Forgiveness

Forgiveness

            How do you question someone else’s forgiveness? Before you can begin to forgive you have to know the meaning of the word, the definition Merriam Webster’s dictionary gives for the word forgive is to cease to feel resentment against(Merriam-webster.com). The Jewish people suffered greatly at the hands of the German’s during the Holocaust. They were experimented on, forced to do hard labor, and killed yet some of them were still able to find forgiveness.

As I watched the video Forgiving Dr. Mengele my heart ached. The way the Jewish people especially the twins that the doctor experimented on was just horrible. He would take them and place them in a room naked for six to eight hours every day so that they could be observed (Forgiving Dr. Mengele).Dr. Josef Mengele who was also known as the Angel of death experimented on people with unique hereditary traits(Rosenberg). To think of some of the things that these people went through is overwhelming. If one twin died then the other one was killed with a lethal injection to the heart so that an autopsy could be performed to see if there were any similarities in death as there were in life.

When arriving at Auschwitz the Jewish people were gathered on a ramp where they were separated. Some people were sent to the gas chamber to immediately die while others were kept alive for labor purposes. The ones, mostly strong, healthy males, who were selected for labor were dehumanized and given numbers which were their new identities. They were not allowed to keep any of their personal belongings and their heads were shaved to take away individuality (Rosenberg).  Once the process of dehumanization was done they were told what happened to the other members of their family and many of them died from grief. Life in the camp was torture not just physically but mentally.

Over 6 million Jews were killed 1.5 million were children (Hitler’sChildren.com).  Most of the prisoners were placed in the gas chamber, while others simply died from the torture and conditions that they were forced to live in. Once they died they were then sent to the crematorium to be cremated. Many survivors recall the horrendous smell of the burning bodies, they did not know what the smell was at the time. The majority of the children died from the experimentation that they were put through. There were about 9 million Jews in Europe before World War II, and 2/3 of them were killed by the end of the war(Hitler’sChildren.com). There was no compassion for these people.

There are some people who may say that the Holocaust never happened and it is impossible to kill that many people. Some of the survivors have forgiven the Germans and the Nazis for what they did to them and their families. Others say that they will never be able to forgive and that is their preference. Some may feel that Mengele was not wrong for his part in what happened and that the experimentation was alright. The fact remains that millions of people lost their lives for no reason other than they did not look how someone else felt they should look.

The attempted genocide of the Jewish people was senseless and it takes a strong person to forgive the acts of experimentation, forced labor, and murder. Forgiveness is a personal choice and no one has the right to tell someone they are wrong for being forgiving. Eva Kor said “forgiveness means what was done to me no longer brings me such pain” and I do not think I could have said it better (Forgiving Dr. Mengele). Everyone needs to learn to let go of the past and forgive. Forgiving is not forgetting just because you let go of the pain does not mean that you are letting go of the memories

Journal 8

I enjoyed ENC 1102, the blogging was a new experience for me but I enjoyed it. I thought the videos that we had to write about were very informational. I could relate to them and they were easy for me to write about. Having to do journals on the videos really helped me to focus and narrow down my writing topic. I really enjoyed the group critiquing and the input from my peers. The blogging was a new experience for me and I really loved it I am not going to promise to continue but I may. I did get a little lost with my comments though and I did not think to keep a list of which blogs I commented on until after the suggestion was made then it was a little too late. Overall I loved the atmosphere of the class and the people that I was able to meet. I am happy that you came up with the idea of posting our journals and final essays on our blogs so that others could read and comment on them. I feel that the feedback was very good and it helped me to think more about my topics. I enjoyed reading my classmates work and being able to see their point of view on the different subjects. I would like to thank you Mrs. Warren for helping me to experience something new.

Super Teacher

Super Teacher

            Has the quality of teachers changed or is it the value?  Teachers have really been coming under fire these last few years. School grades across the country have dropped and the question that is being asked is it the fault of the teachers or the students. In today’s schools there is a lot for teachers to deal with. A student’s home life, I.Q. level, and the classroom make-up are all factors that play a role in a child’s ability to learn.

Take a child’s home life for instance, whether there are both parents in the house or one really takes a toll on a child. You could take most of the children that I interact with on a daily basis and decide which ones come from two parent or one parent homes based on a lot of their behavior. In 2000, 27% of all United States children were living in single-parent homes”(Barajas).  Children who come from single parent households tend to have more behavior problems in school. They are often confrontational and more emotional, especially males who have no positive male role model or “father figure” in their lives, than most other students. When you have students who only have one parent they do not get as much attention at home, if there are other siblings or the parent is working multiple jobs to make ends meet then the parent’s time and focus is taken away from that child and placed elsewhere. At low income schools this tends to be especially true and then it becomes solely on the teacher to work with and try to give this student adequate attention. There is no problem with a teacher doing this, but when you have a classroom of twenty or more students it becomes difficult to give one student extra attention without taking attention away from the others.

            I.Q. level also plays a big part in a student’s ability to learn. There was a point in time when the slow learners would have a small classroom with other students who were similar to them. Now, in most schools, there are no longer special classrooms and the ESE students are being placed in classrooms with regular students. It is not just the slow learners but also the advanced kids who suffer. You get a student who is ahead of the class and they get bored because their minds are not being stimulated enough. Teachers are now expected to teach below, on, and over grade level. This proves difficult for a lot of teachers, how do you successfully move children forward without losing the ones who are already behind or boring the ones who are ahead?

Once you start putting too many different students into one class issues will arise. I work in a class called the STAR class, which is an acronym for students taking academic responsibility, the children in this class are overage and we work with them to try to get them double promoted. A few years ago we had a student who was in fourth grade, she should have been in middle school already, and she could only read at a second grade level. Even with extra help this is a student who will probably never make significant academic achievement and more than likely will drop out of school in a couple of years because she is so far behind. You have classes that have 35 students in them and because there are two teachers it is fine, but even with two teachers that is too many kids in one room to effectively learn.

I am not saying the fault lies totally on the students because there are some teachers who just should not be teaching. To me teaching is one of those careers that you have to have a passion for. No matter how many or what kind of kids some teachers get the kids will never learn but that does not give a teacher the reason to stop trying. Not all kids are slow learners some just need an extra push but some teachers just are not willing to put forth the effort. I agree with Michelle Rhee that students not adults should be our top priorities (Waiting for Superman).

Law makers should take into consideration how some classes are made up before they pass laws that effect education. You can have the most super teacher in the world in a classroom but there will be no super gains if you do not address the student’s issues. Look at home life, and the I.Q. of the students. Then, look at the make-up of the class before you try to evaluate whether or not a teacher deserves to teach.

Journal 7

I had mixed feelings watching the film Waiting for Superman. On one hand I agree with that failing schools need to be looked at. Teachers who are not producing results should no longer be employed. Public education is free and teachers should not go into this field just looking for a paycheck. You have to have a passion and as a parent I would hate for my children to have teachers who really do not want to be there because they are not going to produce results or gains. On the other hand school grades and student gains should not be placed entirely on the teacher. Other factors should be considered, not all teachers are bad teachers. They are dealt bad classes. There is only so much one teacher can do for a student who has an abundance of outside issues. I really think too much blame is placed on teachers, students and their parents should also be held responsible for their academic success. The school’s neighborhood should also be looked at is the school in a low income neighborhood or is the neighborhood more high income. There are a lot of outside factors that play a role in a school’s grade not just how well a teacher teaches. 

Troubled Teens

Troubled Teens

American teenagers spend 10 hours and 45 minutes a day on media consumption (Miss Representation). Young girls are given the impression, through media, that their value and worth is based on how they look.  The idea that they are not perfect causes depression and suicide rates to rise, the number of teenagers having sex to go up, and ambition to fall. Young girls need to know that the people who are being portrayed in the media as perfect are nowhere close to being as perfect as they seem.

53% of 13 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies and by age 17 the percentage rises to 78. As young girls try to fit in to how society thinks they should look, like they lose self-esteem. Depression rates doubled from 2000 to 2010 (Miss Representation). As depression rates rise so do suicide rates, in 2004 4,599 young adults, ages 10-24, committed suicide (nbc.com). Although there is no accurate count for suicide attempts so the number would be twice that if more people were successful.

More than 20% of teens have sex before the age of 14 (Miss Representation). This is partially because girls are trying to fit in and be considered cool. When I was in middle school I knew a girl who was going around having oral sex with guys because she heard it in a rap song and she wanted to be like those girls.  One day she said she was going to go home and drink bleach to try kill herself. She was being talked about but it was not in the same way the guys in the song were talking. Now working with young girls I see and hear in elementary school some of the things that my generation did not think about until high school. I hear fourth and fifth graders talking about having sex and my jaw drops. The part that saddens me the most is that young girls are growing up entirely too fast. I see these girls wearing short skirts and shorts that when I was their age I would have been spanked for even asking my parents to buy. They are wearing make-up at the age of six or seven because they see all the singers and actresses wearing it. A lot of young girls now look a lot older than they are and in turn are being forced to act older by having sex with boys and men, who are much older and more mature, to fit in.

Seeing the way females are being portrayed in media can cause a young girl’s ambition to fall. Who would want to aspire to be successful when the successful women are given the most grief? To see and hear things like a female will never make as much money as a man at one point women made seventy-seven cents for every dollar a man made. The pay gap has dropped with females making ninety-three cents with MBA’s and even that is less a nickel less than before (bussinessweek). A woman will never be president or hold a real position of power is something that has been said for centuries in America. Women are described as bitchy, catty, and violent, these are some of the reasons that they cannot get ahead of their male counterparts. To a young girl hearing things like this all of her life this is a real ego buster. 

As adults we need to guide our young girls and teach them that it is alright to be their selves. We need to explain to them that everything they see on television or read in a magazine is not always accurate. Models are being photo shopped so that they look a certain way when in reality a lot of them do not look quite as good in person as they do in print or on the big screen.

As the next generation of young women begin to come into their own it is up to us, the older generation, to show them that there is more to life than what the media portrays. If we can steer our young ladies in the correct direction then our suicide and depression rates will drop, teen sex rates will go down, and overall female ambition will rise. Our adolescents need to know that with positive reinforcement they can be whatever it is they put their minds to. They do not have to settle for the stereotypes that is portrayed by the media.

Works Cited

Damast, Allison.“MBA Gender Pay Gap: An Industry Breakdown.”  Businessweek.com.  7 Jan.

2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2013

Miss Representation. Dir. Jennifer Seibel. Girls Club Entertainment, 2011. DVD.

“CDC: Suicide rate jumps for kids,young adults.”  Nbcnews.com. 6 Sept. 2007. Web. 29 Mar.

2013

 

Journal 6

I  was  very  surprised  by  the  figures  that  were  presented  especially  when  they  were  talking  about  the  percentage  of  teenage  females  who  suffer  from  depression.  I  never  had  to  deal  with  this  personally  but  I  know  people  who  have  and  are  still  suffering  from  depression  and  to  hear  that  the  number  of  females  going  through  this  is  getting  higher  instead  of  lowering  it  is  heartbreaking.  As  adult  females  we  should  be  encouraging  young  adults  to  be  more  confident  with  themselves  instead  of  trying  to  be  like  the  people  who  are  in  the  magazines  or  on  television.  I  work  with  adolescent  girls  on  a  daily  basis  and  after  watching  this  video  I  started  to  pay  more  attention  to  how  they  are  dressing  and  wearing  their  hair  and  I  am  starting  to  see  the  impact  media  is  having  on  their  everyday  decisions. As women we should be uplifting each other. We need to teach the younger generation that it is ok to be comfortable with who you are no matter your shape or size. Girls now are so worried about what the people on television are wearing that they try extra hard to fit into that image that they are seeing when in reality no one is perfect and even the people that they are seeing are covered in make-up and being airbrushed to look better. I have a daughter and I try hard to let her be herself. I monitor what she watches and I try to explain to her that what she sees is not always real.

What a Waste

            Have you ever heard the saying “waste not, want not” (Dive)? Now in days it seems like we are wasting a lot more than we are saving. Food waste is a big problem in today’s society, “96 billion pounds of food is wasted a year” (Dive). Everywhere you turn food is being wasted, in schools, grocery stores, and households. There are numerous ways to cut back on food waste. Americans have seemed to become too comfortable in thinking that the supply of food is endless.

            The schools in Duval County will throw food away before they will give it to a student without lunch money. If a child comes through the lunch line and they are over their allowed spending limit the cafeteria workers are told to throw away the food, once it is touched it cannot be given to someone else. Then the student is given a cold cheese sandwich consisting of two stale pieces of bread and cheese which most students just throw away. With this process not only is the original hot lunch wasted but so is the cheese sandwich. At most schools students are not allowed to share food so if a student does not want something on their tray they are instructed to throw it away. Studies show that “food waste at schools nationwide costs about $1 billion annually” (theslowcook.com).

            Grocery stores also play a big part in the amount of food wasted every year. Food that is considered “bad” is thrown out at night. I know some of you are saying bad food should be thrown away but then you have to define the word bad. The expiration date is one determining factor of bad food but the date you see is usually the date the store has to stop selling it not the date that it is no longer good to eat(webmd.com). If one tomato in a pack goes bad then the whole package is thrown out (Dive). Have you ever really paid attention to the carts in the stores that have marked down items in them because they are about to expire?

            Even in our own homes we are constantly wasting food.  Some people do not like to eat left over food therefore they just throw cooked food away after everyone has eaten. They freeze meat that they may buy on sale then forget to take it out of the freezer so they buy more and end up throwing the frozen meat away. Americans tend to cook big meals on holidays and birthdays knowing it is not going to get eaten just so family, friends, and neighbors can pick over what was cook. Children are forced to half eat a meal because even though we know our kids don’t like broccoli we try to make them eat it anyway. There are countries like Haiti that are in dire need of food and The United States of America is wasting it just because we do not value food.

            Waste can be cut back on if people really tried. There are people in need throughout the world and most people and places would rather throw food out then to give it to people in need because they are afraid of a lawsuit (Dive). Thanks to former President Bill Clinton you do not have to worry about things like this. In 1996 President Bill Clinton signed The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (feedingamerica.org). President Clinton signed this act to encourage donation of food and grocery products to non-profit organizations for distribution to individuals in need (feedingamerica.org). This law protects people from liability when they donate to a non-profit organization and protects individuals from civil and criminal liability should the product donated in good faith later cause harm to the recipient (feedingamerica.org). Grocery stores can now give freely to others without fear. Share tables will help to cut waste in schools. A share table is when students place unwanted food on an empty table for anyone to enjoy. At home we can just buy what we need or cook only what we will eat so that we are not throwing out food every day.

            The next time you are at home or in the grocery store take a minute to really look and see how much food is being wasted. Visit your children during lunch time and just observe the way lunch is handled at their school. Are they allowed to share, or are they forced to throw their food away. We as Americans have to do better and we have to stop being so wasteful. Whether it is at school, home, or in the grocery store it is up to us to stop this wasteful cycle.

Journal 5

At some point in time everyone has wasted some type of food. Most of us do not think about it because we are not starving or worried about where are next meal is coming from. I work at a title one school; most of our students are on free or reduced lunch, so every day I see children who are hungry. A lot of times the only decent meal these children get is here at school. Seeing these kids ask for more and not being able to give them seconds hurts me but there is nothing that I am able to do about that. We have rules that keep us from giving extra food to students. At my school the children are not allowed to share food no matter how hungry one child is or how full the other is. My coworkers and I try our best to get left over food after all the children have eaten to give to the hungry children but it is not something we can do every day. I try to be more conscious about the food I waste and throw away at home but sometimes it does not work the way I want it to. When I have a lot of leftover food I take it to family members and coworkers. I am trying to do what I can to stop the hunger that I see but I am only one person. But even a little help can go a long way.

Dream Deferred

Dream Deferred

            No matter your age, race, or the language that you speak there is always going to be some type of an obstacle in your way. The way you deal with and approach these obstacles are what help to make you the person that you are. According to the Center of Disease Control “about one third of teenage girls will get pregnant before age the age of twenty” (Hutton). Many teenage mothers are told that their lives are over, that they will never go to college or make anything of themselves. Not only can teenage mothers go to college and make something of themselves, they can also get good paying jobs and not depend on welfare for the rest of their lives. With the right mentor and guidance they can get on the correct path.

More and more teenage mothers are attending college and receiving degrees. I for one am living proof of this; I had my first child at seventeen. I was told many of the things that are told to a lot of young mothers. I will admit, it did take a while for me to actually start college because working full time and going to school are not easy tasks. When I turned eighteen I decided to get a job to take care of my son instead of going to school. Even though I was just comfortable working, last year I decided to enroll in school. At first it was hard juggling work and school but once I came up with a routine things got easier for me to balance. I try to schedule classes that are not right after I get off of work so that I have time to work on homework or do some kind or stress release. On the weekdays that I do not have class I work on homework and I devote my weekends to my family so that I am not always doing school work.

 Welfare is an option a lot of teenage mothers choose. “In 2011 $2.3 billion was spent in the public health care sector alone” (Solomon-Fears). These are mostly people who let others talk them down and tell them that their lives were over. Maybe that was the way they were raised so it is all that they know. Welfare dependency is a cycle that has to be broken in many families. A child seeing that their mother has been able to survive and raise children based on government assistance and has not had to work may become cool in their eyes. The fact that they can still have the things that other people work hard for, without having a job, is the American dream for some people. Why work when you can get everything for free?

At the age of thirteen a friend of mine got pregnant. As a seventh grader she did not know what she was going to do with her life or how she was going to support her child. She worked through high school and got a job at a bank shortly after graduation. Last year she graduated college with a degree in business. Women like her are the ones our young mothers need to see so that they can have a positive role model. They need someone who was once in their shoes that can show them that it is not what life throws at you but how you overcome those obstacles that help you to become a better person. You cannot let society turn you into a failure or a statistic; you have to prove them wrong. We need more successful women who were teenage mother’s to mentor our young girls to let them know life is not over just because you got pregnant at a young age. “The value of mentors- they help you identify what is important.” says Mauricio Garcia. There is nothing better than a mentor who can actually relate to a mentee because they know how you are feeling, they do not have to try too hard to relate.

            With a little guidance and encouragement any obstacle can be overcome. Teenage pregnancy is one obstacle young girls have faced for centuries but all it takes is one person to break the cycle and let them know that life is not over. Welfare is not a necessity in life, and college can be attended by anyone who desires a higher education. You cannot let society tell you what you can or cannot become anything is possible as long as you have the desire in your heart to make a better future for yourself. Never let an obstacle block your way, remember you have three choices you can go over it, go under it, or go through it. I chose to go over my obstacle, what is your choice going to be?

Journal 4

At the age of seventeen I got pregnant with my first child. I was a senior in high school at the time and everyone told me my life was over and that I should get an abortion. I decided to have my son and to this day though it was one of my greatest challenges I do not regret it one bit. I had my son a week before finals and even though I should have been at home resting I went back to school, took my finals, and received my diploma. In life there will always be challenges but how you decide to handle those challenges and overcome those obstacles is what truly helps make you the person you are. To achieve the “American Dream” you have to deal with many things I was told I would never go to college and make minimum wage, yet here I am a college student and though I have only been going a year I love it and have no desire to stop or drop out. You cannot let other people’s thoughts or feelings hinder you from becoming what you are destined to be. Barriers are made to be knocked down whether they are race, language, or sexual orientation issues they can be overcome with a little effort and some hard work. The rewards you reap will be well worth the work.

Technology in Schools

Technology in Schools

Do you believe the education system is being taken over by technology? Though some experts may argue that technology in schools is not a good idea, others are arguing the fact that technology is much needed in today’s society. Laptops, tablets, or readers are more cost efficient for students then buying textbooks every year. It would be easier for students to keep up with assignments, access, and reread text and students would be more willing to come to school.

Laptops, tablets, or readers for every student would be a more cost efficient way for school districts to purchase and provide text books for the students. I work for the school board so I know firsthand how costly it is to buy text books for every student every year, when the same books are rarely used for more than two years. Each student on average has at least four textbooks at a given time with the majority of them costing at least one hundred dollars. If you do the math providing textbooks for one student every year comes out to be about $400. If each textbook is only one hundred dollars, then multiply that by the number of students that are in a school. In my school for instance we have 629 students multiplied by $400 that is $251,600 just for our school. Plus you have to provide the teachers with the teacher editions to these books, even though the books are already available online. For every one student textbook there are three or more teacher’s editions. Our reading series has six books plus an assessment book. You are spending even more on the teacher’s editions than you are on the student books. Whereas you could buy each student a $300 tablet and pay to load the needed text onto the device. One download can be shared with up to six Kindles (Zipke).  That first year is going to be the most costly but after that you are only paying to update the text as needed and not have to continue spending the money every year to buy actual books.

Not only would purchasing laptops, tablets, or readers for every student be more cost efficient it would also be more space effective. You can load all the required books on one device, instead of student desks and cubbies being jam packed with books there will only be one device. Students’ grades will also increase because they would be more eager to carry one device home than they would two or three bulky books to do homework. It would be easier for students to go back and reread necessary text at home. This would also make it easier for them to keep up with their assignments. Assignments can be saved and submitted to teachers via email as soon as a student is finished so they are less likely to lose papers. Teachers will have easier access to work for conferences and data upkeep. When a student is absent instead of them falling behind they will be able to check to see what assignments and lessons they missed because teachers could email them missed work.

A student would be more likely to want to attend school because they will have something to help keep them engaged. Most children are active learners so they need to interact during learning and a technological device would be one of the best ways for them to work. Tablets for example, require them to use their fingers or hands to move objects and the cursor around the screen. They can easily go from screen to screen, or even make the writing bigger which can be a big help to students with vision problems. At one digital media school “attendance is up ninety percent” says Jason Levy, principal of I.S. 339 in the Bronx (Digital Nation). Having access to a device they may not be able to have access to at home would be a great motivator for many students.

Many educators would disagree about technology being used for every student in schools. Students' wrong usage and damage of technological tools in classroom ineffective time management  while using technology are some of the examples emerging as a result of the entrance of new technologies into the schools (Yildiz). Professor Clifford Nass of Sanford University says “Students aren’t applying themselves because they are distracted by multitasking” (Digital Nation). This could always be an issue but if the students are engaged enough they will not have time to try to multitask.

There will always be pros and cons when discussing the use of technology in schools. Students having access to technological devices can help enhance their learning. Laptops, tablets, or readers are more cost effective for students then buying textbooks every year. It would be easier for students to keep up with assignments, access, and reread text and students would be more willing to come to school. Yet the question remains, do you think the education system is being taken over by technology?

Works Cited

“Digital Nation.” Frontline. PBS. 02 Feb. 2010. DVD.

Ismail Yildiz, et al. "A Qualitative Study On Classroom Management And Classroom

Discipline Problems, Reasons, And Solutions: A Case Of Information Technologies Class." Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice 10.2 (2010): 881-891. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.

Zipke, Marcy. ”Teachers’ Thoughts on e-readers in the Elementary School Classroom.”       Education and Information Technologies Feb.(2012): 1-2.Print

Journal 3

I am definitely a part of the digital nation. I cannot think straight if I do not have some kind of electronic device in my hands, especially my phone, even at work when I am waiting on my students to finish writing an answer I am on my phone checking my email or Facebook. When I leave my cell phone at home I call from the phone at work for someone to bring it to me. I think now in days you have to step up and become more technological because everything is becoming easier to handle online or through apps and text. It is quicker to pick up your phone and send a text than it is to call someone. It is cheaper to post a picture on Facebook or Instagram than it is to have print copies and mail them to family members and friends. Even when it comes to school work more things are being done with computers than there are with a pencil and paper. Essays are typed out instead of handwritten homework is typed and then submitted electronically. In elementary my children are using computers daily to complete online assessments and doing skill reinforcement activities. My kindergartener knows how to log on to a computer and access the internet. I really feel that in this day and time if you are not familiar with some type of computer software you are seriously behind and you need to catch up.

Journal 2

I personally like watching reality television no matter what the actual content is I find most of the shows hilarious. It is really hard to believe there are actually behave in the manner that is portrayed. The drama shows to me are the best but I am also a fan the crime shows like Cops and First 48.  I think most of these shows are scripted and that people take few of them too seriously, Here Comes Honey Boo-Boo, for example is simply a show about a spoiled little girl and her family but some people read entirely too much into the show and want to criticize her mother’s parenting skills because of her children’s behavior. I think if more people were to view reality television as another form of entertainment and stop judging reality stars so harshly these people may not act out as much. These are people who are getting paid to let cameras follow them around just like an actor in a movie or non-reality shows and part of their behavior is due to the fact that the more viewers they have and the higher their ratings are the bigger their checks will be. They are similar to waitresses or car salesmen the nicer they are the more money they make, well it seems for reality stars the more drama they have or the dumber they are the more money they make. All in all I believe these people are getting paid to act some of them are just better at it than others.

Gallery Essay

Alicia Goodman

       Gallery Opening Essay

 

Viewer’s Point of View

Photography is the best way for artists to let others see subjects as they see them and a good job is done when the photo speaks to the viewer. As said by Ansel Adams “A photograph is usually looked at- seldom looked into.”  The three pictures that were chosen are all black and white but they are ones that offer an insight to these photographers' sense of humor, emotional connection and their viewing of the world around them. They speak to the viewer in one way or another, “Innocence” conveys the feeling as titled, “Adam Texting Eve” seems to say even biblical characters have to step into the new century, and finally “Other Bag” gives a glimpse of the bag many women keep in the back of the closet. They are three very different photos from three different photographers but they all seem to portray a meaning that is speaking to the viewer.

I love the fact that Rachel Hammond titled her photograph “Innocence” because on the surface it is simply a picture of a little boy. Yet after looking into the boy’s eyes in the photograph you can see what is said in the title and that is pure innocence. This child has a blank look on his face that seems to say he has done nothing wrong. His eyes are saying he needs help because there is no light in them, no sparkle, his eyes hold a certain sadness to them. The slight downward curve of his mouth resembles a frown but it is not all the way there yet, like there is still help and hope for him. Maybe his young eyes have seen things that at his tender young age should not have seen or maybe there is love and compassion missing from his life. We will never know by looking at just the surface.

Kristen Bryant’s photo of “Adam Texting Eve” is a new age spin on a biblical story. There were no cellphones in biblical times so to see Adam sitting in the middle of the forest sending a text to the only woman in the world, at that time, brings a slight smile to my face. When most people talk about the bible they are usually so serious and there is no room for humor, yet this picture holds a hint of humor. Upon first glance you can’t really see Adam sitting among the trees and he looks like he could possibly be an animal but as you focus on the picture his presence becomes clear and I think that adds more thinking to the photo. I can see the slight smile on Adam’s face and it seems to say he is in love and sitting so freely in the forest without a care in the world. This is a time without care or evil before the serpent in the bush enticed Eve to taste the forbidden fruit before the beginning of sin. If everyone could be this carefree the world would be a much better place.

In Piere Weber’s “Other Bag” viewers get a glimpse of a woman’s fun bag, the one that is not carried day to day or to social functions, but to late night rendezvous with a lover. The whips and handcuffs bring to mind the love life of a dominatrix or a lady of the night. This bag could also be the simple black one kept at the back of a housewife’s closet so that the kids don’t happen upon it. I love the fact that a male photographer took this photo because women should not be objectified or feel that it is wrong to have an active sex life. This picture says be who you are let go of the bondage that says it is wrong to feel or be sexy. There are many different views that can be taken from this photo. The view that came to me upon first look is that of a woman who is not afraid to be herself and the picture reminds me of myself in that sense I have always loved being me and I am not afraid to express that and I chose this picture because of that personal connection that I felt to it.

Photographers have many different ways to show the world as they see it. “Innocence” showed an innocent child, “Adam Texting Eve” showed a humorous more in this century view of the Bible, and “Other Bag” gave us a glimpse to a woman’s freedom through a simple black bag. The three photographers of those photographs showed their view perfectly because photography is the best way for artists to let others see subjects as they see them. No two viewers are going to get the exact same view, as long as the photo speaks to a patron then it is a job well done.

Journal 1

My experience in ENC 1101 was good. I took the class last spring and I feel that I learned a good deal of writing techniques and tips. There were some challenges but overall I had a great experience in the class. The class was structured about the same as this class is, as far as the timeline goes, we were given two weeks to complete an essay and there was also time for peer review. One difference is that we were not given journal entries to turn in but instead we were given chapters in our textbook to facilitate. Our facilitations were to be two paragraphs long and end with a question for the class to answer. We wrote a variety  of essays including narrative, argumentative, and descriptive.

Some of the strengths I gained are organizing my essays and learning citation. Before entering ENC 1101 I did not know what a citation was, now I am pretty good at doing citations and making sure I give credit to the authors that I get ideas from in my writing. The highest grade I received was on my descriptive essay. I was referred to as a closet writer because my writing got better as the class progressed, which to me was a major accomplishment. A weakness that I had before the class and that I still feel that I have now is writing about topics that I do not feel are interesting it is hard for me to stay focused on topics that are given that I cannot relate to.