They Say, Chapter 1 for Wednesday-Thursday, Feb. 12-13
Complete Exercises 1 (28) and 2 (29). Post your answers to each here.
For all exercises, do not spend more than one hour tops on two exercises (seriously). If you don't understand the assignment, email a peer, go to the Writing Center, call me. If you are still unclear, complete the assignments you understand and then watch the blog for answers to see if a classmate's response helps. Exercises are a way to practice concepts.
Read and respond to the questions in two of the essays and post here. If you have Cohen's 50 Essays, ignore the links and just answer the questions and don't neglect to complete the connections question:
Gloria Anzaldua (Cohen 33-45)
http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/calabj/282/how%20to%20tame%20wild%20tongue.pdf
Amy Tan (Cohen 396-402)
http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/mcunningham/grapes/mother%20tounge.pdf
Nancy Mairs (Cohen 244-56)
http://independentreadingforcollegestudentssummer2011.wikispaces.com/file/view/On+Being+A+Cripple+by+Nancy+Mairs+from+50+Essays+A+Portable+Anthology+SMALLER+FILE.pdf
Questions for Mairs's essay
1, 2 Okay
3. connections Mairs rejects the labels "handicapped" and "disabled," preferring "crippled," even though many see it as offensive. How does her handling of her condition compare to David Sedaris's handling of his in "A Plague of Tics" (p. 359)? How does he label himself and his condition? Does he accept or eschew labels? Why?
http://www.sanjuan.edu/webpages/lunderwood/files/a%20plague%20of%20tics-sedaris.pdf (Read)
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/52/edge-of-sanity?act=3 (Listen)
For all exercises, do not spend more than one hour tops on two exercises (seriously). If you don't understand the assignment, email a peer, go to the Writing Center, call me. If you are still unclear, complete the assignments you understand and then watch the blog for answers to see if a classmate's response helps. Exercises are a way to practice concepts.
Read and respond to the questions in two of the essays and post here. If you have Cohen's 50 Essays, ignore the links and just answer the questions and don't neglect to complete the connections question:
Gloria Anzaldua (Cohen 33-45)
http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/calabj/282/how%20to%20tame%20wild%20tongue.pdf
Amy Tan (Cohen 396-402)
http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/mcunningham/grapes/mother%20tounge.pdf
Nancy Mairs (Cohen 244-56)
http://independentreadingforcollegestudentssummer2011.wikispaces.com/file/view/On+Being+A+Cripple+by+Nancy+Mairs+from+50+Essays+A+Portable+Anthology+SMALLER+FILE.pdf
Questions for Mairs's essay
1, 2 Okay
3. connections Mairs rejects the labels "handicapped" and "disabled," preferring "crippled," even though many see it as offensive. How does her handling of her condition compare to David Sedaris's handling of his in "A Plague of Tics" (p. 359)? How does he label himself and his condition? Does he accept or eschew labels? Why?
http://www.sanjuan.edu/webpages/lunderwood/files/a%20plague%20of%20tics-sedaris.pdf (Read)
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/52/edge-of-sanity?act=3 (Listen)
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 8:13 PM
17 Comments:
Rashell Baldry
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
14th February 2014
Amy Tan Response
1. List the different Englishes Tan describes, defining each.
Mother Tongue: Tan’s mother is a Chinese immigrant and though she know english, and reads it on a day to day basis, she misses minor words, probably words that dont exist in other languages. Mother Tongue is a “limited” or “broken” english.
Tan describes the english she spoke to her mom as “simple”
Tan spoke to a large group of people about her writing, it was very thought out and perfect english. “A speech filled with carefully wrought out grammatical phrases, burdened, it suddenly seemed to me, with nominalized forms, past perfect tenses, conditional phrases, all forms of standard English that I learned in school and through books, the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother.”
2. How was the effect of her mother’s English positive, and how was it negative?
It was positive in the way that it comforted Tan, she would often speak the same broken english with her Mother. It was a part of her childhood and a part of her Mother. The negative is when someone speaks broken english, or if there is a language barrier it is hard to express yourself accurately. Its easy to think someone foreign is being defensive when they are just trying to get there point across.
3. Connections between Amy Tan and Richard Rodriguez childhoods growing up bilingual.
Some of the differences I noticed right away is that Rodriguez parents seems to be scared or stressed out on speaking English, where Tan’s seemed eager to speak english even if it was “broken”. Rodriguez says “Hearing them, I’d grow nervous, my clutching trust in their protection and power weakened.” Rodriguez seemed more disappointed in his parents lack of English than Tan felt. I think Tan knew when she needed to step in and help her mother with English, like in the hospital with the CAT scan, but did not seem as if she was afraid or worried about her Mother Tongue. Rodriguez was only spoken to in Spanish by his parents, which differs from Tan and her Mother.
4. Do you use different Englishes yourself?
The only language I currently speak is english, but would love to be fluent in spanish at some point in life. I definitely shift from a more casual, or "chill" english from my home to work. I am more professional at work; Using more appropriate language from not swearing, to saying phrases like, "I'm going to powder" instead of announcing I am going to the bathroom. I remember when I first discovered different forms or tones of english. I was sitting in the back of my Mom's car, probably around seven years old, getting reprimanded for one thing or another. I then responded to her, "okay" with such a harsh attitude. Now I'm sure I had gotten bratty with her many of times, but this was the first time I felt like I had the power to use that certain tone. I then got older, started working very young, and learned how to speak in a more proper manner. Changing our english at certain times I believe is a necessity, it’s a way of communication, a way to excel and be respected in the workplace, or any public, professional environment. It's not as if I am changing who I am, just bringing it up a notch. The way I engage with guests at my work Bocanova is through my personality, I would never hide that. I alter my english and pitch of my voice when I need to, I leave my personal life at home, my exaggerated work gossip with my roommate, funny vulgar humor, inappropriate stories, extra "sass" I give my boyfriend; The entertaining laughs and love I look forward to coming home to. I walk out the door with a smile and bring the amplified respectful personality out into the world.
Athena Knowles
Professor Sabir
English 1A Saturday
14 February 2014
Assignment: They Say/I Say pg.28-29
1. a. In their recent work, Ohio state officials insisted that the groundwater is safe to drink. But our experiments suggest that there are dangerous levels of chemical X in the Ohio groundwater.
b. It is often said that material forces drive history. But many believe it's man's hunger for power that drives history.
c. Proponents of Freudian psychology question standard notions of “rationality”.( ???)
d. Some believe male students often dominate class discussions. But there is no evidence to back up this clam. I'm a female who loves being a part of class discussions.
e. Some viewers say that the film is about the problems of romantic relationships. But if you look deeper you'll see that the film is about both the up's and downs of relationships.
f. I'm afraid that templates like the ones in this book will stifle my creativity. When in fact the authors state that they help“writing become more original and creative, not less.”
2. If ever there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Leno monologue, this is it: some people actually believe that the Target Corporation funds Anti-gay politicians in America. Isn't that like a 3rd grader paying a 6th grader to make sure a fellow schoolmate does not attend a Birthday party? Whatever happened to the rights of Corporations?
I happen to sympathize with these activists. Though, perhaps because I am one of them and this is really happening right under our noses. In 2010 Target was forced to apologize for this dirty deed. Target had been very vocally open about supporting gay rights, and was said to be a supportive work place for LGBT people. Yet Target still gave $31,000 to The Republican Governors Association in 2010 and $50,000 in 2013. I say boycott Target!
Dorothy Middleton
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
14th February 2014
“On Being a Cripple “
1) Talents
• Mother
• Teacher
• Freelance Editor & Writer
• Cook
• Laundress
• Scrabble Player
• Dreamer
Negative effects of MS
• Dressing herself
• Can no longer walk by campsite through the desert or into the mountains
• Walking is difficult
• Can’t do fine stitchery
• Can’t pick up babies
• Can’t play piano
• Can’t braid her hair
• Immobilized by acute attacks of depression (may or may not be the result of MS
• Never be able to run
2) I think that the use of the word “swagger” sets the tone for the whole essay. Here is a woman who has so many great things in her life, yet MS is slowly robbing her of what is most precious to her; her ability to have total control of her body. By claiming to be a cripple she defiantly takes back the power that MS has so viciously taken from her. She stated in paragraph 3, that the word cripple has an honorable history that dates back to the 10th century. The word cripple to her has the power in its definition to help her control the world she is face with each and every day. That control comes with a swagger.
3) David Sedaris saw his condition as a habit. A habit that was so mental, that his mind was never under his control. David was not at war with his habit and the control that it had over him at sometimes gave him pleasure. On the other hand Nancy Mairs was at war with MS. She battle MS every day and she felt that MS was winning the war. There was also an age difference; Nancy was hit with her condition when she was in her twenties. An age in which she could understand what she was facing when it came to her condition. David didn’t have that understanding, he was ten year old. Nancy had support of family and friends. There was a lot of information out there about MS, so people were more caring when it came to her. On the other hand, there was not much information out there about Tics, it was condition that was mental, but was played out in a physical way. At no time did I get the impression that David understood what was going on. Nor did I get the impression that any adult in his life understood what David was going thru. His life to me was a life that made him cripple in every way, mentally and physically. Nancy on the other hand had to only deal with a physical condition, a condition that she felt was honorable. I’m interested in knowing how Nancy would view David’s condition. Would it be seen by her as something that was also honorable.
Rashell Baldry
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
13th February 2014
They Say Exercise 1&2 (28-29)
1.
a. Although some people might disagree with their studies, a number of our experiments suggest that there are dangerous levels of chemical X in the Ohio groundwater.
b. Many people assume that material forces drive history, but their are people living a minimalistic lifestyle.
c. Proponents of Freudian psychology question standard notions of “rationality.”
d. It is often said that male students dominate class discussion, but this does not mean that all men do.
e. Some people may find this film to be a dramatic romance but really it is informing us about the problems of romantic relationships.
f. When it comes to the topic of writing, most of us will readily agree that this book provides useful templates. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of imagination. Whereas some are convinced that these templates stifle creativity, others maintain that these are gateways to ones creativity.
2. If ever there was an idea custom-made for Jay Leno monologue, this was it:
Pandas. Isn’t their diet and lack of sexual arousal silly? Whatever happened to the forces of nature? I happen to sympathize with the Pandas, though, perhaps because having a diet that is over 99% bamboo must not be too tasty. Aside from the pandas diet, overall pandas reproduce one baby panda every two years… out of all the pandas! I love animals, but am controversial with conservation reliant endangered species. Maybe I don’t understand exactly why we need to conserve them, that said I hope they live their lives to the fullest they can, while they are still around.
Dorothy Middleton
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
15 February 2014
They Say / I Say 1(28) 2(29)
a) Many citizens in Ohio believe that the ground water is safe to drink. Our experiments suggest that there are dangerous levels of Chemical X in the Ohio groundwater.
b) In France many believe that material forces drive history. In the United States it is believed that material forces are driven only by the shear drive of the working class.
c) Proponents of Freudian psychology question standard notions of “rationality.” While college student believe that the notions of “rationality” is supported by Freud’s many years of research in the field of advance studies.
d) My observation of classroom behavior supports my beliefs that male students often dominate class discussions.
e) After reading the press release most students believed that the film is about the problems of romantic relationships.
f) Now that I understand the critical thinking basic needed to become a good writer. I am afraid that templates like the ones in this book will stifle my creativity.
2) If there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Leno monologue this was it: The electric car build by Tesler. Can you see the average working stiff going down town with $100,000 in his pocket, popping it down on the counter and driving away with an electric car of his dreams? Freud would be proud. Whatever happened to the idea of let’s make a car that will not only save the planet; it would have a price tag that the masses could afford. I would think that the government would fund a company that would make an electric car that is affordable for the masses. Not so, they are patting themselves on the back and stuffing more money down the throats of Tesler so they can product just ten more cars this year. I agree with the government that electric cars are needed in order to reduce the use of oil in this country. Global warming has now become a real issue and we must do all we can to slow it down and hopefully one day stop it. I don’t agree with the government’s repeated behavior of giving money to companies whose product caters to some of the wealthiest people in this country. This practice leaves the working class paying taxes that are being use to support a live style that they most likely will never obtain.
I happen to sympathize with the people who purchased a car from Tesler. Many believe they are doing their part in the war against global warming through their purchase. Though, perhaps because so many of the taxes payers resources are being used to support that purchase. I see it as the government is stealing from the poor to give to the rich. Where is Robin Hood when you need him?
Anne Norris
Professor Sabir
English 1A Saturday
11th February, 2014
They Say/I Say Page 28-29
1)
A. While Ohio state officials allow the use of groundwater to feed our crops, our experiments suggest that there are dangerous levels of Chemical X in the Ohio groundwater.
B. Material forces drive history, like wars over access to necessary resources, its arguable that politics play a huge role too.
C. Opponents of Freudian psychology disregard all of the psychological notions and propose it's useless, Proponents of Freudian psychology question standard notions of “rationality”.
D. Male students often dominate class discussions, some critics have claimed that class discussions have discussions lead by both females and males.
E. When it comes to the topic of the film, most people will say it is overcoming insecurity, the film is about the problems of romantic relationships.
F. I’m afraid that templates like the ones in this book will stifle my creativity, although the authors have suggested that it will nurture it.
2) If ever there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Leno monologue, this was it: the person in the stall next to you talking on their cell phones. Isn’t that like one of the oddest situations to be in? Whatever happened to privacy and etiquette? I happen to sympathize with the person on the other end of the line that has to listen to someone else’s bathroom business.
Mark Lopez
Professor Sabir
English 1A Saturday
February 16 2014
50 Essays: Gloria Anzaldua & Amy Tan
Gloria Anzaldua Response
#1. Gloria speaks a wide variety of Spanish and English and she lists it as so:
1. Standard English
2. Working class and slang english
3. standard spanish
4. standard mexican spanish
5. north mexican spanish dialect
6. chicano spanish (texas, new mexico, arizona, and california have regional variations)
7. tex-mex
8. pachuco
#2. Anzaldua explains the definitions of her Spanish to convey the effect of her whole life having to adjust to people's needing of her to translate the things she says. Since she uses a variety of Spanish, she needs to give out definitions for the words that most Mexicans don't know because of slang.
#3. They both feel American because they live in America, respectfully. Their differences in not feeling so American is because of the way each of them are treated. Gloria is treated with disrespect from whites as well as her own race for speaking different forms of spanish. Audre Lorde feels American but is disrespected due to the fact that she is black. She doesn't feel American because they aren't treated as equally as white people.
#4. Code Switching is defined as switching back and forth between two languages in different situations needed. Since my parents are from the Philippines, I code shift between them and my friends. I use more simple English when I talk to my parents, but when converse with my friends, I have a different way of speaking entirely.
Amy Tan Response
#1. Tan describes the Emnglish she uses between her mother, and herself professionally. by 'Simple' 'Broken' and 'Standard english'. She uses simple english with her mother, because she knows she uses it so her mother can understand what she has to say. Tan's mother uses 'broken' english because her english is not fully formed or they structures of the things she's saying aren't grammatically correct. and Tan's standard english comes from her skills in the textbooks she's read and studied.
#2. The effect of her mother's broken english was that it made the world seem more simplistic and easy to understand, in the most p[ositive way put. In the polar opposite, her mother's broken english was a sign that she was not fully capable of understanding english terms and such.
#3. Both of these authors know the world thinks of their language in a different way than America. In America, you're expected to learn and speak proper english. Since they both have bilingual tongues, it was harder for both of them to appreciate their language at times since America was so keen on people learning english properly. It became embarrassing to them whenever they would get disrespected for not speaking good english and in the end, they deal with it in a positive way. They acknowledge their background and language, and are proud of it.
Victor Chen
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
15 Feb 2014
They Say, I Say p 28, 29 #1,2
1)
A) In discussions of chemical X’s contamination of groundwater in Ohio, one controversial issue has been the role that chemical plants have had in causing the rise in birth defects in
children living close by chemical plants. On the one hand, ecologists who have studied water habitat species in Ohio have noticed the rise in the deaths and malformed species X, Y, and Z, suggesting chemical X’s potentially harmful effects on humans. On the other hand industry blames the government for the ease at which groundwater can be contaminated, with no barriers by which chemical X can enter the groundwater. My own view is that water is a basic biological need, and regardless of who may have been involved in the contamination, I believe that both government and industry should be advocating and collaboratively taking steps for the protection of the most basic resource shared by all species on earth.
B) X apparently assumes that human nature is selfish and that it is this quality of human nature that drives historical change. I believe that this assumption is not historically accurate.
C) Proponents of Freudian Psychology assume that Freud’s writings support their position on ‘rationality.’ Although we would never know what Freud would actually say, are these proponents properly representing Freud?
D) At the same time I believe that both men and women should have equal opportunities in class discussions, I also believe that some women would like to hear what their male counterparts have to say on women’s issues.
E) My whole life I have heard it said that romance can never be fulfilling and that there will always be problems with being in a relationship.
F) While I rarely admit as much I often take for granted the time that learning the English alphabet and learning how to speak the language was fun and exciting for the 5 year old me.
2) If ever there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Leno monologue, this was it: university professors who advocate for the idea that college students should be paid to be students. Wouldn’t that just make students just work for the pay and not just learning itself? Whatever happened to the importance of learning just for the sake of learning? I happen to sympathize with these teachers and students though perhaps because I was a full time student while I worked nearly full time when I was in university just to pay for my tuition.
Victor Chen
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
15 February 2014
50 Essays Exercises: Amy Tan and Nancy Mairs
Mairs:
1) Mairs says that her talents are going to Mass every Saturday, being a great cook, being a good Scrabble player, and a good laundress. Mairs says it’s impossible for her because of her MS to do good stitching, to carry babies, to play piano, and to braid her hair.
2) To swagger is to brag about oneself. When Mairs says “As a cripple, I swagger”, she’s saying that her MS makes her more worthy of being paid attention to, not less. More generally her use of the word ‘cripple’ helps her say that her MS makes her more determined or motivated to want to able to do the things that she can best do with her condition; without MS, she wouldn’t be motivated to think this essay and to think in this way. By using ‘cripple’ Mairs wants to bring attention to her readers that does indeed MS makes life difficult. At the same time too, Mairs does mention that she does want to be cured of her condition.
3) I think both, even though the ways in which Sedaris and Mairs tell their readers about their conditions are different, make it clear to their readers that their conditions feel normal to the way they live their lives. For Sedaris, I think since his situation is not as serious can look back at his past with humor and laugh at the things he faced. He can write with and make the past go in his favor, but for Mairs, MS is a physical drag on her life. It was a drag and will continue to be, unless there’s a cure.
4) I think other people, especially when I am in a large group would think I do not have much to contribute, which is somewhat true, but only in large groups. I would say this because when I’m in large groups I would say I’m agreeable, maybe even too agreeable with others. When I’m working alone, I tend to be able to be better to think independently and can contribute better if I had time to think about things alone first.
Tan:
1) One type of English is the English she had learned from school and from books, which is the English she did not use with her mom. Another type of English is the English she did use with her mom, which she says is the language dealing with family matters. She also says that there is the English her mother uses, which Amy describes as ‘limited English,’ but she doesn’t like that description because it make it look as if her ‘limited English’ implies that she, as a person was limited.
2) Amy felt ashamed because she thought in the past that her mother’s lack of good English meant that her thoughts were limited too, but in this essay she realizes that isn’t true; Amy recalls a time when the hospital lost her mother’s CAT scan that revealed her mother had a brain tumor. Amy recalls that “ [her mother] would not leave until the doctor called her daughter” (399). Amy understood her persistence because her dad and her brother had died of a tumor.
3) I think Tan would agree with Rodriguez on page 323: “Intimacy is not created by a particular language; it is created by intimates.” It is Tan’s intimate closeness and understanding of her family that allows Tan to say that her mother’s ‘limited English’ still has worth. I think the differences between the two essays are the audience’s they are addressing. Tan’s essay well could be something that her mother could read, or other daughters like herself could read. Rodriguez, on the other hand responds to wider society. On page 327, Rodriguez writes, “I learn little about language and intimacy listening to those social activists who propose using one’s family language in public life.” (327).
4) See language freewrite.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anne Norris
Professor Sabir
English 1A Saturday
11th February, 2014
Nancy Mairs Discussion / connections
1) Mair’s Talents : Writing, Raising kids, painting her nails, staying positive, having humor, teaching, public speaking, reading, taking care of plants and cats and snakes, playing bridge. Mair’s Challenges: Walking, dressing herself, staying energized.
2) Mair states that “as a cripple I swagger”, meaning that for a “cripple” she is a confident “cripple” it will not be a handicap to her, this disease will not disease her. She still has style and holds her head high. Mair uses the word cripple to separate herself from being disabled, diseased, handicapped, or differently abled. In this essay she relays the message that even though she has hardships associated with her MS that “cripple” her, they do not define her.
3) Both Mair and Sedaris handle their conditions with great strength, overcoming obstacles and still striving to succeed, not letting these “obstacles” stand in their way of life. Mair’s condition is more physically life threatening and creates the fear of an early death, or miserable life towards the end of it, while Sedaris’s condition is more mental. I believe this gave Mair more of an appreciation for the little things in life.
4) I think that a lot of people generalize me with a typical “white” woman. There seems to always be this stereo type that I was raised in a world of ease, money, and a paved road and that I am arrogant. I hate that. I am a woman. I was a girl from a family of seven, in a two-bedroom house. I was on my own for most of my teenage years and I overcame so many bumps in the road. My life has been “bumpy” but people seem to assume it hasn’t because it has not defeated me. It never will. I appreciate everything I have because of my past, and I am empathetic, sympathetic and proud, far from arrogant. I take nothing for granted, I love all people, and I learn from the lessons around me.
Dorothy Middleton
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
16 February 2014
Mother Tongue
1) Simple
Broken (Fractured)
Watered down
2) I think that the positive effect that her mom’s English had on her was something that was developed during her childhood. A mother and child relationship transcends language barriers. Her mom’s English was more about warmth, love, support and nurturing than correctness. You will find that many times when her mom was speaking; she never paid any attention to why she was speaking in that way, it was all about what she was saying.
Many times when people are in a culture foreign to them, they want to fit in. I think this was how the effect of her mom’s English might have impacted her negatively. That “be like me” syndrome can sometimes make a person feel shame, sad and disconnected to the people they are trying to emulate. Tan tells how she was a shame of her mother’s way of speaking when they went out in public. That fact shows that speaking English correctly in the home was not as important to her as it was outside of the home.
3) The delight that Tan has in her own space is something that speaks to me. She has acknowledged the intercultural hardship that her mother has with speaking English. She has always embraced the fact that she must live in two worlds in order to insure a functional connection to her mother, her family. Tan does not speak of the difficulties she had is school and if she only spoke Chinese at the time of entering school, but Tan has broken down barriers when it come to thriving and embracing a culture that is not originally her own.
What impresses me is that she used what Richard Rodriguez call the language of the public, which was at some point in her life foreign, to write books that her mother can read and consider, ease to read. On the other hand, Richard Rodriguez is lavished in the language he called public and was assimilated into it and its cultural ties. He has slowly moved from being a Mexican-American Citizen to becoming what he calls an American Citizen because of it. Tan never talked about giving anything up to become better equipped to live in a culture that requires that you speak English in order to be understood. She always to me embraced her culture and the part of her that was Chinese. She didn’t let either culture get into the way of the other in terms of how she was to live her life. Rodriguez, on the other hand, felt that it was his duty not only to learn English and function as an American; he felt it was a duty to set aside his native tongue for one he felt was better.
I hear the disdain in his words for people who do not embrace the language as he has done. He talks about the ghetto black teenagers on the bus. He is angry that they have the gall to speak what he calls a private language on the bus. He also points out in his writing that when he moves in a crowd of people he pushes pass their accents when he hears them talk. I believe that he has now become intolerant of others who speak with a tongue that has a hint of another language. I think this is the result of that “be like me” and the “I did it why can’t you” syndrome that plagues so many people who are of another culture trying to fit in. I think that Rodriguez sees himself as not only a person who was successful in assimilating himself into the American way of life, he now sees himself as one of the gate keepers.
Mark Lopez
Professor Sabir
English 1A Saturday
17 Feb 2014
They Say/I Say (p. 28,29)
#1.
(a) While Ohio deems it safe for the crops to be fed groundwater, our experiments and the findings suggest that there are dangerous levels of chemical X in said groundwater.
(b) Material forces drive history, like Karl Marx so adequately states. Man's progress is driven by the material things in life. Man is driven by needs and greed for the latter.
(c) Proponents of Freudian psychology question standard notions of "rationality" because they think that it's useless. According to Freud, rationality is controlled by ego, and his opponents think otherwise.
(d) Male students often dominate class discussions. However true that statement might be, most feminists are very vocal and often encourage women to speak up and stand as equals with the patriarchal male.
(e) In films such as "He's Just Not That Into You" often people think the topic is about the problems of romantic relationships, but really it's about love for oneself before love for anyone else.
(f) I'm afraid that templates like the ones in this book will stifle my creativity, however I find the templates as a fun and more academic version of mad libs.
#2. If ever there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Leno monologue, this was it: you have to be rich to save money on gas. Isn't that one of the most ironic things ever? Whatever happened to the people who are working off their behinds just to make a decent amount of money? They shouldn't have to deal with spending too much money on gas. I happen to sympathize with these people because it just seems so unfair that working class people spend so much money on gas, while the upper class don't even need to think twice about gas money due to their eco-friendly cars which happen to be expensive and not affordable for the working class. Bottom line, the upper class save money on gas and are still rich, but the working class spend money on gas, and they have to be frugal with their money in order to save cash.
Yessica Beltran
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
17 February 2014
“They Say, I Say” Excercises
Chapter 1
1. Provide each argument with a counterview
a) Scientists say the groundwater is safe. However, our experiments suggest that there are dangerous levels of chemical X in the Ohio groundwater.
b) I believe that material forces drive history.
c) On one hand, most proponents of Freudian psychology question standard notions of “rationality”. On the other hand, I believe that ______________.
d) It is often said that male students often dominate class discussions.
e) At the same time that I believe the film is about problems of romantic relationships, I also believe that the advice given can be applied to relationships with family and friends.
f) Although I should know better, I can’t help but feel frieghtend that templates like the ones in this book will stifle my creativity.
2. Use the template to structure a passage
If ever there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Leno monologue, this was it: Americans criticizing Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to reduce childhood obesity. Isn’t that like lashing out at someone for advising your children not to do drugs? Whatever happened to freedom of speech?
I happen to sympathize with these critics, though perhaps because First Lady Michelle Obama is going on TV shows and sharing her views. She’s also visiting schools and advising children and famalies to make healthier choices. Michelle Obama is not going to powerful food companies that produce contaminated meat. The same companies who pay politicians to turn a blind eye to what is really happening at these farms. She isn’t speaking out against the fact that a chesseburger is cheaper than a pound of broccoli. She is asking families to eat healthier meals when they simply don’t have the money to spare.
Dorothy Middleton
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
17 February 2014
2(41)
Summary # 1
In this fast pace world, there is a lot of pressure to do things that are quick and easy. One thing that I find that is great ways to insure that you and your family can have inexpensive and convenient meal that can be a health alternative to going to a fast-food restaurant is prepare that meal at home. Meals that are prepared at home just for the purpose of eating them on the go can be portion friendly. These meals can be a cost saving way to eat. You can carefully plan what food groups are needed to make up a balanced meal and make it a project that the whole family can be a part of. By concentrating on portion size and sugar content, you can send your family out into the world with health, low cost meal that is a great alternative to fast-food.
Summary # 2
When looking at the issue of obesity in this country, we must look at several factors. One such factor is the responsibility of the person who is eating the foods that contain high amounts of fats and sugar. If a person is in charge of their eating habits, then they must get the information needed to make the needed changes in their eating. Fast-food restaurants are now including in their menu information about portion sizes and what the fat and sugar content of each item on that menu. They are also allowing their customer a chance to swap a health option for the not so healthy option in all of their children meal deals. This is a great step for people to make some changes in their diet and get some valuable information about making healthy choices while still enjoy some of the menu choices at a fast-food restaurant.
Yessica Beltran
Professor Wanada Sabir
English 1A
17 February 2014
50 Essays Response Questions
1. a) Standard Mexican Spanish
b) Standard English
c) Standard Spanish
d) Working class and slang English
e) Chicano Spanish
f) Pachuco
g) Tex-Mex
h) North American Spanish Dialect
As a little girl I grew up hearing both English and Spanish in my house. My parents would speak Spanish and my older brothers English. As I began to be more fluent in both languages I was able to incorporate these variations into my speech.
2. Andalzua uses definiton to discuss her experience with language by pointing out how people who speak the same language do so in different ways. A word that has meaning between Chicanos in the United States might not have meaning to Mexicans in Mexico. She uses definitions to explain the different forms of Spanish and English and how the two languages have been merged.
3. Both Andalzua and Lorde feel American by the fact that they were born in the United States. However, they are not accepted by other Anglo Americans very easily because of the color of their skin and the languages they speak.
4. What Andalzua means by “Switching codes” is that she switches the types of Spanish she speaks. When my sister and I speak to eachother we do so in Spanglish or Chicano Spanish. When I speak to my parents I do so in Standard Mexican Spanish. I am able to switch back and forth between different forms of Spanish and English.
50 Essays Response Questions
1. Tan describes the English she learned in school and from books in which big fancy words are used. then she described the English she uses with her mother which can be described as “broken” or “limited.”
2. The effect of Tan’s mother’s English had a positive effect on her beacuse she was able to see the passion and energy with which her mother spoke. It had a negative effect on her, however, because it wasn’t the kind of English used in school and on academic tests.
3. Rodriguez deals with the way the world thinks of his language by encouraging those born into a bilingual family to speak both languages and advocating for bilingual education. Tan writes in the English that he mother speaks and uses that to deal with people’s thoughts on her language.
4. I do speak different Englishes. With my family I speak Spanglish, a mix of both English and Spanish. I also speak “proper” English at school or work. With my friends I use a more casual approach to English.
Dorothy Middleton
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A Saturday
16 February 2014
Sherman Alexie
1) What is Superman doing in the comic book panel Alexie remembers?
Superman is breaking down a brown door in the comic book panel
2) Why is it important to remember this detail at the very end of the essay?
It was preceded by Alexie that the door in the comic book panel represented the barriers he faced as an American `Indian in a country that saw no value in him or his people. At the school, he saw children working hard, but he also saw children who were disengaged with no desire to do anything to improve their lives. He believes that if those children put more effort into learning, they could break down the barriers that the door represented. He felt that the key to breaking down some of the barriers was to become literate. He saw the children as Supermen, capable of breaking down some of those barriers and that action could save their lives
3) The verb that was found in paragraph 7 fourteen times was the verb, read. I believe the verb read, was used fourteen times to show the hard work that one must put in order to become literate. I also think he used the verb fourteen times not only to show it is hard work to become literate but also to show that becoming literate is a process that must be repeated over and over.
4) Connections
I don’t think Alexie envied his classmates at all. Unlike, Douglass, who felt that his peers were better off because they didn’t have the pressure that came with learning to read. It is my belief Alexie saw himself on a higher level than his classmate. He viewed them as failures and non factors when it came to the world they lived in. Although Alexie saw himself as smart and arrogant he also knew that he was not yet a Superman. He fully understood that his circumstance didn’t make him less than the world around him. He knew learning to read held the key to his power. He believed that if you work hard, believe in yourself, you could become a Superman and no doors would be left standing.
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