Review of Reading Response Essays

After closely reviewing each of my colleagues’ hypertext response essays in our English 138 spring quarter class, it is my personal opinion that Nicolas Feigenbaum, Jamie Coakley, and Lauren Tsugawa all deserve A’s on their projects. Not only do I feel that these three students explored the topic assigned in detail and with a unique intellectual approach, but I feel that the distinct elements each student added to his or her essay made it both entertaining and eye-catching for the reader.


I believe that Nicolas Feigenbaum’s website, first of all, is the most creative website in the class. His home page is very easy to navigate as he gives simple summaries of each project connected to the link itself with attractive pictures and listed updates. In his reading response essay, Nicolas first seeks an outside source to exemplify how remixing has come to play such a political and expressive role in society. His example about the NOM’s advertisement depicting homosexuality as a “gathering storm” and how this led to an explosion of remix videos and public outrage really catches and holds onto the readers’ attention. He then links a hypertext to the “unresolved question” about the legality of new media and its conflict with media ownership. Nicolas offers an answer (sourcing Henry Jenkins) that media owners and consumers should learn to utilize one another in collaboration. Nicolas also links to a page about participatory culture, detailing various examples from the internet and explaining their importance. I enjoyed the side navigation bar he gave us, in case we got caught up in clicking links, it was easy to get back to the main paper and keep reading. His hypertext is incredibly unique and his writing is academic and thought-provoking.


Jamie Coakley’s reading response essay deserves an A because it is passionate, contemplative, and well written. Jamie explores outside resources beyond class material to justify the use of new media in the expression of public opinion. She explains how the media conglomerates in various countries reduce diversity and restrict individual expression. She counters the idea with that of an Adbuster’s article, encouraging society to speak out since change often comes from “renegade voices in the media.” Jamie explores the impact of Indymedia and Smartmeme, as well, in the democratization of media ownership. I felt Jamie’s most powerful account was that about the Shack Dwellers movement in Durban, South Africa. She speaks fluidly and influentially about the power of new media in the lives of these people. Though they may be oppressed and downtrodden, the internet allows them to present their personal experiences and elicit help. The impact of such a new innovation is the mass spread of knowledge and experience that would have previously remained unknown. Without it, Jamie contests, “we as a world will fail to recognize and educate one another on the conditions that surround us and form our own generation’s identity.” Jamie’s report is clear, yet well thought out. I truly enjoyed reading her paper.


Finally, Lauren Tsugawa’s paper is deserving of an A because it is very nicely organized and intuitive. I really enjoy how Lauren begins the paper with an introduction about Lessig’s idea of pirates and creators. She explains their unique interaction and questions, what now? Lauren details the “grayish medium” of fan participation and explains the intense controversy that exists between creator and pirate in this supposedly “equal rights” creative commons we call the internet. I really enjoyed reading her points and skimming the videos she placed to support them. I also appreciated Lauren’s extra work finding photos of the authors she commented on, linking to their books on Amazon or their personal works. Lauren’s conclusion provides a pithy overall explanation, leaving her reader’s head resounding with both an obvious personal opinion about new media and three of Lawrence Lessig’s most important points.

I honestly enjoyed reading and exploring each of these three students’ reading response papers and I believe their hard work and extra effort are deserving of A’s.