Poker Face
Have you ever heard of Lady Gaga? She is a famous singer and songwriter. Lady Gaga, one of the music artists who have made some remarkable contributions to pop-rock music and in fashion trends, has been involved with music since she was four. When she was a child, she felt that she didn’t “fit in” and she was often considered too eccentric or too provocative.
She began her career when she performed in a show together with other musicians in 2006. At that time she wasn’t too flashy or trendy but she was already very good at composing songs. Her first album song was The Fame, released in 2008 and her two first singles were Poker Face and Just Dance.
The first song I want to talk about is Poker Face. It is about a person that has a double face, a person who may give an impression of one thing while being another. In any case, the song talks about a female who has a male partner and wants to cheat on him with a female lover.
This particular fragment:
"I wanna hold 'em like they do in Texas Plays, fold 'em, let 'em hit me, raise it Baby stay with me (I love it), Love Game intuition, play the cards with Spades to start and after he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart,"
wasn’t clear to me until I looked up the lyrics and a friend of mine told me what the phrase really referred to. Then it became clear to me when I looked it up in wordreference.com and people in the forum explained that the meaning is “I want to hold women like they do in games of Texas hold’ em” meaning that “she” wants to make moves with the cards like the ones on the cards in her relationships with women.
How can an icon like Lady Gaga say that? Well, apparently, she agrees with infidelity and she probably thinks that it is “ok” to choose a fantasy over a real relationship. Also, her song makes the listener think that she or he has to hide real thoughts or emotions in order to achieve a selfish act and get what the person wants without regret or remorse.
Even though the song and its rhythm are contagious, it seems to me that supporting an immoral message is not a positive thing to do. I wonder about and question the morality message that Gaga is making and its prejudice. Is Gaga not aware of the millions of kids, including teenagers,that are hearing over and over how to act, feel and react to something as important as a partner?
An important figure like Lady Gaga should promote different kinds of values and these should be promoted with high moral messages and with a high degree of integrity. Of course, we all know there is such a thing as freedom of choice. People often find themselves choosing what to do and how to behave. However this doesn’t mean that people should be motivated to lie or to behave in a selfish way with others.
As humans we make a lot of mistakes and sometimes we have time to reflect on them or benefit from the experiences, but why would someone want to be in such an uncomfortable situation? Not only does the person have to deal with the decisions involved in such situations - who to love or to focus on - but also what the best way to act or to do something is. It is unclear how the Poker Face song could make a relationship any better or stronger. More than intriguing, it is irritating to be unable to make a decision between two persons who are in “stake”.
The other song of Gaga that has caused controversy is the song called “Judas” from her new album called Born This Way. This song is about a lot of different issues. The first one is the battle between good and bad. The second one talks about the battle of a complicated romance. And the last one points out some religious beliefs that Gaga may approve of.
First, the songs talks about how Gaga is in love with a liar, in this case Judas, who in the Christian religion was the apostle who betrayed Jesus. Gaga explicitly tells in her song that even though she wants to be with Jesus, she yearns to be with Judas. In the second part of her song, she claims to be a woman in love, a woman that is a holy fool, without repentance, even though she loves a man who leads a crooked life and embraces evil demons. In the last part, she points out that she was torn away from Judas, and that she suffers from the pain of being separated from him. In her video performance, she is burning without him. In the final part, she suddenly transforms into Mary Magdalene and she is stoned to death. Is she trying to suggest that Jesus didn’t forgive her because of the man she loved?
In both songs, Gaga seems to be trying to make people fulfill their darkest desire and supporting the fact that seeking redemption is over-rated, meaning that being conscious of our own actions is not important or not worth being concerned about.
Although Gaga always makes a big deal about rhymes and music innovation, it would be better if, instead of complaining about why life can be so hard and ironic, she would focus more on trying to affirm that not all things in our daily lives are twisted or not really credible.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: Evaluation by ARMIDA VILLALOBOS
When a Picture Is Not Worth a Thousand Words
My experience began when I decided to book a hotel for a special trip to Los Angeles, California. I am usually careful when I plan to travel, especially when it is with my children. I always start by looking for the best options in airline tickets, hotels, restaurants, etc. For this reason, I always look around for all kinds of advertisements on the Web at least a week before I travel.
This particular trip was planned well ahead of time. I was going to take my five-year-old son to Disneyland for the first time. Even though the most important thing for my husband and son was to enjoy the magical world of Disneyland, I was worried about the hotel that we were going to stay at.
The Internet can give you many options in just seconds. First of all, the page starts with simple questions about dates, number of people, and the kind of hotel that you are looking for; luxury, moderate or budget. Of course, booking on the Internet is very comfortable and convenient for Web visitors. On this particular occasion, I was looking for a nice and clean hotel; not too expensive, like the Disneyland Park Resorts, but a good hotel with nice accommodations, clean rooms, a nice environment, near the parks, and a free continental breakfast.
I was glad to see that I had more than thirty options and happy with the idea that I could have all the information that I needed to choose the best hotel for my family so easily. After checking out what was available, I made a choice. A well-known chain was my best option (apparently at that time). The hotel page showed me great pictures of the resort. It had a huge lobby with a lovely stone front desk, nice and spacious rooms, and a granite bath tub. Outside there was a fancy fountain, and the restaurant inside the hotel looked very good. Everything seemed to be perfect; in fact, more than I was asking for. I felt lucky to have found this hotel close to Disneyland, especially since it was summer time.
With high expectations of what I had picked for our five day vacation, we arrived at our destination. My first impression was terrible! Mexicans always say that the first impression is the most important. Well, the wonderful lobby that I had seen on the Internet was completely different. The front desk was ugly and dusty and the person who attended to us wasn’t very polite and he looked tired and not happy with his job. When we went up to our room we felt disappointed one more time. The suite that we had reserved was old, not so clean, and very small. The granite bathtub was cracked and the water did not run well. The restaurant was also small and very dark. Additionally, the business center which on the Web had looked very clean, private, and comfortable, was a real cheat. In reality, it consisted of two small desks with two dusty computers, uncomfortable chairs, and surprise! not a private room at all. It was in the lobby. I remembered the fancy picture of the fountain that looked huge and elegant but which in reality was very simple and miniature.
I felt frustrated because the Internet search that had taken me more than four days had turned into a big disappointment and it was not my fault. Many of the pictures and videos that I had seen on the Internet were very different from reality. To be honest, with the exception of the “business center”, the information that the Web site provided was real; we had all the services that they had offered, but the pictures on the Internet site were a lie. Because I was discontented with my hotel, I started to look at the front of many of the hotels that I had seen on more than three sites that specialize in booking tourist hotel reservations. I was surprised to see that most of them were not as beautiful as the Internet pictured them. It was obvious that some electronic pictures were enhanced with “Photoshop” or some other software.
This was not my first disappointment in choosing a hotel on line. The same had happened in San Antonio and in my own country (Mexico). I can understand hotel owners want to attract guests to their resorts. However, these guests will be annoyed and displeased the moment that they see that they are paying for something they don’t really like and had not expected. I agree that some pictures need to be enhanced to sell a product or a service; nonetheless, there is a big difference between enhancing a picture and distorting the truth!
So how do you avoid choosing the wrong hotel on the Internet? One way is to read all the comments left on the site by other guests. These can be very revealing. Another is to choose a hotel from a reputable chain which is known to be reliable.
The Internet is great, but be careful and do your homework before you pay for something you might not like!
My experience began when I decided to book a hotel for a special trip to Los Angeles, California. I am usually careful when I plan to travel, especially when it is with my children. I always start by looking for the best options in airline tickets, hotels, restaurants, etc. For this reason, I always look around for all kinds of advertisements on the Web at least a week before I travel.
This particular trip was planned well ahead of time. I was going to take my five-year-old son to Disneyland for the first time. Even though the most important thing for my husband and son was to enjoy the magical world of Disneyland, I was worried about the hotel that we were going to stay at.
The Internet can give you many options in just seconds. First of all, the page starts with simple questions about dates, number of people, and the kind of hotel that you are looking for; luxury, moderate or budget. Of course, booking on the Internet is very comfortable and convenient for Web visitors. On this particular occasion, I was looking for a nice and clean hotel; not too expensive, like the Disneyland Park Resorts, but a good hotel with nice accommodations, clean rooms, a nice environment, near the parks, and a free continental breakfast.
I was glad to see that I had more than thirty options and happy with the idea that I could have all the information that I needed to choose the best hotel for my family so easily. After checking out what was available, I made a choice. A well-known chain was my best option (apparently at that time). The hotel page showed me great pictures of the resort. It had a huge lobby with a lovely stone front desk, nice and spacious rooms, and a granite bath tub. Outside there was a fancy fountain, and the restaurant inside the hotel looked very good. Everything seemed to be perfect; in fact, more than I was asking for. I felt lucky to have found this hotel close to Disneyland, especially since it was summer time.
With high expectations of what I had picked for our five day vacation, we arrived at our destination. My first impression was terrible! Mexicans always say that the first impression is the most important. Well, the wonderful lobby that I had seen on the Internet was completely different. The front desk was ugly and dusty and the person who attended to us wasn’t very polite and he looked tired and not happy with his job. When we went up to our room we felt disappointed one more time. The suite that we had reserved was old, not so clean, and very small. The granite bathtub was cracked and the water did not run well. The restaurant was also small and very dark. Additionally, the business center which on the Web had looked very clean, private, and comfortable, was a real cheat. In reality, it consisted of two small desks with two dusty computers, uncomfortable chairs, and surprise! not a private room at all. It was in the lobby. I remembered the fancy picture of the fountain that looked huge and elegant but which in reality was very simple and miniature.
I felt frustrated because the Internet search that had taken me more than four days had turned into a big disappointment and it was not my fault. Many of the pictures and videos that I had seen on the Internet were very different from reality. To be honest, with the exception of the “business center”, the information that the Web site provided was real; we had all the services that they had offered, but the pictures on the Internet site were a lie. Because I was discontented with my hotel, I started to look at the front of many of the hotels that I had seen on more than three sites that specialize in booking tourist hotel reservations. I was surprised to see that most of them were not as beautiful as the Internet pictured them. It was obvious that some electronic pictures were enhanced with “Photoshop” or some other software.
This was not my first disappointment in choosing a hotel on line. The same had happened in San Antonio and in my own country (Mexico). I can understand hotel owners want to attract guests to their resorts. However, these guests will be annoyed and displeased the moment that they see that they are paying for something they don’t really like and had not expected. I agree that some pictures need to be enhanced to sell a product or a service; nonetheless, there is a big difference between enhancing a picture and distorting the truth!
So how do you avoid choosing the wrong hotel on the Internet? One way is to read all the comments left on the site by other guests. These can be very revealing. Another is to choose a hotel from a reputable chain which is known to be reliable.
The Internet is great, but be careful and do your homework before you pay for something you might not like!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: Reflection by DAVID SAUCEDO
The Avenue of Broken Dreams
At the end of the 20th century, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, was considered the industrial capital of Mexico and a major city in Latin America. It was a place where prime ministers and other international celebrities visited to discuss the world political agenda as well as regional issues. Moreover, it was considered the safest and most prosperous business and industrial hub of Central America. Monterrey was a city where you could find many kinds of industries ranging from automotive, industrial products, energy and mining, technology, food, financial services, and restaurants to entertainment and media. According to many recognized academia members, local and foreign political leaders, and policy makers, this city was considered an admirable example of efficient social programs for other cities in Mexico in terms of increasing the economic and human development in the long run. While the characteristics mentioned above were corroborated by foreign prestigious universities and some international organizations, both its society and its most important public institutions (government, security and universities) were totally breaking down at the same time.
According to the Mexican Federal Government, there were 1,000 murders in 2011 due to the drug cartel violence that began in 2010. In other words, Monterrey became suddenly one of the most violent and dangerous cities in Mexico where opportunities to get a better life and freedom to move around as one pleased have been seriously compromised in the last years. Nowadays, the discussion and the public agenda are focused on the kinds of strategies necessary to combat this difficult situation. However, the causes and origins of this state of affairs characterized by increasing insecurity, absence of freedom, and the continuous loss of social welfare have rarely been discussed. As a consequence, this industrial city is facing an unclear future not only because of a high uncertainty in terms of economic performance, but also in terms of a growing lack of public safety. How can the government, society, academia, media, and other members modify this picture? Is there a possible solution in the short run? Is Monterrey a reflection of what is going on in Mexico?
As a college student, I used to take the bus to go to school. I still remember the name of the street: Eugenio Garza Sada Avenue, one of the most important streets in Monterrey. It was a long street that I enjoyed a lot because there were a lot of restaurants, businesses, and different kinds of stores. However, little by little, I realized that many bars or cantinas had begun to open and usually they were completely crowded at night. Also, there was a sudden increase of liquor stores, usually open 24/7 just like an emergency room at a hospital. Before finishing my undergraduate studies, I noticed that more and more topless strip clubs and casinos had appeared on the same avenue. The ITESM, considered one of the most important universities in Mexico and Latin America, had become totally surrounded by a lot of pubs or antros that opened early at night and closed until the morning. Walking around the ITESM Campus, it was much easier to drink a beer, play black jack, or get a dance than to find a relaxing place where one could read a book or finish homework comfortably. Driving during the night on Eugenio Garza Sada Avenue, I realized that Monterrey had gradually changed in the last years. In other words, night life had become more and more vivid and intense than in previous years and the city did not sleep after office hours. Those characteristics confused me as I could not understand the reasons. In my view, this was a strange and improper environment not only for that important avenue, but also for the university campus. Even though it was something difficult to understand, I never asked anyone else what their perceptions were. I felt like a stranger in my own city and I did not want to ask myself about the causes behind that unknown picture.
After finishing my undergraduate studies, I started to work and I did not go back to the university campus. After a couple of years, I began to frequent some restaurants and bars around the ITESM campus during the weekends. It was common to arrive for lunch and continue celebrating the weekend at night. Once more there was something that surprised me and I did not understand. As usual, one day after a couple of drinks, I decided to go to the men’s restrooms. I still remember that image: some students, two guys much older than me, and a message in front of me warning that selling or consuming drugs in that place was prohibited. Walking to the sink, I realized that everyone was consuming cocaine in that semi public space. After washing my hands and waiting to dry them, I received an offer that I quickly refused. While I was sitting at the table, I started to reflect a little about that moment. There were no answers or explanations for me. I was very sure that that picture had become common everywhere. In other words, that kind of moment had reflected quickly our current, volatile society. I did not know if that specific moment had been a coincidence or sad truth. But it was just the truth. A couple of minutes later, I realized that some people around the table where I was sitting had chosen that place for the same purpose as the guys in the restrooms. This time I had decided to be part of the scene and observe discretely, but not participate. Trying to understand what had happened a day before, I imagined that I was not an ordinary person. On the other hand, I tried to understand that everybody had been changing and I had not. I had a very difficult time assimilating and confronting that reality from which I had been totally left out.
After a couple of months, kidnappings, murders, narcoblockades, drug gang members or "halcones" on every street, and corrupt government members refusing to step down started to be a constant in Monterrey. At the beginning, it was difficult to assimilate that I was living in a war zone. Furthermore, it had been difficult to observe and listen to the media broadcasting such kinds of images and stories. Before I ever saw those images, I had just known about Colombia in the 1990’s and the Afghan social situation after 9/11. However, I learned to control my fear gradually which helped me to decrease my stress and continue with my ordinary activities. I also began to understand some parts of that tragic picture by asking myself some questions which I tried to answer analytically. Why this violence in Monterrey? Why were a lot of young people participating in this drug cartel war? Why were a lot of innocent people dying every day? Why the constantly increasing absence of public safety and freedom? What was behind this violent scenario? Was there a message that we had not understood?
There was just one answer in my mind. That scenario was inevitable because we needed drug traffickers and they needed us. In other words, there was a drug market in Mexico and outside which needed to be satisfied. There was a strong affinity between being a drug trafficker and the opportunity to achieve “personal success” suddenly in a place where opportunities to become a better person had historically been only for a minority, not only getting a better financial situation and prominent “success” in society, but also an opportunity to become a skilled employee or a professional and achieve more material goods. These were enough incentives to ensure a better life which in a legitimate way would be very difficult or almost impossible to reach for a large segment of the population even in the long run. I strongly believe that changing and improving this scenario is going to take many years, lives, and economic and human resources. As a consequence, I think that there are just two options regarding this issue: start your life in another place or go beyond your limits and be part of the solution.
At the end of the 20th century, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, was considered the industrial capital of Mexico and a major city in Latin America. It was a place where prime ministers and other international celebrities visited to discuss the world political agenda as well as regional issues. Moreover, it was considered the safest and most prosperous business and industrial hub of Central America. Monterrey was a city where you could find many kinds of industries ranging from automotive, industrial products, energy and mining, technology, food, financial services, and restaurants to entertainment and media. According to many recognized academia members, local and foreign political leaders, and policy makers, this city was considered an admirable example of efficient social programs for other cities in Mexico in terms of increasing the economic and human development in the long run. While the characteristics mentioned above were corroborated by foreign prestigious universities and some international organizations, both its society and its most important public institutions (government, security and universities) were totally breaking down at the same time.
According to the Mexican Federal Government, there were 1,000 murders in 2011 due to the drug cartel violence that began in 2010. In other words, Monterrey became suddenly one of the most violent and dangerous cities in Mexico where opportunities to get a better life and freedom to move around as one pleased have been seriously compromised in the last years. Nowadays, the discussion and the public agenda are focused on the kinds of strategies necessary to combat this difficult situation. However, the causes and origins of this state of affairs characterized by increasing insecurity, absence of freedom, and the continuous loss of social welfare have rarely been discussed. As a consequence, this industrial city is facing an unclear future not only because of a high uncertainty in terms of economic performance, but also in terms of a growing lack of public safety. How can the government, society, academia, media, and other members modify this picture? Is there a possible solution in the short run? Is Monterrey a reflection of what is going on in Mexico?
As a college student, I used to take the bus to go to school. I still remember the name of the street: Eugenio Garza Sada Avenue, one of the most important streets in Monterrey. It was a long street that I enjoyed a lot because there were a lot of restaurants, businesses, and different kinds of stores. However, little by little, I realized that many bars or cantinas had begun to open and usually they were completely crowded at night. Also, there was a sudden increase of liquor stores, usually open 24/7 just like an emergency room at a hospital. Before finishing my undergraduate studies, I noticed that more and more topless strip clubs and casinos had appeared on the same avenue. The ITESM, considered one of the most important universities in Mexico and Latin America, had become totally surrounded by a lot of pubs or antros that opened early at night and closed until the morning. Walking around the ITESM Campus, it was much easier to drink a beer, play black jack, or get a dance than to find a relaxing place where one could read a book or finish homework comfortably. Driving during the night on Eugenio Garza Sada Avenue, I realized that Monterrey had gradually changed in the last years. In other words, night life had become more and more vivid and intense than in previous years and the city did not sleep after office hours. Those characteristics confused me as I could not understand the reasons. In my view, this was a strange and improper environment not only for that important avenue, but also for the university campus. Even though it was something difficult to understand, I never asked anyone else what their perceptions were. I felt like a stranger in my own city and I did not want to ask myself about the causes behind that unknown picture.
After finishing my undergraduate studies, I started to work and I did not go back to the university campus. After a couple of years, I began to frequent some restaurants and bars around the ITESM campus during the weekends. It was common to arrive for lunch and continue celebrating the weekend at night. Once more there was something that surprised me and I did not understand. As usual, one day after a couple of drinks, I decided to go to the men’s restrooms. I still remember that image: some students, two guys much older than me, and a message in front of me warning that selling or consuming drugs in that place was prohibited. Walking to the sink, I realized that everyone was consuming cocaine in that semi public space. After washing my hands and waiting to dry them, I received an offer that I quickly refused. While I was sitting at the table, I started to reflect a little about that moment. There were no answers or explanations for me. I was very sure that that picture had become common everywhere. In other words, that kind of moment had reflected quickly our current, volatile society. I did not know if that specific moment had been a coincidence or sad truth. But it was just the truth. A couple of minutes later, I realized that some people around the table where I was sitting had chosen that place for the same purpose as the guys in the restrooms. This time I had decided to be part of the scene and observe discretely, but not participate. Trying to understand what had happened a day before, I imagined that I was not an ordinary person. On the other hand, I tried to understand that everybody had been changing and I had not. I had a very difficult time assimilating and confronting that reality from which I had been totally left out.
After a couple of months, kidnappings, murders, narcoblockades, drug gang members or "halcones" on every street, and corrupt government members refusing to step down started to be a constant in Monterrey. At the beginning, it was difficult to assimilate that I was living in a war zone. Furthermore, it had been difficult to observe and listen to the media broadcasting such kinds of images and stories. Before I ever saw those images, I had just known about Colombia in the 1990’s and the Afghan social situation after 9/11. However, I learned to control my fear gradually which helped me to decrease my stress and continue with my ordinary activities. I also began to understand some parts of that tragic picture by asking myself some questions which I tried to answer analytically. Why this violence in Monterrey? Why were a lot of young people participating in this drug cartel war? Why were a lot of innocent people dying every day? Why the constantly increasing absence of public safety and freedom? What was behind this violent scenario? Was there a message that we had not understood?
There was just one answer in my mind. That scenario was inevitable because we needed drug traffickers and they needed us. In other words, there was a drug market in Mexico and outside which needed to be satisfied. There was a strong affinity between being a drug trafficker and the opportunity to achieve “personal success” suddenly in a place where opportunities to become a better person had historically been only for a minority, not only getting a better financial situation and prominent “success” in society, but also an opportunity to become a skilled employee or a professional and achieve more material goods. These were enough incentives to ensure a better life which in a legitimate way would be very difficult or almost impossible to reach for a large segment of the population even in the long run. I strongly believe that changing and improving this scenario is going to take many years, lives, and economic and human resources. As a consequence, I think that there are just two options regarding this issue: start your life in another place or go beyond your limits and be part of the solution.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: Observation by CYNTHIA MADUREIRA
“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree” (Tony Orlando)
It is Labor Day, and it’s six days before the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The day is beautiful, sunny, and gorgeous. That is, if it weren’t the day on which people were deploying to Afghanistan for nine months, it would be a perfect day. Yes. Today is the final farewell to the first two hundred of the three thousand soldiers that are going in the next two months. People who have family, friends, studies, dogs, whatever… and have to do what their job requires: to be patriotic and fight for this country in any circumstances.
Soldiers and officers begin arriving at Fort Bliss. All of them are uniformed. Some are with friends, some with family. There is a big green parade field next to the parking lot where they are putting their duffle bags. Their luggage is spread out for the Military Police to check if it contains anything illegal – especially drugs or alcohol. Their personal belongings are neatly tucked inside the heavy duty large black cargo boxes. Every single soldier has one filled with their clothes, shoes, pictures, and memories of their beloved. The military dogs, with their keen sensing ability, inspect everything. It is part of the regulations, but it seems to me a little humiliating. Fortunately, the dogs don’t find any contraband. The soldiers appear relieved.
It is now time for the soldiers to get their weapons. The weapons they will surely use in combat. For nine months, they will have their weapon by their side, their new girlfriends. They can never leave the weapon by itself. Many have the lethal cold steel slung over their shoulder while they spend precious moments with their loved ones. It seems odd to me that they are required to carry their weapons while enjoying these final moments with their families.
Now, they are inside a kind of barn. There is a big room with tables and chairs, games for kids, and a large screen where everyone gathers to enjoy the last moments with their family, relatives and friends before the soldiers leave for Afghanistan. The children’s laughter fills the air and echoes throughout the barn as they romp around in the octopus-shaped bouncer. The children are kept busy while their parents have a good time together.
Some of the wives are really apprehensive and sad; others are trying to be strong, but one can see how worried and desperate they really are. I’m sitting with Maria, my friend, who is saying that people who stay behind have different reactions because of their varied backgrounds. For some, it is the first time that their soldier is deploying. For others, it isn’t the first time, but the wife knows the danger involved.
I can imagine what their thoughts are. After all, we never know, things happen because they have to happen, but when we think about war, only negative things come to mind.
People are starting to leave. They are saying goodbye. I see a young soldier hugging his newborn child and whispering softly in the child’s ear. The soldier’s eyes fill up with tears. He quickly wipes his eyes, kisses his wife, and walks toward the bus. I glance to my right and see another family tightly embracing one another as if it were the last time they would do so. Some are holding in their feelings, some are extremely emotional, crying a river.
My friend Jay is leaving for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. His family is not here; they are in Louisiana. We are recording a video and on it he is saying goodbye to his family and making some jokes as usual. Last week we were drinking some beers and having fun; now I’m saying “goodbye” and “see you soon.” I feel I’m in denial; it’s a mix of feelings because I might never see him again. It is hard to know what to say when a person is going to war. What could I say? “Be safe! Kill the bad guys?” Gosh, they are going to the war! It is impossible to find words that make sense.
I’m asking myself: Why? Why do people who have followed all of the rules in the Constitution have to do this kind of thing? Leaving their loved ones in order to fight for something that is not their fault or their business?
Coincidence or not, today is Labor Day, and these “workers” are dedicating their life to getting peace worldwide even though it might cost them their lives.
It is Labor Day, and it’s six days before the tenth anniversary of 9/11. The day is beautiful, sunny, and gorgeous. That is, if it weren’t the day on which people were deploying to Afghanistan for nine months, it would be a perfect day. Yes. Today is the final farewell to the first two hundred of the three thousand soldiers that are going in the next two months. People who have family, friends, studies, dogs, whatever… and have to do what their job requires: to be patriotic and fight for this country in any circumstances.
Soldiers and officers begin arriving at Fort Bliss. All of them are uniformed. Some are with friends, some with family. There is a big green parade field next to the parking lot where they are putting their duffle bags. Their luggage is spread out for the Military Police to check if it contains anything illegal – especially drugs or alcohol. Their personal belongings are neatly tucked inside the heavy duty large black cargo boxes. Every single soldier has one filled with their clothes, shoes, pictures, and memories of their beloved. The military dogs, with their keen sensing ability, inspect everything. It is part of the regulations, but it seems to me a little humiliating. Fortunately, the dogs don’t find any contraband. The soldiers appear relieved.
It is now time for the soldiers to get their weapons. The weapons they will surely use in combat. For nine months, they will have their weapon by their side, their new girlfriends. They can never leave the weapon by itself. Many have the lethal cold steel slung over their shoulder while they spend precious moments with their loved ones. It seems odd to me that they are required to carry their weapons while enjoying these final moments with their families.
Now, they are inside a kind of barn. There is a big room with tables and chairs, games for kids, and a large screen where everyone gathers to enjoy the last moments with their family, relatives and friends before the soldiers leave for Afghanistan. The children’s laughter fills the air and echoes throughout the barn as they romp around in the octopus-shaped bouncer. The children are kept busy while their parents have a good time together.
Some of the wives are really apprehensive and sad; others are trying to be strong, but one can see how worried and desperate they really are. I’m sitting with Maria, my friend, who is saying that people who stay behind have different reactions because of their varied backgrounds. For some, it is the first time that their soldier is deploying. For others, it isn’t the first time, but the wife knows the danger involved.
I can imagine what their thoughts are. After all, we never know, things happen because they have to happen, but when we think about war, only negative things come to mind.
People are starting to leave. They are saying goodbye. I see a young soldier hugging his newborn child and whispering softly in the child’s ear. The soldier’s eyes fill up with tears. He quickly wipes his eyes, kisses his wife, and walks toward the bus. I glance to my right and see another family tightly embracing one another as if it were the last time they would do so. Some are holding in their feelings, some are extremely emotional, crying a river.
My friend Jay is leaving for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan. His family is not here; they are in Louisiana. We are recording a video and on it he is saying goodbye to his family and making some jokes as usual. Last week we were drinking some beers and having fun; now I’m saying “goodbye” and “see you soon.” I feel I’m in denial; it’s a mix of feelings because I might never see him again. It is hard to know what to say when a person is going to war. What could I say? “Be safe! Kill the bad guys?” Gosh, they are going to the war! It is impossible to find words that make sense.
I’m asking myself: Why? Why do people who have followed all of the rules in the Constitution have to do this kind of thing? Leaving their loved ones in order to fight for something that is not their fault or their business?
Coincidence or not, today is Labor Day, and these “workers” are dedicating their life to getting peace worldwide even though it might cost them their lives.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: Autobiographical by MIRAN LEE
DREAMING TO BE A STUDENT EVER AFTER
It was the first and the last time in my whole life that I completely understood why students commit suicide after the SAT’s. I was sitting on my hard chair in front of my familiar light, brownish table, where I had been studying for the last 12 years. My eyes were focusing nowhere, and I felt lost. I was bogged down in the swamp of total defeat. The only thing I could do was to think. Think about what I had just done. I thought about what I had just thought, and then, everything became blurred. I couldn’t do anything. It was only one day after I had screwed up my SAT.
What made me sink into deeper grief was the dim future that awaited me. I didn’t want to face it. I had grown up hearing that unsuccessful ambition is worthless. It was not just me. Every student is forced to study extremely hard for success. There were no jobs, there was no worthiness, and there were no opportunities for those who didn’t go to university or even those who went to a low-level university. As a result, blowing the test meant that I would become one of life’s losers.
In Korea, to escape from being surplus people in society (Giho 55), one has to study. Even the teachers in my high school suggested I apply only to high-level universities in order to elevate the reputation of my school in our town. It seemed like a competition for schools to see how many of their students would go to a good university. They seemed to be most interested in making big banners to display in front of the school indicating that they succeeded in sending students to THIS University. For students, there were no dreams. We didn’t know how to dream. We didn’t know what we wanted to do in the future because no one taught us that we had choices. No one ever said anything about dreaming.
With unsure expectations, I finally finished writing ten applications and spent almost 700 dollars. I, understandably, chose the most popular universities and the most popular majors at each university. I chose general mathematics, mathematical statistics, architecture, education, urban engineering, and natural science. Did I know what those majors were all about? Did I know what I wanted the most? Did I know what my dream was? No, I did not. I did know that they were the best. They were the prestigious majors. Soon however, it was obvious that my 700 dollars had come to nothing. Six of the applications were returned telling me not to come. But I didn’t feel sad. I wasn’t unhappy at all because I had never wanted to study what I had never even dreamed about.
The result of this whole process of finding my university was that I was partly accepted by one in the major of architecture. When the result was announced, my homeroom teacher printed it immediately and came to me gasping. She called me to the back of the classroom where all the students were studying quietly. Her face was full of pride because she had finally succeeded in having a good student. I, however, couldn’t be happy. I just went back to my seat silently, hoping no one was looking at me. I grabbed the paper calmly and folded it perfectly in half. At the same time, I folded my mind perfectly in half, so as not to hope anything. Even though that paper indicated that I had gone one step further than others, I felt nothing.
Finally, the day came. It was Thursday of the third week in November, and it was a very cold day. The wind chilled me to the bone, to the head. Lots of students from other schools were mingling in a quiet classroom. Even just right before the test, I didn’t take it seriously. It was all just like a normal test, not a matter of life or death. However, when I opened the booklet of the math exam, I literally panicked. The exam became an opponent. It was too hard, and ironically, it was the most important subject for me to be able to enroll. I couldn’t focus on the rest of the tests at all. After the whole exam finished, I walked home alone in the dark. Every minute seemed like a thousand. Whenever I saw mothers of students, I felt guilty that I couldn’t do well and I really didn’t want to go home. I really didn’t want to graduate from high school. I really wanted to stay in a safe school without thinking of the future, of being an adult.
The day after I screwed up the SAT was quite different from what I had expected. I thought that it would be the most horrible day of my life, but it was quite normal. The sun shone on my face, the wind blew through the window. Another day had just started normally, but I had not. All the things I had planned for after the big exam had come to nothing. I was deeply disappointed in myself and everything around me. I just cried, lying on my bed, and I started to hate that I was still alive without any future. I hated that all the expectations of me that I would have been a good student had been false.
Through the process to be successful, I had become completely exhausted. I had never had the chance of knowing myself, being concerned about my future, dreaming about ambitions. I was just made to be a person who graduated in good circumstances. I couldn’t expect glory because I didn’t know what it was. Because I didn’t think about it. Because I didn’t imagine it ever. Finally, I got lost.
I knew that studying was the only important thing, and also, that only studying could make students go to university. I, on the other hand, regretted that I had not found out more about my dreams, my interests, or my goals because I would have been more prepared for choosing my future. I would have had more positive thoughts about myself. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to experience that depressing time at all.
In the end, and after many more applications four of which were accepted, I decided to study architecture. I was interested in making something with my hands, and moreover, I didn’t want to study mathematics or science any more. I still remember those days with regrets. I now realize that if I had known that I would study architecture, I would have found another university that has good architectural programs. However, I also think that I was very lucky that one of those applications fortunately turned out to be my dream, my future. Although this was the most depressing period of my life, it was a part of my experiences. It is part of me.
Only studying can make students go to university nowadays. But I insist that dreams and knowing about oneself are just as important as studying. Sad to say, in Korea our harsh society sees dreams as unnecessary luxuries for students. I read a book about high school students and university students’ youth recently. It was written by students and one teacher, and it talked about dreams, teenage issues, and our current society. Students don’t want to be adults who seem to be persons without freedom and happiness, even though adults keep saying they will succeed if they follow the rules of society. So, as young adults, we keep saying to the world: We have dreams, we have desires. Why can society not acknowledge this?
Works Cited
Giho, Eom. “Why this is Not a Youth." Gyunggi: Hyekyung, Kim.
15 Oct. (2010): 52-58.
It was the first and the last time in my whole life that I completely understood why students commit suicide after the SAT’s. I was sitting on my hard chair in front of my familiar light, brownish table, where I had been studying for the last 12 years. My eyes were focusing nowhere, and I felt lost. I was bogged down in the swamp of total defeat. The only thing I could do was to think. Think about what I had just done. I thought about what I had just thought, and then, everything became blurred. I couldn’t do anything. It was only one day after I had screwed up my SAT.
What made me sink into deeper grief was the dim future that awaited me. I didn’t want to face it. I had grown up hearing that unsuccessful ambition is worthless. It was not just me. Every student is forced to study extremely hard for success. There were no jobs, there was no worthiness, and there were no opportunities for those who didn’t go to university or even those who went to a low-level university. As a result, blowing the test meant that I would become one of life’s losers.
In Korea, to escape from being surplus people in society (Giho 55), one has to study. Even the teachers in my high school suggested I apply only to high-level universities in order to elevate the reputation of my school in our town. It seemed like a competition for schools to see how many of their students would go to a good university. They seemed to be most interested in making big banners to display in front of the school indicating that they succeeded in sending students to THIS University. For students, there were no dreams. We didn’t know how to dream. We didn’t know what we wanted to do in the future because no one taught us that we had choices. No one ever said anything about dreaming.
With unsure expectations, I finally finished writing ten applications and spent almost 700 dollars. I, understandably, chose the most popular universities and the most popular majors at each university. I chose general mathematics, mathematical statistics, architecture, education, urban engineering, and natural science. Did I know what those majors were all about? Did I know what I wanted the most? Did I know what my dream was? No, I did not. I did know that they were the best. They were the prestigious majors. Soon however, it was obvious that my 700 dollars had come to nothing. Six of the applications were returned telling me not to come. But I didn’t feel sad. I wasn’t unhappy at all because I had never wanted to study what I had never even dreamed about.
The result of this whole process of finding my university was that I was partly accepted by one in the major of architecture. When the result was announced, my homeroom teacher printed it immediately and came to me gasping. She called me to the back of the classroom where all the students were studying quietly. Her face was full of pride because she had finally succeeded in having a good student. I, however, couldn’t be happy. I just went back to my seat silently, hoping no one was looking at me. I grabbed the paper calmly and folded it perfectly in half. At the same time, I folded my mind perfectly in half, so as not to hope anything. Even though that paper indicated that I had gone one step further than others, I felt nothing.
Finally, the day came. It was Thursday of the third week in November, and it was a very cold day. The wind chilled me to the bone, to the head. Lots of students from other schools were mingling in a quiet classroom. Even just right before the test, I didn’t take it seriously. It was all just like a normal test, not a matter of life or death. However, when I opened the booklet of the math exam, I literally panicked. The exam became an opponent. It was too hard, and ironically, it was the most important subject for me to be able to enroll. I couldn’t focus on the rest of the tests at all. After the whole exam finished, I walked home alone in the dark. Every minute seemed like a thousand. Whenever I saw mothers of students, I felt guilty that I couldn’t do well and I really didn’t want to go home. I really didn’t want to graduate from high school. I really wanted to stay in a safe school without thinking of the future, of being an adult.
The day after I screwed up the SAT was quite different from what I had expected. I thought that it would be the most horrible day of my life, but it was quite normal. The sun shone on my face, the wind blew through the window. Another day had just started normally, but I had not. All the things I had planned for after the big exam had come to nothing. I was deeply disappointed in myself and everything around me. I just cried, lying on my bed, and I started to hate that I was still alive without any future. I hated that all the expectations of me that I would have been a good student had been false.
Through the process to be successful, I had become completely exhausted. I had never had the chance of knowing myself, being concerned about my future, dreaming about ambitions. I was just made to be a person who graduated in good circumstances. I couldn’t expect glory because I didn’t know what it was. Because I didn’t think about it. Because I didn’t imagine it ever. Finally, I got lost.
I knew that studying was the only important thing, and also, that only studying could make students go to university. I, on the other hand, regretted that I had not found out more about my dreams, my interests, or my goals because I would have been more prepared for choosing my future. I would have had more positive thoughts about myself. Maybe I wouldn’t have had to experience that depressing time at all.
In the end, and after many more applications four of which were accepted, I decided to study architecture. I was interested in making something with my hands, and moreover, I didn’t want to study mathematics or science any more. I still remember those days with regrets. I now realize that if I had known that I would study architecture, I would have found another university that has good architectural programs. However, I also think that I was very lucky that one of those applications fortunately turned out to be my dream, my future. Although this was the most depressing period of my life, it was a part of my experiences. It is part of me.
Only studying can make students go to university nowadays. But I insist that dreams and knowing about oneself are just as important as studying. Sad to say, in Korea our harsh society sees dreams as unnecessary luxuries for students. I read a book about high school students and university students’ youth recently. It was written by students and one teacher, and it talked about dreams, teenage issues, and our current society. Students don’t want to be adults who seem to be persons without freedom and happiness, even though adults keep saying they will succeed if they follow the rules of society. So, as young adults, we keep saying to the world: We have dreams, we have desires. Why can society not acknowledge this?
Works Cited
Giho, Eom. “Why this is Not a Youth." Gyunggi: Hyekyung, Kim.
15 Oct. (2010): 52-58.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: Autobiographical by DAVID SAUCEDO
Nobody Said It Was Easy
As an undergraduate student in Mexico, I decided to participate in an entrepreneur project. It was a great opportunity to go beyond my limits and see what I could do working under pressure. Additionally, it was a big chance to escape from the memories of a long relationship with a girl that I always saw after classes walking around the college. The main purpose of that competition was to develop a product or service and then to design an effective and successful business plan for it. It was a ferocious competition in which many students had participated coming up not only with different kinds of ideas, but also with highly innovative ones. Although the award was very special, that academic project simply represented for me the opportunity to keep my head working and move a step forward. In other words, I wanted to put the past behind me and go wherever I could go in the near future.
Definitely, it was hard work to develop that project along with the other academic projects, exams, and tasks required by the school. On the other hand, it was a great and valuable experience. After many presentations, sleepless nights, and a close decision by the judge, I realized that I had won. As a consequence, I received the opportunity to be enrolled in an American school (Babson College) during the summer of 2005. It would be my first experience completely alone, far away from home. At the beginning, I thought that that event would be just a pleasant tourist experience. However, it would be an event that would shape my life in many ways.
After a long and tiring trip that started in Monterrey, Mexico, I arrived in Boston. My first experience started when I decided to take a taxi and go to the University’s apartments. As soon as I asked for a taxi, I realized that something was wrong with my precarious level of English. However, I did not know that Pandora’s Box had already been opened. Observing from the taxi, I was astonished by that Irish but now American city. The day was amazing and both the clear sky and the sun allowed me to see beyond the area I had explored so far. Once I arrived at my apartment, I decided to walk around the university campus which was a totally quiet, huge, green forest far away from the city. While I was walking, I started to think about my experience with the taxi driver and our neolithic conversation characterized by slow words and symbols. Since I did not find my classroom right away, I arrived late for my first day of school.
When I opened the classroom door, I heard Professor Robert’s deep and tough voice: “You will have one month to prepare an effective business plan and then present it to our faculty, staff, and your partners. Do you understand? This is not a picnic, guys! This is Babson College and you need to work very hard on it. Despite the cold, I started to sweat. Suddenly I realized that those words were the beginning of a long and unfamiliar summer. As I was taking my seat, I took a quick look around. No other Mexicans or Latinos were there. Only gringos with white collars. In other words, no help, support, or insight from someone that I could talk to. The following activities during and outside the class helped me not only to meet other classmates, but also to realize that my first experience far away from home would be a big challenge and not just a fun experience.
I decided to do my best in everyday activities, but it was more and more difficult to communicate properly with people who only spoke English. Although I had studied (basic) English before, it was not the same to practice my listening and speaking skills with my Mexican accent as with a sophisticated academic English language and accent. As a consequence, I recognized that to develop a professional business plan and present it was not the only the challenge I faced. I had to learn, practice, and improve my English by myself as soon as possible. It was a difficult situation that started to complicate my existence. Moreover, everything was different there. At the beginning, at the campus’s cafeteria ordering lunch was always a chore. Even though the food was not good and really expensive, it was the only option that I had at that moment. Furthermore, participation during class and activities in teams were important issues which I did not want to face. No matter how big my effort was to understand, my shyness during those activities was even greater. After many days of little participation, one day I was literally obligated by the professors to give my personal opinion in a group discussion activity and at the same time give them a preliminary version of my work. As soon as I became aware of the fact that that participation would be with the whole class in front of me, I started to feel butterflies in my stomach. I said to myself: “This is the end.” As I was walking to the front of the class, I was so flushed that I could feel the heat not only in my face but in my neck and chest. I was terrified, but after a quick look around and direct eye contact with the class, I realized that I did not have any choice. I do not know how, but I started to give my speech. That day proved and helped me to feel that I had the time and (limited) skills in order to do better. It was oxygen for my self-esteem and the opportunity to make my best effort. I realized that it was a fight where I actually had a chance (Kwok 54).
One week before the last presentation, I decided to work very hard at the library where I could find all the resources and references I needed. Additionally, it was the place in which I could find help or nice conversations with my teammates while I was working on my project. Consequently, I started to lose the fear of speaking in English with native speakers which represented a big achievement. As I was listening to my own conversation, I became aware of a lot of mistakes in my pronunciation and probably invented a new vocabulary in English. Nevertheless, I decided to take that opportunity and go beyond my comfort zone. It was necessary to take that chance, make mistakes and recognize them with the aim to learn and grow in the future. Moreover, I was totally confident about what I had learned while I was doing the project and I decided to continue with persistence and resilience in order to succeed in presenting my business plan (Simmons 39). Before starting my presentation, I imagined myself in front of the class. This time there were no butterflies, just the classmates and the faculty. Once I took a quick look around the class again, I was confident that I could do a good job within my possibilities and that was exactly what happened.
To accept the challenge of developing an entrepreneur project meant a great opportunity to shape and reveal some aspects of my personality. I recognized that nobody said that it would be easy, but this experience gave me not only the opportunity to visit another country and another culture, but also to take a step forward and see what I could do working under pressure. Of course, I know that this kind of experience is not unique. I am convinced that many of these types of scenarios happen every day with other people and under other kinds of circumstances. I also know that this great experience far away from home was a great learning tool for the future.
Works Cited
Kwok, Jean. Girl in Translation. London, England: Riverhead Books, 2010. Print
Simmons, Russell. Do You! New York, United States: Gotham Books, 2008. Print
As an undergraduate student in Mexico, I decided to participate in an entrepreneur project. It was a great opportunity to go beyond my limits and see what I could do working under pressure. Additionally, it was a big chance to escape from the memories of a long relationship with a girl that I always saw after classes walking around the college. The main purpose of that competition was to develop a product or service and then to design an effective and successful business plan for it. It was a ferocious competition in which many students had participated coming up not only with different kinds of ideas, but also with highly innovative ones. Although the award was very special, that academic project simply represented for me the opportunity to keep my head working and move a step forward. In other words, I wanted to put the past behind me and go wherever I could go in the near future.
Definitely, it was hard work to develop that project along with the other academic projects, exams, and tasks required by the school. On the other hand, it was a great and valuable experience. After many presentations, sleepless nights, and a close decision by the judge, I realized that I had won. As a consequence, I received the opportunity to be enrolled in an American school (Babson College) during the summer of 2005. It would be my first experience completely alone, far away from home. At the beginning, I thought that that event would be just a pleasant tourist experience. However, it would be an event that would shape my life in many ways.
After a long and tiring trip that started in Monterrey, Mexico, I arrived in Boston. My first experience started when I decided to take a taxi and go to the University’s apartments. As soon as I asked for a taxi, I realized that something was wrong with my precarious level of English. However, I did not know that Pandora’s Box had already been opened. Observing from the taxi, I was astonished by that Irish but now American city. The day was amazing and both the clear sky and the sun allowed me to see beyond the area I had explored so far. Once I arrived at my apartment, I decided to walk around the university campus which was a totally quiet, huge, green forest far away from the city. While I was walking, I started to think about my experience with the taxi driver and our neolithic conversation characterized by slow words and symbols. Since I did not find my classroom right away, I arrived late for my first day of school.
When I opened the classroom door, I heard Professor Robert’s deep and tough voice: “You will have one month to prepare an effective business plan and then present it to our faculty, staff, and your partners. Do you understand? This is not a picnic, guys! This is Babson College and you need to work very hard on it. Despite the cold, I started to sweat. Suddenly I realized that those words were the beginning of a long and unfamiliar summer. As I was taking my seat, I took a quick look around. No other Mexicans or Latinos were there. Only gringos with white collars. In other words, no help, support, or insight from someone that I could talk to. The following activities during and outside the class helped me not only to meet other classmates, but also to realize that my first experience far away from home would be a big challenge and not just a fun experience.
I decided to do my best in everyday activities, but it was more and more difficult to communicate properly with people who only spoke English. Although I had studied (basic) English before, it was not the same to practice my listening and speaking skills with my Mexican accent as with a sophisticated academic English language and accent. As a consequence, I recognized that to develop a professional business plan and present it was not the only the challenge I faced. I had to learn, practice, and improve my English by myself as soon as possible. It was a difficult situation that started to complicate my existence. Moreover, everything was different there. At the beginning, at the campus’s cafeteria ordering lunch was always a chore. Even though the food was not good and really expensive, it was the only option that I had at that moment. Furthermore, participation during class and activities in teams were important issues which I did not want to face. No matter how big my effort was to understand, my shyness during those activities was even greater. After many days of little participation, one day I was literally obligated by the professors to give my personal opinion in a group discussion activity and at the same time give them a preliminary version of my work. As soon as I became aware of the fact that that participation would be with the whole class in front of me, I started to feel butterflies in my stomach. I said to myself: “This is the end.” As I was walking to the front of the class, I was so flushed that I could feel the heat not only in my face but in my neck and chest. I was terrified, but after a quick look around and direct eye contact with the class, I realized that I did not have any choice. I do not know how, but I started to give my speech. That day proved and helped me to feel that I had the time and (limited) skills in order to do better. It was oxygen for my self-esteem and the opportunity to make my best effort. I realized that it was a fight where I actually had a chance (Kwok 54).
One week before the last presentation, I decided to work very hard at the library where I could find all the resources and references I needed. Additionally, it was the place in which I could find help or nice conversations with my teammates while I was working on my project. Consequently, I started to lose the fear of speaking in English with native speakers which represented a big achievement. As I was listening to my own conversation, I became aware of a lot of mistakes in my pronunciation and probably invented a new vocabulary in English. Nevertheless, I decided to take that opportunity and go beyond my comfort zone. It was necessary to take that chance, make mistakes and recognize them with the aim to learn and grow in the future. Moreover, I was totally confident about what I had learned while I was doing the project and I decided to continue with persistence and resilience in order to succeed in presenting my business plan (Simmons 39). Before starting my presentation, I imagined myself in front of the class. This time there were no butterflies, just the classmates and the faculty. Once I took a quick look around the class again, I was confident that I could do a good job within my possibilities and that was exactly what happened.
To accept the challenge of developing an entrepreneur project meant a great opportunity to shape and reveal some aspects of my personality. I recognized that nobody said that it would be easy, but this experience gave me not only the opportunity to visit another country and another culture, but also to take a step forward and see what I could do working under pressure. Of course, I know that this kind of experience is not unique. I am convinced that many of these types of scenarios happen every day with other people and under other kinds of circumstances. I also know that this great experience far away from home was a great learning tool for the future.
Works Cited
Kwok, Jean. Girl in Translation. London, England: Riverhead Books, 2010. Print
Simmons, Russell. Do You! New York, United States: Gotham Books, 2008. Print
Saturday, July 16, 2011
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WRITING by MARTIN MAINGOT
Colorado Outward Bound
A few summers ago, I had the experience of a lifetime.
Although my life has not been that long, 18 years to be exact, this was something I will never forget. I was fourteen at the time, and always looking for some sort of adventure. That's when I found out about Outward Bound - a highly respected wilderness survival school with programs all over the world. The object of this course was to convince us that we can do more than we think we can, at any given moment. I enrolled in the 14-day, Green River-Desolation Canyon, white-water rafting, hiking and rapelling trip. I had the feeling that I was about to embark on a most unprecedented expedition. Green River and Desolation Canyon are both located within Utah and Wyoming, which is a beautiful part of the country.
The school sent a list of required equipment and clothes, and my parents and I went to Albuquerque to purchase everything that was necessary. Apart from equipment not supplied by the school, I was allowed only two sets of clothes for two weeks, and there would be absolutely nothing that would remotely resemble a shower during all that time. Once geared up and ready to go, I took a plane to Salt Lake City, which was where my trip began.
When the plane touched down in Salt Lake City, I didn't know what to feel, or what to expect; my mind was totally blank. At the baggage claim, I saw several people with the same dumb look on their faces as I had. They were up to their ears in camping gear and that's why I thought that they were here for the same reason as I.
I introduced myself, and became quite friendly with them. After a while, we met our course director and he sent us on our way. It took us about five hours by bus to reach our starting point. By that time it was getting dark. We set up camp and prepared ourselves for the next day.
First light became a nightmare. We were required to run AT LEAST one mile before our despicable breakfast (the breakfast consisted of canned bread, some sort of berries, something that looked like eggs, and coffee, all of which had one and the same taste). I am not a morning person, and apparently neither was anyone else, so the breakfast scene became quite nasty. The food supply was rationed as it was precisely calculated to last us the whole trip, so I was hungry all the time, and so was everyone else. This made mealtime a boxing match. If even the slightest amount of nourishment hit the ground, we would all do everything we could to get at it: push, punch, trip and even kick. Nevertheless, we all got along very well.
Answering nature's call was another challenge. There was an ancient army can called the "groover", lined with a plastic bag, where everybody had to relieve themselves. After every visit, this contraption would leave grooves in your butt which is how it got its name.
Of course, all this is just background for the real thing.
For me, the highlight of the trip was a specific white-water rafting experience. Seven of us had set out on a rapid which was graded five, meaning that it was one of the more dangerous rapids and contained invisible obstacles. About an our or so after we left, I noticed that the raft had picked up quite a lot of speed. The waves also seemed a lot higher and we were being tossed about considerably. To me, the waters hissed disaster and I braced for whatever was to come. We had had a lot of instruction so we thought we were prepared for any eventuality.
In the meantime though, our straightforward progress had changed, and wallowing in the grip of a powerful cross-current, our raft veered from the middle of the river and headed straight for some very visible rocks. Upon impact, a member of the crew flew overboard and landed right in front of the raft. As he tried to swim away, the momentum of the raft was too quick and ran him over. He popped up right after we went over him, screaming bloody murder. He was not hurt though, and we pulled him back into the raft without any problems.
As we proceeded downstream, we could see in the distance a series of large waves that would overtake anything in their path. Upon approaching these waves, I noticed that there were huge smooth rocks underneath them. I called for the captain, but it was too late; the raft smashed through the wave, causing everyone
to shift forward. The raft came to a dead stop on its front end.
As this happened, the raft's rear end came upward and threw various members of the crew overboard. A guy named Larry, who was sitting in the back of the raft, was thrown violently forward and went catapulting into the river. I saw him flying over everybody before he hit the water and it was such a comical sight that I could barely hold on because I was laughing so much. However, after all this, only the captain, Joel, and I were still on the raft, hanging on for dear life. Larry was swimming like a butterfly, sort of sitting in the water with his legs up making small fluttering movements just as he had been taught. This made us laugh hysterically (probably from relief that it wasn't us in the water). The captain made his way toward the rear of the raft, thus making it come down. As he did this, the raft began to move, and before I knew what was happening, we were through the last wave. Everybody that was thrown overboard was now lying on one of the beaches along the river, exhausted from all the effort made to get to shore.
The experiences that followed were not as exciting as this one, although we all learned a lot and had a great deal of fun in the process. This trip showed me that the inner human spirit can conquer all, and that one has to maintain his strength in order to overcome any adversities. I also made some great friends. The people on my trip were of all ages, and of all types, but by the end of the trip, everyone was very much alike. I saw how people act differently in the same situation: some panic, some stay calm, some laugh and some cry; but we all learned what to do, and what not to do in a dangerous situation and to what degree we could rely on one another. No amount of reading can ever take the place of first-hand experience which is the ultimate learning tool.
A few summers ago, I had the experience of a lifetime.
Although my life has not been that long, 18 years to be exact, this was something I will never forget. I was fourteen at the time, and always looking for some sort of adventure. That's when I found out about Outward Bound - a highly respected wilderness survival school with programs all over the world. The object of this course was to convince us that we can do more than we think we can, at any given moment. I enrolled in the 14-day, Green River-Desolation Canyon, white-water rafting, hiking and rapelling trip. I had the feeling that I was about to embark on a most unprecedented expedition. Green River and Desolation Canyon are both located within Utah and Wyoming, which is a beautiful part of the country.
The school sent a list of required equipment and clothes, and my parents and I went to Albuquerque to purchase everything that was necessary. Apart from equipment not supplied by the school, I was allowed only two sets of clothes for two weeks, and there would be absolutely nothing that would remotely resemble a shower during all that time. Once geared up and ready to go, I took a plane to Salt Lake City, which was where my trip began.
When the plane touched down in Salt Lake City, I didn't know what to feel, or what to expect; my mind was totally blank. At the baggage claim, I saw several people with the same dumb look on their faces as I had. They were up to their ears in camping gear and that's why I thought that they were here for the same reason as I.
I introduced myself, and became quite friendly with them. After a while, we met our course director and he sent us on our way. It took us about five hours by bus to reach our starting point. By that time it was getting dark. We set up camp and prepared ourselves for the next day.
First light became a nightmare. We were required to run AT LEAST one mile before our despicable breakfast (the breakfast consisted of canned bread, some sort of berries, something that looked like eggs, and coffee, all of which had one and the same taste). I am not a morning person, and apparently neither was anyone else, so the breakfast scene became quite nasty. The food supply was rationed as it was precisely calculated to last us the whole trip, so I was hungry all the time, and so was everyone else. This made mealtime a boxing match. If even the slightest amount of nourishment hit the ground, we would all do everything we could to get at it: push, punch, trip and even kick. Nevertheless, we all got along very well.
Answering nature's call was another challenge. There was an ancient army can called the "groover", lined with a plastic bag, where everybody had to relieve themselves. After every visit, this contraption would leave grooves in your butt which is how it got its name.
Of course, all this is just background for the real thing.
For me, the highlight of the trip was a specific white-water rafting experience. Seven of us had set out on a rapid which was graded five, meaning that it was one of the more dangerous rapids and contained invisible obstacles. About an our or so after we left, I noticed that the raft had picked up quite a lot of speed. The waves also seemed a lot higher and we were being tossed about considerably. To me, the waters hissed disaster and I braced for whatever was to come. We had had a lot of instruction so we thought we were prepared for any eventuality.
In the meantime though, our straightforward progress had changed, and wallowing in the grip of a powerful cross-current, our raft veered from the middle of the river and headed straight for some very visible rocks. Upon impact, a member of the crew flew overboard and landed right in front of the raft. As he tried to swim away, the momentum of the raft was too quick and ran him over. He popped up right after we went over him, screaming bloody murder. He was not hurt though, and we pulled him back into the raft without any problems.
As we proceeded downstream, we could see in the distance a series of large waves that would overtake anything in their path. Upon approaching these waves, I noticed that there were huge smooth rocks underneath them. I called for the captain, but it was too late; the raft smashed through the wave, causing everyone
to shift forward. The raft came to a dead stop on its front end.
As this happened, the raft's rear end came upward and threw various members of the crew overboard. A guy named Larry, who was sitting in the back of the raft, was thrown violently forward and went catapulting into the river. I saw him flying over everybody before he hit the water and it was such a comical sight that I could barely hold on because I was laughing so much. However, after all this, only the captain, Joel, and I were still on the raft, hanging on for dear life. Larry was swimming like a butterfly, sort of sitting in the water with his legs up making small fluttering movements just as he had been taught. This made us laugh hysterically (probably from relief that it wasn't us in the water). The captain made his way toward the rear of the raft, thus making it come down. As he did this, the raft began to move, and before I knew what was happening, we were through the last wave. Everybody that was thrown overboard was now lying on one of the beaches along the river, exhausted from all the effort made to get to shore.
The experiences that followed were not as exciting as this one, although we all learned a lot and had a great deal of fun in the process. This trip showed me that the inner human spirit can conquer all, and that one has to maintain his strength in order to overcome any adversities. I also made some great friends. The people on my trip were of all ages, and of all types, but by the end of the trip, everyone was very much alike. I saw how people act differently in the same situation: some panic, some stay calm, some laugh and some cry; but we all learned what to do, and what not to do in a dangerous situation and to what degree we could rely on one another. No amount of reading can ever take the place of first-hand experience which is the ultimate learning tool.
IDENTITIES
THE HAGUE, Netherlands - One was a Somali refugee, the other an Argentine investment banker. Both are now high-profile Dutch women challenging this country to rethink its national identity.
Princess Maxima, the Argentine-born wife of Crown Prince Willem Alexander, triggered a round of national soul-searching with a speech last month about what exactly it means to be Dutch in an age of mass migration.
"The Netherlands is too complex to sum up in one cliche," she said. "A typical Dutch person doesn't exist."
Her comments have tapped into an unsettled feeling among many Dutch who fear traditional values have been eroded in a country roiled by a rise in Muslim extremism.
It's a view espoused by Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who has turned her back on her Islamic roots.
Conservatives in this nation of 16 million say the long Dutch tradition of welcoming immigrants and putting little or no pressure on them to integrate undermines Western values.
"Unfortunately, the debate about Dutch identity is too often held at a very trite and trivial level — as if the discussion is between Brussels sprouts and wooden shoes on the one hand, and couscous and caftans on the other," said Bart Jan Spruyt, founder of The Edmund Burke Foundation, a conservative think tank.
"What is really at stake, due to a frivolous immigration policies and decades of multicultural indifference, is the identity of the Dutch nation, Dutch history and culture as a part of the history of Western civilization."
Han van der Horst, author of a popular book on Dutch culture and history, staunchly defends the nation's live-and-let-live traditions. He points to an old Dutch saying that translates as "everybody is entitled to his own views," but hastens to add: "It doesn't mean you respect those views or share" them.
That attitude historically allowed rigidly separated groupings known as "pillars" to form in society, meaning people of different faiths or political persuasion had their own churches, schools, newspapers, television and radio broadcasters and labor unions.
The system began to unravel in the 1960s, but some observers see the rise of Islam as a new pillar in Dutch society — mosques are springing up around the country and Muslims have their own schools and Web sites.
Hirsi Ali, the former Somali refugee, is one of the success stories of Dutch immigration policy, but also one of its fiercest critics. She condemns the Dutch tradition of multiculturalism, saying tolerance for the intolerant has provided a dangerous breeding ground for Islamic radicalism.
Fear of such radicalism crystallized after the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh, Hirsi Ali's collaborator on the controversial movie "Submission" — a fictional study of abused Muslim women with scenes of near-naked women with Quranic texts engraved on their flesh.
Van Gogh's assailant shot the filmmaker and slit his throat on an Amsterdam street, leaving a letter pinned to his chest threatening the life of Hirsi Ali, who wrote the film's screenplay. Despite going into hiding with 24-hour police protection, Hirsi Ali continued to speak out.
"Our migration policy is a failure," she told The Associated Press in an interview last year. "We used to pretend that we were a homogenous little country and that Holland is not a migration country. We have become a migration country like the United States."
After she arrived in the Netherlands as an asylum seeker fleeing an arranged marriage, Hirsi Ali quickly mastered the Dutch language, found a job and then went to university to earn a degree, eventually becoming a lawmaker for the conservative Liberal Party.
She moved to the United States last year to take a job with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.
Since the Van Gogh slaying, the conservative government has reversed course on multiculturalism, passing a raft of laws that emphasize integration over cultural tolerance — most notably forcing foreigners to take citizenship courses and learn Dutch.
It's within that context that Princess Maxima's speech created such a stir, especially because the Dutch monarchy is not usually political.
Dutch lawmakers from all sides of the political spectrum also have weighed in. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende — one of three government ministers who approved the princess' speech before she delivered it — supported her views. Right-wing, anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders labeled it politically correct "tittle-tattle."
Mohammed Sini, the chairman of Islam and Citizenship, a national moderate Muslim organization, said there is a tendency in the Netherlands to group all Muslims together, bracketing moderates along with extremists.
He expressed hope that the old Dutch spirit of live-and-let-live would prevail.
"The key is respect — that you respect one another's values — that is a key Dutch trait and fortunately there are still many people here who carry on the Dutch culture in that way."
(This version CORRECTS SUBS 16th graf to correct that Hirshi Ali is living in U.S. instead of the Netherlands.)
Princess Maxima, the Argentine-born wife of Crown Prince Willem Alexander, triggered a round of national soul-searching with a speech last month about what exactly it means to be Dutch in an age of mass migration.
"The Netherlands is too complex to sum up in one cliche," she said. "A typical Dutch person doesn't exist."
Her comments have tapped into an unsettled feeling among many Dutch who fear traditional values have been eroded in a country roiled by a rise in Muslim extremism.
It's a view espoused by Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who has turned her back on her Islamic roots.
Conservatives in this nation of 16 million say the long Dutch tradition of welcoming immigrants and putting little or no pressure on them to integrate undermines Western values.
"Unfortunately, the debate about Dutch identity is too often held at a very trite and trivial level — as if the discussion is between Brussels sprouts and wooden shoes on the one hand, and couscous and caftans on the other," said Bart Jan Spruyt, founder of The Edmund Burke Foundation, a conservative think tank.
"What is really at stake, due to a frivolous immigration policies and decades of multicultural indifference, is the identity of the Dutch nation, Dutch history and culture as a part of the history of Western civilization."
Han van der Horst, author of a popular book on Dutch culture and history, staunchly defends the nation's live-and-let-live traditions. He points to an old Dutch saying that translates as "everybody is entitled to his own views," but hastens to add: "It doesn't mean you respect those views or share" them.
That attitude historically allowed rigidly separated groupings known as "pillars" to form in society, meaning people of different faiths or political persuasion had their own churches, schools, newspapers, television and radio broadcasters and labor unions.
The system began to unravel in the 1960s, but some observers see the rise of Islam as a new pillar in Dutch society — mosques are springing up around the country and Muslims have their own schools and Web sites.
Hirsi Ali, the former Somali refugee, is one of the success stories of Dutch immigration policy, but also one of its fiercest critics. She condemns the Dutch tradition of multiculturalism, saying tolerance for the intolerant has provided a dangerous breeding ground for Islamic radicalism.
Fear of such radicalism crystallized after the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh, Hirsi Ali's collaborator on the controversial movie "Submission" — a fictional study of abused Muslim women with scenes of near-naked women with Quranic texts engraved on their flesh.
Van Gogh's assailant shot the filmmaker and slit his throat on an Amsterdam street, leaving a letter pinned to his chest threatening the life of Hirsi Ali, who wrote the film's screenplay. Despite going into hiding with 24-hour police protection, Hirsi Ali continued to speak out.
"Our migration policy is a failure," she told The Associated Press in an interview last year. "We used to pretend that we were a homogenous little country and that Holland is not a migration country. We have become a migration country like the United States."
After she arrived in the Netherlands as an asylum seeker fleeing an arranged marriage, Hirsi Ali quickly mastered the Dutch language, found a job and then went to university to earn a degree, eventually becoming a lawmaker for the conservative Liberal Party.
She moved to the United States last year to take a job with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.
Since the Van Gogh slaying, the conservative government has reversed course on multiculturalism, passing a raft of laws that emphasize integration over cultural tolerance — most notably forcing foreigners to take citizenship courses and learn Dutch.
It's within that context that Princess Maxima's speech created such a stir, especially because the Dutch monarchy is not usually political.
Dutch lawmakers from all sides of the political spectrum also have weighed in. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende — one of three government ministers who approved the princess' speech before she delivered it — supported her views. Right-wing, anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders labeled it politically correct "tittle-tattle."
Mohammed Sini, the chairman of Islam and Citizenship, a national moderate Muslim organization, said there is a tendency in the Netherlands to group all Muslims together, bracketing moderates along with extremists.
He expressed hope that the old Dutch spirit of live-and-let-live would prevail.
"The key is respect — that you respect one another's values — that is a key Dutch trait and fortunately there are still many people here who carry on the Dutch culture in that way."
(This version CORRECTS SUBS 16th graf to correct that Hirshi Ali is living in U.S. instead of the Netherlands.)
REVIEW WRITING by JM
Don Florence’s American Literature 511
A View from Abroad
by Jeannette Maingot
There is no doubt that it must be a truly daunting task to choose seven books for a one-semester course on American literature. First of all, what is the objective of the course? Is it the reading of great literature by renowned American authors? Is it a lesson in American culture? Is it a critique of American society past and present? And then, what is the student to take away from the course? Is it a better understanding of the authors and their novels, an increased awareness of what is American, or maybe an improved ability to analyze and put into words an author’s message?
People read for many different reasons. We read because we identify with the characters in books and they express what we may not be able to express, because we find feelings that we are not able to decipher, because it is the closest we can come to knowing how other heads and other worlds work, and because we want to know that we are not alone in visualizing life the way we do. We read to live other lives, to complement reality, and to find a kindred spirit or confirmation of our beliefs. Personally, I read to learn, to forget, to remember, and to relax. I read to learn because one of my main interests in reading is getting to know other cultures. I read to forget because, at this time, I am living in one of the most dangerous cities in the world where ten murders in a day is so normal that the report is buried in the back of the newspaper. I read to remember because the world has changed so much that sometimes we need to go back in time to realize what the past was really like. And I read to relax because there is nothing better than sitting on a deserted beach or somewhere in the woods with a good book (and a bottle of wine).
The seven books I read this semester fulfill all these requirements and, at the same time, they have been quite an education in American culture. Ellison, Lee, and Morrison gave me an intimate look into the lives of American Negroes and the racism and prejudice of the societies they lived in; Silko and Anaya were masters in creating a clear picture of the hybrid identities that are so common in the American southwest, and Pynchon and Bellow took me back to my own sixties with their intriguing and disconcerting style and the time of chaos, emotion, turbulence, and confusion that was the sixties in the United States in particular.
White people have always been obsessed with the color of skin and they have done atrocious things because of it. There is no doubt that there are still many untold stories in this dark chapter of the history of the United States, but Invisible Man, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Beloved give those of us who live in other countries and have had different experiences a very clear picture of the cause and effect of that obsession with color. I think Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man paints the broadest picture of the American Negro experience. Ellison takes his protagonist from the innocence of his college days when he was taught to reject black culture as inferior and to learn to be like the white man, to devastating disillusion at the end of his time in the Brotherhood where he was taught not to have individual thought or expression, to a new realization that only he himself can bring about his own liberation. The nameless narrator tells his story from a basement in a New York apartment building where he is hiding, thoroughly disillusioned, after his countless and futile attempts to carve himself a relevant place in American society. At one point in the novel, by means of a series of misunderstandings and Kafka-like manipulations, he seems to have found this place in the above-mentioned Brotherhood where he works as a political agitator only to realize that even here he is the victim of racist distrust and prejudice and that his intentions are constantly misinterpreted. Thus, during a nightmarish riot in Harlem, the narrator goes underground in search of himself and the truth. Ellison’s style with its grotesque scenes and heavy symbolism is extremely effective in portraying the plight of the American Negro at that time in history and the book is the epitome of the black man’s search for identity.
Unlike the broad picture we get from Invisible Man, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird can be considered regionalist. The novel is, of course, a classic and poignantly dissects the racist, intolerant, and puritanical society of Maycomb, the quintessential southern American town where the story takes place. The trial of a black man for a rape he did not commit is the perfect backdrop for a discussion on race, prejudice, ignorance, and human values. Lee provides a true cultural lesson because the novel not only paints a vivid picture of that racism but also explains the southern caste system through the different characters in the novel. There is the humble and subservient black man, the self-righteous and ‘upstanding’ member of the middle-class white community, and the poor white who is only one rung, though a very marked one, above the black on the social ladder. All these stock characters live strictly within the constrictions of the town’s social mores. But there are also the exceptions like Miss Maudie and Atticus who follow their own code and try to teach the children and the people around them that there is another way though, as far as the townspeople are concerned, this is often an exercise in futility. The fact that the townspeople know that Tom Robinson is innocent, that Mayella Ewing is lying, and that her father is a reprehensible human being does not change the fact that they believe that Robinson must be punished because he is black and Ewing must get off scot-free because he is white. Lee has a through and through American style and even if she had not expressly stated where and when the story takes place, the events and the characters would have made it unmistakably American.
Reading Morrison is a painful tour de rigueur because she describes, better than anyone, the limits of freedom of her characters. In Beloved, this author makes the reader feel the terrible and inescapable pain of being black. The environment in which the slaves of the mid nineteenth century lived is described vividly and the power whites had over black slaves and the torture, both physical and mental, that these slaves were subjected to are painstakingly revealed in a way that is often emotionally difficult for the reader to absorb. It was not until recently that African Americans have been able to free themselves from the yoke that kept them imprisoned and this is what makes Morrison’s novel so significant. Beloved shows us different aspects of the black experience because the story takes place both when slavery still existed and shortly after its abolition. As a slave, Sethe, the protagonist, was not allowed to have an identity and had absolutely no sense of self-worth. She was treated like an animal, a breeder, someone to be raped, beaten, and abused, so much so that when the slave catcher finds her after she escapes from the Sweet Home plantation, she tries to kill her own children rather than let them be taken back into slavery. The novel takes us through her struggle to regain an identity and the immense challenge she faces of learning to enjoy freedom and believe there actually is a future for someone like her.
Invisible Man and To Kill a Mockingbird can be compared to Silko’s Ceremony and Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima in that Silko writes about an adult Tayo looking for his place in a multicultural world whereas Anaya writes about a young boy who experiences events that help him find his own path despite conflicting Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo cultural influences and messages. Ceremony in particular shows the reader America's perception of Native Americans. Tayo, half white, half Native American, joins the army where he quickly finds the respect and acceptance he never had from whites outside the army. After Tayo comes back from World War II and the Veterans’ Hospital and resumes life in the Laguna Pueblo reservation, nothing is the same. He no longer has the respect of whites, he finds he no longer has anything in common with his old friends, and he suffers from serious post-traumatic stress. He realizes he must find a way to cure himself. He instinctively knows this ‘cure’ lies with his Native American heritage but he doesn’t know how or even if to seek it there. On the one hand, he wants to reject that culture and on the other embrace it. As a person of mixed ancestry, he is lost and moves from culture to culture, both because his Auntie constantly reminds him that he is not entirely one of them but also because that is the message he gets from his peers and other family members. Silko’s depiction of life on an Indian reservation and the forces that pull its inhabitants in different directions are an invaluable lesson in southwestern American culture.
In Bless Me, Ultima, learning to bridge and balance these forces comes through appreciation for the natural and supernatural features of life. The mystical pantheism of New Mexico’s land and history, channeled through Ultima, suggests to Antonio a path to cultural and psychic integration that lets him begin to understand who he is. (Florence, Week 8 Lecture).
Author Rudolfo Anaya’s first-hand knowledge of the ins and outs of small town life in a multicultural community such as Guadalupe is essential in creating the realism and insight the author gives his readers into the many different cultures that coexist in New Mexico and the way this has shaped its people. Antonio’s growing up and being torn between the two cultures of his parents and finally deciding on one of his own could not have been conveyed the way it was if the author had not lived these experiences himself. Antonio, just like many people in the American southwest, adopts traits and characteristics of various cultures that are part of the environment he lives in. This mix of cultures has made the Southwest unique and as an author familiar with them, Anaya is able to overcome cultural differences between his characters and readers from anywhere – not just the Southwest.
Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 and Bellow’s More Die of Heartbreak are prime examples of the American sixties. I enjoyed both of these novels more in hindsight – after digesting them - than when I was actually reading them. The Crying of Lot 49 is a convoluted maze and most of the metaphors and allusions as well as the many references to all kinds of pop culture, science, and technology were often lost on me. The protagonist, Oedipa ‘discovers’ a conflict between two mail distribution centers that appears to have gone on for centuries. With every new ‘clue,’ she becomes more and more paranoid not in the least because the characters she meets along the way are thoroughly eccentric if not outright crazy. Oedipa is a bizarre character in a bizarre book: she spends a night with a lawyer in a motel playing strip poker, travels up and down freeways pursuing her so called quest - or conspiracy theory -, has strange encounters at the Yoyodyne electronics factory in San Narciso, has a psychiatrist called Dr. Hilarius who has himself gone off the deep end and takes her hostage, and ends up at the auction of Inverarity’s stamp collection because she believes one of the bidders may be from Tristero. The way the story is told often made me sigh in frustration, “only in California!”
And then there is Bellow. It’s hard to say which of the two authors’ styles is more American. Bellow is not as convoluted, but he certainly is as frustrating. The plot of his story is thought – I kept trying to find a focus but Kenneth, the narrator, rambles on endlessly as if he were writing down his thoughts which, for all intents and purposes, are a series of digressions though from what it is hard to say. He never seems to get to the point if there even is one. I would say that one of the main characteristics of Bellow’s style is the interrelation of comic and tragic situations with mostly intellectual characters whose monologues go from the sublime to the ridiculous. They are peculiar Jewish Americans who live in a big American city and who are incapable of having normal relationships with women. Why Bellow is considered representative of Jewish American writers is not really clear to me. Though familiar with the Jewish stereotype, I do not really know what the cultural characteristics of Jewish Americans or their literature are, and I do not have a real basis for comparison. According to Dr. Florence, “because of their traditional emphasis on learning, Jews perhaps have more ready intellectual and cultural associations for performing the drama of identity than do some other cultures. Lurking in much Jewish humor (and in much non-Jewish humor, too) is the sense of suffering and futility.” This certainly seems to tie in with Bellow’s novel. Both Uncle Benn’s and Kenneth’s characters fit these descriptions perfectly as both are nothing if not dramatic and their self-indulgent suffering and the futility of their search for a meaningful relationship with a woman is ever obvious.
It has always been astounding to me that in the North American culture made up of Native Americans and immigrants there can still today be so much prejudice, racism, and intolerance. People who publicly profess to be “all-embracing” will privately refer to the different minorities in very derogatory terms. In his essay What’s American about America, author Ishmael Reed says that this attitude is what caused “the concentration of Japanese-American citizens during World War II, the persecution of Chicanos and Chinese-Americans, the near extermination of the Indians, and the murder and lynching of thousands of Afro-Americans.
I enjoyed reading all seven books immensely (even Pynchon and Bellow). I think, however, that it would have been interesting if a book on Asian Americans and their experiences had been included in the course – not on the recent arrivals, but rather on those who have been in the United States for several generations. I believe they have played an important part in the country’s history and it would have rounded out my “cultural experience” just a little more. I would not want to venture a suggestion, though, on which book should be replaced and what it should be replaced by. All seven books were great choices and have given me much added insight and knowledge about the culture of the United States and its inhabitants.
Works Cited
Reed, Ishmael. What's American About America in Ourselves Among Others, Cross Cultural Readings for Writers. New York: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1994.
A View from Abroad
by Jeannette Maingot
There is no doubt that it must be a truly daunting task to choose seven books for a one-semester course on American literature. First of all, what is the objective of the course? Is it the reading of great literature by renowned American authors? Is it a lesson in American culture? Is it a critique of American society past and present? And then, what is the student to take away from the course? Is it a better understanding of the authors and their novels, an increased awareness of what is American, or maybe an improved ability to analyze and put into words an author’s message?
People read for many different reasons. We read because we identify with the characters in books and they express what we may not be able to express, because we find feelings that we are not able to decipher, because it is the closest we can come to knowing how other heads and other worlds work, and because we want to know that we are not alone in visualizing life the way we do. We read to live other lives, to complement reality, and to find a kindred spirit or confirmation of our beliefs. Personally, I read to learn, to forget, to remember, and to relax. I read to learn because one of my main interests in reading is getting to know other cultures. I read to forget because, at this time, I am living in one of the most dangerous cities in the world where ten murders in a day is so normal that the report is buried in the back of the newspaper. I read to remember because the world has changed so much that sometimes we need to go back in time to realize what the past was really like. And I read to relax because there is nothing better than sitting on a deserted beach or somewhere in the woods with a good book (and a bottle of wine).
The seven books I read this semester fulfill all these requirements and, at the same time, they have been quite an education in American culture. Ellison, Lee, and Morrison gave me an intimate look into the lives of American Negroes and the racism and prejudice of the societies they lived in; Silko and Anaya were masters in creating a clear picture of the hybrid identities that are so common in the American southwest, and Pynchon and Bellow took me back to my own sixties with their intriguing and disconcerting style and the time of chaos, emotion, turbulence, and confusion that was the sixties in the United States in particular.
White people have always been obsessed with the color of skin and they have done atrocious things because of it. There is no doubt that there are still many untold stories in this dark chapter of the history of the United States, but Invisible Man, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Beloved give those of us who live in other countries and have had different experiences a very clear picture of the cause and effect of that obsession with color. I think Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man paints the broadest picture of the American Negro experience. Ellison takes his protagonist from the innocence of his college days when he was taught to reject black culture as inferior and to learn to be like the white man, to devastating disillusion at the end of his time in the Brotherhood where he was taught not to have individual thought or expression, to a new realization that only he himself can bring about his own liberation. The nameless narrator tells his story from a basement in a New York apartment building where he is hiding, thoroughly disillusioned, after his countless and futile attempts to carve himself a relevant place in American society. At one point in the novel, by means of a series of misunderstandings and Kafka-like manipulations, he seems to have found this place in the above-mentioned Brotherhood where he works as a political agitator only to realize that even here he is the victim of racist distrust and prejudice and that his intentions are constantly misinterpreted. Thus, during a nightmarish riot in Harlem, the narrator goes underground in search of himself and the truth. Ellison’s style with its grotesque scenes and heavy symbolism is extremely effective in portraying the plight of the American Negro at that time in history and the book is the epitome of the black man’s search for identity.
Unlike the broad picture we get from Invisible Man, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird can be considered regionalist. The novel is, of course, a classic and poignantly dissects the racist, intolerant, and puritanical society of Maycomb, the quintessential southern American town where the story takes place. The trial of a black man for a rape he did not commit is the perfect backdrop for a discussion on race, prejudice, ignorance, and human values. Lee provides a true cultural lesson because the novel not only paints a vivid picture of that racism but also explains the southern caste system through the different characters in the novel. There is the humble and subservient black man, the self-righteous and ‘upstanding’ member of the middle-class white community, and the poor white who is only one rung, though a very marked one, above the black on the social ladder. All these stock characters live strictly within the constrictions of the town’s social mores. But there are also the exceptions like Miss Maudie and Atticus who follow their own code and try to teach the children and the people around them that there is another way though, as far as the townspeople are concerned, this is often an exercise in futility. The fact that the townspeople know that Tom Robinson is innocent, that Mayella Ewing is lying, and that her father is a reprehensible human being does not change the fact that they believe that Robinson must be punished because he is black and Ewing must get off scot-free because he is white. Lee has a through and through American style and even if she had not expressly stated where and when the story takes place, the events and the characters would have made it unmistakably American.
Reading Morrison is a painful tour de rigueur because she describes, better than anyone, the limits of freedom of her characters. In Beloved, this author makes the reader feel the terrible and inescapable pain of being black. The environment in which the slaves of the mid nineteenth century lived is described vividly and the power whites had over black slaves and the torture, both physical and mental, that these slaves were subjected to are painstakingly revealed in a way that is often emotionally difficult for the reader to absorb. It was not until recently that African Americans have been able to free themselves from the yoke that kept them imprisoned and this is what makes Morrison’s novel so significant. Beloved shows us different aspects of the black experience because the story takes place both when slavery still existed and shortly after its abolition. As a slave, Sethe, the protagonist, was not allowed to have an identity and had absolutely no sense of self-worth. She was treated like an animal, a breeder, someone to be raped, beaten, and abused, so much so that when the slave catcher finds her after she escapes from the Sweet Home plantation, she tries to kill her own children rather than let them be taken back into slavery. The novel takes us through her struggle to regain an identity and the immense challenge she faces of learning to enjoy freedom and believe there actually is a future for someone like her.
Invisible Man and To Kill a Mockingbird can be compared to Silko’s Ceremony and Anaya’s Bless Me, Ultima in that Silko writes about an adult Tayo looking for his place in a multicultural world whereas Anaya writes about a young boy who experiences events that help him find his own path despite conflicting Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo cultural influences and messages. Ceremony in particular shows the reader America's perception of Native Americans. Tayo, half white, half Native American, joins the army where he quickly finds the respect and acceptance he never had from whites outside the army. After Tayo comes back from World War II and the Veterans’ Hospital and resumes life in the Laguna Pueblo reservation, nothing is the same. He no longer has the respect of whites, he finds he no longer has anything in common with his old friends, and he suffers from serious post-traumatic stress. He realizes he must find a way to cure himself. He instinctively knows this ‘cure’ lies with his Native American heritage but he doesn’t know how or even if to seek it there. On the one hand, he wants to reject that culture and on the other embrace it. As a person of mixed ancestry, he is lost and moves from culture to culture, both because his Auntie constantly reminds him that he is not entirely one of them but also because that is the message he gets from his peers and other family members. Silko’s depiction of life on an Indian reservation and the forces that pull its inhabitants in different directions are an invaluable lesson in southwestern American culture.
In Bless Me, Ultima, learning to bridge and balance these forces comes through appreciation for the natural and supernatural features of life. The mystical pantheism of New Mexico’s land and history, channeled through Ultima, suggests to Antonio a path to cultural and psychic integration that lets him begin to understand who he is. (Florence, Week 8 Lecture).
Author Rudolfo Anaya’s first-hand knowledge of the ins and outs of small town life in a multicultural community such as Guadalupe is essential in creating the realism and insight the author gives his readers into the many different cultures that coexist in New Mexico and the way this has shaped its people. Antonio’s growing up and being torn between the two cultures of his parents and finally deciding on one of his own could not have been conveyed the way it was if the author had not lived these experiences himself. Antonio, just like many people in the American southwest, adopts traits and characteristics of various cultures that are part of the environment he lives in. This mix of cultures has made the Southwest unique and as an author familiar with them, Anaya is able to overcome cultural differences between his characters and readers from anywhere – not just the Southwest.
Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 and Bellow’s More Die of Heartbreak are prime examples of the American sixties. I enjoyed both of these novels more in hindsight – after digesting them - than when I was actually reading them. The Crying of Lot 49 is a convoluted maze and most of the metaphors and allusions as well as the many references to all kinds of pop culture, science, and technology were often lost on me. The protagonist, Oedipa ‘discovers’ a conflict between two mail distribution centers that appears to have gone on for centuries. With every new ‘clue,’ she becomes more and more paranoid not in the least because the characters she meets along the way are thoroughly eccentric if not outright crazy. Oedipa is a bizarre character in a bizarre book: she spends a night with a lawyer in a motel playing strip poker, travels up and down freeways pursuing her so called quest - or conspiracy theory -, has strange encounters at the Yoyodyne electronics factory in San Narciso, has a psychiatrist called Dr. Hilarius who has himself gone off the deep end and takes her hostage, and ends up at the auction of Inverarity’s stamp collection because she believes one of the bidders may be from Tristero. The way the story is told often made me sigh in frustration, “only in California!”
And then there is Bellow. It’s hard to say which of the two authors’ styles is more American. Bellow is not as convoluted, but he certainly is as frustrating. The plot of his story is thought – I kept trying to find a focus but Kenneth, the narrator, rambles on endlessly as if he were writing down his thoughts which, for all intents and purposes, are a series of digressions though from what it is hard to say. He never seems to get to the point if there even is one. I would say that one of the main characteristics of Bellow’s style is the interrelation of comic and tragic situations with mostly intellectual characters whose monologues go from the sublime to the ridiculous. They are peculiar Jewish Americans who live in a big American city and who are incapable of having normal relationships with women. Why Bellow is considered representative of Jewish American writers is not really clear to me. Though familiar with the Jewish stereotype, I do not really know what the cultural characteristics of Jewish Americans or their literature are, and I do not have a real basis for comparison. According to Dr. Florence, “because of their traditional emphasis on learning, Jews perhaps have more ready intellectual and cultural associations for performing the drama of identity than do some other cultures. Lurking in much Jewish humor (and in much non-Jewish humor, too) is the sense of suffering and futility.” This certainly seems to tie in with Bellow’s novel. Both Uncle Benn’s and Kenneth’s characters fit these descriptions perfectly as both are nothing if not dramatic and their self-indulgent suffering and the futility of their search for a meaningful relationship with a woman is ever obvious.
It has always been astounding to me that in the North American culture made up of Native Americans and immigrants there can still today be so much prejudice, racism, and intolerance. People who publicly profess to be “all-embracing” will privately refer to the different minorities in very derogatory terms. In his essay What’s American about America, author Ishmael Reed says that this attitude is what caused “the concentration of Japanese-American citizens during World War II, the persecution of Chicanos and Chinese-Americans, the near extermination of the Indians, and the murder and lynching of thousands of Afro-Americans.
I enjoyed reading all seven books immensely (even Pynchon and Bellow). I think, however, that it would have been interesting if a book on Asian Americans and their experiences had been included in the course – not on the recent arrivals, but rather on those who have been in the United States for several generations. I believe they have played an important part in the country’s history and it would have rounded out my “cultural experience” just a little more. I would not want to venture a suggestion, though, on which book should be replaced and what it should be replaced by. All seven books were great choices and have given me much added insight and knowledge about the culture of the United States and its inhabitants.
Works Cited
Reed, Ishmael. What's American About America in Ourselves Among Others, Cross Cultural Readings for Writers. New York: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1994.
Friday, May 13, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: PROPOSAL by VERONICA HOLGUIN
Money Spent on Obama’s Campaign
The White House has said that President Obama’s goal for his 2011 campaign is to reduce the American debt and bring down the deficit based on shared responsibility and prosperity. Obama has agreed on the need for spending cuts while warning against trimming investments in education or infrastructure and emphasizing that the wealthiest Americans could stand to pay more taxes. He even declared in his weekly address recently, as Americans raced to file their taxes by the last deadline, “people like me don’t need another tax cut.” Also, a public opinion poll released by the Gallup organization showed 59 percent of Americans believe that rich people pay too little in taxes against 25 percent who said they pay the right amount and 13 percent who said the wealthy are overtaxed. President Barack Obama believes his approach will slice $4 trillion in 12 years or less off the debt.
Barack Obama became a candidate for re-election on April 4, 2011. For the 2008 campaign he raised $750 million, and he hopes to top $1 billion for 2012. Obama entered his first fundraising event in New York. He was expected to raise between $2 million and $3 million.
First of all, I believe that “you should practice what you preach,” so instead of raising 1 billion dollars for his 2012 reelection, Obama should use this money to promote employment or to approve an immigration law. If he does that, he will not have to work so hard cross-country to convince voters to support him.
I am sure that everybody wants to save the economy and all prefer a better budget to pay the debt and help those in need. But Americans want to solve more important problems like housing, medical care, unemployment, education, and energy saving rather than raise more money for a political campaign. Now voters are more concerned about deficit spending than usual. With the death of Osama Bin Laden, President Obama obtained an enormous and immediate political victory that gives him the advantage of having more time to plan and execute his work than to spend time on a very busy fundraising agenda.
Also, instead of having a full year campaign, why don’t candidates have three-month campaigns? That would be better not just to cut money spent on political propaganda, but also to reduce time lost in image exposure. Obama doesn’t need to spend millions of dollars to get public attention, not now that all Americans know who he is. For him it would be better to continue using the media like television or social media to get support than to travel from one state to the other. I know that sounds scary because who will want to risk losing a campaign because they did not have presence in certain cities or states? But here is when regulations must be applied.
There should also be a limit on the time and money candidates spend on campaigns. Political campaigns should not be longer than a period of three months and should not spend more money than any state budget for an educational program or medical reform. If politicians’ salaries get cut, a part of that money could be used to support their candidate and at the same time, they can secure their position too.
Moreover, another way for political candidates to win voter support is by proving in public debates what their proposals for the problems’ solutions are. I can assure you that if a political candidate participates in two or three public debates, people will have the opportunity to know and understand what the intentions of that politician are. The public will have an idea of what they can expect from them. The main purpose of a political campaign, after all, should be to get in contact with the citizens and ask for their support and this could be done with a lot less money.
Works Cited
McCormick, John.Bloomberg Business week. April 21, 2011. “Obama Fires
Up His Campaign”
The White House has said that President Obama’s goal for his 2011 campaign is to reduce the American debt and bring down the deficit based on shared responsibility and prosperity. Obama has agreed on the need for spending cuts while warning against trimming investments in education or infrastructure and emphasizing that the wealthiest Americans could stand to pay more taxes. He even declared in his weekly address recently, as Americans raced to file their taxes by the last deadline, “people like me don’t need another tax cut.” Also, a public opinion poll released by the Gallup organization showed 59 percent of Americans believe that rich people pay too little in taxes against 25 percent who said they pay the right amount and 13 percent who said the wealthy are overtaxed. President Barack Obama believes his approach will slice $4 trillion in 12 years or less off the debt.
Barack Obama became a candidate for re-election on April 4, 2011. For the 2008 campaign he raised $750 million, and he hopes to top $1 billion for 2012. Obama entered his first fundraising event in New York. He was expected to raise between $2 million and $3 million.
First of all, I believe that “you should practice what you preach,” so instead of raising 1 billion dollars for his 2012 reelection, Obama should use this money to promote employment or to approve an immigration law. If he does that, he will not have to work so hard cross-country to convince voters to support him.
I am sure that everybody wants to save the economy and all prefer a better budget to pay the debt and help those in need. But Americans want to solve more important problems like housing, medical care, unemployment, education, and energy saving rather than raise more money for a political campaign. Now voters are more concerned about deficit spending than usual. With the death of Osama Bin Laden, President Obama obtained an enormous and immediate political victory that gives him the advantage of having more time to plan and execute his work than to spend time on a very busy fundraising agenda.
Also, instead of having a full year campaign, why don’t candidates have three-month campaigns? That would be better not just to cut money spent on political propaganda, but also to reduce time lost in image exposure. Obama doesn’t need to spend millions of dollars to get public attention, not now that all Americans know who he is. For him it would be better to continue using the media like television or social media to get support than to travel from one state to the other. I know that sounds scary because who will want to risk losing a campaign because they did not have presence in certain cities or states? But here is when regulations must be applied.
There should also be a limit on the time and money candidates spend on campaigns. Political campaigns should not be longer than a period of three months and should not spend more money than any state budget for an educational program or medical reform. If politicians’ salaries get cut, a part of that money could be used to support their candidate and at the same time, they can secure their position too.
Moreover, another way for political candidates to win voter support is by proving in public debates what their proposals for the problems’ solutions are. I can assure you that if a political candidate participates in two or three public debates, people will have the opportunity to know and understand what the intentions of that politician are. The public will have an idea of what they can expect from them. The main purpose of a political campaign, after all, should be to get in contact with the citizens and ask for their support and this could be done with a lot less money.
Works Cited
McCormick, John.Bloomberg Business week. April 21, 2011. “Obama Fires
Up His Campaign”
Monday, May 2, 2011
THE WALL: AN EXERCISE IN FUTILITY by JM
The Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, Hadrian’s Wall, the Western Sahara Border Wall, the Israeli West Bank Wall…. Have we learned nothing from history? It’s time we learn from the mistakes of others and history, it’s time we recognize the futility of building walls.
One of the first things that came to my mind when considering writing about the “wall” was that the mere idea of this wall is so absurd that well known comedian George Lopez has joked: “Who do you think they'll get to build the wall?” But building a 700-mile long fence that Mexican nationals and other hopefuls will cut through - which has already happened at Columbus, New Mexico - (Vandalizan), scale, go around, or tunnel under is more than absurd. The United States wants to build a wall to secure its borders and help solve its immigration crisis. The complexity of this is mind-boggling and it is difficult if not impossible to imagine how this can be done by erecting a wall. Whereas it is undeniable that there is a huge wave of migration, a wall, high fences, increased manpower, barbed wire, or technological resources are very ineffective ways to stop this. For one, “the estimated $2 billion price tag and the mandate that it be completed by 2008 overlook 10 years of legal and logistical difficulties the federal government has faced to finish a comparatively tiny fence of 14 miles dividing San Diego and Tijuana.” (Pomfret, John. 2006)
But more importantly, the United States cannot be an island, which is what is happening. It must be a generator of opportunities throughout the hemisphere. The greater majority of the nationals of any of the Latin countries would much prefer not to have to go to another country, but the opportunities are just not there. That is the root of the problems. Of course, it goes without saying that the Latin countries themselves should be much more proactive than they are in generating jobs for their own populations – which means that there has to be very close cooperation between the U.S. and the different countries of the hemisphere and it is certainly in the U.S.’s self interest to promote this.
The wall along the border between Mexico and the United States is supposed to stop illegal immigration from Mexico into the U.S. As a border resident – Mexican side – I know, as do most people, that this is impossible. I read somewhere that the Americans got the idea of constructing a wall or fence from the Israelis. In reality though, the U.S. government has been working on this wall since around 1994. If memory serves me, ‘Operation Gatekeeper’ started around the time NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, which increased U.S. competition with low-wage Mexico, was signed. The wall starts on the west coast at San Diego, at the border crossing with Tijuana. The result of the wall there was that immigration moved, as probably intended, further eastward where the landscape is inhospitable and the climate more extreme. Every year hundreds of illegal immigrants die from exposure to the sun, exhaustion, snake bites, dehydration, suffocation, and other such causes. It is an appalling fact that far more deaths occur every year on the border between the United States and Mexico – two friendly nations – than the 287 deaths in the approximately 28 years of existence of the reviled Berlin wall (Cooper, 2003). People smugglers known as ‘coyotes’ or ‘polleros’ who help the undocumented entrants on their way in exchange for ever increasing amounts of money are known to abandon them once across the border. Their only hope is often the help they may get from organizations such as the Samaritans who drive around the desert in areas where migrants commonly cross the border and often get lost. These Samaritans provide them with food packages, water, diapers, shoes, and other items much needed by these migrants in spite of the fact that they are not allowed to do so by the Border Patrol. Some organizations also place containers of water, food, and blankets marked by flags and blinking lights at different points in the desert to try and save lives; they are not allowed to pick up people and take them to hospitals. The Border Patrol goes after anything that moves with helicopters, dogs, and infrared equipment. They are assisted in their efforts, especially on weekends, by U.S. citizen militias who play their own games clad in camouflage outfits and carrying modern weapons. I know from extensive personal experience that anyone traveling along the border is constantly stopped and questioned.
Apart from the San Diego area, there are also stretches of wall in other places, such as here in the El Paso area (Operation Hold the Line) and at Nogales, Arizona (Operation Safeguard). (Interview 1999). The total length of this wall is already considerable, but the border is still as penetrable as a sieve. It is generally estimated that three out of four intents to cross the border are successful which amounts to hundreds of thousands per year. Most of those that succeed go to Los Angeles, Chicago, or other cities where there is work and where they can disappear in large Mexican communities. After Mexico City, Los Angeles is the largest ‘Mexican’ city in the world followed by Chicago. There are some 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States (though estimates of 20 million are not uncommon) a majority of whom are Mexicans, and an additional flow of about 500,000 per year. (Reno, Kliff & Campo-Flores, 2008).
Obviously many Americans worry about the consequences of the mass-immigration phenomenon. The people in Latin countries, on the other hand, are bombarded every day by television programs, newspapers articles, movies, internet sites, etc. that assure us that most Americans want to seal the border and stop the catholic, uneducated, not-brought-up-with-democratic-protestant-and-liberal-values Mexicans. That these Americans believe that the Mexicans, with all their children, are creating a bio-bomb because all these U.S. born children are automatic U.S. citizens; that the violent ‘Mexican gangs’ whose members can number in the thousands and who exacerbate the fear these Americans have are unstoppable, and that in the shanty towns that spring up like mushrooms on the outskirts of cities, chaos, drugs, and crime reign. There is no shortage of reasons for thinking that beautiful, healthy, and prosperous America is being taken down by criminal and violent Mexico.
What is an undeniable reality though is the fact that many employers, agricultural, industrial, services, or others, are only too happy to receive the constant flow of cheap labor. Even the staunch supporters of halting immigration recognize that “the vast majority of illegals hold jobs…that there is little evidence that illegals come to America to take advantage of public benefits… [and that] the vast majority is in fact employed.” (Camarota, 2004. P. 5, 37). Labor unions sympathize with the hard lot of illegal workers but have difficulty with the fact that these workers are willing to accept very little money and thus keep wages down. This results in the growth of poverty among workers and that could potentially mean the end of the American middle class. In a pessimistic view of the future, this situation creates huge impoverished masses and a small extremely wealthy elite class. The Mexico model, so to speak.
Washington has wrestled with the immigration problem for years – halfheartedly. Construction of the wall continues steadfastly but the “aliens”, “illegal immigrants”, “undocumented workers”, or whatever the politically correct name of the moment is, keep crossing the border and do not have much trouble finding jobs. Employing illegal entrants is prohibited but tacitly accepted. The border patrol picks up people who, as everyone knows, will try again the next day. Every so often, immigration officers go after the housekeepers, maids, nannies, gardeners, and construction workers because rules are rules. But these are symbolic actions which mask the reality.
However, the pressure on Washington to take effective measures is increasing. On the other hand, the illegal immigrants are also letting themselves be heard more and more. There have been mass demonstrations everywhere in the U.S. – I myself witnessed one in Seattle - demanding a humane immigration policy. There is a kind of illegal movement going on which demands legalization and better working conditions.
The proposed Bush guest worker program, renewing guest worker visas, current undocumented workers paying fines and then getting visas, etc. would have been a good start, or at least a step in the right direction. I realize many people, including some of my own family members, disagree, arguing that illegal immigrants should not get privileges that legal immigrants didn’t have. However, the government has to start somewhere and it cannot start by reversing the present situation; it has to work with the situation “as is”.
But back to the wall. A wall on the border between Mexico and the United States will affect trade, the environment, the distribution of water from the Rio Bravo (Grande), the physical border between the two countries and many other things, but not the passing of immigrants. A wall is a measure of force for an economic problem. As long as there are people who cannot feed their families and have no job in their own country, whether in Mexico or any other Latin American country, and these people see opportunities, work, and education close at hand, they will continue to take the risks and cross illegally.
Even though it may seem a minor problem compared to the human issue, the water issue on the U.S. side comes into play because the wall will take away the use of the Rio Grande in parts of Texas. Jorge Ramos, well known Mexican journalist, interviewed the mayor of Del Rio for the Excelsior newspaper article “El Muro: Tres Minutos de Retraso” (Ramos, Jorge. 2008). Mayor Valdez stated that 95% of the land in Texas that borders the river is private property and the ranch owners will not be able to take their animals to the river to drink. In addition, it will be much more difficult for them to use the water for irrigation because there will be a wall blocking it leaving the river entirely in Mexico instead of half in the U.S. and half in Mexico. Imagine the repercussions of this: the U.S. being the U.S., lawsuits will be, and already are, rampant! Also, the ecological issue has once again become prominent in the news. On April 4, the El Paso Times reported that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff would make use of waivers that will sidestep more than 30 environmental laws and regulations that could impede construction of the fence, which means almost certain closing for several nature preserves that support a growing ecotourism business in a region desperate for income. The article also mentioned that this was not the first time this tactic was used; previously, the department had used its waiver authority for two portions of fence in Arizona and one portion in San Diego.
So what will the United States gain by building the wall? Nothing positive; it stands to lose a lot more than it will gain. It is already obvious that the reality is a perverse cycle: the only thing all the technology, manpower, infrared equipment and completed parts of the wall have done is to decrease the number of illegal immigrants returning to Mexico and this will - and already has -increase the undocumented population growth in the United States. This in turn results in more and harsher enforcement, a higher number of deaths, and probably higher taxes for the U.S. citizens who will have to foot the bill for the wall and the increased border militarization. Judging from newspaper and television reports on both sides of the border, the harsher enforcement of border security could also increase frequent aggression on the part of U.S. border personnel. There could be more threats, robberies, beatings, discrimination, and dangerous chases, perpetrated not only by criminal elements but also by the Border Patrol itself.
It is obvious that the whole immigration and customs organization in the U.S. is completely overwhelmed with the flow of people across the border, and because most of the time the rules are established without first-hand knowledge of the practical side of this (in Washington and Mexico City), there are continuous conflicts, contradictions, very bad treatment, and a complete lack of understanding which in many cases results in totally un-American behavior by the Americans that are trying to enforce laws which often do not jive with reality. And let’s not forget that the migrants will not only go through, over, or under the wall to find jobs in the United States, but that “approximately 40% of undocumented immigrants enter through our legal ports of entry and remain past the expiration dates of their visas.” (Fence) The fence will not stop that from happening.
Violations of human rights are the result of the actions of the countries of origin, those of destination, and the ones in between. The United States puts in place border protection measures which put in jeopardy the right to life and this has caused the deaths of thousands of immigrants. Mexico has not been able to create a culture of respect for human rights and neither have we been able to train and sensitize those who work for institutions in charge of the defense of migrants, leaving this up to private organizations. As long as there are poor countries bordering rich countries, there is no way to stop immigration. Maybe the billions of dollars the U.S. government is going to spend on the “wall” would be better spent investing in Mexico and/or helping develop agriculture, business, etc. thereby providing jobs which would keep the people from wanting to head north.
I think it is embarrassing to say the least to see that the U.S. Mexico border has become a military zone with Border Patrol agents armed to the teeth driving vehicles equipped with God knows what, helicopters flying so low- occasionally over Mexico - that they stir up the sand below, underground sensors, buses into which the immigrants are herded like cattle, fences, barbed wire, etc.etc. What we need on both sides of the border is an immigration policy that can handle the cross-border movement of people in an effective and humane way. Like it or not, this cross-border flow of people is inevitable in a global economy and repressing it through police action is the most ineffective way to deal with it.
References
Camarota, S. (2004). A Jobless Recovery? Center for Immigration Studies. Washington.
Cooper, M. (2003). The Unintended Consequences of Getting Tough on Illegal Immigration.
Features. LA Weekly. Dec. 5-11.
El Paso Times. April 4, 2008. Rules Will Be Waived to Build Border Fence.
Fence Offensive: A Nineteenth Century ‘Solution’ to a Twenty-First Century Problem. National
Immigration Forum. 2006.
Pomfret, John. (2006) Fence Meets Wall of Skepticism. WashingtonPost.com. Tuesday, October
10, Page A03
Ramos, Jorge. (2008) El muro: tres minutos de retraso. Periodico Excelsior. 01/11/2008.
Reno, Kliff & Campo-Flores (2008) Careful What You Wish For. Newsweek. January 28, P. 36.
Vandalizan y Traspasan el Muro en Columbus. El Diario de Cd. Juarez. Friday April 11, 2008.
Page 2A.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: Effects of the Teleton by LYDIA RAMOS
Teleton
Teleton in Mexico has been a yearly event since 1996. Through a TV and radio broadcast of more than 24 hours, it intends to collect money to help in the creation of children’s rehabilitation centers, called “Centros de Rehabilitation Infantil Teleton”, or “CRIT” (English: “Teleton Children’s Rehabilitation Center”), for children with different disabilities.(Wikipedia).
The objectives are to promote national unity based on values; to promote a culture of inclusion for people with disabilities; to build and operate rehabilitation centers for disabled children; and to support the institutions working in the disability sector through the Teleton fund raising institutions. For 13 years, Teleton has accomplished the alliance of different mass media that ever since have joined in the effort to build and strengthen a culture which benefits people with disabilities. (Teleton-Foundation).
Even if the purpose of the creation of Teleton was a way for big companies such as Televisa, Banamex and others not to pay taxes, we can see a lot of the benefits of Teleton. According to the law of unintended consequences, actions of individual, groups, or governments have effects, or consequences” that are unexpected, or unintended. These unexpected effects, or unintended consequences as they are called in academic literature, are effects that are not planned when an original action is taken, and the person or persons making the decision do not consider that these effects may result from the actions taken. Unintended consequences may turn out to be positive or negative. (Phillips).
So, in the case of the Teleton, the fruits are positive. One positive issue in the Teleton is the construction of 15 rehabilitation centers with a capacity of more than 70 000 patients, under the slogan; “Love and science in the service of life”.(Teleton-foundation). These centers are located in states where people didn’t have easy access to this kind of treatments. Another effect is that, in addition to the creation of CRITs all around the country, the CRIT System and the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) signed an agreement in the year 2000 which created two bachelors dedicated to the formation of the Instituto Teleton de Estudios Superiores (ITESUR), located next to the first CRIT ever built. ITESUR is the only university in Mexico that grants degrees in occupational therapy and physical therapy. (Wikipedia). So this is another option and a great opportunity for young men that want to study medicine and for whom it is sometimes hard to be admitted to medical school. Amother outcome that we can see is that the government has enacted a new law that was made public in the Official Newspaper of the Federation on June 10, 2005. This law permits the inclusion of disabled people in jobs. Another benefit is that now, children who suffer cancer or autism can also be treated. The Teleton autism program works very closely with specialized institutions in order to generate higher quality care capacity for individuals with autism. This is done through training, certification and/ or support to various institutions to which they can direct people diagnosed by the Autism Program. (Teleton-Foundation).
An additional benefit that we can see is that in the streets there are spaces for parking or ramps that permit access to people with disabilities. But one of the most positive outcomes is that the mass media, an essential part of the commitment of Teleton, are working together promoting this noble cause, strengthening and transmitting the different life histories of children with disabilities and having an effect on the Mexican people by promoting a national unity and values such as love, generosity and solidarity.
Works Cited
Phillips, Deborah. Preparation Course for the Toelf test.IBT. Longman. Second edition. Page 295.
Teleton-foundation. http://www.teleton.fundation.com.
Wikipedia.
Teleton in Mexico has been a yearly event since 1996. Through a TV and radio broadcast of more than 24 hours, it intends to collect money to help in the creation of children’s rehabilitation centers, called “Centros de Rehabilitation Infantil Teleton”, or “CRIT” (English: “Teleton Children’s Rehabilitation Center”), for children with different disabilities.(Wikipedia).
The objectives are to promote national unity based on values; to promote a culture of inclusion for people with disabilities; to build and operate rehabilitation centers for disabled children; and to support the institutions working in the disability sector through the Teleton fund raising institutions. For 13 years, Teleton has accomplished the alliance of different mass media that ever since have joined in the effort to build and strengthen a culture which benefits people with disabilities. (Teleton-Foundation).
Even if the purpose of the creation of Teleton was a way for big companies such as Televisa, Banamex and others not to pay taxes, we can see a lot of the benefits of Teleton. According to the law of unintended consequences, actions of individual, groups, or governments have effects, or consequences” that are unexpected, or unintended. These unexpected effects, or unintended consequences as they are called in academic literature, are effects that are not planned when an original action is taken, and the person or persons making the decision do not consider that these effects may result from the actions taken. Unintended consequences may turn out to be positive or negative. (Phillips).
So, in the case of the Teleton, the fruits are positive. One positive issue in the Teleton is the construction of 15 rehabilitation centers with a capacity of more than 70 000 patients, under the slogan; “Love and science in the service of life”.(Teleton-foundation). These centers are located in states where people didn’t have easy access to this kind of treatments. Another effect is that, in addition to the creation of CRITs all around the country, the CRIT System and the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) signed an agreement in the year 2000 which created two bachelors dedicated to the formation of the Instituto Teleton de Estudios Superiores (ITESUR), located next to the first CRIT ever built. ITESUR is the only university in Mexico that grants degrees in occupational therapy and physical therapy. (Wikipedia). So this is another option and a great opportunity for young men that want to study medicine and for whom it is sometimes hard to be admitted to medical school. Amother outcome that we can see is that the government has enacted a new law that was made public in the Official Newspaper of the Federation on June 10, 2005. This law permits the inclusion of disabled people in jobs. Another benefit is that now, children who suffer cancer or autism can also be treated. The Teleton autism program works very closely with specialized institutions in order to generate higher quality care capacity for individuals with autism. This is done through training, certification and/ or support to various institutions to which they can direct people diagnosed by the Autism Program. (Teleton-Foundation).
An additional benefit that we can see is that in the streets there are spaces for parking or ramps that permit access to people with disabilities. But one of the most positive outcomes is that the mass media, an essential part of the commitment of Teleton, are working together promoting this noble cause, strengthening and transmitting the different life histories of children with disabilities and having an effect on the Mexican people by promoting a national unity and values such as love, generosity and solidarity.
Works Cited
Phillips, Deborah. Preparation Course for the Toelf test.IBT. Longman. Second edition. Page 295.
Teleton-foundation. http://www.teleton.fundation.com.
Wikipedia.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
“TEACHER, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN A LANGUAGE?”
This is a question students often ask me, especially those in university. They want to know this because they are very much aware that getting a good job often depends on their English language skills. Today, it is common in Mexico for job interviews to be conducted in English, and students need to be prepared for this. I always try to avoid telling students what the research says concerning the hours needed to master a language; they would be horrified! In any case, there is no straightforward answer to the question. Some of the variables are the native language and the specific target language (usually English); how many languages the student has already learned and which ones; how much time the student will spend on learning; which learning strategies are used, and what level of proficiency we are talking about. Learning a language usually takes several years. Studies suggest that in the United States school-aged children need 2 to 3 years to develop social language (BICS or conversational skills) and 5 to 7 years to acquire the academic language proficiency (CALP) needed to reach parity with native English speakers (Cummins, 1991; Thomas & Collier, 1997).
In today's world, many people who study a foreign language mainly desire to speak it. It is logical then, that they would want to know how well a person can expect to speak a language after studying it for a certain number of hours, and conversely, how many hours it may take him to reach the fluency he has in mind. The Foreign Service Institute classifies proficiency in a language as follows:
1. Elementary proficiency. The person is able to satisfy routine travel needs and minimum courtesy requirements.
2. Limited working proficiency. The person is able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements.
3. Minimum professional proficiency. The person can speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate effectively in most formal and informal conversations on practical, social, and professional topics.
4. Full professional proficiency. The person uses the language fluently and accurately on all levels normally pertinent to professional needs.
5. Native or bilingual proficiency. The person has speaking proficiency equivalent to that of an educated native speaker.
In the United States, the most comprehensive research in the field of second language acquisition was carried out by Wayne Thomas & Virginia Collier. They studied the language acquisition of 700,000 English language learners in a longitudinal study from 1982 to 1996. The students in the study had no background in English and the study’s main aim was to find out how long it would take these students to reach native speaker performance on norm-referenced tests. Thomas and Collier also looked at such variables as socioeconomic status, first language, programs used to learn English, and number of years of primary language schooling.
It is interesting to note that Thomas and Collier found that the most significant variable in how long it takes to learn English is the amount of formal schooling students have received in their first language. For example, for one of the studies they carried out, they researched a group of Hispanic students from an affluent suburban school district who received one to three hours of second language support per day in a good ESL program. Most students exited the program within the first two years but all were at or above grade level in native language literacy. Some of the results of the study were:
So it takes typical bilingually schooled students, who are achieving on grade level in L1, from 4-7 years to make it to the 50th NCE in L2. It takes typical “advantaged” immigrants with 2-
5 years of on-grade-level home country schooling in L1 from 5-7 years to reach the 50th NCE in L2, when schooled all in L2 in the U.S. It takes the typical young immigrant schooled all in L2 in the U.S. 7-10 years or more to reach the 50th NCE, and the majority of these students do not ever make it to the 50th NCE, unless they receive support for L1 academic and cognitive development at home. (Thomas & Collier, 1997).
To make this relevant for those of us who teach English in Mexico, we can look at the study Thomas and Collier did on native-English speakers whose parents chose to have their children placed in a two-way bilingual class. These students include those with advantages comparable to the ones most students at the Tec de Monterrey have; for example, their first language is not threatened in any way. According to Thomas and Collier:
The middle- income children often have parents cheering them on, providing L1 cognitive and academic support at home. How long does it take these “advantaged” English speakers? Four to seven years is the minimum time frame for these students to reach the point where they can show off what they know on the school tests in their second language, at the level of a native speaker of that language. These middle-income students achieve on or above grade level in English (L1) with each year of school, but it still takes until at least fourth or fifth grade for the typical students in this group to make it to the 50th NCE on school tests in L2. Once they get there, they stay there and can demonstrate what they know in either L1 or L2, as long as L2 grade-level academic work continues to be provided. In other researchers’ studies, in the U.S. as well as other countries, similar results have been found around the world when following bilingually schooled students long-term (Collier, 1992; Lindholm, 1990; Lindholm & Aclan, 1991). Typical low-income native-English speakers, including low-income African-American students, also generally reach and stay at the 50th NCE in L1 within 4-7 years of bilingual schooling, and can achieve at the 50th NCE in L2 if schooling is continued in L2.
So if we take the 4 to 7 years as an average, and that is assuming that the learning takes place under favorable circumstances and with a good program, this is not something I want to tell my students. When you are a teenager, that amount of time is unfathomable. When I told one student that it takes a few years, he told me, “but I’ll be old by then!” I think that the best and fastest way for a student to become proficient in a language, i.e. in speech and writing, is to spend some three to six months studying the language in the home country and then to go to the foreign country for at least a year. Needless to say, during that year the student must only speak the foreign language. I think that at the end of this year, the student would understand most people including those on television and in movies, be able to read almost any written material without a dictionary, and be able to write fairly well.
And what about the common belief that very young children learn a language easily? Probably not so. Often the fluency is due to the fact that their foreign-language development took place at an age when they were too young to have cognition of words such as cognition, fluency, and development. An 8-year-old child who goes to live in another country for three years becomes a fluent 11-year-old, not a fluent adult. Truly fluent bilingual people who had childhood years abroad usually turn out to have learned most of the other language as adults. And last, but not least, what about the belief that adult learners never get the accent right. This is true, up to a point, but let’s not forget that all English speakers have some kind of ‘accent.’
Pronunciation is a special challenge, but adult learners are much quicker than children at many other things so this issue is really secondary. In today’s world, there are more non-native English speakers than there are native English speakers. An accent, as long as the speaker is understandable, is of no importance.
References
Lessow-Hurley, Judith. Meeting the Needs of Second Language Learners: An Educator's Guide. ASCD, 2003
Smiley, Patricia, Trudy Salsberry. Effective Schooling for English Language Learners: What Elementary Principals Should Know And Do. Eye On Education, Inc., 2007
Thomas & Collier, 1997. http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/resource/effectiveness/thomas-collier97.pdf
Sunday, April 17, 2011
STUDENT WRITING: EVALUATION BY MIGUEL SOTELO
Play Station 3
Could you have imagined a video game console with everything that a teenager needs ten or more years ago? When I was a child, I remember that I had a VCR, radio, computer, and a video game console in my room. But all these things were too big and old fashioned. Now they are in only one device: the new Play Station 3. Play Station 3 can connect to the internet, has Blue Ray, high definition in games, 3D video games, and downloadable video games, music, videos, and movies.
This video console is the seventh generation of Play Station made by Sonic. It was introduced into stores on three dates, November/11/06, November/17/06, and March/23/07.It can be connected to a USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It has a special service named Play Station Network. With this connection people who have the console can play video games online with other people. This is a fantastic way to interact with other people and improve your skills in order to pass the game or be a better video game player. You play against every kind of player even professionals. It is the best-selling video console in the world with 34 million units sold. It was very popular and famous even before it was sold the first time because Play Station would change the world of consoles. It has hardware around 20 GB and 60 GB. It competes with Xbox 360 of Microsoft and Wii of Nintendo.
Play Station has many things that others do not have. For this reason it is very special, successful, and useful. You can play a video game, buy it or download it on the same machine. You don´t need to turn on the computer. A Player can enjoy a game and hear their favorite music at the same time.
I believe this is fantastic because in the past you had to hear the annoying, distracting, and boring songs of videogames. Many people have said that video games can damage childhood because children do not do exercise and do not interact with other kids. This thought was true in the past but now they are completely wrong because Play Station has many ways to interact with other people when you are playing at the same time and this helps to meet people from other countries or cities. Writing a message and talking by microphone are ways that people interact with each other. One of the most innovative things that Sony or Play Station invented was a new device named Kinect which is a control that does not use buttons. It has a little camera or laser that detects someone´s movement and this movement is reflected in the game character.
In conclusion, Play Station regenerates the video game console era because it was the first one with all these features together in one device that has been completely successful. In the past Xbox tried to do it but they failed, and Nintendo is too far far away from this new generation of consoles to be considered.
Could you have imagined a video game console with everything that a teenager needs ten or more years ago? When I was a child, I remember that I had a VCR, radio, computer, and a video game console in my room. But all these things were too big and old fashioned. Now they are in only one device: the new Play Station 3. Play Station 3 can connect to the internet, has Blue Ray, high definition in games, 3D video games, and downloadable video games, music, videos, and movies.
This video console is the seventh generation of Play Station made by Sonic. It was introduced into stores on three dates, November/11/06, November/17/06, and March/23/07.It can be connected to a USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It has a special service named Play Station Network. With this connection people who have the console can play video games online with other people. This is a fantastic way to interact with other people and improve your skills in order to pass the game or be a better video game player. You play against every kind of player even professionals. It is the best-selling video console in the world with 34 million units sold. It was very popular and famous even before it was sold the first time because Play Station would change the world of consoles. It has hardware around 20 GB and 60 GB. It competes with Xbox 360 of Microsoft and Wii of Nintendo.
Play Station has many things that others do not have. For this reason it is very special, successful, and useful. You can play a video game, buy it or download it on the same machine. You don´t need to turn on the computer. A Player can enjoy a game and hear their favorite music at the same time.
I believe this is fantastic because in the past you had to hear the annoying, distracting, and boring songs of videogames. Many people have said that video games can damage childhood because children do not do exercise and do not interact with other kids. This thought was true in the past but now they are completely wrong because Play Station has many ways to interact with other people when you are playing at the same time and this helps to meet people from other countries or cities. Writing a message and talking by microphone are ways that people interact with each other. One of the most innovative things that Sony or Play Station invented was a new device named Kinect which is a control that does not use buttons. It has a little camera or laser that detects someone´s movement and this movement is reflected in the game character.
In conclusion, Play Station regenerates the video game console era because it was the first one with all these features together in one device that has been completely successful. In the past Xbox tried to do it but they failed, and Nintendo is too far far away from this new generation of consoles to be considered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)