions, one of the conditions was that the word “rave” was not to be mentioned or linked to the event in my video, this restricted my interviews and effected the outcomes. Another issue I faced was the knowledge and investment that the attendees in this event had towards the concept of PLUR. Many of the people I interviewed were first-timers, so they could not deeply articulate on the concept. They did, however, articulate on their experience and what they felt and saw at this event, and these explanations went hand-in-hand with the meaning of PLUR. By facing these issues I learned that you must be able to read the people you interview to be able to ask them the right questions, the questions that will help them express their thoughts. I do believe that I could have gotten more material to work with had I been able to attain access to another event. The technical issues that I faced certainly did not help me against the stress of gathering all the footage in one day. I rented my equipment for this project and the earliest possible time for me to get the equipment was one hour before I had to be at the event receiving my pass and briefing. The camera was given to me with less than 25 percent battery charge, and I did not have time to fully charge the camera before the event. This caused me to stop gathering my material several times during the event to wait for the camera to charge. The technical issues kept coming when the videos I was recording filled the memory space, I had to go back to delete some of my footage several times to make space for more. Going through this experience showed me the importance of having an extra battery and an extra memory card. The lack of these back-ups cost me a waste of valuable time and potential material. My biggest technical issue, however, was the audio quality that I lacked. Due to my lack of experience, I was only able to rent a basic video camera, this video camera did not have the option of attaching a microphone, and so I had to rent an audio recorder, to which I attached a simple lava microphone. The equipment that I had was not a good match to the loud venue, and although I tried to adjust the levels and raise the audio quality, it still did not sound as well as I’d hoped. In the future, I have only one solution for this issue: better suitable equipment. Although the quality of my project needs improvement, I do believe that the essence and soul of PLUR shines through my piece. I am grateful for this experience that has taught me so much. I look forward to creating many more projects because I know that I will face new problems every time I try, and I also know that I will learn and grow through each and every one of them. As Arianna Huffington said, “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success”.

PLUR

Raving was born in 1972, when the first Windsor Free Festival was held in Britain. In 1974 the first Stonehenge Free Festival was held. The festival-goers were interested in both the music and the spiritual & sacred space of Stonehenge. Music was only one aspect of the festival. The young people who attended these events wanted retreat from society, they wanted to be in a place that is simply about “love, community, spirituality, and relationship to the land” (p 41). These festivals became the utopian model of society.² People switched from rock and punk to dance music, they stopped caring as much about the album and started caring more about the DJ’s total flow. It was like a “magic/tragic cycle of living for the weekend and paying for it with the midweek comedown” (Generation ecstacy, page 4).¹

Years later, the rave scene was first seen in America. It first made its appearance in the early eighties in the nightclubs and bars of Texas, more specifically in Dallas and Austin. The rave scene was an innocent fun thing to get into in Texas; MDMA (a different form of ecstasy, the raving drug of choice at the time) was legal, and was sold over the counter in gay clubs until 1985. (Generation Ecstasy, p 143). ¹ In the summer of 1985, MDMA became illegal, and the dance scene moved to warehouses and underground locations.

In 1989 the 23 year old DJ/producer Frankie Bones went from the United States to England for an Energy Rave where he continued playing until 6 am to 25 thousand people, he was immediately taken away by the sensations and the energy of that rave scene, he produced a track called “Energy Dawn” as an attribute to that experience. He said “It happened so big and so fast that nobody knew what it was right away; everything was peace, love, and unity”. ¹

After playing at raves in England all summer he decided that he had to bring this back to America. His first party back in America was in Brooklyn, he played videos of the rave scene in England, which was kind of like a “training film”. His parties were small, but word of mouth helped them get to hundreds, these parties were all unofficial “outlaw parties”, they started calling them Storm Rave. The events were free, but they did ask for donations to pay for the generators, people would gladly contribute, the less money they asked the people for, the more they would get. (144) ¹ At one of the Storm Raves after one of Frankie Bones’ sets he made a very powerful speech, in front of 25,000 ravers, in which he explained what the scene was about, and he speaks of peace, love, and unity. In 1990 Frankie released a record called P.L.U.M (Peace, Love, and Unity Movement), and that was the beginning of a movement that turned into a society and a culture.In 1993, he released a track called “Peace, Love, Unity” and the first word written after the title on the credits was “respect”, and that is when PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect) was started without planning. As word spread and time passed PLUR became a complex expression of oneness, understanding, and higher levels of connection, consciousness, and a form of spirituality.^3,4

The rave culture has been around for many years and experienced countless changes, but the essence has always been consistent. Expressing peace, love, unity, and respect through music. Almost every person who has attended a rave or EDM event has experienced it first-hand; my multimedia piece PLUR in EDM Events Today is meant to deliver the soul of raving, the PLUR society. My piece includes scenes and interviews with attendees of Foam Wonderland that collect their stories, and to show what raving really means to them. PLUR could be mentioned directly, or it could subconsciously radiate from people’s faces, words, and actions. Interviewees talk about the love that is visible for the music and the love and acceptance between ravers, they also mentioned that the atmosphere is very peaceful, with a unity toward a fun time, good music, and positive vibes. They describe ravers as helpful people who are concerned about each other’s safety and happiness, and create a community through PLUR. One interviewee explained what PLUR means to her when she said, “Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect and to me that’s sort of a multicultural response to things such as racism and sexism and homophobia. It seems like it’s just a really positive way to approach your life.” Another describes the unity she sees in raves by saying, “People coming together and being like one”. Many people do not understand what lies beneath the surface of rave culture; I wish to change that. It is a beautiful culture full of spirituality, understanding, compassion, and many great moments that deserve to be shared.

 

 

 

Sources:

1 Reynolds, Simon. Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture. Boston: Little, Brown, 1998. Print. <http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tGaRJiXe74UC&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=rave+culture&ots=NVZ6m4pms6&sig=8fao_kjkvqyzQXap8NPGyc7FXwI#v=onepage&q=rave%20culture&f=false>

2      Christopher Partridge (2006) The Spiritual and the Revolutionary: Alternative Spirituality, British Free Festivals, and the Emergence of Rave Culture, Culture and Religion: An Interdisciplinary Journal <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01438300600625408>

3                “The History of PLUR.” . New York EDMC, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 1 June 2014. <http://newyorkedmc.com/the-history-of-plur/>.

4                “Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect: The Raver’s Manifesto.” . Peace & Loveism, 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 6 June 2014. <http://peaceandloveism.com/blog/2009/09/peace-love-unity-and-respect-the-ravers-manifesto/>.

 

College and Marriage, Does That Work?: Lauren Lebien

Lauren Lebien, a down-to-earth coffee lover from small town Roy, Washington talks about her experience as a married college student. She has lived in a number of places growing up; she moved between different cities in Washington, Canada, and Oregon but considers herself to be from a small town called Roy in Washington.

Lauren had her mind set on attending the University of Oregon when she was still a high school student. So much so that the University of Oregon was the only university she applied to! Lauren was also sure about her interests. Her experience writing year books in high school solidified her knowledge that she loved to write about real things and real people, so it was only fit for her to choose to major in journalism. Lauren is also minoring in English to support her journalism degree.
In December of 2012 Lauren went through he biggest change in her life when her boyfriend, Ryan, proposed and she said yes! Lauren and Ryan grew up as backyard neighbors; they were friends for year until they started dating in her senior year of high school (he was in his second year of community college). After Lauren graduated from high school Ryan transferred, and they both attended the UO together. Ryan graduated in the summer of 2013, and they got married in August after a 7-month engagement. Lauren explains that early marriage is regular their small town, but in Eugene, people are caught off guard and think it’s strange when she says “my husband” because they think she is too young. She says that they were simply ready, and they knew that they wanted to marry each other, she expresses that they did not see any sense in waiting to reach an age that society deemed “normal” for marriage. She expresses her happiness and comfort in her marriage. This period of her life is a huge transition period, there are many changes and many things that are left unknown as she is graduating this term, and her husband is considering medical schools and job offers. However, the complications and commitments of being married do not scare Lauren, she is comforted knowing that she is not alone, and that whatever happens, they will be together. “You have to care about the other person’s dreams more than your own, and they have to do the same to have a healthy marriage”

Lauren explains her college experience by saying that it is different than the common college experience, but that it was definitely full, enriching, and enjoyable. Throughout her time at UO she was involved in CRU, and organization of faith community, they had women’s groups, bible studies, and deep enriching talks about life. She also worked in the UO campus coffee shops where she was able to make true friendships and get close to interesting people she would not have met otherwise.
Lauren does not know exactly what is coming next, but she is excited, hopeful, and ready. She feels lucky and grateful for the experience she had as a college student, but she is ready for the next chapter in her life.

Rave Culture Timeline

Overview:

The rave culture started legally in England, but it went through delegallization and legalization several times and different places. This timeline keeps track of the development of the rave culture and the way it was viewed at different times.

 

Who:

Ravers Around the world.

 

Why:

To be in a community of Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect through music.

 

When:

1972-present.

 

Where:

United States, Canada, England.

 

What:

The presence and development of the rave culture.

 

How:

Commitment to the rave culture and fighting for it to continue and develop.

 

Timeline:

1:

In 1972 the first Windsor Free Festival was held in Britain. In 1974 the first Stonehenge Free Festival was held. The festivalgoers were interested in both the music and the spiritual & sacred space of Stonehenge. Music was only one aspect of the festival. The young people who attended these events wanted retreat from society, they wanted to be in a place that is simply about “love, community, spirituality, and relationship to the land” (p 41). These festivals became the utopian model of society. 2

 

People switched from rock and punk to dance music, they stopped caring as much about the album and started caring more about the DJ’s total flow. It was like a “magic/tragic cycle of living for the weekend and paying for it with the midweek comedown” (Generation ecstacy, page 4) 1

 

2:

The rave scene was first seen in America in the early eighties in the nightclubs and bars of Texas, more specifically in Dallas and Austin. The rave scene was an innocent fun thing to get into in Texas because MDMA (a different form of ecstasy, the raving drug of choice at the time) was legal, and was sold over the counter in gay clubs until 1985. (Generation Ecstasy, p 143). 1

 

3:

Ecstasy started spreading, and after it wasn’t exclusively sold in gay bars, the problems started emerging. Rich, straight, SMU students started buying big amounts of ecstasy and consuming it all, and then their parents would complain using their resources. This was the cause of the cases that illegalized ecstasy in the United States.  1

 

4:

“X paties” were very common, and they had “one of the defining aspects of rave”. Alcohol and ecstasy were consumed and ecstasy was not considered a drug, kids as well as parents were naturally taking ecstasy. In the summer of 1985, when MDMA became illegal, the dance scene moved to warehouses and underground locations. The prices for MDMA rose extremely as the quality became worse. The newer form of the drug, methamphetamine, became more popular in the United States rave scene in the 90’s because it was less expensive and more reliable. 1

 

5:

In 1989 the 23 year old DJ/producer Frankie Bones went from the United States to England for an Energy Rave where he continued playing until 6 am to 25 thousand people, he was immediately taken away by the sensations and the energy of that rave scene, he produced a track called “Energy Dawn” as an attribute to that experience. He said “It happened so big and so fast that nobody knew what it was right away; everything was peace, love, and unity”. 1

 

6:

After playing at raves in England all summer he decided that he had to bring this back to America. His first party back in America was in Brooklyn, he played videos of the rave scene in England, which was kind of like a “training film”. His partied were small, but word of mouth helped them get to hundreds, these parties were all unofficial “outlaw parties”, they started calling them STORMrave, and they happened almost every month. The events were free, but they did ask for donations to pay for the generators, people would gladly contribute, the less money they asked the people for, the more they would get. (144) 1

 

7:

In 1991 Lord Michael Caruso, a thug entourage, started throwing parties in Manhattan. He got a working-class crowd attending his parties; they formed a “new breed” of ravers. In 1992 Caruso started working with clubs, the scene changed, the dancing changed from rave-style to slamdancing, the boys started taking their shirts off in events, and cocaine was being consumed in the corners. (147) 1

 

8:

As Caruso’s crew started trying to get rid of competition by ruining STORMrave events and trying to steal their crowds, STORMrave found an ally with NASA. In 1992 NASA was a “full-blown rave” they brought in a new version of music that was popular in England at the time. They had lines around the block; they became very popular, but only for about 4 months.  The style that the NASA crowd invented became the dominant rave style in the United States (flowers in their hair, lollipops, backpacks, etc.). People loved going to those events because of the group energy, the positive vibes and the unity in feelings and love. (148). 1

 

9:

1999 and 2000 there was an increase in tension and surveillance by authorities in the Toronto rave scene. This created moral panic and led to prohibiting raves on city-owned property from mid-May to August 2000. 3

 

10:

In response, many ravers formed a group called he PartyPeopleProject (PPP) “a youth-run organization, whose mandate is to ‘celebate electronic music culture, promote the well-being of community members, and encourage public understanding of the beauty and diversity of the rave community […] Their multi-faceted education campaign aimed at inclusion rather than further criminal and social alienation of their raving bodies (416)”. The campaign was successful and the rave scene in Toronto went from being an underground form of escape to becoming a regulated, safe culture.  3

 

1 Reynolds, Simon. Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture. Boston: Little, Brown, 1998. Print. <http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=tGaRJiXe74UC&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=rave+culture&ots=NVZ6m4pms6&sig=8fao_kjkvqyzQXap8NPGyc7FXwI#v=onepage&q=rave%20culture&f=false>

2      Christopher Partridge (2006) The Spiritual and the Revolutionary: Alternative Spirituality, British Free Festivals, and the Emergence of Rave Culture, Culture and Religion: An Interdisciplinary Journal <http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01438300600625408>

3       Marsh, Charity. “‘Understand Us before You End Us’: Regulation, Governmentality, and the Confessional Practices of Raving Bodies.”Popular Music 25.03 (2006): 415. Print. <http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.uoregon.edu/stable/3877664?seq=3&Search=yes&searchText=rave&searchText=culture&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Drave%2Bculture%26amp%3BSearch%3DSearch%26amp%3Bgw%3Djtx%26amp%3Bprq%3D%2528understand%2Bus%2Bbefore%2Byou%2Bend%2Bus%2529%26amp%3Bhp%3D25%26amp%3Bacc%3Don%26amp%3Baori%3Da%26amp%3Bwc%3Don%26amp%3Bfc%3Doff&prevSearch=&resultsServiceName=null>

 

 

Source Analysis:

Name of source:

Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture
Why did you choose it?

It showed the transformation of the rave culture year by year.
How did you find it?

Google Scolar.
Analyze the source’s authority:

The author wrote abouthis own journey, I believe he has authority because he is talking about something he went to and things saw and took part in.
Analyze the source’s objectivity:
Analyze the source’s quality:

It was well written and executed.
Analyze the source’s currency:

It was written in 1998.
Analyze the source’s relevancy:

Very relevant, because it talks about the rave culture history, explaining the development of the culture by year and place.

Paul’s Early Delivery Breakfast  by Michelle Gabel is a strong piece both intellectually and creatively. This multimedia piece is effective as it shows the viewer how easy it is to help others, it shows how a very simple act of kindness can have a huge effect on the receiver. It shows the viewer Paul’s everyday-life in detail, it doesn’t only show his breakfast delivery; the small details that seem insignificant make the piece more personal and relatable. During these shots the camera is very slightly shaky giving a real-life feel, which makes the viewer feel like he/she is present with Paul as he goes about his day.

26. Being a Woman in Saudi Arabia

Dr. Sarah Alturki and her husband are the founders of Dhahran Ahliya Schools, the school I attended for 13 years. This woman is smart, strong and very inspiring to me. I came upon this article she wrote about Being a Woman in Saudi Arabia. If you have any interest in the matter I encourage you to read her article. As a Saudi woman studying in the United States, I get asked about this all time, what is it like being a woman in Saudi? I usually answer “different”; I don’t know exactly what else to say when someone asks casually because the explanation to “what it’s like” is very complex and long for a casual conversation. I also get asked “Which do you like more, Saudi Arabia or the United States?” There is no other way to answer that than to say, “I like both, they’re different.” Because I really do, and they really are, there is good and bad in every country and I feel very fortunate and proud to have experienced both cultures. I know how the media portrays our country, I don’t blame people when they think we live in tents in the desert or that we can find oil digging in our backyard, I don’t blame people when they think women are abused or stuck at home helpless. However, I do encourage people to use their curiosity, to try to find out the truth before painting a picture in their minds about this foreign country. Everyone knows media can be bias, and that you cannot believe everything you’re told. Yes, Saudi is very different from the United States, but there are some good and some bad differences; different is not always bad. I agree with what Dr. Alturki says in her article, some aspects should be held on to and some need some changes. Change is usually difficult, it’s happening slowly but I hope we will get there one day. We cannot sit and wait for it to happen, as young Saudi men and women we must work for it and put in efforts to make a difference. Remembering, that we must not try to become a clone of another country, we should learn what is good in other countries while still holding on to what is good in our own country. As for myself, I live by the words of Mahatma Gandhi “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

25. Holidays are About Family

I know it’s not big or fancy, but at least I’m embracing the holiday spirit! As a woman that comes from a Muslim country, I didn’t grow up celebrating Christmas, but I came to the United States and experienced this beautiful holiday for the first time two years ago. It really is the most magical time of year, I love the lights, the decorations, the smells, the cookies, the holiday spirit, I love everything about this holiday. The only thing missing for me is family. This year I won’t be around for the holidays but I’m glad I’m going to be in Saudi Arabia with my family instead, which is the most important part of the holidays. I’m looking forward to being surrounded by my family and loved ones. A week from today I will be headed back to Saudi Arabia for a month.

24. Embrace Life, always wear your seat belt

This may be taken in a living room, the father may not really be driving, but the message behind it is so real. The emotions it carries are even more real. At the beginning of the ad you don’t really understand what is happening so it draws you in and gets your attention. People take seat belts lightly, but they can be the one thing keeping them there with their families and loved ones. The video also makes people realize that when they put themselves in danger, they are not the only ones affected, everyone that cares about them would get hurt when they get hurt. Such a powerful video.

Video by Sarah Alexander/Daniel Cox/Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, Music by Siddhartha Barnhoorn.

23. The Media Effect

All this Black Friday hype got me thinking, how much does the media affect people’s purchases on Thanksgiving night? Personally, I know the only reason I went shopping is because of the good deals, I decided it was worth it to go through traffic and wait in line to be able to get more in return for my money. After thinking about it, though, I realized that not everything I bought was so much cheaper than it normally is, the excitement of this day and the information fed to me by media put an idea in my head that I should buy anything I can get my hands on. Is media the reason everyone rushes out to spend money on Black Friday or is that just me?

Detroit Free press shares some shoppers’ posts on Black Friday on www.freep.com.

22. Black Friday Newbie

There I was Thursday night, starting my two hour drive towards the closest outlet mall. I hit the road two and a half hour before the stores would open for Black Friday, Amateur move. This was my first time experiencing this crazy night, I was imagining people trampling each other, and people fighting over the last piece of a certain item. I was excited and stressed at the same time, I thought I needed to have certain skills to have a successful shopping trip that night. I got stuck in traffic and I had to park ten minutes walking distance from the outlet, I ended up getting there an hour after the stores opened, and to be honest I expected not to find anything worth buying left in stores. I finally started shopping and I got everything I had my heart set on and more! I didn’t stop until I ran out of money and I realized that Black Friday wasn’t as scary and stressful as media sets it out to be, it’s actually a wonderful day that helped my friends and I to fill the trunk with our new stuff.

This is the best picture I could find online to illustrate Woodburn on Thursday night. I found it on http://www.examiner.com by Isabelle Craft.