The person I admire the most so far is Moreese Bickham. I admire him because of his sense of positivity, and his strength after being in prison for so long. Even though he killed two police officers I do not think he was justly prosecuted. Moreese demonstrated creativity, because he had a way of viewing life in a positive way even when he had nothing going for him. For example, how his rose bush he tends to means so much to him, when other people would not see the point of taking care of a rose bush in prison.
What surprised me most in Scott's story was how much blame he took for his fathers addiction. I never really thought of a family member's point of view of an addict. I guess it makes sense know why he felt that way, but at the same time is was a little shocking. His story taught me how much of an effect an addiction can cause on the people around the addict. Like not only was Scott suffering the consequences of his fathers addiction, but now his son is facing consequences.
"He tells me that when I am gripped by sadness, he feels responsible; he feels there must be something he can do to spring me from depression, to fix my life and that crushing sense of responsibility is exactly what I felt at the age of ten in the face of my father's drinking." (Sanders 191)
"How has Moreese adapted to life outside of prison, and what was the biggest challenge he encountered in the free world?"
Friday, January 31, 2014
Tyler Stone's Exploration 2
1. I admired the Hobo "Steam Train" Maury Graham the most so far, and his explanation of the Hobo lifestyle. I like that they don't care about money, and they had honour and were respectable (compared to bums). They would help out their fellow human beings for what they needed to survive or wanted. They traveled alot, and seemed like all around decent people.
He demonstrated the teem of creativity by way of the Hobo lifestyle. Because they were always moving and always in a different place doing different things for different people, their lifestyle was always unpredictable, and therefore: creative.
2. What surprised me most in the story was the passage "The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy" because it showed just how drunk his father was most of the time. What I learned from this, not so much learned but got re-assured on, was how much alcohol can effect other people, and why to stay away from it.
3. How many hobo's are still in the US? What has the mindset of the Hobo, as told in the story, become today?
He demonstrated the teem of creativity by way of the Hobo lifestyle. Because they were always moving and always in a different place doing different things for different people, their lifestyle was always unpredictable, and therefore: creative.
2. What surprised me most in the story was the passage "The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy" because it showed just how drunk his father was most of the time. What I learned from this, not so much learned but got re-assured on, was how much alcohol can effect other people, and why to stay away from it.
3. How many hobo's are still in the US? What has the mindset of the Hobo, as told in the story, become today?
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Maggie's exploration two
I admire Geneva Tisdale the most so far. I think it is amazing that during the time when she started working at the Woolworth's she wasn't ever allowed to sit at the counter, and yet she was the first black lady to be able to sit there. During the time she wasn't allowed to sit at the counter, she made the food for the white guests who came in. After being moved around from station to station, she declared that the sandwich- board would be her permanent station, and so it was. Tisdale's focus is on the counter. She says how much she will miss the counter and her hopes of some day retiring and coming back to sit at that counter. It's a different view than most would have when hearing that their place of employment is closing. I think that is the most creative. She makes it known that she was one of the first to sit at the counter and doesn't describe being sad she won't have a job at the sandwich board anymore, but that she didn't get the chance to ever sit at that counter again.
The son's guilt at the end that is exactly like his throughout the essay surprised me the most. "He tells me that when I am gripped by sadness, he feels responsible; he feels there must be something he can do to spring me from depression, to fix my life." Throughout the essay he says he was the family rock and wouldn't let himself weep. It surprised me that he was able to show enough emotion that it too would bother his son like it did him. I learned that your emotions can rub off on other people unintentionally and the experiences you have really shape who you are and who you become. That guilt he shared with his father, his son now shares with him.
What did Geneva Tisdale do after the Woolworth's closed and what is she doing now?
The son's guilt at the end that is exactly like his throughout the essay surprised me the most. "He tells me that when I am gripped by sadness, he feels responsible; he feels there must be something he can do to spring me from depression, to fix my life." Throughout the essay he says he was the family rock and wouldn't let himself weep. It surprised me that he was able to show enough emotion that it too would bother his son like it did him. I learned that your emotions can rub off on other people unintentionally and the experiences you have really shape who you are and who you become. That guilt he shared with his father, his son now shares with him.
What did Geneva Tisdale do after the Woolworth's closed and what is she doing now?
Exploration two Annie Stevens
1. The profiled person I admire the most in Holding On is Moreese Bickham. Not because he shot two police officers but because he fought in a time when many could only lay down and die. He stood up for his common-law wife after she hit him over the head with a bottle. Who knows what the police would have done to her if he had stood back and let them take her. The police sounded like pretty shady charters. Back then most women, especially black women were seen as objects. I think there is a good possibility she could have been raped or killed by the police. He lost everything in that moment, even before he killed the officers. Living in a place where the Klan made the rules he knew he was in for it.
Though he lost everything (his family) he continues to "live" in prison. Many would go insane in his shoes. He has found roses to "keep him company" and he continues to fight for his freedom even moments before his death sentence would be carried out and put on hold. It would be interesting to see how he did "on the outside". Many long term prisoners can't take the "noise of freedom" and commit petty crimes to return to prison. I hope he found some happiness.
2. It surprises me that he sees that he is a workaholic. Addicts tend to minimize their addictions. He seams open to the fact that he is, and it is affecting his children. He really doesn't say how he wants to change, or if he is working to help relieve the guilt his son feels. Writing seams to be therapy for him. Maybe it would help his son to read his work and learn to write about his emotions himself. Grief and guilt are the two worse emotions, I feel, children experience. It burdens them and is non productive.
Passage: "my own son, at the age of ten, is taking on the griefs of the world" "He tells me that when I am gripped with sadness he feels responsible."
3. Question: what do you gain from continuing to hold on to (whatever they hold on to)?
Though he lost everything (his family) he continues to "live" in prison. Many would go insane in his shoes. He has found roses to "keep him company" and he continues to fight for his freedom even moments before his death sentence would be carried out and put on hold. It would be interesting to see how he did "on the outside". Many long term prisoners can't take the "noise of freedom" and commit petty crimes to return to prison. I hope he found some happiness.
2. It surprises me that he sees that he is a workaholic. Addicts tend to minimize their addictions. He seams open to the fact that he is, and it is affecting his children. He really doesn't say how he wants to change, or if he is working to help relieve the guilt his son feels. Writing seams to be therapy for him. Maybe it would help his son to read his work and learn to write about his emotions himself. Grief and guilt are the two worse emotions, I feel, children experience. It burdens them and is non productive.
Passage: "my own son, at the age of ten, is taking on the griefs of the world" "He tells me that when I am gripped with sadness he feels responsible."
3. Question: what do you gain from continuing to hold on to (whatever they hold on to)?
Short research topics from Mike related to our Sanders essay and alcohol use
Look into (research) the answer for
the question I assign you or that you pick. Then tell us what you
discovered. Post your answers in the
Comments section below the blog post, and put a link for your research source
or sources in your Comment.
- How much do Americans drink each year, and how big is this business in sales and consumers?
- Which alcohol products are most popular, and has this always been the case or have tastes changed? Beer? Wine? Hard liquor?
- How much money is spent on advertising for alcohol each year?
- Why is the Super Bowl famous for alcohol advertising, and which commercials have garnered the most attention, whether praise or criticism?
- About how many people struggle with addiction to alcohol?
- What are the main drawbacks to alcoholism in the workplace or job? What effect does it have on business profits or productivity?
- What are the main reasons people may choose when they abstain from drinking alcohol?
- What method does Alcoholics Anonymous use to help its members kick the alcohol habit?
- What is the connection between violent crime and alcohol use?
- What is the connection between rape and alcohol use and how many college women are raped each year in the United States?
- What are the main reasons why people drink alcohol? It is very popular, so it must provide benefits. What are they?
- How many drinks can a person have before they are too drunk to drive a car, and how many people get DUI's each year in Ohio? What are the penalties?
- What is binge drinking? How does it happen and where might it happen?
- What health benefits does drinking in moderation have? In what ways can alcohol be good for health?
- What organs are most affected by the abuse of alcohol?
- What do organizations like MADD do, and what is their purpose?
- What role does peer pressure have in underage drinking?
- What famous celebrities have had alcohol abuse problems, and how has this affected his or her career? Find a specific example to share.
- Are there religious reasons for not drinking? What are they?
- Some people claim young Americans drink a lot because we don't have a healthy rite of passage into adulthood or manhood or womanhood. What is a rite of passage? What rites of passage do other cultures have?
- Is it a trend for children to feel guilty for the addictions of the parents and “take the blame”?
- What is the connection between alcohol use and domestic violence? Is there any correlation?
- It seems that many cultures, historical and modern, use “mind-benders” or cheminsty-altering drugs or stimulants as a form of self-medication. Why? Look into a purpose behind mind-benders?
exploration two
So far in Holding On Miles Mahan has inspired me the most. He was the creator of the Hula Ville which to any one else was far from an amusement park, but to him it was a magical place. Tree stumps became fantastic rides for children, a hole-less and grass-less miniature golf course. Through his imagination he created something from basically nothing. I thought this made him someone to admire because he was able to make something for himself as well as others from simply the nature around him. He did not talk about how his "amusement park" was fun for him, but instead focused on how it was fun with others. He is one of the most creative people I have ever learned about or known in my entire life.
During Scott Russell Sanders story I was most shocked to learn about how severe of a problem his fathers alcoholism was and the great impact it had on his as a child as well as something that stuck with him for the entirety of his life. Yet when he was an adult with a son, he did the same thing to him but just without the alcohol. He made him suffer the same agonizing thoughts of it being his fault that his dad was upset and not happy the majority of the time. "He (his son) tells me (Sanders) that when I am gripped by sadness, he feels responsible; he feels there must be something he can do to spring me from depression, to fix my life and that crushing sense of responsibility is exactly what I felt at the age of ten in the face of my father's drinking." (Sanders 191) This really shocked me as the whole passage he was struggling so much with his fathers alcoholism, I thought he would change for the better for his family. But this taught me that change is easier said than done, that being hurt so badly by someone was hard to overcome.
How is it that Geneva Tisdale was able to do so much for the white customers yet if they knew simply the color of her skin and saw her on the other side of the kitchen door they would no longer be accepting?
During Scott Russell Sanders story I was most shocked to learn about how severe of a problem his fathers alcoholism was and the great impact it had on his as a child as well as something that stuck with him for the entirety of his life. Yet when he was an adult with a son, he did the same thing to him but just without the alcohol. He made him suffer the same agonizing thoughts of it being his fault that his dad was upset and not happy the majority of the time. "He (his son) tells me (Sanders) that when I am gripped by sadness, he feels responsible; he feels there must be something he can do to spring me from depression, to fix my life and that crushing sense of responsibility is exactly what I felt at the age of ten in the face of my father's drinking." (Sanders 191) This really shocked me as the whole passage he was struggling so much with his fathers alcoholism, I thought he would change for the better for his family. But this taught me that change is easier said than done, that being hurt so badly by someone was hard to overcome.
How is it that Geneva Tisdale was able to do so much for the white customers yet if they knew simply the color of her skin and saw her on the other side of the kitchen door they would no longer be accepting?
Chase Exploration Two
I admire "Steam Train" Maury Graham the most because of his work ethic. Throughout the story he is constantly explaining how the difference between a hobo and a bum is hobos earn their rewards. While bums beg, hobos will offer service before asking for a reward. Graham demonstrates the theme of creativity by creating a unique hobo language among their community. Along with his other friends, symbols on telephone poles meant there was a lot of work to be done, or two jagged lines for a guard dog that had teeth. With as little as they had, I thought it was interesting that they were still able to create an entire language between their community.
I was surprised most about Sander's story that instead of choosing to just be angry at his father, he had some sort of guilt or disappointment in himself that he was never able to make his dad stop. While many kids would resent a parent that treats them or their family poorly, he looked into himself on ways he could try and stop his fathers addiction. Unfortunately, he later came to realize his father wasn't drinking due to disappointment in his son, but rather from a disease. "Come out of the man, you unclean spirits!" is a quote from a paragraph where Sanders is referencing Jesus purging one of evil demons that have possessed someone. Like the demons, Sanders believes his dad has been overtaken by some unknown disease or "demon."
A question I ask when I'm done reading some of these stories is what was the purpose or what did the author gain from sharing their experience. Besides understanding what they are holding onto, what else are they getting by sharing these stories to us?
I was surprised most about Sander's story that instead of choosing to just be angry at his father, he had some sort of guilt or disappointment in himself that he was never able to make his dad stop. While many kids would resent a parent that treats them or their family poorly, he looked into himself on ways he could try and stop his fathers addiction. Unfortunately, he later came to realize his father wasn't drinking due to disappointment in his son, but rather from a disease. "Come out of the man, you unclean spirits!" is a quote from a paragraph where Sanders is referencing Jesus purging one of evil demons that have possessed someone. Like the demons, Sanders believes his dad has been overtaken by some unknown disease or "demon."
A question I ask when I'm done reading some of these stories is what was the purpose or what did the author gain from sharing their experience. Besides understanding what they are holding onto, what else are they getting by sharing these stories to us?
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Tyler Hedge's first post
Hi my name is
Tyler Hedge. I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in business.
I plan on using that degree to eventually start my own engineering firm. In
high school I started my own landscaping company and I plan on continuing it
this next summer. Last year I went snowboarding and really enjoyed so for
winter break this year my brothers and I went to Aspen, Colorado for a week and
it was amazing. I hope to go many more places across the world to snowboard.
Football is my favorite sport and I played it for many years and love every bit
of it, especially defense.
Before I read Why I Write: Making No Become Yes I did
not know exactly who Elie Wiesel is but he is obviously a very good writer that
has a lot of history. That made me question when he said, “Have I attempted too
much or not enough?” (Wiesel 18) it made me question what all he has
accomplished to say he has attempted too much because most people believe there
is no such thing as too much. After a little research I found out his
accomplishments and realized that he has accomplished an astonishing amount.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Nikhil's first blog
Hi! I am Nikhil Rivera. I am half Filipino and half Indian. I travel a lot and I am really into athletics. I played football and ran track in high school, and I am still into snowboarding and lifting. I have worked at La Scala for 2 1/2 years. I am in school for biology pre-med and hope to get into medical school and become a doctor. I have two dogs and a fish named, Marky Mark. I am also the middle of five kids in my family. I once peed off the Great Wall of China. Go Bucks and Go Browns!
"I am duty-bound to serve as their emissary, transmitting the history of their disappearance, even if it disturbs, even if it brings pain. Not to do so would be to betray them, and thus myself." -Elie Wiesel
I feel like this is a powerful passage. This passage shows how painful it is for a survivor to think about the events from the past. Not only that but it explains why it is important for the stories to be told, and why Elie writes.
"I am duty-bound to serve as their emissary, transmitting the history of their disappearance, even if it disturbs, even if it brings pain. Not to do so would be to betray them, and thus myself." -Elie Wiesel
I feel like this is a powerful passage. This passage shows how painful it is for a survivor to think about the events from the past. Not only that but it explains why it is important for the stories to be told, and why Elie writes.
Kaylah's first blog
Hey guys! My name is Kaylah Wicker and I am a freshman. I am the third of four children and the second girl. Originally I'm from Bradenton, Florida, but when I was two years old we moved to Ohio because of my dad's job. I come from a mixed background where my dad is African American and my mom is Colombian. I serve and host in the restaurant at The Hilton in Polaris, but nobody ever comes in so I pretty much get paid to sit and do my homework. AKA it's the best job ever! My planned major is in accounting and starting my junior year, I will transfer to main campus to get my degree at Fisher College of Business.
"She was panting, her eyes wild, frantic, betrayed. I covered them with my fingers and twisted her neck hard." This quote in the story "Killing Chickens" really stuck out to me because I could easily visualize the scene. Meredith Hall portrayed it in such a way that I felt as if I was actually there. Also, in using the word "betrayed" she was hinting at the way that she actually felt because of her husband's actions. The betrayal that she feels from her husband is the same betrayal that Silly, the chicken, is feeling from her.
.jpg)
"She was panting, her eyes wild, frantic, betrayed. I covered them with my fingers and twisted her neck hard." This quote in the story "Killing Chickens" really stuck out to me because I could easily visualize the scene. Meredith Hall portrayed it in such a way that I felt as if I was actually there. Also, in using the word "betrayed" she was hinting at the way that she actually felt because of her husband's actions. The betrayal that she feels from her husband is the same betrayal that Silly, the chicken, is feeling from her.
(I have front bangs now)
Tyler Stone's First Post
Hello, My name is Tyler Stone. I'm 19 years old, and live near Delaware. I graduated from Olentangy High School last year, and successfully completed my first semester of Ohio State University Marion. I'm currently taking 4 classes at Marion, and 1 at Columbus. I am an Atheist, Liberal, semi-politically active/informed, and try to be as nice and decent of a person as possible. I believe education is the single most important attribute that anyone can have when dealing with or doing anything. Besides intelligence, My other passion/interest is Japan, and anything dealing with the Japanese language and/or culture. I spent 1 month the summer after graduation and right before starting college, and the experience was indescribable. My only goal in life at this point is to return to Japan.
In the reading, Something I found interesting was the 5th paragraph in Killing Chickens. "I felt powerful, capable. I could handle whatever came to me." I think killing the chickens was her way of taking out aggression from her husband, and she seemed sort of demonic in a way with this sentence.
In the reading, Something I found interesting was the 5th paragraph in Killing Chickens. "I felt powerful, capable. I could handle whatever came to me." I think killing the chickens was her way of taking out aggression from her husband, and she seemed sort of demonic in a way with this sentence.
 |
| This is my favourite picture ever. Me and my friends ran into the "Old man Schoolgirl" and the girl he was with. I'm the second from the right. |
Shannon's First Post
My name is Shannon and I graduated from Worthington Kilbourne High School last year. I plan to attend Ohio States main campus next year with a major in social work. I am currently living in an apartment with my best friend Casey(the one in the picture) and we plan on living with each other for the next 4 years. A fun fact about me is that I love cats and I have two of my own named Boots and Leo."I believed that, having survived by chance, I was duty-bound to give meaning to my survival, to justify each moment of my life. I knew the story had to be told. Not to transmit an experience is to betray it." I thought this was a very interesting paragraph in the story "Why I Write". I liked it because often times people do not like reading or writing about dark or unpleasant times but he explains why it is important. He says that if he were to not write or share his experience in the Holocaust, then it would be like acting as if it never happened. It is important to share both good, and bad experiences so that people can be informed and learn from them.
Julia's first post
 |
| In addition to all things zoo related I work at the Hartman Aviary. This is my buddy Sunny the Hyacinth Macaw. |
I think the most important part of Why I Write: Making No Become Yes by Elie Wiesel is paragraph seven and eight. Though I especially like the following sentences "I thought that I would never be able to speak of them. All words seemed inadequate, worn, foolish, lifeless, whereas I wanted them to be searing." I believe this illustrates his desire to make his readers fully understand what he and everyone around him went through. He wanted to engulf them in the pain and sorrow they experienced, the torment and sadness they still experienced. Which I think with his passion for the story he is extremely successful in his narration.
Nic's First Post
Hi, my name is Nicholas Vouis and I am a freshman at Ohio State this year. I am taking seventeen credit hours again this semester in hopes to graduate a bit early. I want to get a degree in Business and Real Estate. With my degree I want to start to get into rental properties and build up a portfolio as quickly as possible to create an ongoing income that I do not have to worry about. After I am somewhat established I want to create a company to manage my properties for me as well as anyone else's properties that want to go through my property management company. Hopefully this will allow me to retire fairly early and pursue various other business ventures I become interested in in my lifetime."I clamped my hand over her beak and gave her head a hard twist. I felt her body break deep inside my own chest"(Maredith Hall, "Killing Chickens," Creative Nonfiction #18 Intimate Details, 2001). One thing that interested me in the essays we read for today occured in the essay "Killing Chickens." I found it interesting how as humans, when certain moments happen, we can almost slow down our thoughts and analyze everything that is going on. When this happens the moment is more deeply engrained in someone's memory than any other normal event, and not only this, but the person it occurs tocan also feel what is happening inside of them as opposed to just understanding what happened. These are defining moments in everyone's lives, they affect people immediately after and make permenent changes in their lives.
Ben Kim
Ben Kim
1110.01, TR 11:15-12:35P
Lohre
11/16/14
1110.01, TR 11:15-12:35P
Lohre
11/16/14
Introduction: Ben Kim
My name is Ben Kim, to be exact Benjamin Kim. I was born on March 30,1995 in Los Angeles, California. Our family lived there for three years until my aunt's family wanted us to move to Anchorage, Alaska. It was a cold transition, coming from a nice temperate place to a cold/freezing location. It was nice at first, but the only flaw about that place were the people. Dealing with crazy people and drunken eskimos wandering around the streets throughout my life, our family knew that Alaska was not the best option for us. We have decided to move to Columbus because it was a decent city to live in. As I lived here I picked up some interest. I had learned how to box and with my friend's help, gained an interest in playing basketball. In high school I played intramural basketball with my friends and I grew a passion for basketball. Basketball helped me develop physically and it is one of my favorite hobbies.
The essay that was very interesting to me was Why I Write: Making No Become Yes. In the passage Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, did not know his fate when he was held captive at a concentration camp. He stated, "If, by some miracle, I emerge alive, I will devote my life to testifying on behalf of those whose shadow will fall on mine forever and ever." (Wiesel 17). I felt that there was a deep message in this sentence and he made a vow by writing this book. This passage gives a vivid picture of the things that happened during the Holocaust. The story was brought to life because the author of the passage was witnessing all of this. The audience had the opportunity to experience what was going on through this man's perspective and it was a interesting read overall.
The essay that was very interesting to me was Why I Write: Making No Become Yes. In the passage Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, did not know his fate when he was held captive at a concentration camp. He stated, "If, by some miracle, I emerge alive, I will devote my life to testifying on behalf of those whose shadow will fall on mine forever and ever." (Wiesel 17). I felt that there was a deep message in this sentence and he made a vow by writing this book. This passage gives a vivid picture of the things that happened during the Holocaust. The story was brought to life because the author of the passage was witnessing all of this. The audience had the opportunity to experience what was going on through this man's perspective and it was a interesting read overall.
 |
| Self photo |
 |
| Group photo |
Umer Haider
Hey guys my name is Umer Haider. I was born in United Arab Emirates a country in the middle east. It is a really wealthy country, and is one of the best places in the world. I love to hang out with friends, watch Keeping up with the Kardashians ( just kidding ), and eat good food. A fun fact of mine is that I am going to Miami this summer on a road trip.
Something that I found interesting from the Why I write: Make No Become Yes is Elie Wiesel's reason to write. "This sentiment moves all survivors; they owe nothing to anyone, but everything to the dead."(pg. 17) This quote stuck with me because he wanted the survivors to remember the dead, and make there deaths have meaning. A lot of people died in the Holocaust, and Elie was one of the lucky survivors. He has been writing in order to remember the past to tell stories of the people who died. He wants us to never forget so that history doesn't repeat itself and doom our future.
Something that I found interesting from the Why I write: Make No Become Yes is Elie Wiesel's reason to write. "This sentiment moves all survivors; they owe nothing to anyone, but everything to the dead."(pg. 17) This quote stuck with me because he wanted the survivors to remember the dead, and make there deaths have meaning. A lot of people died in the Holocaust, and Elie was one of the lucky survivors. He has been writing in order to remember the past to tell stories of the people who died. He wants us to never forget so that history doesn't repeat itself and doom our future.
 |
| Me being cute |
 | |
| Me and Benjamin Kim saving a baby bird that we named Pete. |
Chase's First Post
My name is Chase and I'm a freshman majoring in business. Recently, I moved from Seattle due to my mom getting a job in healthcare here. Last weekend I was able to see the city of Columbus and am excited to eventually move down there for school. My interests are pretty similar to any other teenager so hanging out with friends on the weekends and sleeping a lot are usually what I'm doing outside of school. A unique fact about myself is although my biggest fear is being in the water, my favorite place to be is on the beach.
"Even if you read all the books ever written, even if you listen to all the testimonies ever given, you will remain on this side of the wall, you will view the agony and death of a people from afar, through the screen of a memory that is not your own." This quote by Wiesel was interesting because it talks more about literature in general than just his essay about the holocaust. I agree that anyone can read as much as possible about history, but they will never truly share the experiences of witnesses because they are hearing about it through someone else. Even though through reading his books many would feel they have a thorough understanding of what it was like to be in the holocaust, Wiesel says they can't because they didn't personally experience it themselves.
"Even if you read all the books ever written, even if you listen to all the testimonies ever given, you will remain on this side of the wall, you will view the agony and death of a people from afar, through the screen of a memory that is not your own." This quote by Wiesel was interesting because it talks more about literature in general than just his essay about the holocaust. I agree that anyone can read as much as possible about history, but they will never truly share the experiences of witnesses because they are hearing about it through someone else. Even though through reading his books many would feel they have a thorough understanding of what it was like to be in the holocaust, Wiesel says they can't because they didn't personally experience it themselves.
Erica's first post
Hello all, my name is Erica Heitmeyer. I am a first year at Ohio State. I graduated from Olentangy Orange High School. My favorite things to do include playing with my dogs and sleeping. I live on main campus and commute from there daily. I actually have 40+ housemates and we all live a old frat house. Moving in, I only knew my roommate, so my favorite experience while living there has been getting to know all of my housemates.
"There are easier occupations, far more pleasant ones. But for the survivor, writing is not a profession, but an occupation, a duty." These two lines made the entire essay worth reading. Wiesel was not "meant" to be a writer as we are all not "meant" to be something. Yet he was drawn to it, drawn into it, engulfed by the idea. I was able to connect greatly to this as I believe if you are not constantly looking for something in life, the path you are "meant" to take will suddenly overcome your life. Leaving you with seemingly no other option to pursue with your life. I believe we all have a plan for our life whether we know it currently or not, soon enough it will become our life.
"There are easier occupations, far more pleasant ones. But for the survivor, writing is not a profession, but an occupation, a duty." These two lines made the entire essay worth reading. Wiesel was not "meant" to be a writer as we are all not "meant" to be something. Yet he was drawn to it, drawn into it, engulfed by the idea. I was able to connect greatly to this as I believe if you are not constantly looking for something in life, the path you are "meant" to take will suddenly overcome your life. Leaving you with seemingly no other option to pursue with your life. I believe we all have a plan for our life whether we know it currently or not, soon enough it will become our life.
 |
Annie's first post
Hello I am Annie Stevens. I am a nurse and back in school to obtain my BSN. Prior to becoming a nurse I was paramedic for Delaware County EMS. I loved it. I work at St Anns and Grady in the emergency room. Hopefully I never see any of you there (smile, just kidding) I have 3 children who are my world.
"The walk through the flaming night, the silence before and after the selection, the monotonous praying of the dying, the fear and hunger of the sick, the shame and suffering, the hunted eyes, the demented stares." This made me sick as a mother, to think of being there without my children not knowing what happened to them. I think I would go insane.
Me and my husband Rob
"The walk through the flaming night, the silence before and after the selection, the monotonous praying of the dying, the fear and hunger of the sick, the shame and suffering, the hunted eyes, the demented stares." This made me sick as a mother, to think of being there without my children not knowing what happened to them. I think I would go insane.
Maggie's first post
"If, by some miracle, I emerge alive, I will devote my life to testifying on behalf of those whose shadow will fall on mine forever and ever." This quote says to me this is why he writes, he is determined to tell the story of what happened and bring the reader to the other side. He survived and for a period of time he was silenced and wasn't able to speak out about the events. It had to have been so difficult to come out and tell that kind of story. In the reading he talks about the "language" during the holocaust . He says "The language of the night was not human, it was primitive, almost animal-hoarse shouting, screams, muffled moaning, savage howling, the sound of beating. A brute strikes out wildly, a body falls. An officer raises his arm and a whole community walks toward a common grave. A soldier shrugs his shoulders, and a thousand families are torn apart, to be reunited only by death." That quote gives me a visual and a disturbing, heart felt feeling. He speaks so those who experienced what he did, but did not make, don't die in vain.
Brian's first blog
Hey there, my name is of course Brian Smith, and I'm a freshman here at Ohio State. I'm 19 years old and I live in Powell. As far as my personality goes, I would generally consider myself a very slow paced or even lazy person, and I'm almost always tired no matter how much sleep I get the night before. Back when I was still in High school, I was a rower outside of school. I rowed for a club team in Dublin and it was probably my top passion back then. I traveled to many places for Regattas, rowing tournaments. Nowadays, here at Ohio State I am a Computer Science and Engineering student. In my spare time I work or spend time with friends, whether it be in person or over Skype. I could continue to talk about myself but the rest of the information isn't terribly important so I'll end this here.
"Our little house creaked in the wind during February storms. Now spring had come, and the world had shifted." (Meredith Hall, Killing Chickens) Meredith Hall provides a window into her pain from the past with Killing Chickens, and how a part of her has died, just like the chickens she kills. The entire theme of this essay is death, most prominently shown with the chickens, but also Hall's marriage with her husband. In the end of the story, we are given a little glimpse into the rebirth of Hall, in that she decides to pick herself back up and continue her life just as she would have before.
 |
| Standing on the boat trailer at the Head of the Hooch regatta |
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Welcome from Mike and instructions for first blog post
Welcome to our class Blog!
Hello
students and welcome to our blog. Today, let's work to get everyone on
the blog and learn how to use its features. Our blog address is
delaware1115.blogspot.com, but if you are signed into your Gmail account,
all you have to do is go to blogger.com and it will show you a link to
the blog.
P.S. If ever you don't finish an
assignment on here, or if you just want to revise, sign into the blog
and then go back to the pencil icon on your post. If you click it, it
will take you right back into your writing, and you can update, add,
subtract, and edit easily.
P.S.S. A little about me. I have been teaching at OSU for almost 20 years, and got my degrees here in poetry in fiction. I love serving others and am active in a couple of churches and non-profits. I also love animals and growing our own food. My wife Irene grew up in the Philippines on the mountain before moving here and I come from the farm in Minnesota so we are both country people. She's my best friend by far. I'm happy to be able to teach this class and hope I can be a good influence as I truly believe young people are our future and we have to support your goals and dreams and encourage good citizenry.
The first thing you must do is get a Gmail account. Then, using that Gmail address, please write to me at mikelohre@gmail.com and
I will invite you to the blog. You must accept the invite and follow
the steps in order to use the blog. Let’s do this in class.
Once you are a member, you will see your
Gmail address appear in the upper right hand corner, and only then can
you post to the blog.
--To do a New Post, you must again find that link in the upper right hand corner. Click New Post and a window will appear to let you compose.
Please title all your writings, and use a
username that is either your name or nickname so we know who is
writing. Only class members will be on this blog.
GOALS:
For your first post, write one paragraph
where you introduce yourself and some things about you, including a Fun
Fact or something unique. That way we can always have this on the blog
as a way of knowing and remembering each other.
In your next paragraph, write about something that stuck you as important or interesting one of the essays you read in The Essay Connection today. Use a direct quote from the essay to start your response, and give us your best ideas about this essay.
Finish your post by including a picture
of yourself. Let's learn how to use images with our posts, and it is
both fast and easy to do. Usually people just grab one from Facebook or
his/her phone for this. You will have to save it to the computer, and
then upload it to the blog. I'll show you how.
Good luck, have fun, and just let me
know when you need help! This first day is all about getting
comfortable with the blog, and for some of you, this will take time.
For others who are more familiar, please be patient and helpful with
your classmates.
All best,
Mike Lohre
P.S.S. A little about me. I have been teaching at OSU for almost 20 years, and got my degrees here in poetry in fiction. I love serving others and am active in a couple of churches and non-profits. I also love animals and growing our own food. My wife Irene grew up in the Philippines on the mountain before moving here and I come from the farm in Minnesota so we are both country people. She's my best friend by far. I'm happy to be able to teach this class and hope I can be a good influence as I truly believe young people are our future and we have to support your goals and dreams and encourage good citizenry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)