I think this is a very difficult issue because activism is regarded as disrupting social order and unity in my country. In my country, you hardly ever see any topics related to this.

I feel quite good about the research on this topic because it's refreshing to explore something that I have never truly experienced. I hope I can enjoy the research process.

I think what touches me the most is the issue of race and ethnicity. In many parts of the world, different races receive different treatments, even within the same country.

Finally, as I said, you hardly ever see anything about activism in my country, so I have never participated in a single demonstration. The activist art forms I have seen are from other countries, such as the UK and the US.

Last August, on the streets of London, UK, near the HMS Belfast, while I was waiting for the traffic light, I saw two local residents carrying a large flag.

The flag and their clothes were inscribed with some things they hoped to change. The people around them were not surprised at all, but I was greatly shocked.

Today, I learned in class about using AI to help improve my learning efficiency, and I also carried out several practical operations.

I'm not feeling well because during my use of AI, I found that AI came up with many ideas, but it didn't help me narrow down my topic scope. Instead, it expanded it. I think the people who are suitable for using AI should be those who have no ideas or only a few ideas. They will need AI to help them inspire their initial thoughts.

During my use of AI, based on the content I searched for, the AI mentioned the artists Olafur Eliasson and Tania Bruguera. However, the ones that could truly enable quick thinking and provide answers seemed to be the most famous people or things currently. For some relatively rare cases, it couldn't offer any assistance.

I think it might be because I'm not proficient enough in using AI, and I haven't grasped the logic behind the AI's responses, so I haven't been able to get the result I wanted.

Up to now, I have also been trying different questioning methods in an attempt to understand the logic behind the AI-generated answers, in an effort to significantly enhance my efficiency in learning and research.

I hope that in the next time when I use AI for learning, I can get some inspiration from it (the main thinking and ideas still belong to me). This will truly enhance my learning efficiency.

My project.

A fist that breaks the so-called "rules" aims to express the attempt to encourage people to break conventions and pursue those rights that should rightfully belong to them.

For instance, one of Bruhlra's works is on the bridge in the Vortex Hall of the Tate Modern Gallery in London. Bruhlra has made tourists confront a policeman who is riding a horse, creating a significant height difference between them. This has made tourists re-examine their reflexive reactions (Tatlin's 2008) - submitting to these imposing figures.

Another notable example is that Brugla invited the audience in Cuba to freely express their opinions in a country that strictly suppresses freedom of speech, causing some people to gain the courage to do so and lose their sense of freedom.

Brugla's artworks are highly provocative, but they do manage to convey the message she intends to communicate to a large extent.

Introduction. (2010, March 20). Taniabruguera.com. https://taniabruguera.com/introduction/

(Accessed July 22 2025)

1. My explanation.

The meaning of "Will" is to do something, and it should be done right now. There should only be a few minutes or seconds between having this idea and actually starting to do it. For example, after school, a classmate asks me what I'm going to do, and I would say, "I'll go home," and then I immediately got on the bus.

The meaning of "gonna" is the same as "going to", which indicates that one is preparing to do something, but not right now. It could be in five hours, five months, or five years from now. For instance, I'm planning to go to the UK, but not right now. It will be about two months later.

2. Some of the mistakes I often did.

I often say "I went to" as "I'm going to" or "I am going to", and then immediately correct myself after saying it. Although I often make this mistake, I haven't really corrected it so far.

I feel very bad because this might cause others to misunderstand me, and it also doesn't allow me to express my true thoughts.

I think this is a habit because I often say "I go to", and it has almost become an instinctive action for me, rather than a part of my language system.

I think if I want to change the current situation, I need to speak as much as possible first, and also consciously control what I say. The more I speak, the more confident I should become, and the less likely I am to make mistakes.

Now, I have a certain understanding of the reasons for my mistakes and possible solutions. I will spend some time thinking about how to formulate a long-term effective plan to help myself.

I hope that in my future conversations with others, I can minimize the occurrence of these mistakes that might cause misunderstandings.

Part 2: Use the Grammar.

My prediction for the final assessment week:

I think people will be excited because this is the final project.

2. I believe I can do it because I already have a good idea.

3. I believe there will be a good outcome because I will not give up.

My intentions for the remaining parts of the project:

I will obtain most of the information I need on Saturday and then refine it on Sunday.

2. I will find some unique information about the project.

3. I will correct the mistakes I made in the previous project.

My offers:

I will use some technical terms to help you understand the research.

2. I will explain some related issues to you in simple terms.

3. I will use some simple words to help you express your thoughts.

I. The songs we learned in class.

Today in class, I listened to a piece of music called "Change Is Coming", which is about futurism and the civil rights liberation movement. Its author is Sam Cook.

II. Do I like this song?

I don't like this song because its rhythm and the way it makes me feel are very different from the music I usually listen to. I don't really like this kind of feeling.

III. What kind of feeling does this song bring to me?

The feeling this song gives me is mainly sadness, but in difficult situations, it seems to also be filled with hope.

IV. What do I think the message of this song?

I think the message conveyed by this song is that Sam is telling other black people not to give up, to hold on until the change comes, and that the time until this change arrives is not very long.

V. Why is this song so important for the civil rights movement?

Because the poignant lyrics and heartfelt melody of this song encapsulate the struggles and hopes of an era, creating a powerful symbol of change and perseverance. But behind its historical significance lies a tapestry of personal transformation and universal truth, a reflection on the hardships of life and the enduring optimism of the human spirit.

Any similar modern protest songs.

I know another song by Sam Cooke, it's a song that speaks out against injustice - Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang"

2. Background Research.

I. Who is Sam Cook?

Sam Cooke [1]Ritz, & David. (2025). (born on January 22, 1931, in Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA - died on December 11, 1964, in Los Angeles, California) was an American singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur. He was a significant figure in the history of popular music and, along with Ray Charles, one of the most influential Black artists.

Ritz, & David. (2025). Sam Cooke. In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sam-Cooke (Accessed 24 July 2025).

II. What is the civil rights movement in the United States?

The American Civil Rights Movement was a large-scale protest movement in the southern United States against racial segregation and discrimination. [1] Sky HISTORY TV channel. (No date). It was centered around the theme of black people resisting racial oppression. Under the influence of this movement, the racial segregation model that had long existed in public facilities (such as buses, toilets, and schools) in the southern United States was broken.

【1】Sky HISTORY TV channel. (No date). Sky HISTORY TV Channel. Retrieved on July 24, 2025, from https://www.history.com/articles/civil-rights-movement (Accessed on 24 July 2025).

I chose this phrase because I wanted to emphasize the significance of the mural, in order to present more stories to support my viewpoint.

2. Brand activism.

I chose this phrase because the two examples mentioned below are both related to moral practice.

3. Community activism.

I chose this phrase to encourage readers to continue reading after seeing this sentence, with the aim of highlighting instances of activism in small-scale scenarios.

The Healthy Minds Study, which gathers national survey data on tens of thousands of students annually, has found that the percentage who considered suicide in the prior year rose from 6% in 2007 to 13% in 2024. The percentage of students who made a specific suicide plan tripled during that period.

While some news reports portray the current state of student mental health as an unprecedented crisis, the full picture is more nuanced. As a psychologist who has been researching college student mental health for more than 20 years, as summarized in my recent book, “College Student Mental Health and Wellness: Coping on Campus,” I believe recent data suggests a turning of the tide.

Q.1:

1. The main point of this text is that the suicide rate among college students is on the rise.

   
   

2. The main sentence of this passage is: It is true that college students’ mental health has deteriorated in many regards during the past two decades.

   
   

3. Yes.

Q.2:

1. Used ‘While’ and ‘also’.

   
   

2. These sections can be easily connected to each other because they are full of logic and coherence.

Q.3:

1. One of the things this author did well was to handle the data summary and analysis very well.

   
   

2. I think I can clearly express my viewpoints in my next article, and make my ideas more logically coherent.

Reference:

Hayes, J. A. (2025, June 12). The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/the-complex-reality-of-college-student-mental-health-data-reveals-both-challenges-and-positive-trends-257086 (Accessed July 28 2025)

Evans, J. (2015, August 26). Warming seas and melting ice sheets. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/warming-seas-and-melting-ice-sheets/ (29 July 2025)

Fung, K. (17 december 2023). Mental Oasis: Hong Kong teens organise art events, workshops to give students solace from pressures they face. South China Morning Post. Retrieved July 29, 2025, from https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3245243/mental-oasis-hong-kong-teens-organise-art-events-workshops-give-students-solace-pressures-they-face?utm_source=chatgpt.com (Accessed 7 July 2025)

C High liquidity, released two years ago.

R The correlation is moderate, and it is the project related to mental health that the students completed.

A It has low authority. This is an online magazine website.

A The accuracy is relatively low. It mainly focuses on presenting the students' achievements, lacking the introduction of the process.

P The purpose is quite clear, which is to introduce some practical actions taken by students in terms of mental health.

Secondly.

Uncertainty and the Unknown”: 2019 summer open exhibition - Institute of Mental Health. (not date). Org.uk; Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved July 29, 2025, from https://institutemh.org.uk/about/art-at-the-institute/previous-exhibitions/542-uncertainty-and-the-unknown-2019 summer-open-exhibition?utm_source=chatgpt.com

C Low liquidity, released six years ago.

R It has a high degree of relevance and is related to activities that contribute to people's mental health.

A It is highly authoritative. This is an article released by the Nottingham Psychological Research Institute.

A It is highly accurate and clearly demonstrates the prevalence of the current issue of mental health.

P It has a strong purpose and briefly introduces what the problem is and the methods being attempted.

Thirdly.

Hayes, J. A. (2025, June 12). The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/the-complex-reality-of-college-student-mental-health-data-reveals-both-challenges-and-positive-trends-257086

C It has high liquidity. This article was published approximately one month ago.

R The correlation is high, and it cites a variety of data to support its argument regarding the mental health of college students.

A With high authority, this article was written by Jeffrey Hayes, a psychology professor from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.

A With high accuracy, this article has identified various factors that may contribute to the deterioration of the mental health of college students and international students.

P The purpose of this article is very clear. Its content is solely aimed at exploring the current situation and analyzing the reasons behind it.

Last week, I attended some listening training classes in class. We were required to watch some videos, listen to what was being discussed in the videos, then have group discussions and answer questions.

Feeling.

I felt pretty good about it because it was rare for me to watch a video without subtitles, and I wasn't confident in my language skills either. But after listening to it, I picked up many key words or phrases in this video.

Evaluation.

I think what was relatively smooth for me was being able to find the specific word or sentence I wanted from an audio clip. However, what was not so smooth for me was taking notes - I type very slowly, so I usually opt to use the keyboard instead.

Analysis.

For me, writing with a pen is extremely difficult. If I want to increase my speed, the words I write will be crooked and look like caterpillars. For the past dozen years, I have been trying to change this situation, but I haven't made any progress.

Conclusion.

I think this kind of listening training is very good. It enables me to break away from my previous cognitive routine - hearing a word, translating it into Chinese in my mind, and then thinking. But this is very slow and the results are not very good. Such training can help me develop a set of English language logic.

Action plan.

In the next round of listening training, I will take notes using a tablet computer or a laptop, so that I can better learn from the listening exercises.

List of Texts.

CBS New York [@CBSNewYork]. (n.d.). Understanding the mental health challenges college students face. Youtube. Retrieved July 30, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIJsQsQwtg

Talks, T. [@TEDx]. (n.d.). How can we solve the college student mental health crisis? | Dr. Tim Bono | TEDxWUSTL. Youtube. Retrieved July 30, 2025, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEtNxNW0bRU

Bewick, B., & Stallman, H. (2018, August 30). University students with mental illnesses are falling through the gaps. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/university-students-with-mental-illnesses-are-falling-through-the-gaps-101290 (Accessed 30 July 2025)

Fung, K. (17 december 2023). Mental Oasis: Hong Kong teens organise art events, workshops to give students solace from pressures they face. South China Morning Post. Retrieved July 29, 2025, from https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3245243/mental-oasis-hong-kong-teens-organise-art-events-workshops-give-students-solace-pressures-they-face?utm_source=chatgpt.com (Accessed 30 July 2025)

Uncertainty and the Unknown”: 2019 summer open exhibition - Institute of Mental Health. (not date). Org.uk; Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved July 29, 2025, from https://institutemh.org.uk/about/art-at-the-institute/previous-exhibitions/542-uncertainty-and-the-unknown-2019 summer-open-exhibition?utm_source=chatgpt.com （Accessed 30 July 2025）

Hayes, J. A. (2025, June 12). The complex reality of college student mental health: Data reveals both challenges and positive trends. The Conversation. http://theconversation.com/the-complex-reality-of-college-student-mental-health-data-reveals-both-challenges-and-positive-trends-257086 (Accessed 30 July 2025)

List of Images.

“Uncertainty and the Unknown”: 2019 summer open exhibition - Institute of Mental Health. (n.d.). Org.uk; Institute of Mental Health. from https://institutemh.org.uk/about/art-at-the-institute/previous-exhibitions/542-uncertainty-and-the-unknown-2019-summer-open-exhibition?utm_source=chatgpt.com (Accessed 30 July 2025)

Fung, K. (n.d.). Mental Oasis: Hong Kong teens organise art events, workshops to give students solace from pressures they face. South China Morning Post. from https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3245243/mental-oasis-hong-kong-teens-organise-art-events-workshops-give-students-solace-pressures-they-face?utm_source=chatgpt.com(Accessed 30 July 2025)

Hayes, L. (2025, May 7). Artists exploring the struggles of mental health. iCanvas Blog - Heartistry; iCanvas. https://www.icanvas.com/blog/4-artists-exploring-the-struggles-of-mental-health/ (Accessed 30 July 2025)

This is a more radical artistic approach, and it can enable a larger number of people to understand it in a short period of time.

Why is laziness regarded as a challenge?

I believe that the idea of laziness is regarded as a form of adjustment because its thoughts and decisions deviate from the norms of this society, and it prompts people to re-examine certain issues.

The activity that left the deepest impression on me.

The activity that left the deepest impression on me was about an artist who completed a piece of work on the street using a large-scale photographic installation, eliminating the need for a lot of text. (Singh, 2022).

Can digital activism bring about real change?

I'm not sure because art is constrained by the current social rules. Maybe there will be changes in the future, perhaps decades or even hundreds of years from now, but definitely not now.

How to incorporate digital elements into my radicalism project.

I hope I can incorporate some audio or video elements in the presentation to express my personal thoughts.

I feel pretty good because I sense that I'm getting closer to my ultimate goal, and my spoken language is also improving. I can now express some things that I really want to say.

I believe my current research is correct because I found some excellent papers related to my project on the funded thesis website of the University of Pennsylvania. At the same time, I also found some art websites about mental health, which provided me with more references when I was creating the poster.

Apart from these, I also found some works by students of my age. They may not have delved as deeply into this research as the professors at the university, and their works may not be as academically rigorous, but they still expressed some of their genuine thoughts.

Now, I no longer consider radicalism to be a difficult topic because I have found a lot of information about it and I can make use of it.

I hope that all the learning difficulties I encounter in the future can be like these projects – by adding the things I don't understand to my own thinking and solving them.

I'm not feeling well because we didn't have any rehearsals or drills beforehand. We could have had more communication to assign each person's part. We should have spent more time looking for the necessary materials.

Overall, I think this presentation was both a failure and a success. The failure lies in the fact that we could have spent more time on training. The key to success lies in the fact that it makes us realize that if we were given another chance, we would perform much better than we did today.

I think the main reason for this is mine - the design part of the poster was my responsibility, but I submitted it to the group too late - it was already 7 o'clock last night. However, others also have an important responsibility. Some of the materials found were not comprehensive enough, and because I myself haven't had much knowledge about many artists in the field of music, this made it particularly difficult for me to select the content of the materials.

Overall, this was indeed not a commendable presentation. However, the earlier the mistake is detected and corrected, the greater the benefits gained. For instance, this mistake would not have occurred in my speech on the radicalism project.

In the next group or individual presentation, I will spend more time practicing my content, including speaking, text presentation, and poster display.

Some large-scale performances or events may be held here.

When a performance needs to be showcased, this space can accommodate a large number of people to participate in the event.

Many tourists will visit this castle when they return. Then, it will be an excellent venue for performances.

If this castle were of a conventional layout, its interior would be hollow, resembling a circular theater, which would enable a better display of my works.

I think it's quite good because everyone's ideas were very creative. In particular, what one of the students said made me realize that I should think about how to express my thoughts through some practical means and how to have an impact on others.

I think this idea is correct, and after a brief thought, I came to the conclusion - I hope to create a piece of installation art to prompt people to reflect.

Looking back on today's discussion now, I realize that there was one thing I hadn't considered - how to express one's ideas in such a way that they don't merely remain as ideas, but become creative approaches.

Overall, I need to do more to turn my ideas into reality. I might change my current learning method and turn the ideas stored in my mental world into tangible objects through practice.

I hope that in my future studies, I can maintain the mindset I have today. Through practical learning, I aim to enhance my understanding of certain matters, rather than merely adding more ideas.

Today, during our class discussion and the "Fake News Game", I learned some knowledge about critical thinking.

I think it's quite good because the learning of critical thinking enables me to think independently and evaluate the truthfulness of a source of information from multiple perspectives.

What impressed me.

What impressed me most was the news about a spider. Although the accompanying pictures in the news made it seem quite similar to a science fiction movie, it was indeed real.

Why is critical thinking important?

I believe that critical thinking is crucial for college students because students should rely on their own independent thinking and judgment abilities to solve problems, rather than choosing to believe in "correct answers" given by others.

How to actually put these ideas into practice.

In my project, I will employ critical thinking to assess whether certain activities and solutions for the mental health of college students are truly effective and to what extent they can be beneficial.

I hope it is an interactive form of art work that enables people to experience some scenarios that their actions might lead to in real life.

How does it attract other students to think or participate?

I think I will create a 3D screen，on which a black human figure will be displayed. When someone touches the screen, the color of the figure can be changed, transitioning from pure black to various colors.

This is related to my current research.

Currently, my research focuses on the aspect of mental health. I have found that many college students with mental health problems usually start from social setbacks and loneliness. It's as if they are living in the shadows, with their entire bodies completely dark and without any color.

What kind of consciousness do I hope it can create?

I hope it can help people show more tolerance and kindness towards college students and international students, thereby helping them reduce their psychological burdens.

The position I am considering.

The location I'm considering is the castle near the Farnham campus of the school. There will definitely be a lot of tourists there, and that castle is the only building on the nearby grassland that can provide both shade and shelter. Don't worry about my exhibition being overlooked.

2. During the reading process, I feel that I have a better reading speed and comprehension ability than before.

However, in the multiple-choice questions, I do have a stronger logical ability.

3. I think my score will be very low, or even zero.

4. During the remaining time, I will keep reminding myself to review each skill that I have practiced before.

From this photo titled "Immigrant Mother", I learned that art doesn't necessarily have to feature grand scenes or significant tasks as its main focus. Ordinary people or stories can also be the core of an artistic work.

How does it demonstrate an understanding of critical thinking?

This photo shows that during the Great Depression in the United States, the American Dream was no longer a goal that people would be enslaved or obsessed with. The term "American Dream" no longer merely represents a life of luxury; instead, it encompasses a multitude of stories that are difficult to express.

Is there any connection with the course? Why do we need to reflect?

This is closely related to our course. The connection is a sentence from the previous weekend group project: "Art should comfort the weak and make the privileged uncomfortable." My interpretation is that art should not merely celebrate beautiful stories, but also point out the shortcomings of society and make it better. As an artist, reflection is very important. Reflection enables us to know whether we are truly helping those in need when presenting a situation, to remember the good things done, to correct the shortcomings, and at the same time, to achieve progress and growth ourselves.

First of all, the ideas of artists are never just theoretical; they are put into practice in reality. The "Little Sun" project by the artist (Eliasson, 2020) has helped many people in countries without strong power supply to obtain solar energy and continuous lighting, thereby improving their quality of life.

The practical methods of art are not limited to this. Art can also help people express their inner thoughts. For instance, the "calligraphy" work by the artist (Bengoechea, 2016) is a very clear and sophisticated visual project, which concretizes people's thoughts through the output of text.

In summary, art is not merely theory; rather, it is theory combined with practice, and through practice, it enhances its own capabilities, thereby making greater contributions to the world.

I think this is simply a complete mess. My voice lacks emotion and is very slow, just like a tape recorder or a machine reading a script. At the same time, the citations and references in my article do not match.

I think this is because I didn't make adequate preparations. I could have gone through the details more carefully before my turn, or I could have calmed myself down.

I think the main reason was that during my speech, I unconsciously kept looking at people's faces and eyes - this made me very nervous, to the extent that I just spoke mechanically and lost my train of thought.

I think this speech was a failure, but it was also a success because through this failure I learned about my shortcomings.

In my next speech, which will be on next Monday's assessment, I will overcome and correct the mistakes I made today.