MFSC Holiday Spectacular 2018!

Midland Figure Skating Club presented the "2018 Holiday Spectacular on Ice" at 3:30p.m. on Saturday, December 16, 2018, in Midland, Michigan. I was a Who from Whoville, skating to the group number "Welcome Christmas," from The Grinch Movie, with other skaters in Midland's Learn To Skate USA. Video by Katheryn K.

Photo by Katheryn K.

Skate Midland, 11/3/18

Competing at Skate Midland
Emma Johnson won Gold for Adult 1 Compulsory Moves at Skate Midland at the Midland Civic Arena on Saturday, November 3, 2018.


https://youtu.be/U4-f2cGNjX0
Video by Melanie B.

Photos by Tami H.-A., Katrina W., and Melanie B.

Website copy

Website links:

Emma Johnson Résumé

DEGREES
Bachelor of Arts, University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Minneapolis College of Art and Design

EDUCATION

Delta College, 2012-2015
• Subjects studied: French, math, piano, biology, physics, inorganic & organic chemistry
• Delta College Honors Program

University of Minnesota, B.A. in English (emphasis in poetry), 2006-2008
• Subjects studied: English, writing, German, film studies

• Fluent in German, as per Language Proficiency Exam, 1/16/09

• Writer/Researcher, Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program, 2007

• Copy Desk Editor, The Minnesota Daily, 2006-07
• Radio K Volunteer, 2006-07

Rutgers University, National Student Exchange, 2007-08

• Subjects studied: English, German, web authoring, interactive design
• Tutor, Plangere Writing Center, 2007

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

B.F.A. in painting and photography, 2000-2005 

• Subjects studied: Fine art, media arts, graphic design, art history

• Learning Center Tutor, 2003-05
• Radio MCAD Volunteer, 2003-05

Macalester College
Macalester Exchange Program (MCAD sister school), 2003
• Subjects studied: Philosophy

Parsons Paris School of Art and Design
Study Abroad, Fall 2002
• Subjects studied: Fine art, French

Michigan Technological University
MiCUP/MI-LSAMP, 2015
Post-secondary option, 1999-2000
• Subjects studied: Statistics; art, writing, psychology, economics

SCHOLARSHIPS

• Grow with Google Developer Scholarship, 2018

• Grow with Google Challenge Scholarship, 2018
• Scott Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, 2017
• Coca-Cola Scholarship, 2015-16
• Zonta Club of Midland Scholarship, 2014-15 
• Arthur J. and Bette L. Fisher Scholarship, 2014-15
• M. Seth Babcock Scholarship, 2013-14 
• Cari-DeWall Obst Uptown Association Scholarship, 2002-04

WRITING
Writer (freelance),  SOLV Marketing Agency, Midland, MI, 2018-Present 
•    Write blogs.

 Writer (freelance),  SOLŪTIŌ Web Marketing & Design, Midland, MI, 2017-Present 
•    Write blogs and web copy. [137 projects]

Writer (freelance), Midland Daily News (Hearst Corporation), Midland, MI, 2009—Present
•    Write stories and features for print and web publication on arts and entertainment, lifestyle, culture, politics and local events. Recently started writing book reviews and a column about my extended trip to Shanghai, with corresponding photography. Currently working on Palestine/Israel op-ed column. Print circulation 16,500+ daily and 18,000+ Sunday. [231 articles, including 85 front page]

Writer (Freelance), Great Lakes Bay Regional Lifestyle Magazine, Bay City, MI, 2010-Present
•     Wrote a profile piece for the March 2011 education issue. Wrote five scene descriptions for the November 2011 issue in the magazine’s “People Pics” section. Upcoming advertorials.

Center Educator, Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art / Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, MI, 02/2009-Present
•    Research background information on science and art exhibitions. Design and lead tours for ages preschool through adult. Collaborated with colleague to create guide for “Art of the Brick” exhibit. Created 20-page talking points guide for “Out of this World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film and Television” exhibit. Other exhibits included: Rodin, Herman Miller, Mid-Century Modern, and Leonardo da Vinci. Facilitator for Spark!Lab Smithsonian.
 

WRIT Center Consultant, WRIT Center (Writing, Reading, and Information Technology), Delta College, 2013-15

•    Worked one-on-one with students to improve their writing and computer skills; provided online feedback to student papers; presented information about the WRIT Center in English classrooms at Delta.

Graphic Designer & Staff Writer, The Delta Collegiate, 2012-13
•    Honorable Mention, Column, Serious, Michigan Community College Press Association, “Investing in universal pre-school is a step in the right direction,” 2013 

  Proofer/Editor/Writer (freelance), ClearRiver Advertising & Marketing, Midland, MI, 2/10—8/10
•    Proofread and edited material for print and web; wrote profile cards, flyers, newspaper ads, press releases, brochures and testimonials for posters, flyers and websites. Clients included: Gerber/Nestlé, Gratiot Medical Center and MidMichigan Health* (which serves a population of 700,000). [162 projects.] *Currently University of Michigan Health System

Former President Obama unleashes on Trump, GOP - Full speech

An amazing speech on democracy.
Vote in 2018!

Communication with each party identically misjudging the other

A woman at Starbucks greeted me when I walked in, “Hi, Pumpkinseed Eater!” I had no idea who she was and couldn’t remember any pumpkin inside jokes. So I smiled and said, “Oh, hi! So nice to see you! How are you?” For a millisecond she had deer in the headlights but said, “Hi … uh ... good to see you!” I then realized she hadn’t said ‘hi’ to me, but must have been recounting a story to her friend. So there we were: Two people who didn’t know each other both pretending that we did (waiting for context clues that would never come)!

It reminded me of vacationing in Paris when a man asked me directions in French. He spoke slowly and deliberately. I hadn’t spoken French in three years but did my best to answer him in French. Then I overheard him rapidly translating for his wife in English. We were both American tourists: Two native English speakers thinking the other was French!

I wonder if there is a technical term for communication where both sides equally misjudge their audience.

Presentation on human rights in the Holy Land slated for Creative 360

By Emma C. Johnson

Cody O’Rourke, a native of Gladwin, Michigan, didn’t know it at the time, but in 2004 he was about to attend a presentation that would end up changing the trajectory of his life. “It was really by chance that I ended up being involved in the conflict in the Holy Land,” said O’Rourke.

Held at the Church of the Brethren in Beaverton, Michigan, Speaker Bob Schnepp discussed the situation in Palestine/Israel. Afterwards, O’Rourke expressed admiration for Schnepp’s commitment to peace. Schnepp suggested O’Rourke travel to Palestine/Israel, but O’Rourke said he couldn’t afford it. Schnepp offered to pay. It was settled.

“So there I was, Bob was paying for me to go to Hebron on a two-week delegation with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in 2005,” O’Rourke said.

O’Rourke says his 2005 trip had a huge impact on him. Today O’Rourke has been living in Bethlehem for seven years fighting for social justice.

“I wasn't political,” said O’Rourke. “I had no historical background and I wasn't even that religious ... And I wasn't much into social justice. Because, why would I be? As a white, straight guy from northern Michigan, I had never experienced institutionalized violence.”

“I had never witnessed, or could have imagined for that matter, the intentional system of control that Palestinians were forced to live under in Hebron,” he said. “After witnessing the oppression, hearing the personal stories, it bothered my conscious in a way that I couldn't turn away from,” says O’Rourke.

Speaker Cody O’Rourke’s talk is titled “South Hebron: The struggle for human rights in the Holy Land.” He will discuss Israel's military occupation, the implications of the Oslo Accords, and ways to work toward peace in the Holy Land.

O’Rourke seeks to “unpack the way in which the Israeli state exercises military control over the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights and how that system is directly connected to the political and social dynamics of the United States.”

O’Rourke will focus on the Palestinian village of Um al-Khair in South Hebron.

In Um al-Khair, “[Palestinians] aren't allowed to have water, electricity, or any infrastructure – while the Israeli Jewish settlement of Carmel has full services and public transportation.”

In South Hebron, Palestinians must get building permits from the Israeli military, which approves less than 1 percent of Palestinians’ applications. “[I]t is basically impossible for them to stay on their land,” explains O’Rourke.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are 151 structures slated for demolition in Um al-Khair. Only two homes would be left standing.

“Israel is trying to carry out an impossible colonization project, in which it wants all the land, but to retain a Jewish demographic majority on the land,” says O’Rourke. Currently, there are about 6.5 million Jews and 6.5 million Palestinians living in Palestine/Israel. “Israel cannot retain a Jewish democracy while simultaneously granting rights to 6.5 million Palestinians,” he said.

“[T]o secure any sort of peace in the Holy Land, we have to start working on … one democratic state in which all people have equal and inalienable rights,” he said.

“This violence isn't rooted in hate like some people want to frame the conflict,” says O’Rourke. “The violence is rooted in political inequalities which are represented in thousands of laws enacted to suppress Palestinian rights. … We need a change in the laws, which are only changed through a political process.”

“[U]nless we put a premium on a one-state solution that focuses on creating systems of economic equality, we will have failed. Essentially we will have just reorganized oppression and violence from the military level to an economic level,” O’Rourke said.

While O’Rourke’s presentation focuses on South Hebron, he says these social justice issues transcend geography.

“[A]ll these systems of oppression are interconnected,” says O’Rourke. “I could see how on various levels the Palestinian experience was intrinsically connected to the experiences of People of Color. I began to see … that in order to make any sort of change, I was going to have to be an ally not only to those oppressed in the Holy Land, but to marginalized and oppressed everywhere.”

“My son is an Israeli Jew. He goes to well-funded Israeli Jewish schools. … [W]e talk often about how life is different for the Palestinians. So when my son goes out with me to Um al-Khair, it's pretty clear to him that the Palestinians aren't being treated the same as Israeli Jews. My son gets this reality pretty easily, but yet for some adults, this basic reality evades them,” he said.

The event is sponsored by the Islamic Center of Midland and Reaching Out for Justice and Peace Work Group of Memorial Presbyterian Church and will take place on Sunday, June 17, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Creative 360, located at 1517 Bayliss Street in Midland.

Palestine/Israel presentation slated for 6/17/18

South Hebron: 

The struggle for human rights in the Holy Land

Art Exhibit: The Art of the Circus

Right to boycott should be protected

By Emma Johnson
Midland Daily News, 10 Apr 2018: 6A.
https://www.ourmidland.com/opinion/voices/article/Right-to-boycott-should-be-protected-12818625.php

A sign points to the Israeli settlement Pisgat Ze'ev located in East Jerusalem. Pisgat Ze'ev houses 50,000 of the 700,000 Israeli settlers illegally residing in the occupied Palestinian territories. Photograph by Emma Johnson.

FULL TEXT:

Do you think it should be illegal to compile public information? To participate in a boycott? U.S. Republicans and Democrats seem to think so.

In fact, they are currently trying to make it law. The bill currently has 269 co-sponsors; 225 in the House (H.R.1697) and 51 in the Senate (S.720). This includes our own Republican Rep. John Moolenaar and Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.

The Israel Anti-Boycott Act is a direct response to the BDS movement, which stands for “Boycott. Divestment. Sanctions.” The Israel Anti-Boycott Act would make it illegal for U.S. businesses to cease doing business with Israel, or companies that operate on illegal Israeli settlements, if it is — or is only perceived to be — for political reasons.

Squirrel film screening in Midland, MI

Thanks to everyone who attended Squirrel: The Movie directed by Thalia Drori!

We had a great discussion about reframing the dialog concerning violence in our society as well as how we've become inured to the over-representation of the male gaze in film. Here I am introducing the movie dressed in character (a.k.a. wearing my own clothes).

Thanks to Creative 360 for hosting, The Delta Collegiate for covering the event, and for everyone who made it a great night!

Picture by René Johnson.

" Midlander acts in film shown Tuesday at Creative 360"

“Midlander acts in film shown Tuesday at Creative 360,” Midland Daily News, 23 Mar 2018: A5. Online. http://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Palestinian-student-visits-Midland-presentation-10424617.php

"Squirrel" playing in Midland!

THE MOVIE

"Squirrel is a 30-minute dark comedy with Mary Vivian Pierce, one of John Waters' Dreamlanders, as the school principal. The story: When 11-year-old Noah witnesses Officer Davis pepper spraying a baby squirrel, his mom, seeing how upset he is, promises to take action. Director Thalia Drori is a writer, producer, and director from Oakland, CA. Our presenter, Emma C. Johnson, is a writer, artist, musician, and actor. Johnson met Drori, a faculty member at Minneapolis College of Art and Design at the time, where Johnson earned her B.F.A. Johnson plays Frances, friend and co-worker of the protagonist. Admission by donation."

THE TRAILER

Squirrel Trailer from Thalia Drori on Vimeo.

What I Witnessed in Palestine/Israel [VIDEO]

Video of "What I Witnessed in Palestine/Israel" presentation on 1-24-18. (1hr 34min)



"What I Witnessed in Palestine/Israel" is a public presentation by Emma Johnson on January 24, 2018, at Creative 360 in Midland, Michigan. Thank you, Midland Community Television (MCTV) Volunteers John and Nana Metcalf for filming, Nana Metcalf for editing and producing, and MCTV for broadcasting. 

Op-ed: We should stop military aid to Israel

By Emma Johnson

“We should stop military aid to Israel,” Midland Daily News, 5 Feb 2018: 6A. Online. http://www.ourmidland.com/opinion/voices/article/We-should-stop-military-aid-to-Israel-12551246.php

FULL TEXT

What would you do for the City of Midland with an extra $8.6 million in the yearly budget?

Would you put more money into our schools? Fund healthcare? Improve our infrastructure? Propose a tax cut?

Midland could have an extra $8.6 million in its budget but, instead, our city contributes $8,634,511 in aid to Israel every year. This $8.6 million pays for weapons to bomb Palestinian civilians, including women and children, and subsidizes new Israeli settlements that are illegal according to international law.

"Eye on Alumni: Emma Johnson speaks about trip to Israel, Palestine"

By Michael Piwowarski of The Delta Collegiate.
February 2, 2018.
http://deltacollegiate.altervista.org/eye-on-alumni-emma-johnson-speaks-about-trip-to-israel-palestine/

MCTV schedule for Palestine/Israel event 1-24-18

The "What I Witnessed in Palestine" presentation I gave at Creative 360 on 1-24-18 will begin airing on MCTV on Saturday, February 10, at 7am. Playback will continue throughout February & March at various dates/times.

MCTV is broadcast in Midland, Michigan, on Charter(Spectrum) channel 191 and AT&T U-verse channel 99. Thank you MCTV and MCTV Volunteers for cinematography, post-production, and airing!

http://www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/457/Whats-On-Now

Current schedule:
2/10/2018 at 7:00 AM
2/10/2018 at 7:00 PM
2/11/2018 at 1:00 AM
2/11/2018 at 7:00 AM
2/11/2018 at 1:00 PM
2/11/2018 at 7:00 PM
2/12/2018 at 1:00 AM
2/12/2018 at 7:00 AM
2/26/2018 at 1:00 PM
2/27/2018 at 8:00 AM
3/2/2018 at 4:00 PM
3/3/2018 at 9:30 AM
3/3/2018 at 9:30 PM
3/4/2018 at 9:30 AM
3/4/2018 at 9:30 PM
3/5/2018 at 9:30 AM
3/5/2018 at 1:00 PM
3/6/2018 at 8:00 AM
3/9/2018 at 4:00 PM
3/9/2018 at 9:30 PM
3/10/2018 at 3:30 AM
3/10/2018 at 3:34 PM
3/12/2018 at 1:13 PM
3/13/2018 at 8:17 AM
3/16/2018 at 4:00 PM
3/19/2018 at 1:00 PM
3/20/2018 at 8:00 AM
3/23/2018 at 4:00 PM
3/26/2018 at 1:00 PM
3/27/2018 at 8:00 AM
3/30/2018 at 4:00 PM
4/2/2018 at 1:00 PM
4/3/2018 at 8:00 AM
4/6/2018 at 4:00 PM
4/9/2018 at 1:00 PM
4/10/2018 at 8:00 AM
4/13/2018 at 4:00 PM
4/16/2018 at 1:00 PM
4/17/2018 at 8:00 AM
4/20/2018 at 4:00 PM
4/21/2018 at 10:30 AM
4/22/2018 at 10:30 AM
4/22/2018 at 10:30 PM
4/23/2018 at 10:30 AM
4/23/2018 at 1:00 PM
4/24/2018 at 8:00 AM
4/27/2018 at 4:00 PM
4/27/2018 at 10:30 PM
4/28/2018 at 4:30 AM
4/28/2018 at 11:00 AM
4/28/2018 at 4:30 PM
4/28/2018 at 11:00 PM
4/29/2018 at 4:30 AM
4/29/2018 at 11:00 AM
4/29/2018 at 4:30 PM
4/29/2018 at 11:00 PM
4/30/2018 at 4:30 AM
4/30/2018 at 11:00 AM
5/1/2018 at 8:00 AM
5/4/2018 at 4:00 PM
5/4/2018 at 11:00 PM
5/5/2018 at 5:00 AM
5/5/2018 at 5:00 PM
5/6/2018 at 5:00 AM
5/6/2018 at 5:00 PM
5/7/2018 at 5:00 AM
5/8/2018 at 8:00 AM
5/11/2018 at 4:00 PM

Press for Palestine/Israel event 1/24/18

http://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Midlander-to-give-presentation-on-trip-to-12514158.php

Contact our representatives! (Midland, Michigan, USA)

List with contact info and links

Vote YES to H.R.4391!
Vote NO to H.R.1697 and S.720)!

Spark!Lab Smithsonian at Midland Center for the Arts

Having too much fun at work!

MEDIA ADVISORY for Palestine/Israel event 1/24/18 (+ media resources)

Press release 1-13-18

Midland resident to give presentation on Palestine/Israel trip involving meetings with Palestinian and Israeli peace activists

What Makes for Good Design?

“What Makes for Good Design?” Solutio for T.R. McTaggart, 8 Jan 2018. Online. https://trmctaggart.com/makes-good-design/

‘Yesterday meets tomorrow in Shanghai today’: The case for Xīntiāndi

‘Yesterday meets tomorrow in Shanghai today’:

The case for Xīntiāndi

All images are moments, just as any point in space is both the memory of a time x, and the reflection of a space y.

– Bourriaud[1]

[C]ulture is both ‘socially constructed and geographically expressed.’

– Jackson qtd in Kobayashi[2]

Introduction

An American traveling abroad in 2011, I found myself in a German restaurant in the French part of Shanghai, China. It was like Russian dolls: A culture inside a culture inside a culture inside a culture.

Effects affecting type

Fun with font effects! (Maybe too much fun;-) )