Greetings and Salutations!

[benmiller314]

Welcome to Composing Digital Media! Your first writing assignment is to post an introduction to yourself, here on this "Issue Queue." What is an Issue Queue? Later, we may get into some more advanced features, but for now, you can think of it as a discussion forum: it allows anyone to post and respond.

You can also add images and some other files (though not playable sound files, alas) directly into your posts here.

Before the end of lesson 2, please respond to this Issue with a few words about yourself, and a picture. (Note: this is a public site. If you're not comfortable using your real identity, please choose a username and some avatar image other than a photo of yourself. Just... let me know offline or by email so I can give you full credit for the assignment.)

[benmiller314]

I'll start! My name is Ben Miller, and I'm an assistant professor in the Composition program of the English department, where I've taught Composition Studies, Writing with Style, Composing Digital Media, and a bunch of sections of Seminar in Composition. This is my fifth year at Pitt. yikes.

Before coming here, I earned a PhD from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), where I also got a certificate in Interactive Technology and Pedagogy; I was for three years an Instructional Technology Fellow at CUNY's Macaulay Honors College, working with faculty across the curriculum to develop assignment sequences and resources that take advantage of digital environments and software. And I'm a founding editor of the Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy, where I'm often called upon to edit both CSS stylesheets and articles-in-progress.

There's more, but maybe that's enough for now! I'm very much looking forward to this semester: I've thought a lot about where it might go, but I've taught enough by now to realize that it's all going to change when we get into it together. Can't wait to see where we end up!

[racheljfu]

Hello everyone. I'm Rachel and I'm a sophomore studying public and professional writing, English lit, and Chinese. I'm from a small town near Harrisburg, PA.

I like to read, draw, skate (badly), listen to music, cook, and play with my two dogs (one of them is pictured below). I also work as an art studio assistant/camp counselor and in retail when I'm not in school or doing any of the above.

[cjc162]

My name is Corey Catalogna and I am a senior computer science major. I am from West Mifflin, PA which is about 20 minutes away from Pitt. I enjoy watching and playing sports. I played baseball and soccer in high school and continue to play intramural soccer throughout college. When watching sports, I like to keep up with Pittsburgh sports teams as well as my fantasy football team. I also like to hang out with friends and play chess.

[kevinikea]

Hey everyone. I'm Kevin. I'm a Senior majoring in communications, minoring in econ (finished that this summer), and I'm aiming for a PPW certificate. I'm from Annapolis, MD and I am obsessed with Marlyand.

In my free time here at Pitt I am the president of the Sports Analysis Club (we talk about sports once a week for an hour), the business manager for the Pitt Team Handball Club, and a staff member of WPTS Sports. I also like playing basketball up at Trees. If you're not sure where to find me, look for me at any Pitt sporting event (Oakland Zoo>Panther Pitt).

[fatemaquaid987]

Hi. I am Fatema Quaid, a senior studying Computer Science at Pitt. My journey at Pitt started slightly more than a year ago. I came in as an undergraduate transfer from Habib University in Pakistan where I was studying Computer Science as well.

Every now and then, I find myself attached to my Computer screen, either writing code or shopping online (Doing the former one more). I wanted to become a fashion designer when I was in school but somehow ended up in this field and over the course of years have fallen in love with it. Believe me, Seeing a working code is the best feeling in the world. I am personally interested in Artificial Intelligence and Game Design. I won the "She Innovates" hackathon 2019 " at Pitt along with my team where we created a game to get girls more interested in technology.

I am an artistic person. Besides coding and making fun computer games, I also like to paint, sketch and create useful crafts. I also love to travel and always yearn to learn new things.

This course seems to align perfectly with my field, hobbies, and interests. I look forward to working on some interesting projects and learning exciting things in this course.

[deanpinnell]

Hi all, I'm Dean! I am a junior Communication major with a Mathematics minor. I am originally from Livonia, MI, which is a suburb of Detroit, about a half hour away. My main involvement at Pitt is being a Resident Assistant. This is currently my second year in the RA role, last year I was in Holland Hall, and this year I am the Lead RA in Tower C! I spent this past summer studying abroad in London, and I got to travel to Paris, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest after!

During my free time, I love to do jigsaw puzzles, listen to music, drink iced coffee, and dance! I also love travelling, mostly to Walt Disney World. I am an Annual Passholder at Walt Disney World, and I go several times a year. My older sister, Katherine, is actually a Cast Member there! She is also my best friend, so I love being with my favorite person in my favorite place when I'm there!

[ajs1102]

Hi, I'm Alex Stewart, a senior computer science student at Pitt. I'm from High Point, North Carolina, but I'm thinking about staying in Pittsburgh to work after I graduate.

During the school year I work as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in the computer science department; this semester I am leading recitations for CS 0447 for Dr. Tan, which seems like it will be a challenging but rewarding experience.

During my free time I like hanging with friends, playing games like Werewolf or Betrayal at House on the Hill, and playing video games. Right now I'm addicted to playing Legend of Zelda Randomizers.

I'm taking this course because I've always been attracted to using digital media as a means of expression, and it lines up with my skills, as I love working with computers and technology all the time.

[fathimashabnam]

Hi everyone! My name is Fathima Shabnam and I am a (super) senior (5th year) pursuing a major in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Bioengineering. I'm an Indian (South Asian), but I was born and brought up in the United Arab Emirates. I enjoy drawing, painting, writing stories, reading (but I haven't done a lot of this recently), watching movies (I love animated films) and baking. My current plans for the future include doing academic bio-related research and learning how to fly a plane (just 'cuz).

[jlatiniii]

Hi! I'm Julianna and I'm a junior Microbiology major with a minor in Chemistry and Mediterranean Art and Archaeology. I'm from a town called Upper Darby, PA which is about 10 minutes outside of Philadelphia. When my major isn't ruining my life, I love to explore Pittsburgh, cook, and spend time with my friends. I also work at one of Pitt's Immunology labs as a research assistant :)

[ram716]

Hi, my name is Richard. I am a Senior studying Social Sciences. I've lived in Pittsburgh my whole life ^yay. I work as an analyst for a local business whenever I'm not busy with school. Most of my free time is spent bingeing shows on Netflix with my cats, playing video games, and walking my dog. I also enjoy reading mythology & legends, long walks on the beach, rainy days, and other cliché things.

[Ruhi35]

Hi everyone, my name is Ruhi and I'm a sophomore majoring in computer science at Pitt! I was born in Canada and raised in Michigan, and I love to explore Pittsburgh now. I do Jumpstart, which is a program where you teach and spend time with preschoolers and it's the best thing ever and I love all of my kids! I also am rarely not in the company of my two best friends(Pictured below) and love to sing in an a cappella group on campus

also I am the shortest one in the picture :)

[epesetsky]

Hi, my name is Ellie and I'm a senior finishing up my last semester at the University of Pittsburgh. I am studying Media & Professional Communications with my track in Writing for the Professions, in addition to a Digital Media Studies Certificate. I am from a small town in Maryland and love going home for a break from the city life. In my free time I enjoy hanging with friends, working out, going for walks and cooking/baking. I like to write and read about fashion, interior design, and more!

[jadenash21]

Hi everyone,

My name is Jade! I am a Senior studying Media and Professional Communications! I am from DC. When I am not doing work for school, I love to travel, shop, hang out with friends, and explore new things! I am very involved at school. I am a part of a sorority, UPTV, and SAA and also work as a brand ambassador for 2 companies. I am looking forward to meeting everyone this semester and collaborating on some amazing projects! I'm looking forward to developing a strong portfolio of projects to use when I apply to jobs.

[emaur]

Hi everyone! I’m Emma, a senior Communications and Public and Professional Writing double major. I’m from Flemington, NJ which is a little more than an hour train ride from NYC.

My first three years at Pitt I was working at a local record store — creating and managing their social media, booking bands for our live shows, and loving the perks of the job (aka getting into concerts for free). I’ve also been writing for the culture desk at The Pitt News since my freshman year.

I love constantly being in new environments, so I was lucky enough to study abroad twice during my time at Pitt. I traveled to Shanghai for a month in the summer of 2018, and then spent last semester in London, where I also visited Amsterdam, Budapest, Athens, and Paris.

[emmaknaub]

Hey everyone! My name is Emma and I'm a sophomore majoring in Computer Science. I'm from Springfield, PA which is about 20 minutes outside of Philly. At Pitt, I do Pitt Dance Marathon where I work on the operations panel to help plan the day of DM, and I'm hoping to get involved with other clubs involving computer science. In my free time I like to watch shows on Netflix/Hulu (specifically Parks and Rec, New Girl, and Adventure Time), go to the beach, listen to music, and hang out with my cats. I love spending time with friends and family, but I really appreciate having some alone time, too. This class involves a lot of things that are very interesting to me and I'm really looking forward to this semester!

[wsc9]

Hi everyone,

My name is Weston, and I’m a Junior studying Public and Professional Writing. I’m from Pittsburgh and grew up right down the street from Oakland in Shadyside. Outside of school I work as a boxing coach and also help out at my friends auto detail shop. I am really into combat sports and like boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. I also am into tv, movies, and video games. I was really into Game of Thrones for a while, I’m still into West World, and I’m always watching reruns of Friends and Seinfeld. I love everything in the MCU, and am also a fan of grittier films and like pretty much anything done by Tarantino or Scorsese. I have many favorite video games, but I’m a huge fan of the Zelda franchise, and other Nintendo properties. When I have the time I also really enjoy traveling, sailing, hiking, and all other forms of outdoor adventuring.

[brittanybenson8]

Hi everyone! My name is Brittany Benson. I am a junior majoring in Media and Professional Communications and minoring in English Literature. I am from a small town about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. One interesting thing about me is that I worked at Walt Disney World for a year through their college program. It was the best experience, and I still talk about it way too much. I love reading, traveling, and music. I am also a big fan of television and movies. I love The Office, Game of Thrones, Marvel movies, and crime documentaries. I also love theatre and seeing different shows. I have two dogs, Gizmo and Moose, and they are the lights of my life (pictured below).

[rmr78]

My name is Rebecca Ruben and I am from Ocean Township, NJ. I live five minutes from the beach so that is a big part of my summers. I am a senior, majoring in Marketing, with a certificate in digital media. I am in a club at Pitt where we raise and take care of service dogs in training. Last year I worked with a dog named Luna and she just got placed this past summer. I love photography and music, mostly rock, punk, and alternative. A fun fact about me is that I taught myself how to play the ukulele. I also went on a cruise this past summer to Russia, Germany, Estonia, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Copenhagen.

[nicolebulsak]

Hi everyone, I'm a little late joining the class but my name is Nicole. I'm a senior Media and Professional Communications major on the corporate and community relations track. I am a cheerleader here at the University of Pittsburgh. I paint in my free time and love to read. I have two dogs who are absolute opposites of each other, a Maltese and a Great Pyrenees. I also decided on my 21st birthday that I was going to buy a guinea pig, so her name is Tila Tequila. I'm completely ready to graduate and get my life started! By the way, this is my beautiful mother in this picture with me!