Concluding English 101, Yippee!: December 2009

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Day the Light Bulb Clicked On: Reflection Letter

Welcome to my reflection letter. I hope that this letter will give you a glimpse into who I am and my journey through English 101. My name is Tiffany Wolf, I have been married going on 14 years and have two dogs and three cats, no human children as of yet. I have dabbled with College in the past, but until recently have taken it more seriously. You may be asking yourself, after all these years why are you interested in education. That would be a good question. I have asked myself the same thing. I will tell you, I want to be smarter. This is due in part to me wanting to become more valuable to myself in terms of brainpower, and confidence, but I also want a degree, which I hope will help me secure a better future for my family. I hope that in the end I will have accomplished my goal of earning a Business Degree in Information Technology.

Well enough about my personal aspirations, let me tell you a bit about the real me. I am a very sensitive person, and tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. People tell me that I am gracious and extremely giving. I personally would like to think, I would help anyone at anytime no matter his or her situation, that I am a good friend. I try to put myself in the other people's shoes, always have, and have been passionate about it. I try to look at different perspectives from all angles. I know deep inside my heart I can be a total airhead and may not be the best listener. At times, I feel like my thoughts are going so fast that my mouth cannot keep up the pace, and therefore I might stutter or mix up my words. This makes me look foolish and uneducated, hence wanting to become educated, which I hope will help me slow down, and think for methodically. Trying to further my education with an extremely demanding job can be very stressful. I will typically put in a minimum of a 60-hour workweek. I support customers that are around the globe and in time of need, I am usually available 24-7.

Taking on English 101 I thought would be a breeze, foolish me. This class was difficult. It was difficult because it challenged by beliefs and what I have experienced in my own life to date. It was very difficult to try and not assert my opinion. There were so many different moving parts to this class from community, identity, diversity, traditions and values and so on. It really challenged my perceptions of the outside world and the people I deal with on a daily basis. The three units for this course were identity, community, and tradition. Each of these units brought its own impact to my thought process.

Identity - This was a tricky unit. There is so much that encompasses identity. Sex, race, religion, social groups are some parts of identity. Recognizing the different parts is not easy. After this first unit, I really started looking at people from a different point of view. I tried to unravel individual people that I met and would think to myself, I wonder how his or her community or culture shaped their identity, and how they evolved into whom they are as a person. Our textbook "remix" played a great role in getting a deeper understanding of identity.

Community - This really made me think in terms of people and their impact on me and my impact on them. How we as people contribute either negatively or positively on our communities. There was one essay in particular that we read from our "remix" textbook called "Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia" written by Brooks that had the most influence on my community thoughts. One particular quote hit a personal chord for me "The suburbs themselves are conservative utopias, where people go because they imagine orderly and perfect lives can be led there." (Books 189) Who would not want to find and live in fantasyland, living the American dream of home ownership and be a part of a wonderful community?

Tradition - This was a great unit as well. There are so many traditions, from holiday celebrations with friends and family, to our national traditions such as Fourth of July. This unit explored the different areas of tradition. I found a renewed enthusiasm for our American tradition called the Pledge of Allegiance. You will be able to read this paper within my e-portfolio. This unit really opened up my eyes about how we as people create our own traditions and how far we are willing to go to protect these traditions.

One of the biggest take a ways for me in this English 101 class, is it did make me look deeper and more critical of text, what people would say, and for that, I am grateful. One of my instructors Wells-Edwards graded my identity paper and made the following comment about one of the paragraphs I had "need to explore the concept of identity instead of just mentioning the word." I thought wow, what does she mean. I really had to stop and reflect on that statement. After a couple of days of brooding, the light bulb clicked on in my head. From that day forward, I tried very hard to use my words carefully. To make sure I understood what I was writing, and not just to write to use up space.

At this point, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my reflection letter and I hope it has not bored you to tears. However, now it is time to introduce you to my e-portfolio selections. Selecting pieces for my e-portfolio was a daunting task. There was a lot of work accomplished and this made it difficult to select. I want to give you, the reader some of the things that made me smile and feel good about my work and a piece that needed revision to show you that I have grown into a better writer.

The Visitor: Critical Thinking

I have selected this piece to represent my critical thinking. We were assigned a movie to watch and analyze. The movie I selected is called “The Visitor” This movie was about illegal aliens and the impacts of 9/11 in trying to obtain a Green card to live in the United States. This was a great movie and really weighed heavy on the heart and provoked deep thoughts about the United States immigration issues.

In separate paragraphs we were to respond with our thoughts about people crossing the line and the concept of boundaries. In the first response regarding crossing the line, I focused on the different situations within the movie that the individual characters and their individual actions crossed the line and provided critical thinking for those individual actions. For the second response for boundaries, I felt that I had good critical thinking skills on analyzing the situation when Tarek was arrested.

The Visitor

There were many areas in this film that a character crossed the line. From Tarek snapping at Walter for saying he understood what Tarek was going through, while Tarek was explaining how he felt inside the jail, to Walter being arrogant toward Mona when he stated that she wouldn’t understand his writing since she wasn’t a writer. I also felt that Zainab was rude and arrogant toward Walter and that crossed the line. There Walter was, going out of his way to let them stay with him for free in Walter’s apartment and she showed no compassion towards Walter. Even when Walter was helping with the Lawyer, I did not think Zainab was thankful about it.

In the end, the most upsetting thing to watch was the police officers, crossing the line with Tarek in the subway station. I felt they were forceful, pushy, and very unprofessional. They made idle threats towards Walter, when he was trying to explain what had happened with the token machine. The police officers didn’t care. They saw Tarek as a possible terrorist and therefore arrested him. The only person in my opinion that did not cross the line was Mona, Tarek’s mother. Even what Mona, kept repeating how black Zainab was, I didn’t think she was crossing the line.

The character that I have selected that crosses the line in this film, were the New York police officers. They take an oath to protect and serve. Not, bully and become power hungry. If it had been a white man that had become stuck going through the token booth, there is a good chance the police would not have said anything. They may have even assisted the person who was stuck. They simply could have given Tarek the chance to explain, but they did not. By doing this, they broke their oath to serve the people. They instantly targeted Tarek because of race. There were no limitations for the police that day when they arrested Tarek. They did not give Tarek the time of day.

This was a wonderful movie. I felt so sorry for poor Walter. Walter couldn’t find the right piano teacher, which in my opinion she was not very friendly. He missed his wife and was lonely, an outsider. I was delighted to see Walter enjoying the drums and building that relationship with Tarek. I was so hopeful in the end that Walter would have married Tarek’s mother. I was shocked to see Mona climb into bed with Walter. She was very conservative, but you could see she didn’t want to be alone. I was really hoping to see a kiss between the two of them at that moment. But the situation was tender enough.

Lars and the Real Girl: Revision

I have selected our first timed write as my revision and re-seeing my work. I did poorly on representing my own perceptions of non-conformity and would like the second chance to present a revision. I did exactly what we were not to do, which was retelling the plot. I was to use evidence from the film to support my ideas about insiders and outsiders. I needed to provide more analysis and support.

Lars and the Real Girl

(Original)
Living in a small town can have a positive and negative influence on our lives. In a small town people come together to support one another in good times and bad. As seen in the move Lars and the Real Girl, Lars is a self-imposed outsider trying to grasp the insider world, the real world. When a community comes together, they can make an outsider become and insider. An outsider is a person who does not feel connected as insider within the real world. Thus, they throw themselves into seclusion and become further reclusive. Failing to identify with real people or situations, the outsider will find some means to connect to the insider or real world, to feel a sense of realism.

In the movie Lars and the Real Girl, the main character Lars has a social disorder brought on by childhood negative issues with a depressed father and not having a mother. He was living with years of self-imposed isolation from people and social activities. Lars preferred to stay in the family garage which was converted to a small house. Lars was never given the tools to properly interact with society or understand human love and touch. Lars mother died during childbirth, his father had depression from the loss of his wife and older brother Gus who could not identify with all depressiveness going on at home, left the house, and Lars had to fend for himself. Lars could not identify with real couples, such as his brother Gus and Karen. He was trying to figure out how to reach out and feel accepted in the real world or become an insider.
Thus, Lars purchases a plastic doll to help him overcome his social phobias and brings himself into the real world with the help of a small town community. In a scene when Lars first introduces his plastic doll named Bianca to his brother Gus and his sister in-law Karen, the excitement, and eagerness from Lars to be accepted is overwhelming. Lars wants so much to interact on an adult communicative level with Gus and Karen. Gus and Karen are bewildered by what is happening and end up going along with Bianca as their guest. Knowing that Lars needs serious help, Gus and Karen embark on getting Lars help and getting him through this delusion with the support of the small town community. It would be critical for the people of this small town to have tolerance and patience's in order for Lars to heal.

As the community gathers to support Lars, they realize that he does not comprehend that the doll is plastic. They understand that Lars feels that the doll is quite real and is listening and communicating to him. The small town begins to engage the plastic doll into community events, such as volunteering and the VFW and getting the plastic doll a haircut, making her seem real which end up helping Lars. In a scene at Gus's house where the plastic doll is staying, Gus the older brother walks in on Lars in a deep conversation talking at the plastic doll. Gus does not fully understand what is happening. However, the more Lars talks to the doll the more he comes closer to the real world he begins to deal with his issues.

For the movie Lars and the Real Girl, it was the support of the small town community that brought Lars back to the insider world, he was no longer an outsider living in self-imposed isolation. In a small town community, the people rally around to support each other.

(Revised)
My understanding of an outsider is people who are loners, people who do not "fit in” with society. They may be artists, religious people, writers, criminals, adventurers, etc. feeling a sense of failure. One of the methods used to display a sense of failure is by being overly emotional. One of these types of personalities can be romantics falling prey to depression and negative thinking. As a final point, outsiders create their own world, their own comfort zone. Such is the case with Lars.

The movie uses Lars, with these same attributes to define what it means to be an outsider. He is a loner from childhood, never fully developing the ability to fit in. Lars lives, not just alone, but in a garage. Lars is also a semi religious person, as indicated by his regular attendance in church however, even though Lars attends church, he never socializes there, which is sometimes the main reason people join a church. He is also a romantic, which has fallen deeply in love, but a love that is not typical of society’s definition of love and sited as a “delusion of his own creation and for his own reason and purpose.” Furthermore, Lars creates his own world, his own comfort zone, with his Bianca, the lifelike doll.

This movie conforms to my understanding of what an outsider is. I believe that people, that isolate outsiders by rejecting and repressing them, risk making the situation worse and losing the potential of any contribution to society. However, cultures, that include and accept outsiders learn to take advantage of and enjoy the knowledge and contributions outsiders make potentially reducing the discomfort, depression, and isolation that an outsider experiences. Acceptance is clearly in the scene where Lars and Bianca are invited to a birthday party. Even though the situation is extremely awkward to the partygoers, they make Lars feel welcome by interacting and accepting Bianca into the party circle by talking to her.

It is that accepting culture that this writer tastefully depicts by having the community welcome Bianca, treat her as a real person, and mourn her loss. As examples of this in many scenes, the community actively engages Bianca in numerous community events to show Lars that, he was truly an insider and he no longer has to feel alone. The loss of Bianca was Lars way of moving forward with his life, coming back to reality. Thus the community coming together to bury Bianca was critical in his letting go. Lars finally realizes that he is no longer an outsider.

Finally, by reaching out and making a personal connection with Lars, Margo becomes the channel for reducing the discomfort, depression, and isolation that Lars experienced as an outsider. Margo brings Lars back to reality. This is shown in many scenes but particularly when Bianca becomes ill and Margo is there supporting Lars through the difficult times. This makes Lars feel comfortable with Margo and he begins to let his guard down.

This was a truly fascinating movie about community, acceptance, rebirth, and life. People can create their own reality. People can choose to be an insider our outsider. It is the act of other people or societies that can make people feel welcomed or not. These same people can provide an array of love to help these outsiders come out of their own shells. In the end, community can truly bring people together and can teach us about acceptance as depicted in this movie.

Dog Ownership is a Community: Audience and Voice

This blog was selected to represent audience and voice. I want to show how our dog ownership community comes together and how others may view us. I also chose this as it was a piece from the heart. Our community has challenges. In this blog I expose the challenges within this community and how that impacts others outside of our community. Additionally I include the positive aspects of this community. I absolutely love being a dog owner and sharing some of the thoughts and experiences that I have had through the dog ownership community. I love the way our community comes together. Whether we are at the dog park or planning day hikes, we all have something to contribute within this community.

Dog Ownership is a Community

"Dog ownership is a community." Being a dog owner, we all identify with each other as we have gone through similar experiences with having a dog. Such as puppy potty training, the terrible chewing stage or we identify with each other over the types of breed are dogs are, similar personalities or traits that our dogs have.

The dog ownership community brings resourceful information. We share veterinarian information, the latest in dog boarding, different foods and treats that are out on the market, where the best place is to shop for dog toys or doggy salons. The dog community can also provide a lot of support in times where your dog could be ill. There has been advice swapped in getting second opinions on surgery and different medicines. This community also provides valuable information on recent areas that they may have visited that may not have been dog friendly that dog owners should avoid. As dog owners, we share similar interests in taking our dogs for walks, to the dog park and on hiking trails. The dog owner community is open and accepting of all types of dogs.

There are things that can bring tension to our community. These are aggressive dogs and irresponsible dog owners. Having an aggressive dog can bring unwanted tension into the dog ownership community. We have to go on alert and protect our dogs and ourselves. We have to go the extra mile to ensure everyone else around us feels safe. An example of this would be, on a hiking trail. If a dog owner is out hiking with their dog, and another hiker is approaching, at all times the dog and owner should step immediately to the side and have the dog in a sitting position to let the approaching party pass and not feel threatened that your dog will attack or jump out at them. The passing hiker will feel at ease that the dog owner has control of their animal and they feel safe to pass. Picking up after your dog is another area that can bring tension to the dog owner community. Irresponsible dog owners who do not pick up after their dogs give the rest of the dog owner community that do pick up after their dog a bad reputation. Nobody wants to step in dog waste. So, we feel inclined to pick up what our previous canine owner may have left behind, especially at parks or on hiking trails. This helps keep our dog ownership community respected and for the most part, we try to look out for one another.

As a dog owner of Shiloh and Porter (picture), I am a part of the dog ownership community. I feel incredibly lucky to have my dogs. We like to share parks, hiking trails and all sorts of dog-related experiences with the rest of the world. I feel accepted and appreciated while within the dog ownership community. I have made many friends through the years being a dog owner. Non dog owners generally like dogs as long as you are a responsible dog owner that has control of your animal. Non dog owners are eager to approach and tell you how cute your dogs are and that strikes up all types of conversations and the feeling of acceptance. At times having a dog is a great icebreaker to building new friendships. Having my dogs and their love along with the rest of the dog ownership community makes me feel accepted. I genuinely enjoy hanging out with my dogs and am so fortunate to be their owner.

Changing the Pledge of Allegiance:Writer's Choice

I selected this piece as it shows my growth as a writer. The effort I put forth in defending my thesis was overwhelming at times. I felt that I had to defend my selection of the Pledge of Allegiance as a tradition. Thus a fire started in my brain.

I think the hardest part about writing this paper was trying not to assert my opinion I thoroughly enjoyed researching and providing specific details that supported my thesis. This was not an easy paper to write. There are so many different opinions on the Pledge of Allegiance at times I even second guessed my own thoughts on it.

We were asked to show analysis in the antithesis. I have shown this within the following sentence from my essay. It may be however, that some groups are not satisfied with the separation of church and state, and that the removal of the reference to God will offend them. Most of those offended appear to reside in the Christianity community. It may however, also offend those who have only known the second version since they have made it their own tradition since childhood and feel a particular tie to it.

There were a lot of details and moving parts that I had to keep cohesive. In the end I enjoyed this paper and felt that it represented some growth for me in this class. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Changing the Pledge of Allegiance

Changing the Pledge of Allegiance

The tradition of including a reference to God, in the Pledge of Allegiance, faces constant challenges with the ever-changing face of America. Part of this is due to an ever-growing culturally diverse population that has different beliefs. Groups such as atheists, agnostics, Jews, and other religious minorities bring their own opposition to the reference of God, which was not in the original writing.

In 1892, over 12 million school-aged children hustle to their first class. The bell rings the classroom doors close and thus the school day begins. Before they open their books, the children stand at attention with their right hand over their heart, and begin to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag from a copy of “The Youth’s Companion.”

The words that comprised the first written Pledge of Allegiance dated October 11, 1892, were "I pledge allegiance to my Flag, and to the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all." (Home of Heroes) Thus the Pledge of Allegiance tradition was born.

That version of the Pledge of Allegiance became a time-honored tradition within America’s Grade School system up until 1954. Two events occurred in 1954 that changed the pledge. First, the Knights of Columbus petitioned, and won, the right to add two additional words, under God, which converted it from a simple pledge to a nation, to what some call a prayer. (Knights of Columbus) Second, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today (ushistory.org)

However, even today, various groups evaluate the implications and impacts of the addition of those two words. Some of the views expressed range from discontent over the relevance of the word "God" in the pledge to gender bias because "God" represents a male. B.A. Robinson clearly iterates five of these viewpoints.

1) A deity exists. Traditionally, God is viewed as at least omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (with infinite powers). Many religions add other attributes, such as all-loving.
2) Maleness: "God" implies a male deity. There is no room in the Pledge for any female deity/deities who are normally called "Goddesses."
3) Uniqueness: The phrase implies monotheism: that there is only a single deity who one who rules over America.
4) Omnipresent: The phrase implies that God rules over all of America, and is present everywhere.
5) Control: Most Americans probably believe that the phrase indicates a God who interferes with events on earth, guiding the U.S. in the direction that he wishes. (Author: B.A. Robinson)

Robinson further states, "That is the situation today for millions of Americans who do not believe they are 'under' God. Some find God within their own hearts. Others believe they are part of -- not under -- a sacred universe. Still others do not believe in God at all. Yet every day the religious beliefs of these patriotic Americans are violated by our government in schools, in public meetings...anywhere the Pledge of Allegiance is led and spoken." (B.A. Robinson)

Seeing that most of the objections are of a religious nature, reverting to the original pledge will remove any religious affiliation. The words "under God" may represent the fact that one religious belief is taking precedence over others worship beliefs, which may not include "God." Additionally, this now means to some that the oath to a country no longer depends on an oath to someone’s god. In essence, when you remove the words “under God" in the pledge it may remove the perceived imposed religious prayer and instill a greater sense of a pledge to the republic.

It may be however, that some groups are not satisfied with the separation of church and state, and that the removal of the reference to God will offend them. Most of those offended appear to reside in the Christianity community. It may however, also offend those who have only known the second version since they have made it their own tradition since childhood and feel a particular tie to it.

Whether the nature of the debate, in this time-honored tradition, is religious or not, the controversy rages on. There are those who believe that if the pledge does not revert to the original phrase, it will affect the overall patronage of our children. Children may continue their own form of protest by adding their own words or refusing to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance (Moonbattery). Moreover, there have been many lawsuits, school and state policy changes, on continuing the tradition of reciting the pledge. David L. Hudson Jr. a First Amendment scholar wrote

"In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a resurgence of patriotism has swept the nation. Public schools have helped fuel this patriotic zeal by placing an increased emphasis on the pledge. Several state legislatures have either considered or passed laws requiring the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. For example, Colorado passed a law in 2002 that required all public school students to recite the pledge unless they had a religious objection or had obtained parental permission to abstain from the oath. After Colorado’s American Civil Liberties Union chapter challenged the law in federal court, the Legislature in March 2004 enacted a revised statute to allow students to opt out of the pledge." (David L Hudson Jr.)

With this change, opting out is no longer a sign of protest per-se, but a right to adhere to one’s own religious beliefs. This satisfied many parents, schoolchildren, and the community to which they belong.

Communities play a significant role in creating the tradition of the Pledge of Allegiance. A community of schoolchildren recited the first pledge, a community of Christians changed the pledge, and communities of other religious affiliations are acting to change it once again. Communities, diverse as they are, typically come together to create new ideas which may initiate traditions for current and future generations such as the pledge of allegiance. Each of these communities holds a common bond and according to Brooks, "Some nations are bound, in all their diversity, by a common creation myth, a tale of how they came into being." (187)

Over the centuries, people have come together and been torn apart by traditions and others viewpoints. People have laid down their own lives to protect their very beliefs. Traditions help create communities and belonging and feeling connected to a community is important. David Berreby wrote an essay called "It Takes a Tribe," in this essay he wrote "Human beings will give a lot, including their lives, for a group they feel part of for "us," as in "our nation" or "our religion." (120)

It may not be a life, but someone recently lost their job by supporting their belief. According to TCPalm.com, a Home Depot employee was terminated on October 23rd, 2009. The article said that "Keezer says for 19 months, ever since he started working as a cashier at The Home Depot in Okeechobee, he’s worn a button with an American flag on it that reads: “One nation under God, indivisible.” "Keezer sees the quotation, taken from the pledge of allegiance, as his way of supporting American troops at war, and of expressing his Christian faith." (The Palm Beach Post)

Along with the religious aspect of the tradition of the pledge of allegiance, is the political side. While some groups fight to keep it, others prefer to abolish it all together. With a political agenda in hand, they choose to circumvent the democratic process attempting to maintain control of the judiciary by ensuring that only judges that share the same agenda are confirmed. There are twelve items on their agenda and removing the pledge of allegiance ranks as number five. "The battle for America’s future has begun."Liberal groups such as the ACLU, People for the American Way, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State are already organized, set to spend whatever money and time necessary to block any nominee who does not meet their litmus test." (American Family Association)

Traditions come with many challenges that affect communities, cultures, politics, values, and beliefs to name a few. For the tradition of reciting the pledge of allegiance to the American flag, if the words “under god” remain, people may see a continued resistance. On the other hand, there is no less resistance from others if they remove those words. However, while the debate rages on, schoolchildren across America still partake in the tradition of pledging Allegiance to the American flag.

Works Cited
Berreby, David. “It Takes a Tribe" Remix. Ed. Catherine G. Latterell. Boston: Bedford/ St.Martin’s, 2010. 119-124. Print.
Brooks, David. “Our Sprawling, Supersize Utopia.” Remix. Ed. Catherine G. Latterell. Boston: Bedford/ St.Martin’s, 2010. 184-193. Print.
First Amendment Center.org http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/analysis.aspx?id=17035
Home of Heroes http://www.homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/1st_floor/flag/1bfc_pledge.html
Independence Hall Association - US History.Org http://www.ushistory.org/documents/pledge.htm
Knights of Columbus http://www.kofc.org/rc/en/about/activities/community/pledgeAllegiance.pdf
Moonbattery:Sept 27, 2007 http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2007/09/boulder_student.html
Peyton Cooke Pledge of Allegiance statutes, state by state First Amendment Center
Religious Tolerance.org (Author: B.A. Robinson)
Stop Liberal Judges http://www.stopliberaljudges.com/default.asp
The Palm Beach Post http://www.tcoasttalk.com/2009/10/23/home-depot-employee-fired-for-wearing-under-god-flag-button/

Concluding English 101, Yippee!