Artifact 2 (Bad Writing)

Ones idea of self can be approached with many definitions. The differences that come with individuality are what make a person unique in their own way. It is the mixture of individual characteristics that make a person who they are whether their distinct anatomy of self is being judged by a random person in society or by their own outlook on themselves. In Ari Le Vaux’s “A Different Education: Compost and Community, Not Literacy” , he wrote about his visit to Our School at Blair Grocery (OSBG). This school is located in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans which is also labeled as “Cancer Alley” to locals. This part of New Orleans received the worst of the exposure to the chemicals that were washed upriver by Hurricane Katrina and suffered from highly contaminated soil.

OSBG is a school that produces lots of food in an area where food is extremely scarce and sells its goods in order to keep the school running. From what I had read in the article, I feel as if no matter what type of person you were in the past, OSBG did not hesitate to welcome you into their community so that you could work together for a good cause. The school is in a area known for violence and even includes former gang members that want to do good for themselves and the area that they live in. In the article Le Vaux quotes the schools founder, Nat Turner, when he says “If a student wants to learn to read we’ll help them learn. If a student wants to take the GED we’ll help him prepare.” This falls back on the fact that everyones unique form of self is what makes that person beautiful. The diversity in students at OSBG brings differences in lifestyles and this keeps the community such tight knit group. The change that was seen by Le Vaux in the students who entered the school seemed absolutely amazing and it is such a good place for people to make a change in a life that may have been caught in a hole that seemed unescapable.

Le Vaux’s writing definitely gave me a very clear picture of how different this school was compared to the standard classroom education. In the article he explains how a student doing independent study research led a discussion on environmental racism by comparing worldly affairs to the position that they are in themselves. In my honest opinion, I think that discussions like this can be so useful to the minds of any person on this planet and actions such as these should be seen in EVERY school in EVERY part of the world. Students that speak their minds and take notice to issues that actually matter rather than all of the filth that is glorified to the world nowadays will help them students grow so much more as positive members of society and possibly sculpt a more mature version of self that can be used as a the tool to keep moving them forward in a life of success.

I can easily say that I completely agree with Le Vaux’s indirect writing on the mindset of the people that make up OSBG. His writing pushes me toward the assumption that the importance of self plays a big part in keeping the community as strong as it is. By reading the ways of learning that are used by the individuals involved in the school, it makes me extremely happy to see that there are actually people in this world that have the passion for living such a positive lifestyle. When I read this article, it honestly reminded me a lot of my family and friends because they mean the world to me. The bonds that Le Vaux mentioned made me think of how much stronger my family has gotten in the past couple of years and how much I have grown as a person. When I heard of how the residents of the Lower Ninth Ward came back with their heads up after the damage that Hurricane Katrina had done, I thought back to how hard the problems hit my family when my dad left to Puerto Rico without warning. He left us with unbelievable debt and took most of our money. He left my mom to support four boys by herself. After all of this had happened, we kept our heads high and worked together to do whatever we could to keep our house. Around this time last year, I had been working three jobs and attended school at Northeastern Illinois University for my freshman year. No matter what I wanted to succeed and not let something like this stop me from moving forward. It was one of the most drastic growing experiences I have ever encountered and it made me a lot more appreciative of life and what really matters. When I think of my own definition of self, I would probably say that it is what should be most important in a persons life. It is what makes you, YOU and you should never let anybody change that. Everybody has unique elements that make up their own form of self. What people do not realize is that it is those different elements that make a person beautiful. I can say from my own personal experience that if you are comfortable with the person that you truly are inside, you will live a happy life no matter what. You do you.

Artifact 1 (Better Writing)

To start off, my research topic was rap music and music making. Nowadays, the rap game is absolutely amazing and I love it. I feel as if rap is evolving constantly and the new school is sort of intertwining with the old fashioned sense of style. It’s so interesting because no music is ever the same and new trends just keep on being created with all different sounds, paces, rhythms, etc. My major argument for my final project will basically be how rap music is seen in many different lights. Nowadays, society is always looking for the negative attributes first before looking for any sign of good whatsoever and that is a big problem. Music plays a very important in my life and I take it very seriously. When I hear about all of the negative things that are said about rapping and how it is “killing” our youth, I get so mad because these opinions are mainly coming from the individuals who have minimal knowledge of rap music. Although I disagree with this outlook, these are the views that people are going to listen to because this is what is fed to them every day. One person can say that rap is all about violence and that it’s killing our world and sure enough, others will believe them and instantly begin to hate this wonderful form of art. In reality, rapping is a way of expressing what you cannot say in the average tongue and it is people like rappers who ACTUALLY change the world. No matter what people believe, music is what connects this planet. Music is everywhere and always will be, just like rap. It is nonstop evolution at its finest.

Reflection: Final Paper

Reflection Paper/Strengths and Weakness
When it came to analyzing other authors or writers, it seemed that it opened my eyes in some ways, that I needed to look at others ways in how would be approach my audiences or others that would be reading my articles, journals, or encounters. The best way that I learned was by going by sections and seeing each one and looking at each sentence and seeing what the author is trying to say and that seemed to help me out with how I would go about with writing my papers or articles.
When it comes to the genre, I understand that things are different and times become different in general because things change, or advancements grows into reality from paper or ideas. I know that when LeGuin made her speak in the 80s, things were different now compared to then. But I know that what she said can still be put in effect today as it was back then to the students that she was talking to. It helped me out because it showed me that no matter what time they are in, it came still come into times nowadays and we can surely use it here somehow.
When it comes to the tools that I used, I really didn’t use a lot of tools because the main point or idea that I wanted to get away towards my audience was the main point and showing my point of view in general so that people could look at it a different way and see if I could swing my vote towards them in a way. I just wanted to expand the view of others in a way and show that there is not just one point of view of something, that we can look at things from a distance and not judge something in some way.
When it comes to a blog, it felt weird doing it at first since I usually don’t post things on a blog in general outside of facebook and the amount of times that I do post things so at such random times and not very often either. But other than that, it was my time a professor had ever done that in class for her students and I felt that it was very cool and interesting at the same time. I write in a way differently because I want to make others think in ways so that they can look at it and take that step back and realize what I am trying to say or getting at.
I never broke any rules when it came to a genre because if that genre was before my times, it would be really hard because I would not want to step on anyone’s toes in anyway possible or get yelled at because I was not in that particular time period.
I would have to that the different genres that we discussed and wrote about in class was very interesting and opened my eyes in a way which was a good thing but I would have to say that they really did have a profound effect on myself, my work and how I perceive things as well when it comes to looking at other authors and writers.

Strengthens and Weaknesses
As my strengths, I would have to say that my ideas are pretty good and I can write pretty good writer, everything comes to me in general like everyone else but I feel that I cram too many things into it and over shoot it sometimes
I think that I need to improve more when it comes to making my papers to become stronger and have more depth in them in ways that we can clarify it for the readers.
I feel that if I were to put more time into my writings and proofread them so that they are not so confusing for the reader. I think that I just start typing and the words are there in my brain but perhaps that are coming out too fast and I cannot keep up with in some ways. My brain works faster than my mouth can speak.
I struggle with writing because sometimes things just don’t come to me in general. I think that I need to take more writing classes to improve myself in writing papers. I have dealt with it in a where I rewrite my papers over and over to somehow make them stronger and more understandable. The improvements that I have noticed is that I can really need to start my papers early so that I can truly put forth the effort more and be able to show more information about what my topic is all about.
What I learned from this class is to be more aware of what a reader would ask when it comes to questions and you want to be able to show the readers that a way somehow and not make it so confusing for them at the same time. I will use them skills to make my papers in the future stronger, better, and not so confusing for the readers who will be reading my articles or papers in general.

“Adventures In 104 Wonderland”

“Adventures in 104 Wonderland”

    My journey in this English 104 class has truly been one to remember. My first day is this class, I thought to myself “ This is going to be a piece of cake. My teacher is spunky and happy to be here and my classmates aren’t. This will be interesting watching her teach them.” The second time our class met I was beyond entertained. It was only day two of class and I had already figured out Ms. Volmer’s favorite word. She would say something about an article we were reading and end her statement with “Right?” Maybe that was her way of  showing us a rhetorical question. She would say “Right?” and in my head I would say “Right!”

Another thing I found entertaining about the class were my fellow classmates. It was hilarious to come to class in the morning and see half the class in the computer lab trying to print the article that was supposed to be read the night before. Everyone would read the first couple of paragraphs and think they were good. Class started and Ms. Volmer would ask about something that the author stated towards the end of the passage and everyone who read the first paragraph would avoid all eye contact with her. Classic move! I loved how our classroom didn’t feel like a classroom. We were able to share our own ideas and question things that the teacher had said. She made the class feel openly free, if that explains anything.

I enjoyed her teaching style. I like how she would introduce something then automatically had examples ready for us even if we hesitated to ask questions. I like how she would introduce a lesson then tell us to read an article that played a part in the lesson taught. For example, we talked about format then read “Apocalypse Now” that had a completely different format from the other articles we had previously read.The only thing that didn’t get my blood pumping or spark any interest in me were the blog.I enjoy writing but the prompts seemed boring to me.  understand they had to relate to the class but MAN were they boring. ‘m the type of person who wants to write about whatever is on my mind at the time. I guess it’s a bit of a challenge for me to write about something that is required of me. That may be the reason I do not like writing papers. Overall, I enjoyed my time in this class. The only regret I have is not doing these encounters on time!

The Golden age….

My topic is the effects of the great depression on Hollywood.  Some of the major points of interest that I have seen in my topic was the naming of stars.  I would have thought that stars would have been unknown during that time but I was wrong.  Many stars were able to come up in Hollywood and star in many roles involving some of Hollywood biggest stars. Another big topic of interest that keep reoccupying is the production of movie genres.  Many directors changed the mold and began creating many different movie genres.  Science fiction was created after the release of the epic film King Kong. This film appeared with special effects that views had never seen before.  We watch the original now and we realize how corny it is but that’s just how much film have progressed.  People seem to be interested in talking about the advancements that were made in the film industry during this time also.  Color and the invention of talkies films were created during this time.  The first color film was produced in 1915 when had many views at a standstill.  Movies before were always hand-tinted and never had a realistic look to them.  The first talkie film was the Jazz Singer and it forever changed the movie industry.  Many debate that the change in the film was beneficial to some and harmful to others.  Those who didn’t change with the times were left behind and forgotten.  Many new actors came on the scene with the invention of talkie films.  My take on the whole idea is that times change so people should also.  When doing my research and learning what many debated over I came to a conclusion.  Hollywood in the early 1920s and 1930s were setting its self-up for Hollywood now.  Many of the stars of Holly wood had people controlling their contracts and would never be allowed to do what stars do now but that doesn’t change much.  I believe the stars of before has set the stage for the stars of today.  Directors also, the steps they took to make advancements have benefited the directors of today.

Spoof of a Fan

Everyone is going crazy over the new twilight movie but surprisingly I’m not. It’s not that I don’t like the series I am the biggest twilight fan I know. I once bought a cup just because it had the cast from the second film on it. I have read all of the novels and patiently await the release of the newest book that got leaked. Surprising I have yet jumped in the car and made my way to spend money on my favorite series. Due to the fact of the over publishing magazines, the crazy stories that they come out with, and the way the fans are made to look in the recent spoofs of the film. I’m starting to think the entire series have become annoying. Don’t get me wrong I love the books but the movies have reached a point of ridiculousness. I am not bashing twilight in no such way gently expressing my dislike for the new approach the flim have taken. I believed that due to the competition with the Harry Potter series maybe these were attempts to keep up. Now that the last Harry Potter film have been released I starting to disagree with myself. The stars of the film each have their own fan base. The wolf pack is adored by teenage girls and myself. The vampire clan is the other side of the train adored by the other set of teenage girls who cannot make up their mind. Each fan base has their own “team” who they support. In the twilight world you’re either team Jacob or team Edward. Annoying as they are many spoofs have taken these so called “teams” and made them into over-craze teenage girls driven by hormones and rage. Maybe the marketing teams selected for the film have a master plan underway and want to keep the public in the dark. Maybe they decided on using the many spoofs that have been created about the film as advertisement. Whatever the case may be I dislike this new breed of twilight fan and refuse to be made to look like a crazy person.

Social Advancements REINVENTED

I totally disagree with myself about the argument that I proposed about Gladwell.  I wrote a journal supporting his idea that social media networks has no place in civil activism.  I strongly disagree with this idea and will explain how they are actual beneficial.  Social media networks are used to spread information across the globe.  Gladwell gives examples of the sit it’s that took place during the civil right movement.  Those would be inconstant with the times now but I’m pretty sure social media networks would have worked in that supporting the cause also.  I admit that social media networks can’t do everything.  There is need for people to become involved with their message. Gladwell argues that reducing the risk of harm reduce the attachment to the cause.  I disagree with this idea totally; social media networks reduce the risk of surfing but can have beneficial results.  Similar to the sit ins civil activism that take place over social media networks take crap also.  Millions of people are threating the same as the protesters in the civil rights movement.  With the internet being seen by million the likely hood to run into someone with opposing views is even greater.  Even though the risk is greater many still address problem and express their idea via the internet and by using social media networks.  The idea that social media networks disconnect people from the message is crazy. I disagree with the description of activism provided by myself and Gladwell. Social media provides as a message board for those who cannot stand and fight.  That who can’t fight doesn’t deserve not to have a voice.  I augured that activism isn’t describe about how many counterparts you can gain to like your idea.  Social media networks provides information to other who may not have an idea what’s going own.  Even though social media networks help provide organizations with large numbers of protests that doesn’t mean they have any emotional or social connection with the mission.  Social media networks can afford to be very beneficial to civil activism by providing a voice to those who cannot speak.

Playing with language: Option 2

Encounter #4: Option 2: Playing with Language
“Journal #3
When La Guin talks about the whole utopia thing and how there must be some type of system because of the things that we talked about earlier that week because there are so many ways that we can go about with what each person would consider their utopia and how it is truly an impossible thing to have or try with since this world coexists with some type of balance within it to keep it safe in some ways.”

Playing devils advocate isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be or as easy as I have seen it in the movies and books, but I did my best when it came to playing both side of this argument.

Positive Side:
I think that every person has their own viewpoint of what they consider utopia is. I understand that we all have our own different views of what we look as a utopian world. Kind people could be part of that, or people who allow others to go ahead of them because they maybe elderly or have a family. Another examples could be of someone paying for the person behind them, like the next customer perhaps. When it comes to the positive side or good side of this is that there would be no evil if this world were a utopia. Everyone would get along with each other, and everyday would be sunshine and nothing else. I know that there would be a lot of questions when it comes to if we could ever survive in a utopian world? Would evil ever seep into this world or not? I really don’t know how to answer the questions these questions either.

Negative Side:
On the negative part or aspect of a utopia, I would have to say that conflict could somehow seep into this utopian world in someway, worlds are at balance and always will be ying and yang, right and wrong, men and women. We all work together to keep this world at a balance in some ways. Can we ever truly live in a utopian world? I think that we could not due to the fact that we all survive on a balance that is within this world. If we were to have a world where we were free of violence or crime, all evil would be erased in someway and I think that this world has worked off of it’s bad or evil in this world to come out with something good.

In my conclusion I would have to say that a utopian world could really not exist in the world that we currently live in because of the fact that war is always going on within this world and I know that I may not be able to fully understand it at all. But I think that we all need to learn to get along with each other and not start wars with each other or stick our noses into other people’s business.

Behind the argument by Summer Ray and Jonathon Thomas

From two different sides of the spectrum, one involves religion and the other is nature. Edward O. Wilson is writing to his counterpart in the hopes of reconciling their differences and meet at common ground. He establishes common ground between the two which is the earth.  Edward writes to a generic pastor person which is just addressing to the religion side. Wilson wants his audience to understand that him and “pastor” has common history together by displaying that he had the same faith but went a different route. “Although I no longer belong to that faith, I am confident that, if we met and spoke privately of our deepest beliefs, it would be in a spirit of mutual respect and goodwill. I know we share many precepts of moral behavior.” (Wilson, pg.1) Wilson is respecting that they are at ends with each other but there is some type of respect for one another. By establishing common ground between the two, Wilson is setting up a rogerian argument.

How do you make the connection between Religion and Science? Edward O. Wilson addresses the pastor, not about their differences, but to step up to the plate about saving their world.  Edward argued a good point about the faith for the two sides but didn’t pick any side. Wilson tried to make his audience see that he wasn’t trying to get them to share the same belief systems as he had, so just wanted the pastor to see where he was coming from. At the same time, Wilson did compliment some of the Christians values.

Wilson lays out their platforms, science and religion while justifying his own views at the same time. “You are a strict interpreter of Christian Holy Scripture; I am a secular humanist. You believe that each person’s soul is immortal, making this planet a waystation to a second, eternal life; I think heaven and hell are what we create for ourselves, on this planet”, (Wilson, pg 2).  He proclaims that their differences don’t separate them because they share the same concern, the concern of the planet

.           Wilson establish his credibility when he exhibit his stand, he is a secular humanist. He self-proclaims himself to have the acquire knowledge to hold that title. . He also set-ups a weak argument for his opponent, “Pastor” because although the pastor( religion) is mentioned, he doesn’t give him, his own voice throughout the letter. So we cannot set this argument, therefore all we have is Wilson’s argument.  The destruction of the Earth is the main concern of his, the Pastor, and all people. To come together for the benefit of a clean environment, Wilson wants them to both reach out to their community and effectively help the earth.

Wilson strategically answers all potential rebuttals in his letter to the “Pastor.”  Simply because religion and science are the two most powerful forces in the world today, and especially in the United States. If religion and science could be united on the common ground of biological conservation, the problem might soon be solved.”(Wilson, pg 3) He assumes that his counterpart would ask these questions so he answers it, considering his audience. Wilson makes a claim that he can level the field with religion since he holds the opposing sides title, the warrant. He sets up his equal stand points with rebuttals where his oppose can’t argue back.

Wilson uses the warrants that said “Scientists estimate that, if habitat-conversion and other destructive human activities continue at their present rates, half the species of plants and animals on earth could be either gone or at least fated for early extinction by the end of the century”(Wilson, pg.3) .  He sets up a claim to shows the destruction of our planet. He is also qualified to express his views because he is a human secularist.

In Wilson’s letter, he used sympathy to pull his audience in because he explains that we all live on the earth and we should make it a better place which is a shared goal. . He is backing his views and opinions on nature to make his audience understand that the claim about saving the earth is and should be the main concern.

Science and Religion are two opposing belief systems, which share a common interest, the earth. When science reaches out to religion, Mr. Wilson writing to the Pastor, for the preserving of Earth, can the Pastor refuses this proposal? We think not, because of the support that the pastor is receiving. His will is to do good for the people, so the Pastor has to agree. Wilson is aware that his audience may not share the same views, but he does platform their views so that the audience can choose sides.  Wilson uses a rogerian argument to unite science and religion.

Redo of Article #1

Jeffrey Holtz
English 104
November 15th, 2011
Article #1

Article #1 Le Guin “Bryn Mawr”

This article and what La Guin writes I would have to agree with you, since why are we as a society changing things like the languages we speak. I understand that if we are in different countries to speak another language like if we traveled to Spain or Italy. I would be expected to be able to have a conversation with them in either Spanish or Italian. But in America, we have the language of English. We need to realize that we don’t need to have a different dialog of English for politics, or education. We all are able to speak English and we need to show that just because we are a senator or a professor for a university. We all can speak one language and have many different dialogs for one main language we have in America. The father tongue language, how La Guin uses it as “the social power”, she talks about a few examples within her article and show that when people use the father tongue language, it is usually towards a large crowd of people like from senators, presidents, or political officials. (Le Guin, Ursula. “Bryn Mawr Commencement Address”). Are they officials important for our country and to inform us about what is going on with our country and the status of our economy? But we don’t have to use another language to speak to Americans about information about how we are doing as a country. I know that times have changed but I feel like this father tongue has been going on since we were able like what Le Guin say when they were being printed in either newspapers, being broadcasted on television, etc.” (Le Guin, Ursula. “Bryn Mawr Commencement Address”).
Now on the other hand, we have the mother tongue, which when I read this article, everything has had when it came to examples is something that I have heard my mom say to my siblings or me. It felt weird actually because I thought that my mom was in my head saying all those things again to me. Even though I have not heard my mom say all these things to myself in a while. But back to this Le Guin, I think that without the mother tongue we wouldn’t have that someone who is able to keep us calm and sing to us when we cannot sleep as children. I like what Le Guin says “that men, don’t use the mother tongue at all, they ignore it or change the subject like talking about sports and cars. “ (Le Guin, Ursula. “Bryn Mawr Commencement Address”). The question that pops into my head is why do guys have to ignore talking or speaking the mother tongue? I know that it may not be so called “cool language” to speak than mother tongue but at least show some kind of compassion towards your children.
One thing that rakes my brain is why do universities and colleges speak with the father tongue and encourage us student to listen and learn from the people who speak the father tongue while in school? Le Guin talks about it in here with how “universities and colleges are patriarchy” (Le Guin, Ursula. “Bryn Mawr Commencement Address”). Both women and men

Works Cited:
• (Le Guin, Ursula. “Bryn Mawr Commencement Address”)