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The Flat Disc record originated in the early 20th century and is the foundation that many sources of music come from today. So when you scroll through Spotify or drop the needle on a vinyl today, you’re participating in this legacy that started over a century ago. From the invention of the Flat Disc record comes the creation of many other media types used through out history. These include, turntables, vinyl records, and Compact Discs. Typically, when people think of the flat disc record, they usually are thinking of the Vinyl Record which came to be about 4 decades later and has since gone through periods of economic growth and decline. 

Before the Flat disc record, there was Thomas Edison's Cylinder Recorder, or the phonograph, which was created in the late 19th century. According to this article, it allowed for the recording and playback of sound using a rotating cylinder coated with tinfoil, and evolved to also be coated in wax, with a needle to etch and create vibrations of sound. From here, a man named Emile Berliner created the Flat Disc Record. According to Yiqian Guo at Jinan University, the history of vinyl records can be divided into four periods. These periods are classified as the growth period, the development and maturity period, the
decline period, and the revival period. 

During the growth period was the initial rise in popularity of personalized media. The first version created of the Flat disc record were made of heated and hardened rubber and were between 12.5 and 18cm in diameter. The invention continued to go through innovations and eventually evolved into the Vinyl Record which was created in 1948 by Columbia Records, during what Guo called the "development period". Until this, the inventions popularity had been halted by the impacts of the Great Depression so the invention of the Vinyl record came as a revival to the device's popularity. The Vinyl record was a main outlet source for pop music which emerged as a sense of escape for people who had trauma from the Second World War.

 The creation of the Flat Disc Record also created a change in party scenes. in the 1940s, instead of bands, DJs, or Disc Jockeys, became popular. They were often a more economic way to go as you only had to pay one person rather than a multi-piece band. People also preferred to hear the original singer and production of a song rather than a cover. The invention of the flat disc record led to the creation of the equipment used by DJs to mix songs together and modify the way they play. The turntable created an outlet to use creativity during parties and modify music to fit peoples shortening attention spans with playing shorter clips of songs rather than the entire thing and playing modified but familiar versions of the songs. 

The invention continued to go through innovations and eventually evolved into the Vinyl Record which was created in 1948 by Columbia Records, during what Guo called the "development period". Until this, the inventions popularity had been halted by the impacts of the Great Depression so the invention of the Vinyl record came as a revival to the device's popularity. The Vinyl record was a main outlet source for pop music which emerged as a sense of escape for people who had trauma from the Second World War.

 This also led to the ultimate downfall of the mechanisms. In the 1982, Sony released its first Compact Disc. This came as an innovation from the Vinyl record, but was made much smaller and "compact" as the name says. It was seen as more personal and they were cheaper to buy and play as you no longer needed to buy an entire turntable to play your record but instead, you could have a much smaller CD Player. These were easier to store and their sound was seen as clearer. 

In recent times, the Vinyl Record has seen an increase in popularity. According the Guo, in 2020, for the first time since the 1980s, Vinyl Records sold more revenue than CDs. They have been found to be equally  popular in older, senior-aged, populations, as in now younger, adolescent and young adulthood- aged populations.

 Some speculate the rise in popularity among younger generations comes from a sense of needing control in their lives after the pandemic. The act of playing a record involves deliberation and has lead to a return of actually listening to music rather than having it play in the background. To play a vinyl record comes with more of a process than playing music on a phone and leaves people with less of a sense of music being so easily accessible. To play a record you have to be mindful of which record you choose or buy, then to ensure your record player is ready to play the record, then choosing specifically what song to play each time, rather than having it on shuffle like on your phone. 

These creations that have come from the Flat Disc Record have lead to people having a further personalized listening experience. This however, comes with downfalls in public spaces of people being more closed off and increase of shielding each other from their music choices because of how much control they can have over what they listen to.

 The recent rise in popularity of Vinyl Records shows resilience in the market and shows how people value the art of things seen as old or "vintage". The Flat Disc Record has branched off to evolve into many 

Blog 3: Eight Values of Free Expression Reflection

The United States is a country built off freedom. The most important legal document starts off with stating that everyone in this country has the right to freely speak even if it goes against those most powerful in the country. It protects the thoughts and words of the people as long as it doesn't promote or act on violence. This being said, one of the eight values of free expression that stands out to me most is the fourth value which discusses individual self fulfillment. It allows people to ensure they are themselves to the fullest and are able to find themselves. This value focuses on the aspect of free speech in which it is an aspect of self dignity. 

This specific theory, also known as Self-Actualization or the theory of individual self fulfillment, was developed by Law Professor, C. Edwin Baker. The Supreme Court often uses this theory to influence and back up their theories. According to the Free Speech Center, C. Edwin Baker developed this theory that he called the "Liberty model" as an alternative to the model of the Marketplace of ideas. He felt strongly about the fact that the first amendment or at least in this aspect regarded self expression. He believed that the first amendment was protected because of how much it was valued to each individual rather than a means to achieve a collective good.

U.S. Department of State. “Three Cases That Show What Free Speech Means.” 
ShareAmerica, 13 Feb. 2023,
 https://archive-share.america.gov/three-cases-that-show-what-free-speech-means/.

As someone who is currently trying to navigate adulthood while attempting to balance social pressures, academics, and future plans, this aspect of the amendment is important to me. Freedom of expression is especially important during college as it is a time where most people are trying to figure out their individuality as it is their first time on their own away from their parents. It is important that people are able to express themselves and that the ability to express oneself is protected by this amendment. People are learning what beliefs they identify with independently from their families. 

Another value of the first amendment that resonates with me is the eighth value. This value is about promoting innovation. I find this very important as America is seen as a very innovative country and constantly in competition to become the most innovative. This value of the first amendment emphasizes that a country in which freedom of speech is protected has more encouragement and success in regards to innovations. The people of a country like this are more focused on finding new ways of fulfillment that others may not have thought of. They are more ambitious and constantly want to get new ideas out there. 

Chuck, Elizabeth. “Curfew Takes Effect in Charlotte After
Hours of Peaceful Protests.” NBC News, 23 Sept. 2016, 
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/curfew-
takes-effect-charlotte-after-hours-peaceful-protests-n653046. 

The United States was built off of the fact that people wanted to have the right to correct what they felt was wrong or unfair with the state of their nation. Without Freedom of expression, the United States, let alone, the world, would not be as evolved as it is today. Evolution and change only comes from people saying something and making others think. Without controversy or differences of opinions being able to be discussed, the world would just live in constant fear and everyone would be living with the feeling of "walking on eggshells". Controversy makes people think and leads to change in both big or small forms. Change does not come without revoking feelings of discomfort. This idea was best stated in this article by Shelby Shepherd at Western Washington University. The United States can only keep the title of being one of the most evolved countries because of its first amendment. All people in America hold the right to make a change and to make others think.

Blog 2: Supreme Court Reflexion

From these videos, I learned a lot about the Supreme Court that I wasn't aware of in the past. I also heard some insightful words from some Supreme Court justices who held positions when this video was first made. One first fact that I didn't know was that there have been hundreds of Supreme Court Justices. While I knew it has been around for a while and that many have served, I never realized how many there have actually been. I also didn't know that each justice was assisted by a team of lawyers and secretaries. I was aware they had a team behind them, but I initially thought the team backed them as a whole, rather than each individual. 

Liptak, Adam, and Keith Collins. "Inside the Supreme Court: A Virtual Tour." 
The New York Times, 27 June 2024,
 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/06/27/us
/supreme-court-chamber-photos.html

The video also opened my eyes to how much thought goes into each case, big or small. It was interesting to hear that every case gets equal consideration no matter its size. Cases concerning high priced legal counsels or even small cases of concerns of prisoners. This was interesting to me considering the size of the country and the amount of cases this entails. The fact that all are considered by a court really puts into perspective the work that courts do. 

Some of my biggest take-aways from the video were some of the insights given by Supreme Court justices, especially Sandra Day O'Connor. The first thing she said that stuck with me was the philosophy behind the tradition that the judges have before each meeting of shaking hands with each other. She says she finds comfort in this because it makes it harder to hold a grudge on someone you may having opposing views with as it almost humanizes your "enemy". Another interesting thing that she said was the analogy of how some opinions are made delicately as they are almost like leaving footprints in wet concrete, because these are big decisions made that affect an entire population. These "footprints" make the court and the people affected by it less open to change.

Millhiser, Ian. "The Supreme Court Has Fully Embraced an Antidemocratic Right-Wing Agenda." 
Center for American Progress, 30 June 2023
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-supreme-court-
has-fully-embraced-an-antidemocratic-right-wing-agenda/

Overall, this video changed the way I thought about the Supreme Court because it made them appear more human., Typically I have thought of the court and its justices as strict, statue-like figures, who have very strong thoughts and opinions. Watching them talk the way they did in the video displayed how wise they are, but also how normal. One justice even says in the video how people typically view the court as a secret because of the thought of a legislature, however it is simply just people at a table with opinions on important matters, and all of these opinions must be immediately published to the public. It showed me the truth behind the court and made me feel as though there is less of a disconnect between the people and those who make important decisions for our country. 

Blog 1: My top 5 sources of News

ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/

ABC News is typically my first choice when it comes to searching for news. Growing up, ABC was always on the television when my parents would watch sitcoms, dramas, and talkshows. The news would come on in between and just became my default when it comes to who I go to for news. I feel they are reliable in reporting events that happen and are very quick with breaking news. 

Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/

Fox News is where I will typically go for business news or a right leaning view of political news. I find it a good source for opinionated views and to contrast with news outlets of opposing views such as CNN. While it is known for its strong conservative viewpoints, I find it useful to see how different political and social events are framed from this perspective. It also holds accurately sourced information for news regarding the stock market and other business topics. 

CNN https://www.cnn.com/

CNN is where I will go for news stories that are more left leaning and have strong opposing views from Fox News. I will go to find different viewpoints to compare with Fox News. They often have accurate news stories regarding climate change and other left leaning news topics. They also have a strong international presence, often reporting on international events and politics more than other United States based outlets. By checking both CNN and Fox News, I can see how different media outlets may report the same story, which helps me develop a more informed and balanced view.

Vuelio. "How Long Does a News Story Last?" Vuelio,
 10 May 2021, 
https://www.vuelio.com/uk/blog/how-long-does-a-news-story-last/. 

New York Times                     https://www.nytimes.com/

The New York Times is often a source I will go to for current events and reports, especially for school or work assignments. It often has in depth new stories regarding both national and New York State events. As a New Yorker, I like to stay informed on the on goings in my home state even when at school. The New York Times also has great opinion sections that offer ideas I may not have considered before. Their coverage of politics, culture, and international affairs is thorough. I also find their coverage of business and science to be well-researched and informative.

NBC https://www.nbcnews.com/

NBC News is another reliable source I turn to, especially for live coverage of major events. Their broadcasts and online articles provide a good balance of breaking news and feature stories. I appreciate their reporting on technology, health, and international news, as well as their investigative pieces that dive into social issues. Since NBC has a strong presence in both television and digital media, it's a convenient and accessible news source for staying updated.