Hello, Class--
Trenika very nicely put together some information for us on some of the topics I thought we should go over briefly before we see "A Raisin in the Sun" next week. Do I have some volunteers to actually talk (five to ten minutes) about some of the subjects I mentioned? Maybe you can work it out amongs yourselves who wants to talk about what. Again, these aren't to be formal presentations--just little talking points that will help us all feel like we have some context for what we're about to see.
Doug
Friday, February 27, 2009
Hansberry Handouts
Hi Guys,
I have you all’s individual handouts on Hansberry, for printing, prior to the discussion and play. However, it is too large to send as an attachment to STCC e-mail.This e-mail would be an addition to the link I've already sent to you. I would greatly appreciate it if, each of you could send me an alternate e-mail address, checked regularly to: mrstgorea@yahoo.com. The reply will be sent well within a twenty-four hour time frame.You may also obtain your copies from Doug; already printed. I do apologize for any inconvenience. Thanks in advance.
I have you all’s individual handouts on Hansberry, for printing, prior to the discussion and play. However, it is too large to send as an attachment to STCC e-mail.This e-mail would be an addition to the link I've already sent to you. I would greatly appreciate it if, each of you could send me an alternate e-mail address, checked regularly to: mrstgorea@yahoo.com. The reply will be sent well within a twenty-four hour time frame.You may also obtain your copies from Doug; already printed. I do apologize for any inconvenience. Thanks in advance.
A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry
A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry
Context
Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago on May 19, 1930, the youngest of four children. Her parents were well-educated, successful black citizens who publicly fought discrimination against black people. When Hansberry was a child, she and her family lived in a black neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. During this era, segregation—the enforced separation of whites and blacks—was still legal and widespread throughout the South. Northern states, including Hansberry's own Illinois, had no official policy of segregation, but they were generally self-segregated along racial and economic lines. Chicago was a striking example of a city carved into strictly divided black and white neighborhoods. Hansberry's family became one of the first to move into a white neighborhood, but Hansberry still attended a segregated public school for blacks. When neighbors struck at them with threats of violence and legal action, the Hansberrys defended themselves. Hansberry's father successfully brought his case all the way to the Supreme Court.
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Hansberry wrote that she always felt the inclination to record her experiences. At times, her writing—including A Raisin in the Sun—is recognizably autobiographical. She was one of the first playwrights to create realistic portraits of African-American life. When A Raisin in the Sun opened in March 1959, it met with great praise from white and black audience members alike. Arguably the first play to portray black characters, themes, and conflicts in a natural and realistic manner, A Raisin in the Sun received the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play of the Year. Hansberry was the youngest playwright, the fifth woman, and the only black writer at that point to win the award. She used her new fame to help bring attention to the American civil rights movement as well as African struggles for independence from colonialism. Her promising career was cut short when she died from cancer in 1965, at the age of thirty-four.
A Raisin in the Sun can be considered a turning point in American art because it addresses so many issues important during the 1950s in the United States. The 1950s are widely mocked in modern times as an age of complacency and conformism, symbolized by the growth of suburbs and commercial culture that began in that decade. Such a view, however, is superficial at best. Beneath the economic prosperity that characterized America in the years following World War II roiled growing domestic and racial tension. The stereotype of 1950s America as a land of happy housewives and blacks content with their inferior status resulted in an upswell of social resentment that would finally find public voice in the civil rights and feminist movements of the 1960s. A Raisin in the Sun, first performed as the conservative 1950s slid into the radical sixties, explores both of these vital issues.
A Raisin in the Sun was a revolutionary work for its time. Hansberry creates in the Younger family one of the first honest depictions of a black family on an American stage, in an age when predominantly black audiences simply did not exist. Before this play, -African-American roles, usually small and comedic, largely employed ethnic stereotypes. Hansberry, however, shows an entire black family in a realistic light, one that is unflattering and far from comedic. She uses black vernacular throughout the play and broaches important issues and conflicts, such as poverty, discrimination, and the construction of African-American racial identity.
A Raisin in the Sun explores not only the tension between white and black society but also the strain within the black community over how to react to an oppressive white community. Hansberry's drama asks difficult questions about assimilation and identity. Through the character of Joseph Asagai, Hansberry reveals a trend toward celebrating African heritage. As he calls for a native revolt in his homeland, she seems to predict the anticolonial struggles in African countries of the upcoming decades, as well as the inevitability and necessity of integration.
Hansberry also addressed feminist questions ahead of their time in A Raisin in the Sun. Through the character of Beneatha, Hansberry proposes that marriage is not necessary for women and that women can and should have ambitious career goals. She even approaches an abortion debate, allowing the topic of abortion to enter the action in an era when abortion was illegal. Of course, one of her most radical statements was simply the writing and production of the play—no small feat given her status as a young, black woman in the 1950s.
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All of this idealism about race and gender relations boils down to a larger, timeless point—that dreams are crucial. In fact, Hansberry's play focuses primarily on the dreams driving and motivating its main characters. These dreams function in positive ways, by lifting their minds from their hard work and tough lifestyle, and in negative ways, by creating in them even more dissatisfaction with their present situations. For the most part, however, the negative dreams come from placing emphasis on materialistic goals rather than on familial pride and happiness. Hansberry seems to argue that as long as people attempt to do their best for their families, they can lift each other up. A Raisin in the Sun remains important as a cultural document of a crucial period in American history as well as for the continued debate over racial and gender issues that it has helped spark.
A Note on the Title
Lorraine Hansberry took the title of A Raisin in the Sun from a line in Langston Hughes's famous 1951 poem “Harlem.” Hughes was a prominent black poet during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance in New York City, during which black artists of all kinds—musicians, poets, writers—gave innovative voices to their personal and cultural experiences. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of immense promise and hopefulness for black artists, as their efforts were noticed and applauded across the United States. In fact, the 1920s are known to history as the Jazz Age, since that musical form, created by a vanguard of black musicians, gained immense national popularity during the period and seemed to embody the exuberance and excitement of the decade. The Harlem Renaissance and the positive national response to the art it produced seemed to herald the possibility of a new age of acceptance for blacks in America.
Langston Hughes was one of the brightest lights of the Harlem Renaissance, and his poems and essays celebrate black culture, creativity, and strength. However, Hughes wrote “Harlem” in 1951, twenty years after the Great Depression crushed the Harlem Renaissance and devastated black communities more terribly than any other group in the United States. In addition, the post–World War II years of the 1950s were characterized by “white flight,” in which whites fled the cities in favor of the rapidly growing suburbs. Blacks were often left behind in deteriorating cities, and were unwelcome in the suburbs. In a time of renewed prosperity, blacks were for the most part left behind.
“Harlem” captures the tension between the need for black expression and the impossibility of that expression because of American society's oppression of its black population. In the poem, Hughes asks whether a “dream deferred”—a dream put on hold—withers up “[l]ike a raisin in the sun.” His lines confront the racist and dehumanizing attitude prevalent in American society before the civil rights movement of the 1960s that black desires and ambitions were, at best, unimportant and should be ignored, and at worst, should be forcibly resisted. His closing rhetorical question—“Or does [a dream deferred] explode?”—is incendiary, a bold statement that the suppression of black dreams might result in an eruption. It implicitly places the blame for this possible eruption on the oppressive society that forces the dream to be deferred. Hansberry's reference to Hughes's poem in her play's title highlights the importance of dreams in A Raisin in the Sun and the struggle that her characters face to realize their individual dreams, a struggle inextricably tied to the more fundamental black dream of equality in America.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/context.html
Context
Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago on May 19, 1930, the youngest of four children. Her parents were well-educated, successful black citizens who publicly fought discrimination against black people. When Hansberry was a child, she and her family lived in a black neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. During this era, segregation—the enforced separation of whites and blacks—was still legal and widespread throughout the South. Northern states, including Hansberry's own Illinois, had no official policy of segregation, but they were generally self-segregated along racial and economic lines. Chicago was a striking example of a city carved into strictly divided black and white neighborhoods. Hansberry's family became one of the first to move into a white neighborhood, but Hansberry still attended a segregated public school for blacks. When neighbors struck at them with threats of violence and legal action, the Hansberrys defended themselves. Hansberry's father successfully brought his case all the way to the Supreme Court.
document.write('');
Hansberry wrote that she always felt the inclination to record her experiences. At times, her writing—including A Raisin in the Sun—is recognizably autobiographical. She was one of the first playwrights to create realistic portraits of African-American life. When A Raisin in the Sun opened in March 1959, it met with great praise from white and black audience members alike. Arguably the first play to portray black characters, themes, and conflicts in a natural and realistic manner, A Raisin in the Sun received the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play of the Year. Hansberry was the youngest playwright, the fifth woman, and the only black writer at that point to win the award. She used her new fame to help bring attention to the American civil rights movement as well as African struggles for independence from colonialism. Her promising career was cut short when she died from cancer in 1965, at the age of thirty-four.
A Raisin in the Sun can be considered a turning point in American art because it addresses so many issues important during the 1950s in the United States. The 1950s are widely mocked in modern times as an age of complacency and conformism, symbolized by the growth of suburbs and commercial culture that began in that decade. Such a view, however, is superficial at best. Beneath the economic prosperity that characterized America in the years following World War II roiled growing domestic and racial tension. The stereotype of 1950s America as a land of happy housewives and blacks content with their inferior status resulted in an upswell of social resentment that would finally find public voice in the civil rights and feminist movements of the 1960s. A Raisin in the Sun, first performed as the conservative 1950s slid into the radical sixties, explores both of these vital issues.
A Raisin in the Sun was a revolutionary work for its time. Hansberry creates in the Younger family one of the first honest depictions of a black family on an American stage, in an age when predominantly black audiences simply did not exist. Before this play, -African-American roles, usually small and comedic, largely employed ethnic stereotypes. Hansberry, however, shows an entire black family in a realistic light, one that is unflattering and far from comedic. She uses black vernacular throughout the play and broaches important issues and conflicts, such as poverty, discrimination, and the construction of African-American racial identity.
A Raisin in the Sun explores not only the tension between white and black society but also the strain within the black community over how to react to an oppressive white community. Hansberry's drama asks difficult questions about assimilation and identity. Through the character of Joseph Asagai, Hansberry reveals a trend toward celebrating African heritage. As he calls for a native revolt in his homeland, she seems to predict the anticolonial struggles in African countries of the upcoming decades, as well as the inevitability and necessity of integration.
Hansberry also addressed feminist questions ahead of their time in A Raisin in the Sun. Through the character of Beneatha, Hansberry proposes that marriage is not necessary for women and that women can and should have ambitious career goals. She even approaches an abortion debate, allowing the topic of abortion to enter the action in an era when abortion was illegal. Of course, one of her most radical statements was simply the writing and production of the play—no small feat given her status as a young, black woman in the 1950s.
document.write('');
All of this idealism about race and gender relations boils down to a larger, timeless point—that dreams are crucial. In fact, Hansberry's play focuses primarily on the dreams driving and motivating its main characters. These dreams function in positive ways, by lifting their minds from their hard work and tough lifestyle, and in negative ways, by creating in them even more dissatisfaction with their present situations. For the most part, however, the negative dreams come from placing emphasis on materialistic goals rather than on familial pride and happiness. Hansberry seems to argue that as long as people attempt to do their best for their families, they can lift each other up. A Raisin in the Sun remains important as a cultural document of a crucial period in American history as well as for the continued debate over racial and gender issues that it has helped spark.
A Note on the Title
Lorraine Hansberry took the title of A Raisin in the Sun from a line in Langston Hughes's famous 1951 poem “Harlem.” Hughes was a prominent black poet during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance in New York City, during which black artists of all kinds—musicians, poets, writers—gave innovative voices to their personal and cultural experiences. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of immense promise and hopefulness for black artists, as their efforts were noticed and applauded across the United States. In fact, the 1920s are known to history as the Jazz Age, since that musical form, created by a vanguard of black musicians, gained immense national popularity during the period and seemed to embody the exuberance and excitement of the decade. The Harlem Renaissance and the positive national response to the art it produced seemed to herald the possibility of a new age of acceptance for blacks in America.
Langston Hughes was one of the brightest lights of the Harlem Renaissance, and his poems and essays celebrate black culture, creativity, and strength. However, Hughes wrote “Harlem” in 1951, twenty years after the Great Depression crushed the Harlem Renaissance and devastated black communities more terribly than any other group in the United States. In addition, the post–World War II years of the 1950s were characterized by “white flight,” in which whites fled the cities in favor of the rapidly growing suburbs. Blacks were often left behind in deteriorating cities, and were unwelcome in the suburbs. In a time of renewed prosperity, blacks were for the most part left behind.
“Harlem” captures the tension between the need for black expression and the impossibility of that expression because of American society's oppression of its black population. In the poem, Hughes asks whether a “dream deferred”—a dream put on hold—withers up “[l]ike a raisin in the sun.” His lines confront the racist and dehumanizing attitude prevalent in American society before the civil rights movement of the 1960s that black desires and ambitions were, at best, unimportant and should be ignored, and at worst, should be forcibly resisted. His closing rhetorical question—“Or does [a dream deferred] explode?”—is incendiary, a bold statement that the suppression of black dreams might result in an eruption. It implicitly places the blame for this possible eruption on the oppressive society that forces the dream to be deferred. Hansberry's reference to Hughes's poem in her play's title highlights the importance of dreams in A Raisin in the Sun and the struggle that her characters face to realize their individual dreams, a struggle inextricably tied to the more fundamental black dream of equality in America.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/context.html
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Germantown Community Theatre Evening
Hey, Class--
I've reserved our tickets for the Germantown Community Theatre production of A Raisin in the Sun for Saturday, March 7. I love this play, by the way. I've read and taught it several times, and I think it's really quite profound. I think you'll enjoy it as well. The Germantown Community Theatre is at 3037 Forest Hill-Irene Road
This is going to be a freebie for y'all. We're going to use proceeds from the art auction to pay for it. Yay!!
Here's my plan:
We meet at the Belmont Grill, which is nearby, at 5:00. The address is 9102 Poplar Pike (At Forest Hill-Irene). I've called them already. They don't take reservations, but they think that we'll be fine if we get there as early as 5:00.
I'm giving us a rather long time to eat before the show so that we can really relax and enjoy ourselves and not feel rushed. Also, I'd like to make this just a BIT of a class project as well. (Think: participation!)
I'd like one volunteer to give us a brief biographical sketch of Lorraine Hansberry. She's the author of the play. Handouts for 15 might be appropriate.
I'd like one other person to give a brief overview of what the play's history and critical reception has been. Handouts for 15 might be appropriate.
If somebody else could give a very brief overview of just WHERE the Civil Rights movement was in America in 1959, that would be great, too. This play involves an African-American family, in an African-American neighborhood. They have a chance of moving into a white neighborhood. What was Chicago like, in terms of housing, in the late 50's? What was going on nationally that might have been important? At what state was the burgeoning Civil Rights movement? This doesn't need to be an exhaustive study, just an overview. Again, a handout might be appropriate.
It will be very dorky if we have to have "formal" presentations. But I'd like to give each of you five to ten minutes minutes around the table to just talk to us briefly, providing a bit of context for the play we're about to see.
After dinner, we'll drive over to the theatre. The play doesn't begin until 8:00, but the woman I talked to said we really do want to be there by 7:30.
I have a few extra tickets, too. I'd like to know by Monday if you wish to bring a spouse, partner, significant, or insignificant other with you. But I do need to know quickly so that I can hawk off a few other tickets if there are some remaining.
Looking forward to it! Do send me an email telling me that you plan to attend (I really want you to! This is a class project!) Volunteer for one of the presentations, if you'd like. And tell me if somebody's coming along for the ride. Also, let me know if you can or can't make it to dinner beforehand. I need a sense of who will be there. (The dinner beforehand is NOT a requirement. I just think it will be fun. And you'll need to pick up your own bill for dinner.)
Obviously, if some of you want to hang out after the show to talk about it, we'll figure out somewhere to go. And this is the activity for the week I want you to blog about. It doesn't have SO much to do with Memphis. . . . .but in a way, maybe, it does. . .
Doug
I've reserved our tickets for the Germantown Community Theatre production of A Raisin in the Sun for Saturday, March 7. I love this play, by the way. I've read and taught it several times, and I think it's really quite profound. I think you'll enjoy it as well. The Germantown Community Theatre is at 3037 Forest Hill-Irene Road
This is going to be a freebie for y'all. We're going to use proceeds from the art auction to pay for it. Yay!!
Here's my plan:
We meet at the Belmont Grill, which is nearby, at 5:00. The address is 9102 Poplar Pike (At Forest Hill-Irene). I've called them already. They don't take reservations, but they think that we'll be fine if we get there as early as 5:00.
I'm giving us a rather long time to eat before the show so that we can really relax and enjoy ourselves and not feel rushed. Also, I'd like to make this just a BIT of a class project as well. (Think: participation!)
I'd like one volunteer to give us a brief biographical sketch of Lorraine Hansberry. She's the author of the play. Handouts for 15 might be appropriate.
I'd like one other person to give a brief overview of what the play's history and critical reception has been. Handouts for 15 might be appropriate.
If somebody else could give a very brief overview of just WHERE the Civil Rights movement was in America in 1959, that would be great, too. This play involves an African-American family, in an African-American neighborhood. They have a chance of moving into a white neighborhood. What was Chicago like, in terms of housing, in the late 50's? What was going on nationally that might have been important? At what state was the burgeoning Civil Rights movement? This doesn't need to be an exhaustive study, just an overview. Again, a handout might be appropriate.
It will be very dorky if we have to have "formal" presentations. But I'd like to give each of you five to ten minutes minutes around the table to just talk to us briefly, providing a bit of context for the play we're about to see.
After dinner, we'll drive over to the theatre. The play doesn't begin until 8:00, but the woman I talked to said we really do want to be there by 7:30.
I have a few extra tickets, too. I'd like to know by Monday if you wish to bring a spouse, partner, significant, or insignificant other with you. But I do need to know quickly so that I can hawk off a few other tickets if there are some remaining.
Looking forward to it! Do send me an email telling me that you plan to attend (I really want you to! This is a class project!) Volunteer for one of the presentations, if you'd like. And tell me if somebody's coming along for the ride. Also, let me know if you can or can't make it to dinner beforehand. I need a sense of who will be there. (The dinner beforehand is NOT a requirement. I just think it will be fun. And you'll need to pick up your own bill for dinner.)
Obviously, if some of you want to hang out after the show to talk about it, we'll figure out somewhere to go. And this is the activity for the week I want you to blog about. It doesn't have SO much to do with Memphis. . . . .but in a way, maybe, it does. . .
Doug
Housing in Memphis
So I found out yesterday I didn't get the apartment I applied for. I don't have credit and don't make enough money. I wasn't too horribly surprised because when I first moved out I had similar problems. It got me to thinking though about the housing situation in Memphis, which I know Krista and Faith are considering doing their project on. If I can't qualify to get a place to live and I make 35,000 a year, how do people on minimum wage manage? Is it easier to get approved for section 8 or HUD housing than it is through a traditional lender? I know I ran into similar problems when I tried to buy a house with my ex-husband. He made to much money for us to qualify for the first time home buyers program, but neither of us had the credit to qualify for much. How are people who follow the "if I can't afford it I don't need it" philosophy (on which I was raised and strictly follow) supposed to survive in an economy based on credit cards and loans? I know everyone is skeptical of the economy right now, but why can't credit checks rely on character references as much as credit scores. Is the housing situation that is sweeping the nation worse in Memphis than other areas? I must admit I'm not very knowledgeable about economics- it's horribly confusing. Hopefully once I do get an apartment I can find a housing for dummies class and take so I can work on what I need to do so that when I get done with school I can buy a house.
Project Proposals: Important!
Hey, class-
I've talked with most of you, some more formally than others, about your ideas for Honors Inquiry Projects. I must say, I think we're going to have some very interesting projects this semester.
But I really do need something more formal from each of you: a written proposal. I'm thinking something in the 200 - 400 word range in which you lay out, in detail, the following:
1) What will your project entail? What do you plan to do?
2) What do you hope to learn from this? In what ways do you expect to get to know your "city as text" better?
3) How do you plan on presenting your project? Remember, these projects need to be "show worthy," meaning the kind of thing you can share with others. And I'll be looking for each of you to make presentations at least 15 minutes long. So how do you think you'll accomplish that, exactly?
I would really like to have these proposals soon. I'm going to set March 2 as the day that I'd like to see them if you can possibly get them to me that soon. If not, I'll accept them as late as March 9. But I really do want well-written, well-thought-out proposals that can serve as a kind of "contract" for what you'll be doing in the class.
I'm enjoying reading the blog, too. Keep up the nice work.
Doug
I've talked with most of you, some more formally than others, about your ideas for Honors Inquiry Projects. I must say, I think we're going to have some very interesting projects this semester.
But I really do need something more formal from each of you: a written proposal. I'm thinking something in the 200 - 400 word range in which you lay out, in detail, the following:
1) What will your project entail? What do you plan to do?
2) What do you hope to learn from this? In what ways do you expect to get to know your "city as text" better?
3) How do you plan on presenting your project? Remember, these projects need to be "show worthy," meaning the kind of thing you can share with others. And I'll be looking for each of you to make presentations at least 15 minutes long. So how do you think you'll accomplish that, exactly?
I would really like to have these proposals soon. I'm going to set March 2 as the day that I'd like to see them if you can possibly get them to me that soon. If not, I'll accept them as late as March 9. But I really do want well-written, well-thought-out proposals that can serve as a kind of "contract" for what you'll be doing in the class.
I'm enjoying reading the blog, too. Keep up the nice work.
Doug
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Lost and Found
Classmates,
I have lost my Creative Writing folder with all of my class and home work, as well as all of the handouts, syllabus, and my Honors Contract. I also had notes in there for upcoming assignments and a great deal of raw work that I was working on for my portfolio, which is due in a week. I'm very much upset, and really need to find it.
It is a black nylon folder with pockets and brads. On the front, in the lower right-hand corner, there is a gold label with the words "Creative Writing" "ENGL 2118-101" and "W 2-5 P2".
Please please please let me know if you find it or if you have seen it.
Thanks,
Jeni
I have lost my Creative Writing folder with all of my class and home work, as well as all of the handouts, syllabus, and my Honors Contract. I also had notes in there for upcoming assignments and a great deal of raw work that I was working on for my portfolio, which is due in a week. I'm very much upset, and really need to find it.
It is a black nylon folder with pockets and brads. On the front, in the lower right-hand corner, there is a gold label with the words "Creative Writing" "ENGL 2118-101" and "W 2-5 P2".
Please please please let me know if you find it or if you have seen it.
Thanks,
Jeni
Ash Wednesday
Today is Ash Wednesday and I went to church this morning to get my forehead marked. I was late because I got caught behind a truck going 10 miles and hour from Tipton County to Millington. I got there in time for communion, but missed the ashes. I was upset for all of 10 seconds because I knew Fr. Mike would ash me after mass if I asked. I was upset because I had been looking forward to my outward sign of repentance. We wear ashes to mark the beginning of Lent, the spiritual preparation before Easter. We get a small cross on the forehead, but I would have been right at home in the early days of the church when the penitent wore sack clothes and was covered in ashes until they could rejoin the community at Easter. This was done only for the most serious sins (breaking a commandment like murder or adultery mainly). Feeling left out because I was late for the ashes got me to thinking why we as people have the urge to express our wrongdoings. I'm an abnormal Catholic in that I love going to Confession. I go face to face to my priest, not behind a curtain. I want someone who I know quite well to look me in the face and tell me it's OK I messed up, even when I mess up big time. My fervor is this is unique, but not the sentiment. I have heard there's even a 900 number now where you can call and tell a stranger about all the things you feel bad about. I said all this about Ash Wednesday because I know why I look forward to the mark on my forehead. I am comforted by the stares and whispers and questions. I like the opportunity to tell people something about my religion and myself. I plan to spend the rest of my life in Catholic ministry through whatever opportunities are presented to me (and whatever the priest talks me into helping out with.) In the spirit of our class going outside of their comfort zone, I invite anyone who has never been to a Catholic mass or more formal worship service to come to church with me one weekday morning. Most Catholics give something up for Lent, but this year I'm giving up nothing. I rely on my current vices too much to attempt 40 days without a drink or cigarette. So instead I am planning on going to daily mass every day until Easter. If anyone would like to go to a mass I am more than happy to go with you so there will be someone to answer all your "why" questions. We can even go to a parish that is convenient to you. (My parish has mass at 8 in Bartlett straight down Sycamore View from the school. It's about 10 minutes away.)
Pictures in My Mind
Hi All,
I wanted to mention to you guys that selected works from Hieroglyph, the college's literary journal, have been adapted for the stage by STCC's Levi Frazier. A group of us are going to the play on Saturday, February 28 after we meet for dinner at Quetzal on Marshall Street near the Union Avenue campus. Dinner is at 6 pm and the play is at 8 pm in the Union Avenue campus theater. (Reflector article, anyone?)
There are also shows on Thursday (2/26) and Sunday (3/1) is anyone is interested in going but can't make the Friday showing.
Also, STCC has a literary society, called Pierian. We generally meet the second Tuesday of the month at 3 at Otherland's coffee bar on Cooper. We discuss all things literary (and lots of things not as well). If any of you would like to join us, we're always happy to have you.
I wanted to mention to you guys that selected works from Hieroglyph, the college's literary journal, have been adapted for the stage by STCC's Levi Frazier. A group of us are going to the play on Saturday, February 28 after we meet for dinner at Quetzal on Marshall Street near the Union Avenue campus. Dinner is at 6 pm and the play is at 8 pm in the Union Avenue campus theater. (Reflector article, anyone?)
There are also shows on Thursday (2/26) and Sunday (3/1) is anyone is interested in going but can't make the Friday showing.
Also, STCC has a literary society, called Pierian. We generally meet the second Tuesday of the month at 3 at Otherland's coffee bar on Cooper. We discuss all things literary (and lots of things not as well). If any of you would like to join us, we're always happy to have you.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
In response to Jeni's post about taking the kids to the Civil Rights Museum...I just went on so long that I decided not to put it as a response, but as my own post. sorry, ya'll.
I would say that of course the children brought up to a closed mindset will continue to perpetuate those thoughts and actions. they won't know any better. as almost all 12 step programs say, not until you realize and admit the error of your ways can you make any change to those ways. I was brought up as a child in Miami, Florida and my parents are not racist, however, my mother would always have us lock our doors and roll up our windows when we drove through the (mostly) Hispanic sections of town. admittedly, she had a valid concern, the crime rate was much higher there. however, her behaviour passed on to my little subconscious mind that Hispanic people and danger are associated. for years, I would experience unreasonable fear when I met Hispanics or heard the language. it wasn't until I was a grown woman that I began to examine the reasons behind my fears. I still occasionally experience that instinctive response, but now I know where it comes from and I can face it and work through it. which is a good thing considering that my nephew and nieces are all hispanic :) funny how God works in our lives...
I would say that of course the children brought up to a closed mindset will continue to perpetuate those thoughts and actions. they won't know any better. as almost all 12 step programs say, not until you realize and admit the error of your ways can you make any change to those ways. I was brought up as a child in Miami, Florida and my parents are not racist, however, my mother would always have us lock our doors and roll up our windows when we drove through the (mostly) Hispanic sections of town. admittedly, she had a valid concern, the crime rate was much higher there. however, her behaviour passed on to my little subconscious mind that Hispanic people and danger are associated. for years, I would experience unreasonable fear when I met Hispanics or heard the language. it wasn't until I was a grown woman that I began to examine the reasons behind my fears. I still occasionally experience that instinctive response, but now I know where it comes from and I can face it and work through it. which is a good thing considering that my nephew and nieces are all hispanic :) funny how God works in our lives...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Claudette Clovin
Thanks for the enlightenment. What a great revelation you made. This is an excellent bit of knowledge that I’ll be able to take from his course. I learn so much from you guys! History can get so interesting. I was a bit flabbergasted as to why I’d never heard of her, so I did a little follow up as well. A different site stated the events just a Faith had mentioned. Detailed information and a picture can be found here too http://core-europe.org/History/colvin.htm
Civil Rights
Alot of you heard me complain that I didn't see the young girl who did exactly what Rosa Parks did in the museum. Her name was Claudette Colvin. She was 15 when she refused to give up her seat and she did it nine months before Rosa Parks. She has a baby shortly after this, out of wedlock, so the NAACP decided that she would not be a good face for the civil rights movement. You can see the wikipedia article on her at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudette_Colvin.
I find what Claudette did really amazing. For such a young girl to take a stand like that is really amazing, and I hope she is in the civil rights museum and I just missed her.
I find what Claudette did really amazing. For such a young girl to take a stand like that is really amazing, and I hope she is in the civil rights museum and I just missed her.
Civil Rights Discussion
My girlfriend is visiting from Michigan and yesterday, two of her children, two of my children, and the two of us were sitting in the living room, relaxing, and just talking. The topic of race relations came up and developed into a really interesting conversation about civil rights and the civil rights movement and how it affects this generation of kids.
As a result of the conversation, we decided to take the four kids to the Civil Rights Museum today for some immersion. None of them have ever been and were horrified to hear about Emmett Till and similar incidents.
We talked about racism and the different forms it can take; how it can be subtle or blatant, and even if we do not intend to be racist, sometimes we hold beliefs that, when really examined, are in fact racist. One example was that most black people are "sassy and in your face" but that black people in Germantown aren't because they're rich and have "lots of money and stuff". Now, understand that the children we were having this conversation with (a) are between 11 and (a naive) 15 and (b) have all been brought up in diverse and/or multicultural households.
It occurred to me: if these kids who were brought up in a diverse environment and with exposure to many different cultures still have these thoughts, I have to wonder whether children brought up in environments of closed-mindedness and not exposed to other cultures are perpetuating the sterotypes of racism.
As a result of the conversation, we decided to take the four kids to the Civil Rights Museum today for some immersion. None of them have ever been and were horrified to hear about Emmett Till and similar incidents.
We talked about racism and the different forms it can take; how it can be subtle or blatant, and even if we do not intend to be racist, sometimes we hold beliefs that, when really examined, are in fact racist. One example was that most black people are "sassy and in your face" but that black people in Germantown aren't because they're rich and have "lots of money and stuff". Now, understand that the children we were having this conversation with (a) are between 11 and (a naive) 15 and (b) have all been brought up in diverse and/or multicultural households.
It occurred to me: if these kids who were brought up in a diverse environment and with exposure to many different cultures still have these thoughts, I have to wonder whether children brought up in environments of closed-mindedness and not exposed to other cultures are perpetuating the sterotypes of racism.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Blues Night
I am not sure about everyone else but I am a huge Blues fan. Being from the home of the Blues has always been something that I have bragged about. I was having a beer downtown after the Tigers game last wednesday night, and while the house band was playing the idea struck me that a Blues bar would be a great setting for a class meeting. It doesn't matter which bar but discussing the impact Memphis music had on the American music culture while a live Blues band plays in the background would set the mood for some enlightening conversation. It would also be a lot of fun.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Brown Bag Lunch
Hi guys,
Sorry, I’ll miss you all for the Brown Bag Lunch. Unfortunately, my classes are back to back on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I really hate to miss. I was wondering if you all can get enough visual and audio in for me? Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick up quite a bit from you all’s blog. I’m also going to try and research her to see if that’ll help. Thanks in advance for looking out. Enjoy!
Sorry, I’ll miss you all for the Brown Bag Lunch. Unfortunately, my classes are back to back on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I really hate to miss. I was wondering if you all can get enough visual and audio in for me? Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick up quite a bit from you all’s blog. I’m also going to try and research her to see if that’ll help. Thanks in advance for looking out. Enjoy!
National Civil Rights Museum Visit
I really enjoyed the trip to the museum. It offered much needed insight into the history of the Civil Rights Movement. The actual walkthrough is nothing short of extraordinary. I feel it was strategically designed to help captivate those historical moments in time. Therefore, I was better able to grasp what was being put forth to me, almost as though I’d been there. The visuals, audio and other technical aspects did a lot to help give a perception of how things were during that particular time. The allusions were fantastic. I was particularly interested in the room that Dr. King and Ralph Abernathy shared, prior to his death. This is the scene whereas I can remember, and as with past visits including this one, emotions always take over. No Kleenex in sight! It felt surreal. I could barely compose myself. In the mist of it all, I wanted to get a gist of the type of people who would congregate at this sort of an event. True enough, they all seem to have a certain character about themselves. That is, that they embraced the concept of change and all that it has to offer. The displays and memorabilia were quite an attraction. I was able to receive take home information about many prominent citizens who earned their place in history. In the museum’s photography booth, I was also able to get a photo of myself which had this unique contract to seal the visit. I am definitely looking forward to returning there soon, along with exploring other wonderful sites that Memphis has to offer.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
another film option
Mr. Branch,
the film I was mentioning to you yesterday is My Blueberry Nights. of course, we could always watch The Firm, a very Memphis film start to finish :)
the film I was mentioning to you yesterday is My Blueberry Nights. of course, we could always watch The Firm, a very Memphis film start to finish :)
civil rights museum and a look back at mystery train
I enjoyed the trip to the Civil Rights Museum, especially the burned out bus exhibit. I hadn't been aware that that had happened. I have to say that my favourite part, though, was the dinner afterwards. it's nice getting to know everyone in a non-class environment, I really enjoyed laughing together (and the food!).
after dinner, instead of going straight home, Faith and I were bit by the curiousity bug and drove over to the Arcade to see if we could locate the "Arcade hotel". the best I could come up with is maybe Earnestine and Hazel's or the shopfront a couple doors down. now I want to see the movie again and see if we can figure it out. we drove past Sun Studios on the way home and, man!, those kids walked a LONG, LONG way!!
after dinner, instead of going straight home, Faith and I were bit by the curiousity bug and drove over to the Arcade to see if we could locate the "Arcade hotel". the best I could come up with is maybe Earnestine and Hazel's or the shopfront a couple doors down. now I want to see the movie again and see if we can figure it out. we drove past Sun Studios on the way home and, man!, those kids walked a LONG, LONG way!!
Freedom for Education
"[The purpose of Freedom Schools] is to create an educational experience for students which will make it possible for them to challenge the myths of our society, to perceive more clearly its realities, and to find alternatives — ultimately new directions for action."
-Chalres Cobb, founder
I really enjoyed the visit to the Civil Rights Museum, having never been before. As I walked through the exhibit the display that stuck out the most however, was the information on the Freedom Schools. As some of you know, I am an education major and am really interested in teaching in the Jubilee schools the Catholic Diocese of Memphis runs. These are inner-city schools for underprivileged youth. They not only provide the same Catholic education that students in Germantown, Cordova, and Collierville receive, but they do so at little cost to the families. (Tuition is the same at over 3000 per student per year.) They also provide uniforms, wash them, and provide lunch-the only meal some of the children receive. The 10 schools operate in the lowest income zip codes in Memphis. These schools could be viewed as a direct descendant of the Freedom Schools.
The Freedom Schools were developed as part of the 1964 Freedom Summer civil rights project, an effort to increase voter registration among African Americans. Each school was operated according to the needs of the area. A three part curriculum of academics, citizenship, and recreation was used. Adults and children both attended as part of over 3000 students in over 40 schools mainly in the state of Mississippi. The need for the schools was immense as Mississippi schools were still segregated after the Brown ruling and the state spent much less on African American students and had an easier curriculum. School was also not compulsory, so most African American students worked in the fields rather than attending school. many organizations today continue the efforts of the Freedom Schools including the Children's Defense Fund. I believe the Jubilee Schools are doing the same thing. In the words of one parent, "Now my child has a chance to go to college, to be somebody --a chance I never had. It's a chance I never thought I could give him." I decided to become a teacher when I was studying to be a missionary. I thought I could make a difference in the world through education. I was crushed, when because of illness, that dream was closed to me. I'm so glad that this class if giving me a new appreciation of the city I've lived in my whole life, but never really known. I can still make a difference through education, and without leaving Memphis. I hope I continue to grow in my appreciation for the city. Maybe we as a class can encourage people in their thinking of the city so that more people think of it as a city being reborn and not a dead city.
-Chalres Cobb, founder
I really enjoyed the visit to the Civil Rights Museum, having never been before. As I walked through the exhibit the display that stuck out the most however, was the information on the Freedom Schools. As some of you know, I am an education major and am really interested in teaching in the Jubilee schools the Catholic Diocese of Memphis runs. These are inner-city schools for underprivileged youth. They not only provide the same Catholic education that students in Germantown, Cordova, and Collierville receive, but they do so at little cost to the families. (Tuition is the same at over 3000 per student per year.) They also provide uniforms, wash them, and provide lunch-the only meal some of the children receive. The 10 schools operate in the lowest income zip codes in Memphis. These schools could be viewed as a direct descendant of the Freedom Schools.
The Freedom Schools were developed as part of the 1964 Freedom Summer civil rights project, an effort to increase voter registration among African Americans. Each school was operated according to the needs of the area. A three part curriculum of academics, citizenship, and recreation was used. Adults and children both attended as part of over 3000 students in over 40 schools mainly in the state of Mississippi. The need for the schools was immense as Mississippi schools were still segregated after the Brown ruling and the state spent much less on African American students and had an easier curriculum. School was also not compulsory, so most African American students worked in the fields rather than attending school. many organizations today continue the efforts of the Freedom Schools including the Children's Defense Fund. I believe the Jubilee Schools are doing the same thing. In the words of one parent, "Now my child has a chance to go to college, to be somebody --a chance I never had. It's a chance I never thought I could give him." I decided to become a teacher when I was studying to be a missionary. I thought I could make a difference in the world through education. I was crushed, when because of illness, that dream was closed to me. I'm so glad that this class if giving me a new appreciation of the city I've lived in my whole life, but never really known. I can still make a difference through education, and without leaving Memphis. I hope I continue to grow in my appreciation for the city. Maybe we as a class can encourage people in their thinking of the city so that more people think of it as a city being reborn and not a dead city.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Mystery Train
Being who I am and how my life has been, I really do forget that most of my classmates have never seen the side of the city that was shown, slightly, in this movie. I forget that there are people who live in this city who don't navigate it based on its "ghettos" and strip clubs. I forget that there are people who live in this city who think of places like Binghampton and Orange Mound as some different world where they roll up their windows and everyone living there is foreign. To me, that is Memphis. To me, places like Cordova don't exist - its all the seedy underworld that was portrayed ever so slightly in the movie. I think that it is important that people see this world for what it really is, instead of continuing to view it as another country where they might die if they don't roll their windows up. That is what I liked most about this movie - it portrayed that part of Memphis that I've known all along as what it really is, and shows that anyone can end up in that world.
Carpooling to the CRM
Are we carpooling today? I need to know if anyone is riding with me.
I guess respond here on the comments or send me an email to my southwest account. The name is jbchatham at the student address. I will probably take this post down before I head out.
I guess respond here on the comments or send me an email to my southwest account. The name is jbchatham at the student address. I will probably take this post down before I head out.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Article for Paper
Hey Everyone,
I am writing an article for the Honor's paper on the Inquiry class. If you could post a comment with a few words on your thoughts on class (something very short) so that I could include some student comments in the article that would be great.
I am writing an article for the Honor's paper on the Inquiry class. If you could post a comment with a few words on your thoughts on class (something very short) so that I could include some student comments in the article that would be great.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
National Civil Rights Museum
I am really looking forward to the National Civil Rights Museum visit. I had not been there since I did volunteer work back in the 90’s. Lot’s has changed since then. I think it’s a spectacular showcase of Memphis’ history. I am really excited about the innovations they may have to go along with some of the original walk- thru. I want to see the balcony again. It was quite amazing to me, how they’re able to preserve the blood that came from Dr. King after he was shot. This entire visit may be an experience to surely help me read Memphis as a text. I expect to get more insight as to how our past can culminate into our future as citizens of Memphis. Since taking this course, I am very optimistic about the progress that may await Memphis. I think I’m a bit naïve as far as any particular experiences, but from what I hear, Memphis could be better. Overall, I think it’s a great city to have a family and raise children. I am anxious to see what the city has to offer in terms of the National Civil Rights Museum.
Mystery Train
I was awed by the movie Mystery Train. The standards of modesty gave me more intellect as to how practical aspects of people, could possibly be a depiction of one’s society. It’s cool to see how we are all so different, yet have similar ways of living. By this, I mean, we had an Italian, a teen age Japanese couple, and the three guys whose fates are all somewhat intertwined, yet they all seem to pursue some sense of hope after their worlds have dwindled. I think that this in itself made the movie interesting. There was so many places we could have went with this. I did expect the couple to be married as they were performing their love scene. But, the parallel that it has to the younger people in Memphis seems to be such a mirror of the Memphis scene today in regards to teens. Odd because, this was some 20 years ago and here we are with the same concepts then, going on now, involving different cultures and customs but similar behavior. The Italian woman was almost unreadable. You could not be too sure of what was quite going on with her. As for the three guys, it kind of caught me off guard that the movie would have that type of drama to it. Huh, why not? It’s title is Mystery Train. By the way, the cameo by Rufus Thomas was pretty neat. I was equally surprised that Jim Jarmusch could make this movie impact me the way that it did. I really was not expecting much since it was an independent film and low budget. He gets two thumbs up. Although the movie is quite old, I’d recommend it. It thrusts Memphis in the spotlight in a way I thought was not possible. And that hotel, I'd never forget.
The Arcade Hotel
I have become obsessed with the Arcade Hotel. I love old buildings like that, and can lose myself in the history at times. I've been searching for information since we saw "Mystery Train", but there doesn't seem to be much available. However, not to be intimidated by a small obstacle like that, I have emailed a couple of local history type organizations in search of whatever they can give me.
I plan on sharing whatever I find out with the class. I'm really intrigued by the place, so I hope I'm able to learn all about it.
Is anyone else curious?
I plan on sharing whatever I find out with the class. I'm really intrigued by the place, so I hope I'm able to learn all about it.
Is anyone else curious?
mystery train discussion
Faith and I had an interesting discussion about Mystery Train on the way home Monday night. primarily about the second chapter, Luisa's story, and our interpretation of Luisa. we both saw Luisa and interpreted her reactions quite differently. I saw Luisa as a woman very much enclosed in her glass bubble of solitude from which she observed the world, not really getting involved until the episode outside the Arcade destroyed that. I don't know whether she was that way from her grief, or just her personality in an unfamiliar situation, I tend to be that way when I am out of my familiar environment. although, you wouldn't catch me giving out that much money to a con man! I felt like she was really afraid when the two men approached her outside the Arcade but that she covered it well, Faith on the other hand saw her as very tough and world weary and rather undisturbed by the events of her day. the mafiosa widow personification made a lot of sense for her and I don't deny that that comment about the type of gun (one of my favourite moments in the film...) certainly lends credibility to that label. my point is either of us could have been right or neither of us, but what I was really impressed by was how much our pasts and our personal reactions to similar situations had influenced our interpretation of the events we witnessed. I really realized all of a sudden that it wasn't just in the film that this happened but it goes on all the time in life. all of us view the events around us and the ones that intersect with our lives through our own lens. and maybe, that interpretation isn't always the right one...
I've really been thinking about that over the last few days and I've tried to remember that when I start to get upset over something. I've taken a step back and continued to try listen openly without falling prey to my response to my own personal interpretation.
--I'm pretty sure Faith has appreciated that a couple times...even if she didn't know at the time I was doing it :)
I've really been thinking about that over the last few days and I've tried to remember that when I start to get upset over something. I've taken a step back and continued to try listen openly without falling prey to my response to my own personal interpretation.
--I'm pretty sure Faith has appreciated that a couple times...even if she didn't know at the time I was doing it :)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Casual Observations about Mystery Train
My favorite line from the movie is where Jun is giving Mitsuko a hard time about sleeping and she tells him something along the lines of "when you're dead you don't ever get to sleep again and no more dreams." I'm going to have to watch the movie again so I can get the exact quote, but it really stuck out for me. I thought that was a very fitting summary of the movie since all three stories have people chasing after unfulfilled dreams.
Also, Screaming Jay Hawkins voice sounded really familiar but I couldn't think of any songs of his so I did a little research. He's the original artist of one of the greatest songs ever "I Put a Spell on You," which was released in 1957. I'm attaching a link to a video of a performance he did of the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kGPhpvqtOc I'm sure you've all heard it. The song was also featured prominently in another Jim Jarmusch movie Stranger than Paradise.
Also after seeing all the Elvis imagery in the movie I'm starting to feel guilty about the fact I've never been to Graceland. People come from all over the world to see it, but I've never been willing to go across town. Yes, it's very touristy and there is a certain ambivalence towards Elvis in Memphis, but I think he's a part of why this hick town got bigger. Not just him, but the whole music scene that brought in revenue for the city. I think I may have to go just for the sake of seeing that part of Memphis history. If anyone else has never been and wants to likewise embrace all things Memphis, I invite you to come along with me.
Also, Screaming Jay Hawkins voice sounded really familiar but I couldn't think of any songs of his so I did a little research. He's the original artist of one of the greatest songs ever "I Put a Spell on You," which was released in 1957. I'm attaching a link to a video of a performance he did of the song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kGPhpvqtOc I'm sure you've all heard it. The song was also featured prominently in another Jim Jarmusch movie Stranger than Paradise.
Also after seeing all the Elvis imagery in the movie I'm starting to feel guilty about the fact I've never been to Graceland. People come from all over the world to see it, but I've never been willing to go across town. Yes, it's very touristy and there is a certain ambivalence towards Elvis in Memphis, but I think he's a part of why this hick town got bigger. Not just him, but the whole music scene that brought in revenue for the city. I think I may have to go just for the sake of seeing that part of Memphis history. If anyone else has never been and wants to likewise embrace all things Memphis, I invite you to come along with me.
Dementia
OK, class: your professor is clearly demented. I forgot that I'm teaching class Monday afternoon, so of COURSE we can't go to the Arcade before our to the National Civil Rights Museum. Cancel that plan. But I would like to go to The Flying Fish afterwards. So let me know if you can do that.
Sorry for the confusion. Whew. I must be overworked!
DB
Sorry for the confusion. Whew. I must be overworked!
DB
Change of Plans: Trip to National Civil Rights Museum
Hey, class--
Possible change of plans here. Let me know what you think. I called The Arcade restaurant, and it turns out they're not open for dinner, just breakfast and lunch. But I do think it would be fun to hang out there for a while, since we saw it in the movie.
How does this sound? We could meet up at the Arcade at 1:30 Monday. That would give us plenty of time to have a little lunch, talk about Mystery Train, and get to the Civil Rights Museum by 3:00. That tour will take about two hours. Then we could walk (it's well less than a mile) to a restaurant I think you'd like (good food, lots of local color, cool place) called The Flying Fish. It's on 2nd street. (If you needed to drive, you could, but I think walking would be just as easy.) And we could "de-brief" a bit about what we saw at the National Civil Rights Museum.
I'm not going to "require" either lunch or dinner. But I would like as many of you who can to join us. And it would be great if you could drop me an email to let me know your plans.
See you then. And let's start working on the blog!
DB
Possible change of plans here. Let me know what you think. I called The Arcade restaurant, and it turns out they're not open for dinner, just breakfast and lunch. But I do think it would be fun to hang out there for a while, since we saw it in the movie.
How does this sound? We could meet up at the Arcade at 1:30 Monday. That would give us plenty of time to have a little lunch, talk about Mystery Train, and get to the Civil Rights Museum by 3:00. That tour will take about two hours. Then we could walk (it's well less than a mile) to a restaurant I think you'd like (good food, lots of local color, cool place) called The Flying Fish. It's on 2nd street. (If you needed to drive, you could, but I think walking would be just as easy.) And we could "de-brief" a bit about what we saw at the National Civil Rights Museum.
I'm not going to "require" either lunch or dinner. But I would like as many of you who can to join us. And it would be great if you could drop me an email to let me know your plans.
See you then. And let's start working on the blog!
DB
Thought Fragment
Something has been on my mind about yesterday's movie... I know Doug referred to the man in the liquor store as being dead, but I seem to remember the DJ saying he was at the Med in critical condition. It was playing in the background of the scene, so I may be misremembering it, but if he's dead, how do they know it was two white men and a black man?
Does anyone else remember the radio announcement?
Does anyone else remember the radio announcement?
Monday, February 9, 2009
Class Meeting 02/02/09
I really enjoyed hearing about where everyone went and what they experienced. I was supprised that places I'm so comfortable at like the Brooks would be uncomfortable with other people. The original place I wanted to go, Univeristy Lounge-a hookah bar, I couldn't get into because it's members only. I wanted to go because I don't hang out with people my own age. I've always gravitated towards much older people because they don't intimidate me as much. I really wanted to go outside my comfort zone and go to a place college students hang out. I plan on getting a membership and going back to really push myself outside my comfort zone. I'm also trying to talk to younger students in class.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Honors Inquiry Blog for 2/02/09 class meeting
Class has been extremely interesting and revealing. I learned quite a bit about the different social backgrounds that comprise our class. I feel so honored to be around such an intelligent and diverse group people. I think the stories we went over last Monday 2/2/09, A Friend and Protector & Merry-Go- Sorry enlightened me on how the truth can be obscured. At times, we can be naïve, especially when it comes to bad motives. I tend to overlook them, more times than not. This is because; I try to see the good in people, and overlook their ulterior motives. However, these stories make you kind of self-reflect, and say “what type of a person am I, really? I would say for the most part, again, I think we as a human race, are a wonderful creation. Just because one apple spoils, we do not have to let it ruin the entire bunch. I was also captivated by our classmate’s faith background as a Catholic, especially since I choose to be non-denominational. It’s really expanding my mind towards people whose denomination may differ from mine. I feel that this exposure, along with our inquest to unfamiliar environments may ultimately lead to life changing events in one’s everyday life, for the betterment of us all. I really enjoyed discussing the issues that make us different as well, with all respect to ethnic backgrounds.
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