Eloquentia Perfecta 2013

EloquentiaPerfecta

A n A n t hol o g y of Wor k b y S t ude n t s i n Fa i r f i e l d U n i v e r s i t y ’s C or e Wr i t i ng P r o g ra m

Table of Contents Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..2 Combatting the American Obesity Crisis, by Drew Mignosa…………………………………………………3 Combatting Childhood Obesity: A Proposal to Bridgeport City Schools, by Amanda Ocasio…………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………..9 On Community: Triumph through Tragedy, by Nora Garrity………………………………………………14 Home, by Callie Vacchiano……………………………………………………………………………………………….18 The Pervasiveness of September 11th: Posttraumatic Stress in Children, by Jacqueline Moser..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………20 What Authenticity Means, by Kate O’Donoghue……………………………………………………………….25 Love is Love, by Katie DeStefano………………………………………………………………………………………29 Why Study Literature? By Mairin Lane………………………………………………………………………………34 Wonder Woman: The Destroyed Female Symbol Who Was Ultimately Rescued, by Heather Mooney…………………………………………………………………………………………………...38 Lost in Translation: Mis Versos, by Taylor Biggs………………………………………………………………...47 An Analysis of Prose: “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell and “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace, by Gabrielle Selino………………………………………..52 Teaching to Inspire, by Joseph Villarosa…………………………………………………………………………….56 On Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” by Megan DiBello…………………………………………….59 On Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, by Danielle Lug…………………………………………………………………….65 Approaching Liberation: Female Irish Immigrants in the 1950s and in Toibin’s Brooklyn, by Ellie Masters….……………………………………………………………………………………………………..69 Journal Entries, by Vivian Santos………………………………………………………………………………………73 Introduction and Creative Response to “Tiara” by Mark Doty, by Savannah Cotten…………….75 Barriers., by Miranda Muscente………………………………………………………………………………………..78 The Tortoise and the Hare: Iron Chef Fairfield, by Melissa Guerin with Dong-Tung Van, Christian Hughes, and Pat Downey………………………………..………………………………………80 Eloquentia Perfecta: Writing in the Twenty-First Century, A Collaborative Poem……………….87

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Eloquentia Perfecta: An Anthology of Core Writing September 2013

We are pleased to offer this first-ever collection of writings from students in EN 11-12: Texts and Contexts I and II. The idea for the collection originated in the Core Writing Award Committee, as we reviewed many fine student pieces and realized that other faculty and students could benefit from reading them as well.

The EN 11-12 sequence offers a full year course of study in the literary and language arts intended to help students develop facility with college reading and writing. Students practice increasingly sophisticated reading of complex texts across a broad set of contexts and genres, employ a variety of strategies for writing in different rhetorical situations, and use reading and writing to practice inquiry, reflection, critical thinking, and argumentation—competences critical to academic achievement. More broadly, our aim is foster students’ ability to use both Rhetoric and Reflection, in these courses, across the Core Curriculum and the majors, and in the communities where they will live and work in the new literate cultures of the twenty-first century. This work acts in the spirit of the long tradition of Jesuit education, which has always valued active student engagement with language in the service of the public good and personal development. The Jesuits used the term eloquentia perfecta as the aim of a humanities education: the development of someone articulate, informed, civil, sympathetic, and engaged—someone who could act in the world with words rather than weapons.

Core Writing is just the first step in that journey, and these essays are the efforts of strong firstyear students as they enter the discourse communities of college writing. Our collection includes several types of formal and informal writing genres: reading responses, inquiry papers, argumentative writing, textual analyses, proposals, reflective essays, journal entries and creative pieces such as a modern fable retold as an episode of Iron Chef!

We thank the fine student writers, their excellent teachers, the Core Writing Awards and Anthology Committees, and all who supported the creation of the Anthology.

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Combatting the American Obesity Crisis By: Drew Mignosa, Class of 2016, Software Engineering Major In the fall semester of 2012, the text for EN11 Section L was They Say/I Say, which focuses on the writing strategies used to develop effective arguments. Drew Mignosa’s essay—which received an honorable mention in the Core Writing Awards—was written in response to an assignment requiring students to use the rhetorical methods outlined in They Say/I Say to write a three-to five-page essay exploring a key issue raised in the text’s readings, providing summaries of other authors’ positions on that issue, and offering their own argument in response to the issue.—Professor Elizabeth Hilts

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n discussing America’s public health, one controversial issue has been the how to solve the obesity crisis. On one hand, health expert and editor of Men’s Health magazine David Zinczenko, in his article “Don’t Blame the Eater,” argues that the

fast food industry is partly responsible because the food is unlabeled and that labels should be mandated. On the other hand, editor of libertarian magazine Reason Radley Balko contends that obesity is an issue of personal responsibility and that the government should not intervene. Others, such as New York Times writer Judith Warner, suggests that, in order to solve the epidemic, the potential government impact is limited and that America needs to move away from its “drive-through culture” where people eat whatever they want, whenever they want. My own view is that cultural changes towards healthy lifestyles are the best way to solve the obesity epidemic, and the government can help by encouraging a cultural shift. If salads and stairs rather than burgers and elevators were the cultural norm, America would undoubtedly get healthier.

Unfortunately for America, cultural changes do not happen overnight. As roughly two thirds of Americans are overweight, the government wants to help with the conversion, but there is no clear-cut solution. Balko disagrees with any form of direct government involvement in the epidemic because he believes obesity is a personal issue. In his article “What You Eat is Your Business,” Balko states that “it is difficult to think of anything more private and of less public concern than what we choose to put into our own bodies” (397).

He suggests that the government decrease regulation of healthcare, in order to force people to be more responsible for their own health. On the other hand, Zinczenko suggests that the government regulate the fast food industry because he believes the fast food

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corporations are partly responsible for the crisis. Fast food companies do not put caloric labels on their products and Zinczenko believes that consumers cannot be held totally responsible for the crisis, as this “lack of information about what exactly we [the consumer] are consuming” (392) makes it difficult to make an informed choice. Zinkzenko points out that a “healthy” consumer might choose a salad over a burger at a fast food restaurant. A salad is served with a packet that contains more than two servings of dressing and, “if you pour what you’ve been served, you’re suddenly up around 1,040 calories” (392). While the consumer is trying to make a healthy choice, a lack of labeling results in a theoretically healthy lunch being half of one’s daily recommended caloric intake. I agree with Balko’s belief that people need to be responsible for their own health, but in order to make good decisions they need information; therefore Zinczenko’s suggestion must be followed. I disagree with Balko’s suggestion of decreasing health care regulations because I think it could unfairly punish those who cannot afford their own health insurance. I also think that trying to force people to change will make them resent that change. If the government can encourage people to eat healthier foods by ensuring that they are provided with information, this could be a good first step towards a culture that embraces healthy choices.

However, labeling will only allow people to make good choices if there are choices to make. Zinczenko makes a very interesting point: “Drive through any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit” (393). Michelle Obama also alludes to this issue in her speech “Remarks to NAACP,” pointing out that “23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million kids, live in what we call ‘food deserts’, areas without a single supermarket” (427). Eating healthily becomes more difficult if Americans have to search for healthy food, most likely passing numerous fast food restaurants on their search. Obama suggests that the government give tax breaks to businesses that want to open grocery stores in food deserts. I disagree with this solution because I believe that success is a good indicator of demand. If people preferred grocery

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stores, more grocery stores would open rather than fast food restaurants. McDonalds’ 13,000 restaurants are a clear indication of what consumers want. Additionally, while grocery stores do offer healthy options, those healthy options are more expensive than fast food. To get to the more expensive healthy options, a consumer will have to walk past (and attempt to resist the temptation to buy) two-liter bottles of soda, big bags of Cheetos or chips, ice cream, Oreos and, of course, all the candy at the checkout. A cultural change would affect the whole dynamic of the food industry: if people let go of the drive-through culture of eating whatever they want, whenever they want in favor of a culture that chooses healthy options, more grocery stores, rather than fast food chains, would be demanded by potential customers and, thus, healthier options would become more available. Healthy options would continue to be more expensive, but a culture that is informed about healthy living would realize that, in the long run, the options will save consumers money in health costs.

The drive-through culture rejects the idea of long-term savings, preferring to get a full meal for $3 and pay with health care costs later. Washington Post writer Wil Haygood’s article “Kentucky Town of Manchester Illustrates the National Obesity Crisis” discusses a town that fully embraces the drive-through culture. Unsurprisingly, the obesity rate is much higher than the national average in Manchester; in fact, it is one of the least healthy places in the United States. When Haygood interviews a typical family, they are all overweight, from the middle-aged father to the 12-year-old daughter. Fast food is definitely part of the cause—as one of the family members explains, “you don’t have family cooking here in the restaurants, mostly it’s fast foods” (409). However, Manchester’s problem is not just fast food; the culture also adversely affects the waistline of the citizens. According to the local pharmacist, because Manchester is a relatively poor town, it is customary to clean one’s plate— even if full—to avoid wasting food. It is also, according to Haygood’s article, standard for Manchester citizens to circle the parking lot of their destination to find the easiest spot. While a local physical therapy gym offers memberships for $25 a month, or $40

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for a full family membership, hardly anyone uses it. Denial is another cultural norm; many people only weigh themselves when they go to the doctor, and many of those people rarely go to the doctor. The family Haygood interviews do not have a single full-length mirror, nor do any of the family members know how much they weigh. When Dr. Jill Day, a professor of kinesiology and human development, conducted a study of Manchester, she found that half of fourth and fifth graders were obese. While conducting this study, Day noticed many citizens seemed afraid to even talk about obesity. While Manchester may be an extreme example, it shows why cultural change is necessary, as well as the effect a drive-through culture can have. Manchester, and indeed America as a whole, must accept there is a problem with the way people live and make a change.

If Americans are willing to make changes to the way they live, there is evidence suggesting that the crisis will be solved. In “Junking Junk Food,” Warner reminds readers that, while smoking is now less widespread, it remained commonplace for years even after people were made aware of the dangers of cigarettes. The evolution of public opinion brought about a new culture where smoking is now almost shunned to the point where people feel comfortable lecturing smokers about the danger of cigarettes, even if the smoker is a complete stranger (401). If public opinion of obesity changes from obesity being normal to obesity being dangerous, as it did with smoking, people would likely move away from fast food and unhealthy choices as people moved away from smoking. Surprisingly, this would not be the first time Americans have changed what they ate. Warner explains that, during WWII, food was being rationed to send to the troops overseas and people changed what they ate because “eating the way the government wanted you to eat—healthfully and with a mind to greater public welfare— was a way of displaying patriotism and adding to the war effort” (402). Not only was eating healthily common, it became popular because of changing cultural priorities.

If such a cultural change occurred, it would pressure people into taking personal responsibility for their health. This shift would do exactly what Balko calls for: it would

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“return individual Americans’ ownership of their health and well-being back to individual Americans.” But Americans need not fear that this will be too much for them to handle. As Obama points out, the changes in lifestyle do not have to include spending all day at the gym and hiring an organic chef. She suggests that people change their day-to-day habits: Try simple things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking instead of riding in a car or bus, even something as simple as turning on the radio and dancing with your children in the middle of your living room for hours. Those will work up a sweat. And how about replacing all of that soda and those sugary drinks with water?

(428) Cultural changes can take place when individuals decide to change even just a few habits.

America cannot afford to continue with a culture that embraces bad decisions and laziness. If the culture changes to embrace healthy decisions and moderate exercise, then the crisis will eventually subside. While the government can encourage this cultural change by providing information, individuals must choose to accept these new values. While the obesity crisis is a serious and complex problem, it can be largely resolved if the cultural norm is to exercise and eat healthy foods.

Works Cited Balko, Radley, “What You Eat is Your Business,” They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing With Readings. 2nd. Ed. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Russell Durst, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. 395-399. Print.

Haygood, Wil, “Kentucky Town of Manchester Demonstrates National Obesity Crisis.”

They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing With Readings. 2nd. Ed. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Russell Durst, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. 417-433. Print.

Obama, Michelle, “Remarks to the NAACP.” They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in

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Academic Writing With Readings. 2nd. Ed. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Russell Durst, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. 417-433. Print.

Warner, Judith, “Junking Junk Food,” They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing With Readings. 2nd. Ed. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Russell Durst, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010. 400-405. Print.

Zinczenko, David. “Don’t Blame The Eater.” They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing With Readings. 2nd. Ed. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Russell Durst, New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2010.. 400-405. Print.

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Combatting Childhood Obesity: A Proposal to Bridgeport City Schools By: Amanda Ocasio, Class of 2016, Sociology and Anthropology Major Students in my EN 11 class were asked to research the childhood obesity epidemic among low income, urban minorities and its link to eating environments, including causes of the disease and health consequences. Students were required to address the crisis by selecting a specific city and proposing a community initiative that involves a call to action Amanda Ocasio’s essay focused her community initiative on the city of Bridgeport, CT, where she grew up. In addition to her research on childhood obesity as an issue of race and class, including the consequences of asthma and diabetes among those affected, Amanda stressed the necessity of daily exercise for youngsters. However, the Bridgeport public elementary school playgrounds are frequently limited and in disrepair, as was Amanda’s own experience. An innovative solution to the problem lead to Amanda’s discovery of KaBoom!—a nonprofit, community-focused organization that provides grants for the restoration or construction of playgrounds. Amanda proposed that Bridgeport’s Board of Education apply to KaBoom! For funds to restore or provide playgrounds for the city’s elementary schools. What is so wonderful about Amanda’s proposal is that it’s feasible, as well as an excellent example of community outreach, reflecting the values of the Fairfield Jesuit education. —Professor Marion White

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besity is a life-threatening disease that not only complicates the lives of adults but is now seen more frequently in children. Children are supposed to be carefree and happy, but obesity can lower this possibility. When children are obese, it is hard for them to play and move around, and they become targets for bullying. In order to make obesity obsolete, a simple solution could be put in place through daily exercise, and thus Bridgeport elementary schools should refurbish the playgrounds for the children.

Obesity can be caused by behavioral issues as well as genetic disorders, but genetic disorders are rare. Obesity occurs when one eats more calories than one burns off in exercise (Loughrey 9). The action of consuming more than moving is a habit for many children. Comfort eating, spending too much time sitting down with electronics, and lack of sleep are the most common problems that children suffer from. Many children eat junk food when they are upset. Further, with televisions and computers being in most homes, some children spend most of their time sitting down on the couch, eating chips, and watching television. Children also spend hours sitting in front of a computer. Since these children rarely move their bodies and they consume salty and sugary foods, they rapidly build body fat.

There are many health disparities concerning race and class. In the 2000s, childhood obesity rates have increased threefold from five percent in the 1970s to fifteen

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percent (Anderson, Butcher, and Schanzenbach 149). This is a startling statistic, but even more startling is looking at obesity rates among impoverished children: “In the years 1999 to 2004, nearly 18 percent of low income children qualified as obese” (Anderson, Butcher, and Schanzenbach 149). Based on these differing statistics, it is evident that lower-class children have a harder time dealing with obesity than upper-class children. Also, upper-class families and lower-class families appear to take very different trips to the grocery store. When higher-income families shop for food, they often buy the healthiest but most expensive foods such as organic products. When lower-income families shop for food, they may buy less expensive but unhealthy foods such as chips and cakes, because they can buy a large amount of those products for less money. Unfortunately, foods that are healthy and good for the body cost more than unhealthy, artificially flavored junk foods. Thus, more obese children are seen in more lower-income families because their family cannot afford to feed them healthy food.

Childhood obesity presents many health consequences. Obesity used to be seen as a disease that only affected adults, but it is now affecting children at a young age. This is terrible for the health of children. Asthma is a condition that is commonly seen among obese children. Having asthma can hinder a child’s enjoyment of playtime because asthmatics can have an asthma attack if they run too much. Type 2 Diabetes is another lifethreatening disease that can occur as a result of being obese. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that “one in three American children born in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime” (UCSF Benioff’s Children’s Hospital). It is shocking that so many children are becoming obese, since obesity used to be a disease that used to be primarily seen in adults. This shows the severity that obesity has on children’s lives.

Another condition that is common among children is trouble sleeping. This may not seem like a major problem, but lack of sleep can lead to many problems, especially among children. Children are constantly growing, and therefore need sleep to grow efficiently. According to author Anita Loughrey, author of Healthy Schools, Healthy Lives: A

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Teacher’s Guide to Tackling Childhood Obesity, “If a person does not get enough sleep their body will not produce enough of the necessary hormones required to regulate their metabolism” (10). Cities are said to be the centers of face-paced life, and thus city children find it difficult to get enough sleep. As a result of insufficient sleep, the body’s metabolism reacts slower, and it can cause obesity among children. Obese children can also develop “obstructive sleep apnea”, a breathing disorder that can make a person stop breathing for a moment while sleeping. This is dangerous as it can cause brain damage and heart failure (UCSF Benioff’s Children’s Hospital). Therefore, obesity can ultimately lead to death in children. Obesity is a serious problem, and it needs to be addressed so that asthma, diabetes, and death can be avoided in children.

Because obesity occurs when children eat more junk food than they can burn off, it can simply be prevented with exercise. According to Loughrey, “exercise helps promote mental well-being through the release of endorphins which can help make people less stressed and consequently less likely to want to comfort eat” (10). Therefore, obesity can be prevented if children exercise daily. However, many children in poor urban areas cannot exercise and play at home. In Bridgeport, Connecticut, there are some playgrounds outside of schools, but many of them are broken and vandalized. This is not a pleasant environment for a child. Also, many parents may be reluctant to let their children go out and play because of the high crime rate in Bridgeport. Recess is the only time that children can exercise safely while being supervised by teachers. Therefore to some children, recess in school is the most important hour of the day because it is a time where they can play and be free, and it is the only playtime that they have.

I propose that Bridgeport elementary school playgrounds be improved so that they are bigger, safer, and more fun for the children. Recess needs to be enticing to children in order for them to engage in it. Speaking from a personal viewpoint, when I was a child I noticed that during recess some children would not play because they would claim that there was nothing to do. My school did not have much of a playground for the children. The

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Bridgeport elementary schools need to make recess fun for children so that they can play, exercise, and shed unnecessary weight at the same time. To children, recess is just a time to play, but what they do not realize is that playtime is important for their health. I would promote this idea by writing a letter to the Bridgeport Board of Education, urging its members to refurbish the playgrounds in the elementary schools. I would convince them by reporting statistics and facts. I would also provide information on how to fund such a project. My letter would make them realize the importance of this matter, and it would convince them to undergo this necessary project.

The task of renovating or building new school playgrounds may seem like a daunting and expensive task. I realize that many questions such as who will fund such a project and who will build the playgrounds must be addressed. There is a national nonprofit organization called KaBOOM! That specializes in building or refurbishing playgrounds in communities that need them. KaBOOM! States that they build playgrounds because “Play makes kids healthier! Play makes kids smarter! But most importantly, play brings kids joy” (KaBOOM!). The nonprofit organization offers grants to communities so that they can get money for the playgrounds. One of the grants is by the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group. They agreed to partner with KaBOOM! For three years and are granting $15,000 to U.S. organizations such as schools (KaBOOM!). KaBOOM! Has workers and volunteers that will work hard until the playgrounds are finished. Some renovations are done in just a day. There are a few eligibility requirements but the city of Bridgeport fulfills these, and thus this is a wonderful opportunity to apply for this grant and create playgrounds for the children. With the help of KaBOOM!, the dream to give the children of Bridgeport safe playgrounds to play and exercise in can become a reality.

Works Cited Anderson, Patricia M., Kristin F. Butcher, and Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach.

Childhood Disadvantage and Obesity: Is Nurture Trumping Nature?.

Chicago, London: The University of Chicago Press, 2009. Print.

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KaBOOM!.KaBOOM! It Starts With a Playground.KaBOOM!, Inc. 2012.Web. 2 Dec. 2012 <http://kaboom.org> Loughrey, Anita. Healthy Schools, Healthy Lives: A Teacher’s Guide to Tackling Childhood Obesity. Luton: Andrews UK, 2012. Print.

UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital.UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. The Regents of The University of California, 2012. Web. http://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/health_risks_for_overweight_children/index. html. 25 Nov 2012.

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On Community: Triumph through Tragedy By: Nora Garrity, Class of 2016, Biology Major The following essay evolved from an in-class journal entry student Nora Garrity wrote on September 11th, 2012. The prompt initially asked students to reflect on their experience and memories of, and/or thoughts about, the 9/11 terror attacks. Several students, including Nora, transitioned from this topic into reflecting more broadly on their encounters with tragedy in general. Later in the semester, students had the option of crafting a more formal essay by revising and expanding one of their journal entries.

Nora felt strongly about this entry and chose to revisit the subject. The result is an essay that incorporates personal narrative with eloquent reflection on themes—such as tragedy and community— that our EN 11 class had read, discussed, and written about at several points throughout the semester.

—Professor Ioanna Opidee

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t was June 1st, 2011 when I was sitting in English class listening to the end of the day announcements that the principle, Mr. Miller, cancelled all afternoon activities, including sports practices, games, clubs and meetings, and told us all to get home as

soon as possible. The short notice and unexpected cancellations had students in a giant state of confusion. Luckily, we complied with his announcement. Little did I know that was going to be my last time I walked out of those doors for the rest of my life. Twenty minutes later, it struck. A tornado ripped through Springfield and took down everything in its path.

You could literally take out a map of the city and draw a line with a pen to trace the path it took to destroy the majority of the city. Luckily, it didn’t hit my house, but down the street one mile, it was complete devastation.

I remember being in the kitchen with my mom and my sister when we saw the tornado warnings on the television and heard that it touched down in the city’s downtown area, which is only about a mile from my house. My sister yelled at us to go to the basement, but there was no way I was going to the basement—at the time, I was on crutches and was not about to crutch down the stairs! So I stubbornly stayed up in the kitchen watching the news, anxiously waiting to hear from my family members that live in the area. Cell phone service went down shortly after that. My boyfriend stayed at school a few minutes longer than I did that day, and he said that as he was driving to my house, he could see the black funnel cloud in his rearview mirror. We realized that the neighborhood that Cathedral was located in was badly damaged, so we drove to see what the situation was, but trees were

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down everywhere in sight. We parked the car and my parents, boyfriend, and I (still on crutches) walked a few blocks, where I saw one of the saddest sights I have ever seen.

Windows shattered, hundred year old oak trees uprooted, bricks pulled out of the walls and window blinds swaying in the wind. I remember looking at my Spanish classroom and thinking to myself, “I was just in there two hours ago, how can this be happening?”

When I looked over to my mom and saw her eyes filled with tears, and at that moment I realized how much of a legacy Cathedral High School has. Cathedral is a special place for my family, as my three of my four grandparents graduated from there, as did all of my aunts and uncles. Teachers and administrators at Cathedral always preached about the “sense of community” that was unlike any other high school, but it was at this point that I felt as though I truly was a part of a community.

The principle was staring at the high school in shock with us and, as we were looking at the skeleton of a structure, the thought that undoubtedly was in all of our heads was, “How do we begin to move on from here?” We still had three more weeks of school left to finish, the seniors had to have a graduation ceremony that was usually in the school auditorium, sports teams still needed to finish their playoff games. The list could go on and on but there was nowhere for the 400 students to go and complete any of those things.

This devastation didn’t just affect current students, but alumni and surrounding schools as well. Not long after the tornado struck, alumni reached out from all over the nation with generous donations and willing to help in any way possible. We had an alumnus from the Miami Dolphins come back into the area to raise awareness. An alumnus from Ford motor company helped us raise $2,000 by giving ten dollars for every Ford car test driven by a Cathedral supporter. Other schools donated some lacrosse uniforms for our Boy’s Lacrosse team to wear during their playoff game. Instead of wearing purple with “Cathedral” written across the chest, they wore black and orange and had “Suffield Academy” on their jerseys, but community was shining through the darkness at that final

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game of the season: Cathedral had the loudest fans in the state that night as we cheered on the team.

After an entire summer of searching, a temporary location for Cathedral was determined. In less than a week, teachers and faculty had to move into their classrooms.

There was still a problem, though—this location was an old elementary school, much smaller than the old building. It isn’t the building that matters, though, it’s the people. My senior year of high school was the best time of my life so far, and I am extremely grateful for the people that touched my life that year. When graduation time rolled around, I saw my classmates, teammates, teachers and coaches as more than those titles, they were a part of this close-knit community that will forever be irreplaceable.

The meaning of the word community is hard to define because there are many different kinds of community; there is a community that one lives in, a religious community, a school community, a community of people that take part in the same activities such as running or biking, a community of people that support gay rights. On a broad spectrum, community is a group of people that shares common thoughts or beliefs. This is a parallel to what David Brooks states in his piece, “People Like Us.” He writes, “What we are looking at here is human nature. People want to be around others who are roughly like themselves.

That’s called community” (347). In a sense this is true, as most of the people in my Cathedral community were all similar, but this statement doesn’t always have to be true.

Depending on how close the community is, it could also serve as a support group. In the case of my high school we were a close community because we were each other’s support groups, friends, classmates and teammates. The main cause of why we were so close is because we all went through the same tragedy; we all had to look at the destroyed school and realize that our belongings left in there—our books, coats, homework, or anything else—were gone forever. We all had to stay hopeful during the time when we didn’t have a location for our school. We all had the same feelings of nostalgia and sadness during our senior year at the new, smaller and hopefully temporary location. We all had to face

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unwanted realities and that is what we did. The more that one shares in common with his or her community, the closer the community will become.

It is also evident that a structure is not what makes a community, it is the people in the community. While the tangible building of Cathedral High School might have seemed like the glue that kept us all together, I quickly realized that it was not the walls and doors of the structure, it was the caring people that walked in and out of those doors every day that fostered the community.

The Cathedral High School class of 2012 was unlike any other class. We managed to make the best of what we had to deal with. We found light in a time of darkness and didn’t dwell on what we used to have. Our school community was strengthened by this unfortunate event, but sometimes it takes adversity to show true character. In this case, the character of Cathedral High School was revealed as hopeful and persevering, and a community that faces hindrances with our heads held high.

Works Cited Brooks, David. “People Like Us.” The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings. Eds. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. New York, NY: Macmillan, 2006.

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Home By: Callie Vacchiano, Class of 2016, Dolan School of Business, Marketing Major In EN11, our class spent the first few weeks of the semester exploring the theme of “home” and what the word represented to us. We looked at the photo journal Where Children Sleep by James Mollison, the quirky documentary Home Movie, directed by Chris Smith, and a few short stories dealing with similar themes. Students were asked to write an essay on the theme as they saw it. Callie’s essay on her horse beautifully captures through descriptive imagery and thoughtful reflection the idea that home is more than just a place. —Professor Laura Marie Marciano

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s I wake up in the morning with the sunlight streaming through my bedroom window, I know that I’m closer and closer to returning home once again, after much time away. I get up, change out of my pajamas and rush down the stairs to say good morning to my parents who are having their usual cup of morning

coffee. I don’t even bother having any breakfast because I am so excited to get there. I get into my car and drive to the one place I feel the most at home. At first, the drive seems endless, but I know that I’m almost there as I drive up to the windy hill. At the bottom are white fences with the horses I had missed so much grazing peacefully. Looking at them reminds me of how much I missed being home—at the barn.

As I make the right turn onto Calf Farm Road I instantly get jitters, as if it were my first time at the barn. Then I finally see what I’ve been waiting to see—my horse Jo-Jo. He has a gorgeous, golden brown, dappled coat that looks like melted milk chocolate and a big beautiful white diamond in the middle of his face. As I call his name out my window, he picks his head up from grazing and looks at me and whinnies. At that very moment, I know I am home.

I drive up to the gate and enter the code for it to open. I am so anxious to see my horse that the gate doesn’t seem to open fast enough. Now that I am clear of the gate, I drive my car onto the rocky driveway, and it seems as if nothing has changed. The sound of my car tires on the rocks is just as I had remembered. I park my car and leap out and take it all in. Everything is exactly the same as if I hadn’t been away for so long. I run into the tack room and grab a handful of horse treats for Jo-Jo. I walk over to his paddock, and he is

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already waiting for me at the fence. I am greeted with another whinny. I open the gate and feed him his treats. His soft tongue licks my hand after he is finished.

As the hours at the barn fly by, it turns to dusk, and I sit in Jo-Jo’s stall while he quietly munches on his hay. Watching him just be a horse clears my mind of everything that has happened during my day, and sometimes even my entire week. Every sound, every movement that he makes soothes me. Jo-Jo completely lifts my spirits, better than my best friend ever could. I talk and he listens very patiently and calmly as if he is analyzing every word.

Toni Robinson once said, “Horses change lives. They give our young souls confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquility to troubled souls. They give us hope.” I am a firm believer of this quote due to my own experiences with horses. As I take out the tack box with all of my grooming supplies in it, I place it on the floor and take out a curry-comb. I walk over to Jo-Jo and run the curry-comb over his body in circular motions, and I begin talking to him. He lowers his head and begins to relax and, at that same time, so do I. As I clean him with brushes, he cleans me of my emotional hardships that no one seems to understand. He makes me feel like a completely different person after seeing him. He is an angel to me, and I am a care-giver and a mother to him. This horse does not judge me, insult me, or turn away from me, but loves me for everything I am and have been. After being around my horse I feel as if nothing could ever bother me. I feel at home.

Home does not need to be a physical place, but it’s a place that puts the heart and body at ease. Many people find their home in places where they spend most of their time or where they feel the most accepted and appreciated. Home is a sanctuary where nothing can make you feel upset or unwanted. It is a place you love to be and where you truly feel one with your surroundings.

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The Pervasiveness of September 11th: Posttraumatic Stress in Children By: Jacqueline Moser, Class of 2016, Communications Major During the second half of EN 12, I asked students to choose and closely read one full-length literary work from a list of six—two novels, two memoirs, one book of poetry, and one hybrid work of literary nonfiction and poetry. Then, each student was required to engage in a research process, writing an elaborate annotated bibliography and working towards a writing project on an aspect, question, or topic of their choosing, inspired by or in some way connected to the book they read. The project itself could either be a traditional work of literary analysis and criticism, a researched essay inspired by the literature but focused through another lens (such as history or politics), or a “creative” option.

The following was written by a student who chose to read Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which centers around the experience of a nine-year-old boy who loses his father in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. While Jacqueline read and annotated critical responses to the novel and interviews with its author, she ultimately decided to focus her writing project through a sociological and psychological lens, looking closely at how the trauma of 9/11 impacted children of her generation. The final product presents a moving account of her personal experience, but it also moves outward, applying her own memories to the work of scholarly inquiry.The result is a complex, multimodal essay that poses and engages with serious academic questions while mining intensely personal and emotional territory. —Professor Ioanna Opidee

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breathtaking view of the New York City skyline is a constant in my hometown of Sea Bright, New Jersey. A mere twenty nautical miles across the Atlantic, the financial capital of the world sits just on the horizon, far enough to feel distance between yourself and the fast-paced city lifestyle, yet close

enough that it seems nearly every household has at least one parent working in the city. It may be needless to say that the the morning of September 11th, 2001 was one that I will never forget.

The day started relatively normally in my second grade classroom. We did spelling, math, and reading, but in the late morning, an abnormal amount of students were being pulled from class. Although I was so young, I knew something was not right. I could tell from the worried look on my teacher’s face, the way she spoke to the other teachers in between classes, and the look of sorrow as she called out students’ names, telling them to pack their bags to be sent home for the day.

Finally, my name was called to the office. I reluctantly packed my things and headed to the office, to find my mother and younger sister waiting for me. My mom looked like she had been crying. As we headed back to the house, she told us what had happened, trying to spare us as many of the violent details as possible, but including the fact that she still had

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not heard from my dad or stepmother, who were in the towers for a business meeting that morning. Today, my mother describes trying to prevent my sister Ceili and me from seeing the news or hearing her on the phone with friends, telling horror stories of those missing, as she felt that was the best way to prevent us from being permanently affected. However, this was clearly unavoidable.

My dad and stepmom did return home safely, after what they describe to be the worst day of their lives, and easily one of the worst of mine. There was no cellular service in New York City and the surrounding areas, yet we assumed the worst regarding those we had yet not heard from. Throughout the entire day, the smoke-filled skyline served as a constant reminder of what was happening just twenty miles north of the shore. Upon returning to school the next day, I heard stories of far too many classmates and friends who had lost parents. My elementary school, cheerful and innocent just twenty-four hours prior, was a completely different scene. The next few weeks, I am unsure of; I don’t remember any specific events, just nightmares and a strong separation anxiety from my parents. I could not go on play dates, I cried every time I had to say goodbye to my dad, and I followed my mother’s every move. A child who had previously loved going to school, I threw tantrums every morning. School reminded me of that morning, and that morning reminded me of how close I had come to losing people so dear to me. It seemed impossible to erase the images of the attacks—the planes hitting the towers, people jumping out of buildings, mangled bodies laying in piles of rubble—from my mind. My mom had my sister and me in therapy once a week, but we still could not escape the fact that the attacks were at least mentioned everywhere we went. Despite this, my situation remained mild compared to those of other people living in my community.

It can be asserted that worse off was my generation. The school systems had absolutely no idea what to do for a group of grieving, traumatized elementary school students, all of whom had no escape from the tragedy that had just forever impacted their community. Everyone knew at least one individual who had perished. People like my father,

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who at the time had been working in the financial district for over thirty years, knew hundreds of people who had perished. The amount of hearses that lined the streets on a daily basis was absurd. I remember that September as being the first time I ever saw my dad cry. And he cried often. Today, my mom tells my sister and me how nervous she was that we were never going to fully recover from what had been labeled as mild posttraumatic stress disorder. Yet, by comparison, we were lucky.

The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001 had a lasting effect on the American population as a whole, and more specifically, those living in New York City and the surrounding areas. They instilled fear in most of America, and for the first time in a long time, a genuine feeling of vulnerability was experienced in a nation that had long proven to be a dominant player on the world stage.

Most impacted, however, were the children who were constantly exposed to these images, overheard conversations, and media reports for months following the horrific events of September 11th. Over time, it has been discovered that a great deal of children suffer from a pervasive posttraumatic stress as a result of the 9/11 attacks and violence.

While the database of information about posttraumatic stress disorder in children appears to be fairly limited, it is one that is growing in light of the volume of tragedies that have affected our country in the last decade alone. Events such as September 11th, the War in Iraq, the earthquake in Haiti, and the tragedy in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, all have impacted the psyche of adult Americans, but what about children? Studies have proven that children are especially vulnerable in the wake of tragedy because of their dependence on caregivers. Any sense of threat to said caregiver can put the child in traumatic stress, aggravation, and bring about new fears or stressors for the child. This also may result in extreme separation anxiety for the child, which was a highly common occurrence for children affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center. A population-based survey conducted on New York City children following September 11th indicated that 10.6 percent of children had Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, and as high as 37.4 percent of children had a

Â

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diagnosable form of anxiety. Further, younger children, particularly in the fourth and fifth grade, were found to be more vulnerable to symptoms of PTSD or anxiety following the attacks, as were those who had family or friends in the towers. In light of the almost 3,000 fatalities, it is hard to imagine these statistics any lower. Although not officially disclosed, this may be because of the impressionable nature of children this age, and their keen awareness to their surroundings as they are at an age of maturing (DeVoe, Klein, Bannon, and Julian 2-3). It is thoroughly disturbing that tragic events such as September 11th hold the capacity to permanently affect children, and in such a large volume.

Further, it may be argued that the attacks had such a detrimental effect on the psyche of those living in and around the New York City area, in addition to the nation as a whole, largely because of the media’s prevalence during the attacks. Media attention to matters as serious and potentially endangering is essential in the modern era, as it enables forewarning and thus, safety of the nation. However, this attention reaches a level of exposure where it is potentially considered insensitive. The media was largely responsible for the fear that was later instilled in those watching the news, repeatedly playing video clips of Flight 11 striking the towers as terror overwhelmed the city. Images of the towers falling, and those injured, dead, and missing were highly graphic and enough to make anyone cringe.

This highly violent image resonated with many, and does to this day. For a I, highly impressionable child, one could imagine that this image would be severely disturbing.

The attacks on the World Trade Center have proven that the American spirit is not easily broken, as our nation seemed more patriotic than ever following September 11th.

There was a great support system in areas affected like mine, and for this, I know many are forever grateful. Further, the extensive volume of interpretations of the tragedy on September 11th allows for material with which those still in grief can empathize with. Works such as Jonathon Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, amongst many others, help the general public and the media in understanding the effects that the attacks, along with the extensive coverage of the attacks on the World Trade Center had on a highly

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personal level. Fortunately, once the smoke cleared, the breathtaking view of the New York City skyline returned to my hometown. However, the impact that day had on my community will long resonate, as will the various memorials and American flags around town, providing a constant reminder that no day should ever be taken for granted.

Works Cited Devoe, Ellen R., Tovah P. Klein, William Bannon, Jr., and Claudia Miranda-Julian. “Young Children in the Aftermath of the World Trade Center Attacks.” Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy 3.1 (2011): 1-7. EBSCOhost. Web. 5 Apr 2013.

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What Authenticity Means By: Kate O’Donoghue, Class of 2016, Marketing Major The following essay was written as part of the final portfolio project, a month-long endeavor to look retrospectively at the writing, reading, and reflecting students had been asked to do all semester. The portfolio, our third, was entitled “Beyond Argument,” and prior to writing this final essay, students spent several weeks revisiting essays they’d read and written to see how each functioned in conversation rather than in argument with other texts. By “beyond argument,” I wanted to call students’ attention to the idea that many viewpoints can be held in conversation inside the structure of an essay, and that one’s own analysis of each viewpoint can become the essay’s organizing principle. I wanted students to experience how ideas can evolve and change as they come under the pressure of diverse viewpoints; in a best-case scenario such as Kate’s, I also hoped they would enjoy the slippage of the idea as a site for especially rigorous and creative critical thinking and exploratory writing. My final advice on the assignment was this: “Using sources that test or revise a working idea is a good thing because it helps you explore your topic, and make sure that you analyze how the various sources hold a conversation with each other. Your analysis is the key, though: your ideas hold the conversation together and move it in a useful direction.”

Kate’s subject, that of authenticity, was a perfect choice for the assignment, because authenticity is such an abstract concept subject to many different interpretations, inviting an essaying, many-sided scrutiny. Her choice to begin with a subject from an essay she’d written for a previous assignment—a personal narrative of loss in which she’d questioned her own behavior—allowed her to bring her own voice into conversation not just with two essays from her research, but with a movie as well. Each choice of text—her own, Richard Rodriguez’s “Public and Private Language,” Mean Girls, and Stephanie Ericsson’s “The Ways We Lie”—increased the precision of the lens by which she viewed her subject. In the concluding paragraphs and with newfound sight, Kate revisits her own painful experience of loss, examining with fresh authority her own actions within the context of the analysis she’s given to source material. It is especially gratifying to see Kate taking up the mantle of what we writing-types call “self as author”: having read energetically, analyzed muscularly, and written extensively on a subject about which she cared deeply, Kate stepped into the role of “author” with a particular self-reflective grace. One might even say she did so in all authenticity!

—Professor Carol Ann Davis Authentic: Not false or imitation; true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character. —Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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he unexpected challenges that life throws at you are inevitable. These challenges can put you in situations that seem impossible. These situations are “impossible” because sometimes the choices that you are left with only have negative

consequences, no matter what decision you make. The “right” decision may be going against your set of values, making you into what some might consider to be a “fake” person. And of course the “wrong” decision always has a consequence. As Viktor Frankl wrote in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” This quote leaves one with a question, though: Is changing yourself actually worth what you are gaining in the end?

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When the most genuine friend I’ve ever had died of cancer last year, I was put in one of these impossible situations. Life unexpectedly threw at me a challenge that left me with decisions to make, which ultimately led to consequences I would have to face. Not only did I have to accept the fact that I was going to lose my friend to cancer, I had to figure out how I would get through this slow process of losing her. As I wrote in my essay, “Sam Nation,” “Through this whole process my biggest trouble was treating Sam as my friend, not just a person who had cancer.” As a friend, I wanted to make Sam happy, but it became my primary goal after I found out she was diagnosed with cancer. This goal turned me into a friend who was nice to Sam all of the time, a little too helpful at times; I always had a smile on my face when I was around her. But no person out there is always happy, always willing to help, and always smiling. We are all unhappy and unfriendly at times, so really, I was trying to be someone who doesn’t exist.

Making Sam happy all the time meant I had to give up authentic qualities that actually made me a real friend. I didn’t want to give up these rare qualities, but if it meant Sam was going to be happy for her last couple months, then was it worth it? I didn’t want to turn into a fake friend. I hate fake people, because I hate that their priority is to change themselves to be someone they’re not for someone else. People who change themselves for someone else form inauthentic friendships based on lies. Did I have to be a fake friend to be a “good friend”?

When I think of an example of where there are fake friendships, superficial teenage girls, and people changing themselves for others, I think of the movie Mean Girls, directed

by Mark Waters. This movie stars Lindsey Lohan playing Cady Heron, a character who has been home schooled all her life but then changes herself when high school’s pressure to fit in takes over her life. This movie shows how she changes her look, priorities, and most importantly herself, so that her classmates think she is “cool.” Before entering high school the movie shows Cady as a sweet, innocent girl who cared about her family, where she came from (Africa), and her schoolwork. One can easily see how a superficial, confident “queen

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bee” could have the ability to easily corrupt her. In the film, this queen bee was named Regina George. Regina thought she was the most popular girl in school, but really, she was the most hated. Still, many girls in the school, including Cady, were desperate to be her friend. It wasn’t her friendship that Cady wanted, though; all she wanted was to be “cool,” and being friends with Regina George meant you were cool. Viewers can easily see that the “friendship” between Regina and Cady is superficial and based on lies. Unfortunately, through the process of “acting” like Regina’s friend, Cady became a spitting image of Regina George.

It was sad to see Cady lose what made her special and unique. She actually cared about her family, where she was from, and working hard for good grades. Nobody at school would have known any of that, though, because this was what Richard Rodriguez in “Public and Private Language” might refer to as her “private identity.” While Rodriguez’s private identity, in large part, consisted of his use of Spanish, his native language, at home, both he and Cady had private identities that they hid when they were at school. They did this because they wanted or needed to feel normal, and their “private identities” would not be considered appropriate in the eyes of their classmates.

Having a public identity and a private identity may have seemed like a simple solution for both of these characters, but it resulted in their losing something. When Cady’s public identity took over her private identity, it was inevitable that she would completely change herself and lose the person she truly was. When Rodriguez’s private identity came into contact with his public identity, the author described this as the “clash of two worlds” (Rodriguez 176).

While Rodriguez gained a lot of confidence and academic success by learning English, he also lost a lot. When he gave up his language, he lost the closeness that he had with his family. His family’s closeness came, in part, from using their traditional tongue, Spanish, at home. When the children were asked to speak English at home to improve their fluency, the house became silent. This silence symbolized their lost sense of communal

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identity. Both Cady and Richard were put in situations that had consequences, and the decision they ended up making caused them to lose something very important.

In my situation with Sam, I also lost something along the way. I lost the authentic friendship we had, which was what made us so close. However, in the end, I believe that I made the last few months of Sam’s life easier. In this sense, I’ve come to realize that being inauthentic, in the strictest sense of “being true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character,” was okay. I was being too hard on myself, and seeing my situation through these other essays made me realize that. Cady and Regina’s inauthentic friendship, for example, made me see that my behavior toward Sam wasn’t exactly inauthentic; it was actually just the opposite. Losing my authenticity, in this sense, was because of a good intention that I had toward my friend, which was to make her happy. This leads me to believe that in certain sitautions it is okay to be, in this sense, “inauthentic.”

Reading “The Ways We Lie” by Stephanie Ericsson also helped me realize this. The main point of Ericsson’s essay is that lying can be okay in certain situations, such as when you are trying to prevent hurting someone else’s feelings. Lying might be a type of inauthenticity, but there are some situations when being inauthentic, in the literal sense of the word, is okay too. In fact, that, to me, is what defines true authenticity: knowing the times when you must be truthful, and the times when truly caring for a friend is more important.

Works Cited Ericsson, Stephanie. “The Ways We Lie.” The Prose Reader. Longman, 2010.

306-315.

Flachmann, Kim and Flachmann, Micahel. The Prose Reader. Longman, 2010. Print.

Mean Girls. Mark Walters. Paramount. 2004. Film.

Rodriguez, Richard. “Public and Private Language.” The Prose Reader. Longman, 2010.

175-182.

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Love Is Love By: Katie DeStefano, Class of 2016, Nursing Major

Katie’s piece, “Love Is Love,” was written in response to an assignment that asked students to compose a rhetorical argument on a matter they hold important. An argument, in order to be successful, needs to do a variety of things. The writer must take up a tenable position, provide good reasons and ample evidence in support that position, carefully consider an array of known and unknown counterarguments, and provide enough contextual information to help the reader understand it all. Katie’s essay, a defense of same-sex marriage, not only achieves all of this, but manages it in a voice that is passionate, compassionate, and worthy of the reader’s trust and engagement. A thoughtful piece on a matter of continuing importance in our national discourse, it deserves a readership beyond the confines of her final portfolio. —Professor Brian Hoover

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ccording to the Merriam-­Webster Dictionary, the definition of the word marriage is: (1) “the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by

law”; or, (2): “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage.” However, in American society today, the latter definition is illegal in forty-­‐one out of fifty states. Same-­‐sex marriages are bashed and forbidden in almost all areas of this county, and it is up to our generation to fight for those who cannot marry their loved ones. Love is not a matter of legislation, but a matter of human right.

A huge reason that same-­‐sex marriage has not been completely legalized has to do

with the strong ties the American government holds to Christianity. As a Christian, I understand that the Bible mentions homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22 states, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (New King James version). However, that is only one of the many, many rules that are listed in Leviticus. The Bible also states that you cannot cut your hair, you cannot ink your skin, and you cannot play with the skin of a pig. For any person who has ever gone to the barber, gotten a tattoo, or played football, you have no right to criticize homosexuality because you, too, have broken the rules that the Bible has listed.

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The Bible also mentions numerous times that you must love your neighbor as you love yourself and respect them as you would respect God. By denying people the right to marry, you are disrespecting them and denying their right to happiness. There are extreme Christian groups that protest at the funerals of fallen soldiers and believe that they deserve to die because they fought for a country that permits homosexual behavior. These Christian groups have been known to hold up signs that say, “AIDS cures the fags” or “God hates gays.” To hold such hate for a group of people based on their sexuality defies the most important teachings of Christianity. Christians are called to love each other, not hold protests claiming how wrong and disgusting they believe homosexuality is.

In the United States government, same-­‐sex marriage is a heated topic. However,

didn’t Thomas Jefferson create the principle of separation of church and state? It is understandable that some Christians do not believe in same-­‐sex marriage, but why do the ideas of Christianity define what is legal? This issue goes far beyond religion and into the depths of humanity. The ideas of one religion should not affect government policy.

Many argue that the main purpose of marriage is for two people to unite and

procreate, and in a same-­‐sex marriage this is not a possibility. However, it is legal for two straight people to get married, even if it is a known fact that one of them is sterile. This marriage, as well, cannot create a child. Also, if an eighty-­‐year-­‐old couple chose to get married, no one would show opposition. This couple is far past the childbearing age, but this marriage still remains legal. The idea that the sole reason for marriage is reproduction is outdated. Marriage should be about love, and if a couple is lucky enough to have a child and that is God’s plan and that is God’s plan, then so be it. However, the entire institution of marriage should not be defined by procreation.

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Another argument against gay marriage is that they legally would be able to adopt children. Many fear that these children would turn out to be homosexual because that is the household they are raised in. I think it should be taken into consideration that children born into a heterosexual marriage might be gay or lesbian. Homosexuality cannot be spread or taught. It is not a choice. Simply living with two gay parents is not enough to become gay. Many also argue that a child needs both a male and female figure while growing up. However, being a single parent has not been outlawed. Children do not need both a father and a mother figure to be “normal.” Instead, they need a home where they are loved, accepted, and taught life lessons. Also, I would rather see a child with two loving parents of the same sex than being left alone in an orphanage. Children all around the world are in need of homes, and any family willing to take them in and change their lives should be acceptable. The quality of parenting is not defined by gender or sexual orientation. If a child is living a happy, healthy life with two moms or two dads, that is all that matters.

Those who still don’t believe a gay couple can produce a normal family have never had the chance to hear directly from someone raised in such a household. Zach Wahls, a student from the University of Iowa, gave a speech to the House of Representatives about lifting the ban on gay marriage. From the very beginning, he states that he was raised by two women, both of whom loved and cared for him his whole life. The point of his speech is that although he has two moms, they are like every other family in America. They go to church together, they eat dinner, and they go on vacation. They also have their hard times, like any other family does. Wahls, an Eagle Scout who owns and operates his own business, ends his argument by saying, “In my nineteen years, not once have I ever been confronted

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by an individual who realized independently that I was raised by a gay couple. And you know why? Because the sexual orientation of my parents has had zero effect on the content of my character” (YouTube.com). Here is solid evidence to show that same-­‐sex marriage can result in perfectly normal, smart, and well-­‐loved children. If anything, one might argue that the value and importance of love in same-­‐sex marriages is greater than that in heterosexual marriages because they know what it is like to have to fight for their love and to have a family of their own.

It has been said that the legalization of same-­‐sex marriage would ruin the sanctity of marriage. However, it does not seem that heterosexual marriages are any more sacred.

When Kim Kardashian divorced her husband of seventy-­‐two days or when Britney Spears once got married for fifty-­‐five hours for fun, was there still a strong sanctity of marriage?

The value of marriage is at an all-­‐time low. The divorce rate is rising at a steady pace.

According to the United States Census of 2012, almost 45 percent of all marriages end in divorce. Adding homosexual marriage to the mix does not seem like it is going to destroy the “precious and perfect” sense of marriage in today’s society.

Some segments of society are constantly looking for reasons to keep same sex marriage illegal. However, marriage is supposed to be based on love. Two people who truly love each other should be entitled to the unity of marriage. Soul mates should not have to be classified as a civil union. Love is love, whether you are a male and a female, a male and a male, or a female and a female.

If you are that opposed to a gay marriage, then simply do not get one. Their right to love will not affect your marriage or what you do in your life. If gay marriage gets legalized in all fifty states, no world wars will start, no bombs will go off, and no lives will end. All

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that will happen is that millions of Americans will finally be able to marry the loves of their lives.

Works Cited The Holy Bible, King James Version. New York: Oxford Edition: 1769; King James Bible Online, 2008. http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/.

Wahls, Zach. “What Makes a Family.” Speech. Iowa House Judiciary Committee. Iowa. 31 Jan. 2011. YouTube. 3 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

“Divorce Statistics and Divorce Rate in the USA.” Divorcestatistics.info. Divorce Statistics, n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2013.

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Why Study Literature?

By: Mairin Lane, Class of 2016, College of Arts & Sciences, Major Undeclared At the end of EN 12 last spring, I asked my students to essay the question “Why study literature?” The idea was to incorporate a variety of the modes they had tried on throughout the EN 11-12 sequence— personal narrative, textual analysis, rhetorical argument, and so forth—as they revisited this question so central to our course. I had hoped to receive papers that were inquisitive and insightful, but also dynamic and engaging; I wanted the papers to reveal something authentic about the writer’s unique relationship with literature. Marin’s essay on Flannery O’Connor’s importance to her own evolution as a reader and writer stood out among many fine responses. Her lively prose invites the reader into an interesting conversation about O’Connor’s work, maintaining throughout a sense of the essay as an exploratory form. O’Connor once noted, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say”; appropriately, Marin’s essay is in step with this sentiment in the best possible way.

—Professor Brian Hoover

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’ve always been told that the smartest people are those who read. However, I don’t think this is accurate (and not just because I know I don’t read enough). Don’t get me wrong; I see the value in reading. I’m not looking to undermine its importance. I

just think that this statement needs a little tweaking. You see, in my opinion, the smartest people are not just readers, but also writers. We read acclaimed works and discuss “literature,” but often forget that reading goes hand in hand with writing. Simply put, if no one wrote, there would be nothing to read. I don’t think most educators give personal writing enough credit. Flannery O’Connor once said, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say” (“The Catholic Novelist” 191). I like this quote because it simply yet eloquently conveys the reality that it is one thing to have a concept in your head, but it is quite another to be able to put that idea down on paper. Writing forces you to examine your thoughts and beliefs and gives you the opportunity to spell them out for others with a precision and delicacy that spoken words do not afford you. You have the ability not only to speak for yourself, but also to superimpose your ideas on the characters you create. Sometimes it’s easier to understand your own point when it’s on someone else’s lips. This was evident to Flannery O’Connor. She used writing not only as a device to create entertaining stories, but also to unearth her personal beliefs on morality.

Flannery O’Connor is one of my favorite authors. She has “a keen eye for realistic detail and for the truth that lies beneath the surface of language and self image” (Mays 420-

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21). Her heart is in the right place, but to reach it you must first claw through some Southern sass and heaps of dark humor. O’Connor was not your typical Southern belle. She grappled with being an outsider in a society that prized tradition and conformity. She holds a unique perspective that comes from being raised a Catholic in the middle of the Bible Belt. I believe that O’Connor wrote in order to cope with the alienation she felt in her own hometown. She had to affirm what she personally believed in order to survive the cultural pressure she was put under (Mays 419-22).

One way to define your own opinion is to contradict it. As with photography, sometimes you must begin with a negative and then construct the true image from it.

O’Connor wrote: When I look at stories I have written I find that they are, for the most part, about people who are poor, who are afflicted in both mind and body, who have little—or at best a distorted—sense of spiritual purpose, and whose actions do not apparently give the reader a great assurance of the joy of life. Yet how is this? For I am no disbeliever in spiritual purpose and no vague believer. (“Everything That Rises” 458) As O’Connor points out, her characters are often nothing like her. Does this mean that she learned nothing from them, though? Certainly not. For example, her story “Everything That Rises Must Converge” focuses on the main characters of Julian and his mother. Julian on one hand is progressive while his mother on the other is racist. In order for these characters to be at all convincing, O’Connor had to imitate their thoughts and examine society through both liberal and racist lenses (“Everything That Rises” 447- 58). I think it would be difficult to throw yourself into a role like that, and not discover where you stand on a matter.

Flannery O’Connor’s writings were clearly affected by the culture in which she was raised. She thought society was an important facet of her literature. She wrote, “You can’t say anything meaningful about the mystery of a personality unless you put that personality in a believable social context” (Mays 459). She was not only influenced by Southern society,

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but also wished to leave her own impression on it. Through writing, O’Connor established her stance on a number of social issues and encouraged her readers to do the same.

Flannery O’Connor not only promoted that readers evaluate societal conventions, but also that they confirm their personal moral doctrines. One way she does this is by incorporating into her works grotesque characters who are twisted, sometimes terrifyingly so. They range greatly in intensity. For example, in “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” you have the Misfit, but you also have John Wesley and June Star. It is easy to see the grotesque in the Misfit because he shamelessly murders and believes “it’s no real pleasure in life” (433). I would argue that the children have touches of the grotesque woven into their characters as well, though. They are rude to not only their grandmother but also to strangers. For example, June Star said to the restaurant owner’s wife, “ I wouldn’t live in a broken-down place like this for a million bucks!” (425). They even cheer, “We’ve had an ACCIDENT!” (428) when the car flips over and are then disappointed that nobody was killed. They are bratty, mean children. In a way this is more shocking than the Misfit. We expect a hardened criminal to be abominable, but young children are supposed to be innocent and respectful.

Flannery O’Connor incorporates grotesque characters into her stories because she wants to shock the reader. She wrote: When you can assume that your audience holds the same beliefs you do, you can relax a little and use more normal means of talking to it; when you have to assume that it does not, then you have to make your vision apparent by shock—to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind you draw large and startling figures. (“Everything That Rises” 458) O’Connor wishes to grab her audience’s attention. As an outsider, she feels the only way she is able to do that is by making her stories shocking. She said, “Whenever I’m asked why Southern writers particularly have a penchant for writing about freaks, I say it is because we are still able to recognize one” (“The Catholic Novelist” 191). She wanted people to be disturbed by her characters. She wasn’t trying to pass them off as normal. O’Connor pens

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these characters in the hope that readers will find them distorted and examine themselves for any overlapping qualities.

You are probably wondering at this point what I’m actually driving at in this paper.

You see, I am trying to make a couple of points. The first is that there are two parts to literature. You break it in half and, in one hand, you hold reading and in the other, writing.

They are equally valuable, yet it seems writing often receives the short end of the stick.

Through reading you learn about others, but writing teaches you about yourself. Flannery O’Connor used writing to contemplate her stance on moral issues and encourage readers to do the same. It is vital to be in touch with your own beliefs, especially before seeking to influence the opinions of others, which is something O’Connor advocated. So why study literature? Study literature because it’ll help you connect with other people. Study literature because it’ll help you understand yourself. Most importantly, study literature because if you enjoy it, it’s not studying.

Works Cited Mays, Kelly J., comp and ed. The Norton Introduction to Literature (Shorter Eleventh Edition).

New York: Norton, 2013. Print.

O’Connor, Flannery. “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” The Norton Introduction to Literature (Shorter Eleventh Edition). Comp. and ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2013.

422-433. Print.

---. “The Catholic Novelist in the Protestant South.” Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose. Comp. and ed. Sally Fitzgerald and Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1969. 191-209. Print.

---. “Everything That Rises Must Converge.” The Norton Introduction to Literature (Shorter Eleventh Edition). Comp. and ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2013. 447-458.

Print.

---. “Good Country People.” The Norton Introduction to Literature (Shorter Eleventh Edition). Comp. and ed. Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2013. 433-447. Print.

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Wonder Woman: The Destroyed Female Symbol Who Was Ultimately Rescued By: Heather Mooney, Class of 2016, Film Major, Psychology Minor This essay by Heather Mooney is version of the final research assignment for my EN12 course, Spring 2013. It has been edited for space. The assignment was to conduct research and critical analysis about a work by an author whose work had been read for the course; the idea was for students to revisit a text with which they were familiar and then “go deeper” in their response to the text along while exploring how that response could be contextualized relative to other scholarly investigations of the text and/or author. Because Heather chose a text by a relatively new author whose work has not been the subject of scholarly inquiry, she decided to explore how the main character in a short story (who just happens to be Wonder Woman) has been portrayed in various media. —Professor Elizabeth Hilts

W

onder Woman, created in the 1940s, is not only a female superhero fighting for justice, love, peace and sexual equality, she is a feminist icon who has been manipulated to fit the social norms specific to the decade

she held influence over. As Wonder Woman was changed to conform to each decade she lost the identity that inspired countless women. She wasn’t the symbol of feminine strength and independence she originally was when she was created in the 40s; until now. In the short story “Wonder Woman Grew Up In Nebraska” author Sarah Gerkensmeyer’s Wonder Woman, gets her justice by going on a modern day hero’s journey that draws a powerful parallel to the original bold, 40s feminist icon who started it all.

During the Depression when America was crippled by economic devastation and a severe loss of hope, a new type of hero was introduced: the comic-book superhero.

Superheroes inspired people, mostly men, with their supernatural abilities, but the only superheroes were male. During World War II, Wonder Woman was created by psychologist William Moulton Marston to create a recognizable symbol that would inspire the women of the ‘40s to mirror her strength, independence, compassion, and power.

Marston introduces Wonder Woman, a/k/a Diana, an Amazon princess from Paradise Island. The Amazons are a mythical race of strong and self-reliant women independent of any male suppression. Wonder Woman’s journey starts when she comes to the rescue of American pilot Steve Trevor after his warplane crashes on Paradise Island. In the Wonder Woman comics the image of the rescue is a rather bold one that purposely defies the social

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norms of the early 40s; Wonder Woman is carrying an injured Trevor in her arms, embodying female strength and power.

According to Mira Emad, “The princess becomes Capt. Trevor’s savior and healer, and while ministering to him falls in love with him; however, the image does not connote the subsequent female dependence and vulnerability that such a trope might conventionally entail”(Emad 958). When Wonder Woman is introduced she isn’t just a two-dimensional comic book character, she is a dignified symbol of strength and independence. Wonder Woman had a huge impact on the traditional social, gender norms of the ‘40s. As the male population shipped off to war they didn’t only leave their homes, they left their jobs and suddenly women were needed desperately to fill in for those jobs.

Wonder Woman provided women with internal strength and inspiration, to motivate them to leave their domesticated lifestyles. Finally women realized they could empower themselves, “changing from ‘weak girls’ to economically and sexually independent women” (Emad 962). Marston’s Wonder Woman, the original beacon of feminine strength, became the icon of female self-reliance and power; suddenly women felt that they could be both independent and feminine in a male dominated society.

Unfortunately, with the death of Marston in 1947 Wonder Woman became an “orphan” in a way.. Because Wonder Woman became such an iconic symbol, her image became a useful tool to influence women as society changed. As each decade passed Wonder Woman was made to stray further and further from the iconic feminist symbol of strength she was when she was first created. After the war when the men flooded back into America women were no longer needed as stand-ins for their jobs; their strength was no longer a socially accepted gender norm and they digressed back to domestication. In Wonder Woman’s postwar stories her “mortal” persona of “Diana Prince” returns.

According to Emad: Wonder Woman’s identity moves further and further into the domestic, feminine realm and away from the masculine realm of politics and war...Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Diana Prince appears more and more

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frequently until she becomes the main character, and Wonder Woman disappears all together for several years, leaving a boutique-shop owning Diana Prince. (Emad 965).

During the second wave of the Women’s Movement in the 1970s, influential feminist Gloria Steinem attempted to resurrect the 1940s Wonder Woman; when the first issue of Steinem’s Ms. Magazine was published, Wonder Woman in her 1940s glory graced the cover.

Unfortunately, Steinem’s attempt to revive Wonder Woman was short lived; as Wonder Woman along with the Women’s Movement started to grow again, Wonder Woman was manipulated once again. In an attempt to hinder the rising power of the Women’s Movement, the identity of Wonder Woman is changed into a non-intimidating one. Wonder Woman was seen as a strong symbol again but before she made too much of an impact she was amended again to fit the gender norms of the 80s, when the socially accepted female was merely a pretty face. The intentions of Wonder Woman’s “puppeteers” are seen even more clear when they make “Wonder Woman herself try to quit the job and return to Paradise Island” (Emad 967). This can be seen as a direct message to the Woman’s Movement to try to get them to give up, just like their icon.

As a decade passed and American culture changed once again, so did Wonder Woman. The 1990s is marked as a time where women rose in social power. Women were suddenly gaining power, being portrayed as independent protagonists in cinema, and getting political jobs as well; women strength seemed to be socially acceptable. To adapt to this new norm Wonder Woman had to change from pathetic and suppressed back into a superhero, in Emad’s words, “this new Wonder Woman appears much more persuasively as ‘ready for battle’” (Emad 974).

Even though women were rising in strength, however, the interests of the younger generation—who didn’t personally understand the long battle towards the hint of social equality—shifted away from feminism.. Because of this shift, Wonder Woman was once again made to conform. According to Emad, “Wonder Woman’s heroic identity becomes

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more individual and personal...The character of ‘Princess Diana’ has close friends, socializes with professionals, is involved with children, and is often shown as a consultant to the state” (Emad 974). Wonder Woman has been changed to “fit in” the culture of the 90s; she is merely conforming rather than emerging as a separate icon to show woman the strength they should have.

By the early 2000s, Wonder Woman is a far cry from the bold, strong, genderinequality-fighting, independent female symbol she was made to be. Wonder Woman of the 2000s is a “hypersexualized” unrecognizable impostor manipulated to fit the misconstrued cultural understanding that female strength somehow correlates with sex appeal. According to the documentary Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines, there is a “much more sexualized version of the female action heroine, particularly for young women, sexiness becomes the way of signaling empowerment” (Wonder Women!...).

According to Emad, “...Hypersexualized images of Wonder Woman’s body are used to reconcile the separate spheres of gender and nation” (Emad 975). Emad believes that this new hypersexualized version of Wonder Woman was made to make her both feminine and relevant as an American superhero. I disagree; I believe that by making Wonder Woman hypersexualized she is being suppressed further, only getting attention from her sex appeal and not from her relevance as a superhero. Wonder Woman as a symbol has been battered and changed so much throughout the years to fit to the social suppression of women that when women can finally be taken seriously, Wonder Woman cannot be. At this point she has been degraded so much that she has to use her body to hide her irrelevance as a hero.

What happened to the Wonder Woman who inspired thousands of women with her natural feminine strength, independence and power? Once women started to emerge as independent and the social norms shifted, it was too late for Wonder Woman.

But recently Wonder Woman has been given another shot. In the short story “Wonder Woman Grew Up In Nebraska,” author Sarah Gerkensmeyer gives Wonder Woman the justice she deserves by drawing a modern parallel to the original 1940s symbol

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of feminine strength and giving her the opportunity to be “reborn” and go on a hero’s journey to emerge, once again, as an independent individual in her symbolic original glory.

In “A Practical Guide to The Hero With A Thousand Faces,” Christopher Vogler explores important stages of the hero’s journey from beginning to end. In the stages of the hero’s journey, the hero: •

is introduced in their ordinary world

•

is placed into a world where they face adventure and encounter tests

•

must endure a supreme ordeal

•

must face resurrection

•

is ultimately is able to return with the “elixir,” or the knowledge or treasure

gained throughout the experience.

In every hero’s journey story, the hero is guided through the stages by a mentor until he or she can stand alone. The mentor serves to give advice to the hero and may test them in ways that will allow the hero to see his or her personal human nature. In “Wonder Woman Grew Up In Nebraska” Wonder Woman’s mentors are her “frenemies,” Jane and Lisa, who guide, test, and torment her.

In the story Jane invites Wonder Woman to leave the baby she is watching so she can hang out with her and Lisa. Wonder Woman knows it would be terrible to leave the baby but she succumbs to Jane’s pressure and does it anyway. When Wonder Woman arrives to Jane’s house she gets a cold reaction. “Jane and Lisa acted aloof...as if she had decided to just drop by without being invited” (Gerkensmeyer 24). This allows Wonder Woman’s guilt to sink in. Jane and Lisa act in this cold manner because Wonder Woman has failed the test they have given her, and they certainly wouldn’t want to reward her with acknowledgment. Wonder Woman feels so unwanted that she leaves. “When she got back, Wonder Woman stared at the sleeping baby for a full ten minutes, fighting several waves of violent nausea” (Gerkensmeyer 25).

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According to Volger, in the first stage of the hero’s journey the hero is introduced in their ordinary world; the hero must then leave this world to go on their journey but they ultimately come back transformed. In “Wonder Woman Grew Up In Nebraska” Wonder Woman’s ordinary world is filled with a superficial type of pain that makes its inhabitants blind to real pain, and the compassion that comes along with its recognition. After her journey, modern day Wonder Woman must eventually return back to her ordinary world with the knowledge of what real pain is so she can inspire the female population, but first she must transform from a dependent girl into an independent superhero.

According to Vogler in the next step the hero is placed into an “alien” world, where they face adventure and encounter tests. In Vogler’s words the hero, “fully enters the special world of his story for the first time. This is the moment at which the story takes off and the adventure gets going...The hero is now committed to his journey, and there is no turning back” (Vogler 5). Wonder Woman’s “alien” world is the airport bar where she,. “… looks out the window at everything pulsing and bright and doesn’t feel like she is in Nebraska anymore...They push through the glass doors and into the constant, timeless bubble of the airport. Their walk is un-energetic and slow” (Gerkensmeyer 22). The new world full of energy is totally opposite from Nebraska and perhaps that is why Wonder Woman’s mentors chose to bring her there, a place where she can grow as a hero and encounter tests.

In the “alien” world Wonder Woman along with her mentors go into the bathroom to recite their same superficial routine, “They’ve been known to cry here, in the bathroom.

One of them will think of something trivial and unspoken–the slight overbite or the bent toe or the cartoon complexion–and she’ll start to cry” (Gerkensmeyer 24). It is up to Wonder Woman to abandon the superficial pain so she can recognize the real pain and help those in need. When they leave the bathroom, Wonder Woman encounters the first test in her “alien” world. “There is a man sitting on Wonder Woman’s barstool...The three of them slow down...Wonder Woman waits for one of them to think of something to say” (Gerkensmeyer 25). Wonder Woman’s mentors cannot say anything, they must wait to see

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if Wonder Woman grows, and she does. Wonder Woman passes the test and gains independence by telling the man to leave.

Gerkensmeyer’s Wonder Woman is well on her way to becoming the bold icon who started it all, she just needs an experience that will reveal her as a hero. According to Vogler, in the next stage of the hero’s journey, “the hero endures the supreme ordeal” (Vogler 5).

The supreme ordeal that Wonder Woman comes face-to-face with is her defining moment where she takes the final steps into her full transformation to a superhero. When Wonder Woman, Jane and Lisa leave the bar they see the man who was sitting in their area once again. “He is bent over on the concrete, kneeling in an empty parking space with his head in his hands. Wonder Woman is the first to see him, and she doesn’t say anything to Lisa or Jane” (Gerkensmeyer 26). Wonder Woman has her first encounter with real pain, and the fact that she doesn’t tell her mentors shows not only her independence, but her rebirth.

In this same stage Vogler writes that, “this is a critical moment in any story, an ordeal in which the hero happens to die and be born again” (Vogler 5). This “death” doesn’t have to be physical. I believe the death of the hero can represent the abandonment of old persona, ideas and ways of thinking, so there can be a rebirth of a new reformed hero; something that happens to Wonder Woman with her recognition of real pain. “Wonder Woman can feel the buzzing sensation start up within her as they stand and watch the bleeding man. Again, Wonder Woman has a guilty, delicious pit in her stomach...”

(Gerkensmeyer 27). The bleeding man is a parallel to Steve Trevor and his rescue by Wonder Woman, Gerkensmeyer’s Wonder Woman is radiating female strength by rescuing a man. Wonder Woman “...senses her friends watching her in disbelief...and she doesn’t care what they think” (Gerkensmeyer 27). She no longer needs her mentors, they stay in the background to allow her to learn on her own. According to Vogler, “The mentor can only go so far with the hero. Eventually the hero must face the unknown by himself” (Vogler 4).

Wonder Woman continues to transform as she helps the man without flinching, as the golden light becomes more real and thick. When Wonder Woman helps the man he

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keeps telling her that he is “no one,” and she “...knows that what he said is true, that she brought this truth out of him, and she is not frightened” (Gerkensmeyer 28). This golden light represents the original golden lasso of the 40s in its original purpose: to get the truth.

Even though the man is “no one” Wonder Woman with her compassion and love continues to help him.

Through Wonder Woman’s selfless and brave aid of the bleeding man, she goes onto the hero’s stage of “resurrection,” as Vogler explains, “the hero emerges from the special world, transformed by his experience” (Vogler 7). Wonder Woman finally emerges as superhero who beautifully embodies the 1940s symbol that Wonder Woman was always supposed to be: a bold symbol of female strength capable of compassion, love and peace who is able to recognize people’s real pain and help them without fear.

The final stage of the hero’s journey is when the hero returns with the “elixir.”

Vogler explains that, the hero brings “... back the elixir, treasure, or some lesson from the special world. Sometimes it’s just knowledge or experience...” (Vogler 7). I believe Wonder Woman’s “elixir” is an experience. Her experience in the “alien” world allows her to transform into the superhero she was always destined to be. Wonder Woman encounters the final stage when she drives away from the “alien” world, back to her ordinary world.

“Wonder Woman drives home that night. Both Lisa and Jane sit in the backseat” (Gerkensmeyer 28). Wonder Woman’s journey is over; she has transformed into a strong, independent woman naturally able to help someone in need, and Lisa and Jane have finished their contribution to her transformation. The absence of a passenger is extremely important. Wonder Woman no longer needs a helper, mentor or even a companion: she is strong and independent, returning to her ordinary world aware of what real pain and suffering is. “Wonder Woman Grew Up In Nebraska” gives Wonder Woman a fresh new start by allowing her to go on a hero’s journey where she ultimately emerges as the 1940s bold, compassionate, independent female icon she was meant to be.

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Works Cited Emad, Mitra C. “Reading Wonder Woman’s Body: Mythologies of Gender and Nation.”

The Journal of Popular Culture (2006). N.pag Academic One File. Web. 22 April.

2013.

Gerkensmeyer, Sarah. Wonder Woman Grew Up In Nebraska. N.d.

Vogel, Christopher. A Practical Guide to The Hero With A Thousand Faces.

Vol. 1. N.p.: Pantheon, 1949. Print.

Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines. Dir. Kristy GuevaraFlanagan. Vaqurea Films, 2012. PBS Video. Web. 16 April. 2013.

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Lost in Translation: Mis Versos By: Taylor Biggs, Class of 2016, Dolan School of Business, Major Undeclared For their midterm writing project, students in my EN 12 course received several assignment options, one of which was to choose a question or context relevant to a work of literature we had read so far, and to write an inquiry essay exploring various aspects of that question or context. Student Taylor Biggs chose Rhina Espaillat’s “Bilingual/Bilingüe” among many poems, short stories, and essays we had read because she wanted to understand the broader intellectual and social context that the poem encourages us to consider. Here, she challenges herself to engage seriously with multiple texts and contexts, and demonstrates how literature can inform public discourse and debate. She uses the poem as part of her inquiry and argument and as a prompt for her own developing thinking on racism, bilinguality, and the powerful social consequences of the language we use. In her exploration, she also attempts to move across various disciplines that will help her understand both the poem and its wider context.

—Professor Ioanna Opidee Bilingual/Bilingüe by Rhina Espaillat

My father liked them separate, one there, one here (allá y aquí), as if aware that words might cut in two his daughter’s heart (el corazón) and lock the alien part to what he was—his memory, his name (su nombre)—with a key he could not claim.

“English outside this door, Spanish inside,” he said, “y basta.” But who can divide the world, the word (mundo y palabra) from any child? I knew how to be dumb and stubborn (testaruda); late, in bed, I hoarded secret syllables I read until my tongue (mi lengua) learned to run where his stumbled. And still the heart was one.

I like to think he knew that, even when, proud (orgulloso) of his daughter’s pen, he stood outside mis versos, half in fear of words he loved but wanted not to hear.

J

uly 4, 1776. The day America acquired our freedom. Liberated and independent from Great Britain. For more than two hundred years, the United States has thrived as a successful nation. America has overcome many battles throughout the years, including

the Great Depression and September 11th, but immigration has been a major theme since the late 1800s. Many immigrants from around the world want to come to America to find work and an equal opportunity. According to “The Demographic Foundations of the Latino Population,” published by the National Research Council on Hispanics in the United States, Hispanic and Latino immigration has increased since the 1970s. As the 2010 US

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Census explains, 16.3% of the United States’ population is Hispanic or Latino, which translates to 50,477,594 people. From the years 2000 to 2010, the Hispanic and Latino population rose by 3.8%. Many Americans who take notice of this demographic tend to overreact, with the idea that “they are taking over our country.” From this thought stems anger and sometimes racism.

Nick Valencia is a third-generation Mexican-American who grew up in Los Angeles.

Living in Atlanta, Georgia and actively involved in the Latino community, he often heard derogatory phrases such as “Go Home! Why don’t you go back home to Mexico before you ruin this country like you ruined your own!” The ironic part was that Atlanta, Georgia was his home; Valencia grew up in America and was a legal United States citizen. According to the fourteenth amendment, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” If this is stated clearly in the Constitution why did that person feel the need to say such racist comments to Valencia? Did they feel it was because he did not look like a typical “blonde-haired, blue-eyed” American? That prejudiced person had no right to judge him on his appearance and assume he was from Mexico, when he was in fact born and raised in America. In his CNN opinion editorial, “My Encounter with Anti-Latino Racism,” Valencia states, “In news stories, in political discourse, on talk radio, in everyday conversation it seems it has become okay to treat Latinos in a negative and antagonistic way – whether they are new immigrants or longtime Americans” (CNN.com). It is unfortunate that some Americans feel as if they are allowed to “hate” on Latinos. Many United States citizens feel it is okay to discriminate against Latinos because of the common misconception that they came to America illegally.

Various laws have been passed to reduce immigration, but inevitably immigrants, find a way to come to the United States with hopes of creating a better way of life for their families. Hispanics and Latinos have vibrant and dynamic cultures, languages, and traditions, so Americans need to welcome our neighbors, rather than being resistant to immigration.

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Americans need to be open to different ways of life, and respect what they can contribute to our prosperous nation.

Here in America when you turn one corner you see a Starbucks, and as you turn a different corner you see another Starbucks, a chain coffee shop since 1971. Notice how I emphasize the word chain. In America, we do not always focus much on history or tradition, because we have adapted into a modern and developed nation, which has either re-built or knocked down many of our historic sites and structures and covered them with chain restaurants and stores. In contrast, Latinos often want to keep tradition alive and remember where they came from. According to writer Ruben Navarrette, “Mexico City serves as a constant reminder that Mexicans are about maintaining tradition. Turn a corner, and you’ll see a church that is 300 years old” (CNN.com). Many traditions such as Cinco de Mayo and authentic Mexican foods have even become a part of American culture as a result of immigration.

United States citizens have found some ways to work towards eliminating racism and discrimination toward Hispanics and Latinos, and respect what they contribute. In Kathryn Bold’s news article “Friends of the Culture...,” Genevieve Southgate describes The Amigas de la Cultura, a group created by three teachers from Orange County in 1996, who ultimately brought awareness and Hispanic enlightenment to the junior high school in which they taught. Southgate says, “The Amigas de la Cultura do a good job with their vast collection of artifacts and knowledge. They present a beautiful, positive image of the Mexican culture” (LosAngelesTimes.com). All around the country efforts are being made similar to the teachers from Orange County, to bring Hispanic and Latinos together to celebrate their unique and beautiful culture.

These cultures are still often divided by language. In Rhina P. Espaillat’s poem “Bilingual/Bilingüe,” the speaker tries to separate the English and the Spanish languages by enclosing the spanish words in parenthesis. The speaker in Espaillat’s poem may be scared to mix the languages because, growing up, “her father liked them separate, one there,/one

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here (allá y aquí)” (lines 1-2). This is a common theme even today when a fluent English speaker attempts to converse with a native Hispanic or Latino. It is often hard to communicate with someone who does not speak or understand English. Although Espaillat does understand English, it seems she is mixing the grammar to demonstrate this reoccurring theme of conflict through language.

In Motoko Rich’s New York Times article, “For Young Latino Readers, an Image is Missing,” Susan Pimentel, one of the lead writers of the new national Common Core standards for English language and literacy, explains, “Latino children who speak Spanish at home and arrive at school with little exposure to books in English face particular challenges.” They are not familiar communicating with other English-speaking students and the different subjects that are being taught (in English). What does this mean for America’s future? Communication among our entire society is key to remaining successful and united.

While it will be difficult to grasp the English language if children are not learning it at a young age, because of the flourishing Hispanic and Latino population, the Spanish language will continue to emerge as an important component of the American culture.

In “Bilingual/Bilingüe” Espaillat writes, “English outside this door, Spanish inside,/he said, “y basta” (7-8). This implies that her father did not want to mix the two languages. He wanted to keep the traditional Spanish inside the house so his family could remember the Latino culture that has surrounded them their entire lives. In a sense, Espaillat’s father was scared of the English language and did not want his own daughter to become a part of the unknown American culture. Espaillat writes, “He stood outside mis versos, half in fear of words he loved but wanted not to hear” (17-18).In a way, Espaillat’s father is being lured into the English language, because it has engulfed his everyday life.

Espaillat, on the other hand, writes each stanza with a phrase in Spanish which is enclosed in parentheses, expect for “mis versos,” which stands alone and translates to “my verses” in English. The enclosed words are an attempt by Espaillat to not forget the language; in the last stanza the Spanish word is not enclosed, which suggests that it was

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natural for her to write in Spanish and that her father’s native language will always be a significant part of her life. It could also exhibit her decision to mix both of the languages regardless of what her father thought, or that Espaillat is not really sure of what to do. She is playing a constant battle with herself not knowing what to do, rather than doing what her heart is telling her. By intermixing both the English and Spanish language, the reader can see the contrast and struggle she faced and sometimes still faces.

Some are embarrassed or afraid, while others are proud to show their true Hispanic or Latino cultures. Regardless, whether a person is Hispanic, African or Caucasian, no race should feel as if they have to hide their true identity. The brilliant writer H.G. Wells once said, “Our true nationality is mankind.” So that leaves a question. Why are we discriminating against Hispanics and Latinos instead of embracing the language and culture that they have to offer?

Works Cited Bold, Kathryn. “Friends of the Culture.” Los Angeles Times. Oct. 1996. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

Durand J, Telles E, Flashman J. “The Demographic Foundations of the Latino Population.”

National Research Council (US) Panel on Hispanics in the United States; Tienda M, Mitchell F, editors. Hispanics and the Future of America. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2006. 3.

Espaillat, Rhina P. “Bilingual/Bilingüe.” The Poetry Foundation. N.p., 1988. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

United States. Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2011.

Jr., Ruben Navarrette. “In Mexico, Racism Hides in Plain View.” Editorial. CNN. Cable News Network, 20 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

Motoko, Rich. “For Young Latino Readers, An Image Is Missing.” The New York Times.

The New York Times, 05 Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

Valencia, Nick. “My Encounter with Anti-Latino Racism.” Editorial. CNN. Cable News Network, 03 Nov. 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2013.

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An Analysis of Prose: “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell and “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace By: Gabrielle Selino, Class of 2016, Nursing Major Gabrielle Selino’s essay, written in Professor Lisa Breunig’s EN 12 class, was selected as the winning work among a record-setting number of submissions to the 2012-2013 Eloquentia Perfecta Core Writing Awards. Her piece brings George Orwell’s classic work, “Politics and the English Language” into conversation with the more contemporary “Consider the Lobster,” an acclaimed essay composed by the late David Foster Wallace. Gabrielle’s work demonstrates a genuine, thoughtful process of inquiry, one that puts into practice what it advocates—writing that doesn’t try to make its readers think a certain way, but rather to “consider a certain way.”

“Our civilization is decadent and our language—so that argument runs— must inevitably share in the general collapse.”

–George Orwell, “Politics and the English Language”

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n “Politics and the English Language” George Orwell credits the decline of language to bad prose. The endless list of faults no writer should make include dead metaphors, lack of precision, prefabricated phrases, insincerity, humbug, and

barbarous content. “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace is guilty of all charges.

He doesn’t write with concision, his own thoughts and stances are jumbled and unclear, and he uses barbarous imagery and a mass of Latin words to drive his vague point across. It is because of this inherent complexity that Wallace’s piece appeals to so many readers, however, and why it was so effective in getting a message across. He uses his trademark footnotes, curious tone, and witty manner to unexpectedly capture and touch the reader with a provocative, modest, and luminous account of the ethics of boiling a lobster alive.

Wallace writes with a true human spirit: messy thoughts, a longing to understand, and just trying to figure out what this is all really about as we wander along in life. He doesn’t claim to have the answers and why should he? He’s simply a human being.

The title speaks for itself. “Consider the Lobster.” This could even be considered the thesis of the essay. This is what he wants from his readers, not to make them think a certain way but only to consider a certain way. Consider the issue at hand. This seems to be the most effective approach to a persuasive piece of writing. The average reader is much more likely to listen to someone who is moderate in his or her thinking. Does anyone really admire the

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activists of PETA or the Christian Coalition of America or any other extremist organizations? When they preach, does the audience really listen? Most people are not radical thinkers, so they don’t end up listening. Better yet, what do readers think when Orwell expounds on the importance of writing clearly and accurately? In Orwell’s words, “[The English language] becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts” (528). What does that militant sentence communicate to a reader? Wallace is a writer who has more in common with his readers, so it is much easier to take what he is saying and really consider.

He states, “I’m not trying to give you a PETA-like screed here—at least I don’t think so” (Wallace 847). Through his writing, he is admitting he is simply human, not a super-being, and in a society filled with pretentious personalities, there’s something admirable about that.

Orwell would say that Wallace goes overboard with the footnotes. He’d declare that adding all of these meaningless words means that Wallace “either has a meaning and cannot express it, or he inadvertently says something else, or he is almost indifferent as to whether his words mean anything or not” (Orwell 529). However, they really add a personal touch to his essay. Through these wandering tangents the reader comes across a lot of meaningless information and random anecdotes, yet they are exposed to the author’s personality and from this one piece, it seems he has a peculiar mind worth exploring. In footnote 12, Wallace recounts his ride with Dick, “(their) florid and extremely gregarious rental-car liaison….” “…I now know more about this man than I do about some members of my own family” (846). The footnotes may not add to the persuasiveness of the writing piece, but they definitely add to the character of the piece and character is what gets to the heart.

Orwell includes six rules for writing good prose, the sixth of which is, “Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous” (537). A statement like that communicates that this is a person who, when it comes to his writing, loves to color in the lines, absolutely hates gray areas and only accepts things as black or white, and strives to

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avoid complications at all times. That just isn’t realistic, and it’s not life. Wallace states right off the bat that the topic of his essay—animal cruelty— “is not just complex, it’s also uncomfortable” (847). In fact, he proceeds to describe, in quite a barbarous manner, the gruesome process of the boiling of the living lobster: “Even if you cover the kettle and turn away, you can usually hear the cover rattling and clanking as the lobster tries to push it off.

Or the creature’s claws scraping the sides of the kettle as it thrashes around” (Wallace 848).

Orwell would be absolutely appalled because he doesn’t like messy areas, but this is a messy situation and life is messy, so one can only hope those content with living in their happy-golucky bubble will come to terms with reality sooner or later as Wallace has.

Orwell believed that ambiguous and meaningless words were parallel to political prose because, “Political language…is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidarity to pure wind” (537). Although David Foster Wallace possesses most of the bad habits Orwell expresses in his essay, his motives seem pure and genuine, not to be mixed up with those of political writers. His words are vague and scattered, not because he is trying to conceal his audience from the truth, but because he is learning and figuring out his feelings and position as he writes for his audience.

Orwell believes that less is more, and it is essential to cut out any words, sentences, paragraphs, and ideas that don’t contribute to the objective of the essay. Although concision is very important, the human mind does not think in clear, black-and-white thoughts, so why should an author write that way? Why should David Foster Wallace come up with a clear stance on the lobster issue, edit out all of the footnotes that allow him to communicate with the reader on a personal level and write simple sentences that the human brain can easily follow step-by-step? He shouldn’t and he realizes that. That is what is so extraordinary about this essay. The editors of “Gourmet” magazine even seemed to approve of and appreciate the essay (considering they published it) and isn’t that saying a lot? Would George Orwell appreciate it?

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Works Cited Orwell, George. “Politics and the English Language.” The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings. Eds. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003. 528-37. Print.

Wallace, David Foster. “Consider the Lobster.” The Writer’s Presence: A Pool of Readings. Eds. Donald McQuade and Robert Atwan. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003. 839-54. Print.

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Teaching to Inspire By: Joseph Villarosa, Class of 2016, College of Arts and Sciences, Major Undeclared Joseph Villarosa’s critical essay, written in EN 11, was based on Frank McCourt’s 2005 memoir about his 30 years of teaching in and around New York City. The assignment was as follows: The United States is a multicultural society, and New York City is the most culturally diverse city in the world. These cultures interact in various ways, some positive and some negative. The goal of multiculturalism is acceptance of our country’s cultural differences (racial, ethnic, national, religious, or linguistic). With this in mind, address the following questions: Is Frank McCourt effective in teaching his multicultural students? If so, where, when, and how? Provide evidence for your thesis with examples and quotes from the text.

Joseph’s close reading of the text results in a deep understanding of McCourt’s effectiveness as a teacher of multicultural students. He supports his clearly defined thesis with concrete examples and well-chosen quotes. This is combined with his perceptive observations of McCourt’s often unusual methods of teaching and engaging his diverse students. Along with the quality of his writing, Joseph’s essay demonstrates his comprehension of a complex issue. —Professor Marion White

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rank McCourt brought his many students to new levels of thinking and goal planning throughout his 27-year teaching career. These experiences are highlighted in his 2005 memoir, Teacher Man. Working his way up from McKee

Vocational High School in Staten Island to the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, McCourt taught students of diverse origins in New York City during the late 20th century. He used unique methods of learning that intrigued and inspired them. Once a poor Irish immigrant, McCourt’s ability to relate to his disadvantaged students encouraged them to achieve more. Through methods that balanced thinking and understanding, McCourt proved to be an effective teacher of multicultural students. This is illustrated through several of his personal encounters with them.

An outstanding example of McCourt’s success comes from his beginnings as a teacher at McKee Vocational High School. Here, he teaches a group of young adults that are not planning to go to college. One day, he uses the idea of excuse notes as a writing exercise. They become engaged in this assignment and produce good results. McCourt writes, “Here was American high school writing at its best – raw, real, urgent, lucid, brief, lying . . . The bell rang, and for the first time in my three and a half years of teaching, I saw high school students so immersed they had to be urged out of the room by friends hungry

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for lunch” (85-7). McCourt truly connects to his students by presenting them with familiar concepts. This tactic not only fosters the students’ thinking and understanding but is a different kind of assignment that the students enjoy. The exercise, although simple, is effective because it gets his students to break away from the stereotype of a typical vocational school student in Staten Island at that time and understand their life differences.

In the years that follow, McCourt moves to New York Community College for a year. His students are minority adults with busy work schedules attending school at night. A pivotal aspect of the class was a required research paper. These students had never learned how to write a research paper and as a result, the final products are loaded with plagiarism.

Despite this, McCourt gives them positive feedback although the assessments were flawed.

As his student Vivian comments, “Thanks for the grade, Mr. McCourt. That’s the highest I ever got in English, you know, you’re a pretty good teacher” (120). His grading method instilled confidence in the minds of his students. Nothing was ever expected of these students throughout their academic careers. Many young people within their Hispanic and African-American cultures were expected to work a job rather than go to school. This carries over into McCourt’s class until his grade adjustments create a sense of determination in these students, yielding positive life perceptions for them. McCourt’s comprehensive discernment of his multicultural students is an achievement because he was able to give them something they never had and included instead of separating them.

The story of Serena at Seward Park High School shows how McCourt progressed in the teaching of multicultural students. At Seward, he teaches a class that includes 29 African-American girls and two Puerto Rican boys. McCourt decides to take them to a movie and a production of Hamlet. Serena is his most outspoken student. She’s also had a hard life with various family problems. These situations forced her to move away, and as her fellow student Maria declares in a letter from her, “Mr. McCourt, she said she gonna finish high school and go to college and teach little kids” (146). Serena had never been exposed to such a caring and involved teacher; Thus, McCourt’s methods open new doors for her. This

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sense of hope and determination is the form of success that comes to McCourt. He was able to grasp the attention and understanding of his multicultural students, especially Serena, and leave them with a feeling of change and drive.

Toward the end of his career, McCourt is presented with the opportunity to teach at the elite and highly selective Stuyvesant High School. Here, he finds himself teaching the children of first and second generation immigrants. Through sessions of creative writing, McCourt drives his students to open up their feelings and experiences. A specific example that embodies his success as a teacher involves a student named Phyllis. She describes her father’s death during the historical moment Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon.

McCourt, heart wrenched by this story, consoles her. As he says, “I thought, this isn’t earthshaking, this touch on the cheek, but I’ll never forget it: Phyllis, her dead father, Armstrong on the moon” (244). This shows that McCourt has a heart and is sensitive toward his students. McCourt’s students are all at different places in life, and his writing exercises allow them to express their true emotions and stances. The entire practice of reflective writing permits McCourt to relate to his students on not just an academic level, but a personal and emotional level. Thus, he is effective as a teacher of multicultural students with diverse lives.

Frank McCourt grew to become a successful figure by influencing his students to reach new limits. This was achieved through unique methods of teaching that involved the thinking, understanding, and application of diversity. The connections that link the experiences between McCourt and his students truly explain how he taught to inspire them.

Teacher Man serves as a demonstration of his memory and impact as a teacher. His example provides guidance for teachers present and future.

Works Cited McCourt, Frank. Teacher Man. New York: Scribner, 2005. Print.

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On Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” By: Megan DiBello, Class of 2016, English Major The dramatic monologue is one of the least appreciated and most neglected poetic forms today. Yet in the hands of a master like Robert Browning, it can have extraordinary power.

In his assignment, Professor Michael Sweeney asked students to write an analytical essay on one of four dramatic monologues the class read that they believe “provides the most compelling dramatic portrait of the human psyche.” Megan DiBello makes a strong case for “My Last Duchess,” giving a close and perceptive reading of the poem and delving deep into the twisted mind and dark motives of its speaker, the murderous Duke. In her writing, Miss DiBello reveals, in Professor Sweeney’s words, “an uncanny ability for coming up with the most apt diction, most mature clauses and sentences, most integrated and organic reflections and analyses.”

If it is the goal of a good literary analytical essay to compel the reader to turn to the original text, then Miss DiBello has succeeded admirably. No sooner had I finished her essay than I rushed to the Internet to find the poem, read online with dramatic flair by poet Richard Howard. Bravo, Howard!

Bravo, Browning! Bravo, DiBello!

— Professor Steven Otfinoski

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ramatic monologues offer powerful glances into complex human emotions, motives, and behaviors. Through poetics, these monologues delve into specific situations to expose the often disturbing inner workings of human nature. As

scholar Joshua Adler said, “… a whole human life can be distilled into that short expression.”

Dramatic monologues leave immense and lasting impacts on their readers through their authenticity and psychological credibility. In this way, they are able to expose the troubling realities that exist in mankind.

Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess” is one dramatic monologue that is especially authentic, psychologically credible, and greatly troubling. Browning “… was an absolute master of concentrated dramatic poems in which characters in very limited circumstances reveal something very important about themselves … His genius, however, was most vividly brought out in the dramatic monologue …” in which he manages to tell a complete story (Adler 172). This is exactly what he is able to do in “My Last Duchess.” In this monologue, a duke’s horrifying characteristics and behavior are exposed to the reader as he speaks of his last duchess, who he suspected of being unfaithful.

In “My Last Duchess,” the Duke is speaking to a worker for the Count, while giving him a tour of his art collection. It seems as though they are trying to arrange a marriage proposal between the Duke and the Count’s daughter. This is indicated through the use of

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the word “dowry,” which is payment to a man from a woman’s family when they marry.

However, as the poem progresses, a very different story is unfolded to the reader and the Count’s worker. This is the story of the Duke’s last wife. The Duke is subtle in his implications, but says just enough for the reader to understand what happened to the Duchess. At the same time, by the Duke divulging what he does about his last Duchess, he also reveals much about himself and his own characteristics. This shows a very dark and dangerous side of the Duke. The nature of both his actions and his personality leave the reader uneasy. Through his exposure of the Duke, Browning also provides a disturbing reality of the human psyche as a whole.

The poem begins with the Duke revealing to the Count’s worker a portrait of his last Duchess painted on the wall, which he describes as her “Looking as if she were alive” (Browning 2). The Duke explains that it was painted by a man named Fra Pandolf and that the Duchess seemed too joyful and courteous towards him. Although the Duke hints at his jealously during this first part of the monologue, he still comes across as relaxed and controlled. However, as he continues to speak of his last Duchess, describing her as “too soon made glad, /too easily impressed,” the reader can detect an increasing rage within the Duke (Browning 22-3). He complains that it was not just Pandolf that she was sweet to, but rather everyone she came in contact with. She was always smiling and in a good mood. The Duke was outraged because his Duchess was just as thankful to a servant as she was to him.

He expresses this outrage by saying, “but thanked/somehow – I know not how – as if she ranked/My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name/With anybody’s gift” (Browning 31-4). The Duke’s anger becomes increasingly apparent as he goes into more detail about the actions of his Duchess. It is clear that the Duke has insecurities about his wife’s faithfulness, partly due to an apparently large age gap between the two. The Duchess comes across as young and innocent, possibly only a teenager, whereas the Duke is suspected to be in his thirties or forties – an age gap that would be quite possible for this time period. These insecurities seem to serve as the driving force behind his jealousy and accusations of infidelity.

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The Duke reaches a point in his monologue, which seems to be the height of his anger, where he reveals just enough to expose the actions he took to fix the problem: “This grew; I gave commands; /Then all smiles stopped together” (Browning 45-6). He continues to restate as he did in the beginning of the poem, “There she stands/As if alive,” indicating to the reader not just that the Duchess was killed, but, more specifically, that the Duke had her killed (Browning 46-7). It can be inferred that the Duke gave the orders to arrange the Duchess’s death, but did not carry out the deed himself. This could possibly be that murder was not seen as a Duke’s task or that the Duke saw it as another way to exert his control over others, while avoiding getting his own hands dirty. Either way, the Duke felt the need to get rid of his wife to regain his reputation and control, and had the power to get it done.

Another extremely disturbing point in the monologue is the transition from the Duke’s speech about his last Duchess. Immediately after revealing the horrifying fate of his young wife, he begins negotiating the next dowry. It is clear that the Duke has no regret or remorse for what he had done. Rather, it seems as if it is almost a point of pride for him, glorifying the fact that he was able to take back his control. This is particularly emphasized in the last piece of the poem. The Duke ends his monologue by pointing out one last painting to the Count’s worker, saying, “Notice Neptune, though, /Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity, /Which Clause of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!” (Browning 54-6). This painting is symbolic of the Duke’s belief that he was finally able to tame the Duchess. In this case, the Duke compared to Neptune and the Duchess to the rare sea-horse.

The reader must also take notice that the painting of the Duke’s last Duchess is behind a curtain; this fact is revealed in the line “since none puts by /The curtain I have drawn for you, but I” (Browning 9-10). The curtain covering the painting is yet another indication of the Duke’s immensely controlling nature. Since the Duke could not control his Duchess in life, he had her killed and now leaves her portrait behind a curtain so that he is the singular controller of who is able to see her. In this way, the Duke has objectified the Duchess to the level of an object, a piece of art, rather than a human being.

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Ending the monologue in this way also serves as a message the Duke is giving to the Count’s worker. By revealing what he had done to his last wife and why he did it, the Duke is warning the Count’s worker of the type of man he is and the type of wife he is looking for.

After hearing this, the Count’s worker will be able to report back to his master with the exact information of the behavior his daughter should avoid and how she should act when she becomes Duchess. He will also be able to report the danger of disobeying the Duke’s wishes and the actions the Duke is capable of if his wishes are not followed. In this way, the Duke is attempting to ensure that his next Duchess is more to his liking and more submissive than his last Duchess. The motivation behind the Duke’s exposure of the horrible deed he committed shows the reader that he did not reveal it by accident in a fit of rage. Rather, it was as though the Duke planned it all out, almost as if it was a performance, a fact that is greatly troubling because it means the Duke thought the whole thing through very carefully, almost meticulously, and knew exactly what he was doing.

This shift in emotion and character revelation of the Duke throughout the monologue is also expressed through the setup of the poem. Much of its effect is drawn from “… the imaginative resonance of words and images, the placing of the words within the line and the relationship of the sentence-structure to the couplet form in which the poem is written …” (Watson 70). Rhyming couplets are used to show harmony, order, and control; Browning uses this rhyme scheme to show the Duke’s controlling nature. It indicates to the reader that the Duke is deliberate in his actions and is able to maintain his composure for the most part. The use of the couplets makes it clear that he is intent on making sure his message is heard. In this way, Browning also suggests that the actions the Duke took towards his last Duchess were pre-meditated, so that the Duke may be perceived as something of a sociopath.

In addition to rhyming couplets, however, Browning also uses enjambment and dashes within the poem. Enjambment is when no punctuation is used at the end of lines, which forces the reader to follow the speaker’s acceleration and turbulent train of thought.

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Similarly, dashes indicate strong shifts in emotion. Both of these devices are used in progressing number as the poem goes on. Browning does this in order to expose the true emotions of the Duke. Enjambment and dashes emphasize the Duke’s anger towards his last Duchess and jealousy towards the men she smiled at. The combination of the rhyming couplets, enjambment, and dashes create a structure within the poem that indicates how disturbing the actions the Duke took towards getting rid of his last Duchess were. He had anger, insecurity, and jealousy as motives, along with the deliberation and control to make sure it was carried out and done correctly.

The process by which the Duke’s true emotions and incentives are revealed in this poem is “a marvelously subtle one, for to read the poem closely is to become aware of a succession of delicately engineered stages, linking with one another and forming a complete whole…” (Watson 70). The story that unfolds before the reader is one that is artfully crafted by the Duke to reveal just enough for him to get his point across to the Count’s worker to be passed on to his master. It is not a fit of rage in which the Duke loses his control and says a bit too much, but a gradual, perfectly timed speech that builds and builds until it reaches its haunting summation at the end. This monologue grows in complexity as more of the Duke’s disturbing character is revealed. It is a poem that is so authentic and chilling in its disclosure of the Duke’s inner psyche that it leaves a lasting discomfort within the reader. In “My Last Duchess,” Browning does an excellent job of creating a compelling, yet psychologically credible, dramatic portrait of the human mind. He is able to brilliantly delve into the intricate and troubling nature of man to expose raw human emotions, motivations, and behavior.

“My Last Duchess,” like many other dramatic monologues, has remained relevant over the years because the realistic characteristics which it explores are still a significant part of human nature and societies today. Although the sociopathic qualities of the Duke are extreme, contemporary readers are still able to relate to them on two different levels.

First off, there are still people that exist in today’s societies who share these same dangerous

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and disturbing characteristics that the Duke possesses. These people are the criminals of our present, and often violent, society, including terrorists and serial killers.

However, the average person can also relate to the features Browning explores through the character of the Duke. Even though they might not be to the same extent as the Duke, every person has felt insecure and jealous at some point in their life, and every person has been overly controlling in some situations as well. These are natural emotions that do not change or fade away as time and culture change. In addition, if these qualities were allowed to fester in any individual, they would become dangerous. This was exactly what happened with the Duke, because at that time, he was the law and had no restraints on his power. If people today were given that same freedom and authority, and they were feeling similar fears as the Duke was, who is to say they would not carry out similar bloody deeds? As a result, it is quite logical to regard the themes explored in “My Last Duchess” as very relevant to contemporary readers. Although the times change, man’s psyche has not, and these themes remain all too applicable.

Works Cited Adler, Joshua. “Structure and Meaning in Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess.’” Victorian Poetry 15 (1977): 219–27.

Gemette, Elizabeth V. “Browning’s ‘My Last Duchess’: An Untenable Position.” Studies in Browning and His Circle 10 (Spring 1982): 40–5.

Miller, L. M. “’My Last Duchess’: A Studiolo Setting?” Victorian Poetry 23, no. 2 (Summer 1985): 188–93.

Watson, J.R. “Robert Browning: ‘My Last Duchess.’” Critical Survey, Vol. 6, No. ½ (Summer 1973), pp.69-75. Published by Berghahn Books. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41553914.

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On Brooklyn by Colm Toibin By: Danielle Lug, Class of 2016, Nursing Major In my EN 12 course, students were asked to base their inquiry paper on Colin Toibin’s 2009 novel Brooklyn, using it as their primary source and having two additional sources to investigate one of the five topics listed on the handout. As the novel is set in the mid-20th-century, and concerns a young woman’s emigration from Ireland to Brooklyn, New York, the topic suggestions have a historical context.

Danielle Lug chose for a topic: Irish Women Immigrants in the Work Force in New York City in the 1950’s. She found two excellent secondary sources of her own that she integrated smoothly and intelligently into her paper. Aside from her clearly worded thesis and her solid support for it, along with her fluent and coherent writing, perhaps what I most admired about Danielle’s paper was the unmistakable conviction that she brought to her argument. After reading her essay, any misgivings that I might have had about Ellis’s choice to return to Brooklyn and build her life there as Tony’s wife and potential business partner completely vanished. Danielle’s research underscores Toibin’s point that once Eilis became “Americanized,” there was really no going home again. —Professor Marion White

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hen one is opened up to a world of opportunity, it is most advantageous to work hard and prosper. Many immigrants have been faced with this great challenge as they left their home countries to pave a future for themselves in the United States. The novel Brooklyn

by Colm Toibin tells the tale of Irish native Eilis Lacey and her transition from life in Enniscorthy, Ireland, to Brooklyn, New York, in the post-War 1950s. While many Irish people who came to America during the first wave of immigration faced poverty, a lack of job opportunities, and severe racial discrimination and prejudices, Eilis went to the United States to improve her socioeconomic status. However, this did not make the transition any smoother for her. Eilis, a young girl who had never before been separated from her mother, was comfortable with her life in Ireland and content with her weekend job. For Eilis, America would not only be a place where she would have a steady job, but also a place of complete isolation away from the only home she ever knew, separating her from her mother and her sister, Rose. Eilis would have to constantly juggle her two worlds, rural Ireland and urban Brooklyn, and eventually choose the one that fit her best and allowed her to take advantage of the most opportunities available to her.

While a post-War United States boomed with new industries and job opportunities, the economy in Ireland was not as fruitful. Eilis got a job at a shop where she only worked once a week on Sundays. This was meant to go towards the family income to support her

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mother and sister as well. Eilis’s two brothers both lived away from home in England and neither of them had a steady job. Since her father had passed away, it was really up to Eilis and Rose to bring home a paycheck. Even with Eilis’s knowledge of bookkeeping and numbers, there were no better job opportunities available to her in Ireland.

In America, there was a chance for immigrants like Eilis to start a life for themselves.

Many young, female Irish immigrants began working in domestic-type jobs as opposed to factory and hard labor positions other minority groups chose. Lawrence J. McCaffrey, a professor and scholar of Irish American history, writes that, “While women from other ethnic groups scorned domestic service as degrading, the Irish flocked to such jobs, which offered food, shelter, clothing, and a taste of genteel living” (83). For Irish women with more intellect, they entered into the nursing or teaching field. The job opportunities for female immigrants were much broader than they were for men, who usually found themselves working manual labor in some aspect. Even so, Eilis leaves for America heartbroken over leaving her family and worried about the working conditions she will face.

With the help of Father Flood, Eilis’s would start off working for a women’s clothing shop. She would earn her salary and stay in a boarding house with other immigrants from Ireland in similar positions as her own. Father Flood also made it possible for Eilis to be a step ahead of other Irish women immigrants. One day after Eilis had been feeling rather homesick, he tells her, “I got you into the night class in bookkeeping and preliminary accountancy. I told them how brilliant you were. You’re the first Irish girl” (Toibin 80).

Eilis would be taking classes three nights a week, with her tuition and books already paid for. This was an opportunity that was not readily available to immigrant women, especially of her nationality.

Eilis’s schooling and job helped her to economically matriculate into American life.

Eilis was getting a much better education in the United States than she could have in Ireland, and she did not even have to pay for it. She took advantage of this and did very well by studying and working hard. Because she had a better paying job than she did in Ireland,

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Eilis had money to spend on clothing and began dressing more like an urban, working American than a rural Irish girl. With so many daily activities, Eilis did not give herself time to think about how she longed for Ireland and her family, which helped her to stay focused on the task at hand. However, deep down, Eilis had not transitioned ethnically and racially to American life, and was therefore very homesick for the country and the people she left behind.

While alone in her room, Eilis realized even with her job, schooling, and homework, “All that seemed like nothing compared to the picture she had of home, of her own room, the house in Friary Street, the food she had eaten there, the clothes she wore, how quiet everything was” (69). All of these feelings of desolation began to clear away when Eilis met Tony, an easygoing and charismatic man,of Italian heritage. He helped immerse her in not only his culture, by spending time with his family, but also the American culture by taking her to different outings such as a baseball game. He too became a distraction that took her mind off of her beloved Ireland and eventually the two marry.

This mixing of cultures became very significant for all immigrants when coming to the United States. However, studies show that “Generations of ‘pure’ Irish, Italians, Poles, and so on, have admonished their children to marry within the group to preserve it” (Hout 70). This is not only to preserve the culture, but also to expand it against other racial groups.

At this time in the United States, immigrant minority groups were very separated and discriminatory. One account in Brooklyn has Tony’s family discussing when a group of Irish boys beat up Maurice. This shows the severity of racial prejudices at the time. In another regard, marriage between people of different ethnic backgrounds helps to create the melting pot of America. By marrying Tony and living in America, Eilis would be able to use her education and work alongside Tony in his business venture. They would be a team trying to prosper in a growing American economy to live out the American dream. As McCaffrey notes, it was only single Irish women who were able to be in the workforce, and that Irish women who married within their own ethnic group remained in the home caring for their

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families (84). If Eilis married someone of her own ethnic background, her entire education would go to waste because she would be forced to stay at home in the domestic sphere.

After the death of her Sister Rose, Eilis returned to Ireland and remained there with her mother for an extended amount of time and noticed how different her homeland was to her now that she is “Americanized”. Before she came to America, Eilis went unnoticed at home while beautiful Rose was in the spotlight. Now, Eilis is educated, sophisticated, and modern compared to the country girls in Ireland. She is offered a job and has a suitor Jim. Could she really go back to her old life and leave behind the modern girl she has become?

This is the ultimate question Eilis must ask herself—could she be satisfied with life in Ireland now that she has experienced the world of opportunity?

In the end, her love for her country, her family, and Jim does not out weigh the dreams, opportunities, advantages, and success that await her in America. In America, Eilis may not have her family or her country, but she has her future. Her future will incorporate both aspects of herself—the Americanized working woman and the quaint Irish daughter who will use her knowledge and her culture to succeed. While life in Ireland would not be a terrible fate, it would be detrimental to Eilis’s growth as a person. By choosing to return to Brooklyn, Eilis will be faced with challenges, adventure, and greater opportunities than she could never have imagined for herself in Ireland.

Works Cited Hout, Michael, and Joshua R. Goldstein. “How 4.5 Million Irish Immigrants Became 40 Million Irish Americans: Demographic and Subjective Aspects of the Ethnic Composition of White Americans.” American Sociological Review 59.1 (1994): 6482.ProQuest. Web. 18 March 2013.

McCaffrey, Lawrence J., “Irish America.” The Wilson Quarterly. 9.2 (1985): 78-93. JSTOR. Web. 18 March 2013.

Toibin, Colm. Brooklyn. New York: Scribner, 2009. Print.

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Approaching Liberation: Female Irish Immigrants in the 1950s and in Toibin’s Brooklyn By: Ellen Masters, Class of 2016, College of Arts and Sciences, Major Undeclared In my EN 12 course, students were asked to base their inquiry paper on Colin Toibin’s 2009 novel Brooklyn, using it as their primary source and having two additional sources to investigate one of the five topics listed on the handout. As the novel is set in the miid-20th-century, and concerns a young woman’s emigration from Ireland to Brooklyn, New York, the topic suggestions have a historical context.

Ellen Masters chose Irish Women Immigrants in the Work Force in New York City in the 1950s for a topic. Her secondary sources contained interesting information on the rising number of single, Irish female migrations to America, and New York in particular, who were seeking economic survival for themselves and the families they left behind. Ellen establishes that young Irish women gained financial independence at this time, worked at jobs outside the realm of domestic service, and in the process became competent, confident individuals, as did Eilis in Toibin’s novel. What I appreciate in Ellen’s informative essay was showing how immigration and gainful employment contributed to Irish women’s empowerment and self-determination, anticipating the Women’s Movement.

—Professor Marion White

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mmigration has been an important factor throughout history and has helped shape the world in which we live in today. Many different people from various countries have had to leave their beloved families in order to expose themselves to greater

economical opportunities. Over time, many Europeans immigrated to America as well as parts of Great Britain in search of a greater, more prosperous life. This is shown throughout the 2009 novel Brooklyn, by Colm Toibin , as the main character, Eilis, must completely alter her lifestyle in order to contribute to her family’s financial status. The novel takes place in the 1950s as Eilis travels from Ireland to New York City. During this time in society, both men and women were immigrating as opposed to just men only. Female immigrants such as Eilis began joining the work force in America in order to survive economically. With this increased number of female immigrants, women were able to become more liberated and empowered through independently shaping their new lifestyles.

While previously, men emigrated in much larger numbers than women, over time, the ratio of female to male immigrants became much closer as more women began leaving their homeland. For example, from 1871 to 1986, the “net female emigration was 1,511,550” and the “net male emigration was slightly lower at 1,502,535” (King and O’Connor 311). This shows that over a long period of time, the amount of women immigrating actually surpassed

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the amount of men immigrating. However, one may wonder, is the reasoning behind increased female immigration dependent or independent from the men immigrating? In other words, were more women immigrating individually due to their own economic motives, or were more women immigrating simply to follow their husbands as they moved to start new work? After further looking into this question, it seems clear that although many women did choose to follow their husbands, others immigrated solely for themselves.

Just as many women chose to immigrate because they were dissatisfied with Irish society as well.

Many women that chose to go to America did so individually, which also helped build their overall independence. With help and encouragement from others, Eilis chooses to go to America in order to benefit her family. With her brothers living in Liverpool, and her older sister Rose still working at home in Enniscorthy to help take care of their mother, Eilis seems to be the most ideal sibling to go to America. This choice seems to be an unspoken decision among everyone as “it had somehow been tacitly arranged that Eilis would go to America” (Toibin 25). Eilis realizes that it is most realistic for her to go rather than any of her other siblings; however, her skills and education allow her to further demonstrate her eligibility for this. Eilis is also an example of a young woman who immigrates independently as she goes completely alone with hopes of receiving work individually rather than simply following a man. During and after World War II, many more people began immigrating to America rather than Great Britain simply for more opportunities to succeed in life. According to Almeida, the migration wave between 1941 to 1961 was the “largest migration of Irish to the United States since the 1920’s” (23). Many people settled in major cities such as New York City because these settings offered many opportunities for industrial work, which was easier to obtain.

Although many people knew America would offer new opportunities for work, they also knew that they would still be taking a great risk by drastically changing their lifestyle and leaving their families. Eilis faces these difficulties and feels as though she does not

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belong in America, and that “Nothing here was part of her. It was false, empty, she thought” (Toibin 70). Eilis begins to feel out of place in this unfamiliar country and reflects on her emotions frequently. As Almeida states, “to many migrants of the 1950s America was a land of wonder” (27). No one could be sure of how his or her life might turn out after immigrating to America; however, people still chose to take that risk in order to help benefit their families back home in the long run. As America began prospering economically due to the significant increase in immigrants, Ireland began economically declining even more since so many people left the country. According to Almeida, “in the 1950s America was clearly a land of opportunity and great wealth to the Irish who emigrated” (29). As opportunities and wealth began to rise for those immigrating to America, Ireland began to further deteriorate economically and culturally. Almeida states, “Ireland was so culturally isolated from the rest of the world” (29). The lack of interest in staying in Ireland to work was shown as Ireland began to seem less and less appealing compared to America and even Great Britain at the time. Economic disparities were clearly evident as more people became prosperous by immigrating to America rather than staying in Ireland and focusing on the declining businesses in their homeland.

Many women were motivated to leave Ireland for multiple reasons. Aside from following their husbands, many women chose to immigrate “for more strictly economic reasons” (King and O’Connor 316). By moving away from home and starting a new life in a new country, many women felt as though they were freeing themselves from the Irish society. Some women were dissatisfied with the Irish society and the way women were treated. Therefore, by immigrating to America and Great Britain, in addition to becoming financially stable by themselves, these women empowered themselves. Immigrating to America liberated many women and separated them not only from the mistreatment in Irish society but also from being dependent on men for financial needs. As Eilis and her sister Rose write letters to each other, it becomes known that “Eilis would, by the summer, be a qualified bookkeeper and could start to look for experience” (Toibin 176). The fact that

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Eilis works hard and takes her education seriously makes her sister proud and enables Eilis to do much greater things in the future. Rose also replies by saying she imagines that “Eilis must really be looking forward to getting off the shop floor and having a job in an office” (Toibin 176). By being able to achieve these higher goals, Eilis demonstrates the empowerment that female immigrants embodied in the 1950s. Women were able to find jobs, receive paychecks, and control their own finances. Rather than doing “household duties” women were about to do “paid work” (King and O’Connor 318). The transition from doing domestic work to employment allowed women to classify themselves as something other than a housewife. It also distinguished them as individuals with higher roles in society.

Immigration brought a new light to many people’s lives in the 1950s. Both men and women left Ireland in order to go to America and Great Britain. However, this migration wave become much more significant for female immigrants than for male immigrants. Irish women were motivated to immigrate in order to acquire job opportunities as well as gain independence. Women were ultimately liberated through immigration and were able to succeed economically just as well as the men did. The increased number of Irish female immigrants over time compared to Irish male immigrants shows how women were able to benefit from immigration and were essentially able to free themselves economically, socially, and culturally.

Works Cited Almeida, Linda Dowling. Irish Immigrants in New York City: 1945-1995. Bloomington, Indiana, University Press, 2001. Print.

King, Russell and Henrietta O’Connor. “Migration and Gender: Irish Women in Leicester” Geography, Vol. 81, No. 4. (1996): 311-325. Web. 22 March 2013.

Toibin, Colm. Brooklyn. New York City: Scribner, 2009. Print.

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Journal Entries By: Vivian Santos, Class of 2016, Sociology and Anthropology Major In EN11, our class was assigned to read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and write a personal essay reflecting on the quote “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any how.”

Students reflected on the reasons that they worked hard, and what goals propelled them forward. In the following journal entries, student Vivian Santos explores events in her life that changed her perspective, and allowed her to appreciate her life more, just as Frankl changed his perspectives after living through the Holocaust. In the following, Santos explores events in her life that gave her a “why” to live.

Through multigenre journal entries, she captures important sentiments and moments in pre-writing that were later incorporated into her final essay. The honesty and clarity in her writing is an excellent demonstration of the importance of journaling in our development as writers and thinkers.

—Professor Laura Marie Marciano

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veryone tells you that your first year of college is your best year; it’s supposed to be filled with laughs and fun memories. While this may be true, everyone tends to forget how emotionally draining your first year is and how it’s one of the biggest

adjustments you’ll ever have to face. During my first semester, I took Sociology, Calculus, Spanish, and English. I enjoyed my classes for the most part but my favorite class was English. This course allowed me to express how I was feeling and explore how others felt rather than just learning straight facts. Throughout the semester we would write our opinions on what we were being taught, allowing us to share our experiences and have open group discussions. I found that I was able to use entries from my journal as a foundation for many of my essays. This helped me to complete my essays without stress and also gave my papers a more personal standpoint. Both of the following entries are responses to the quote from Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any how.” Here, I explore a difficult experience in my life with a loved one that helped me discover my own “why.”

My love When I was 16 I fell in love, Not that long walks in the park, love It was that need you to need me, love The I’m broken without you, love

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My first boyfriend just died And I need you to pick up the pieces Before I go clinically insane, love

When I was 18 I died Died from a tumor in my boyfriend’s left eye Died from pain because God does not love me While you pick at his brain remember that’s my heart getting cut into Lord I am sorry I used your name in vain, just please save him My life is not your game and I’ll never win Because you have sucked me into this hell on earth Is it because I’m cursed?

I am not asking you to make the pain go away Please just make sure my love is OK.

December 27, 2012 the scariest day of my life That’s my heart on that operating table. That brain that you are poking at is the brain that holds memories of us and how we used to be. The laughs, the tears, every conversation we ever had are stored in there. All those sleepless nights, I stayed up and cried in anticipation of this day. Waking up in tears, in fear that it was just the brain tumor that made you love me. I wish you never get the chance to see what I see because it’s the worst pain to see the one you love in pain. Baby please stay with me. At night I watched you sleep, I know that made you mad but I needed to make sure you were still breathing. In my stomach there’s pain I just hope that I’m dreaming. So when my phone rang and they said you were ok I thought maybe God does love me.

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Introduction and Creative Response to “Tiara” by Mark Doty By: Savannah Cotten, Class of 2016, Sociology and Anthropology Major The following piece was developed in Professor Lisa Breunig’s EN 12 class as part of a final creative portfolio assignment. Here, student Savannah Cotten writes an original poem as part of her reading response to the poem “Tiara,” a published work by poet Mark Doty. She then reflects on the experience of writing the poem in an essay that demonstrates her deliberate, careful process, while thoughtfully linking this assignment to the work she has done throughout the course. While Doty’s poem treats primarily the responses of friends and colleagues to his character Peter’s death, and they are invoking particular images of heaven, in her poem, Savannah attempts to offer a view of heaven from Peter’s perspective.

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henever I read Mark Doty’s poem “Tiara,” I always wonder how people react to the poet’s imagery of heaven. Not often do we hear voices from heaven, admitting that our idea of it is correct, so I thought that it would

be interesting to create a response to Doty’s poem from the point of view of his character Peter, who has recently died.

Tiara by Savannah Cotten

Tiara by Mark Doty

Lying among roses, that for once lacked thorns, I finally felt like royalty.

Peter died in a paper tiara cut from a book of princess paper dolls; he loved royalty, sashes

It all happened so fast, but life doesn’t slow down for anyone.

Especially, the boy in the tiara.

and jewels. I don’t know, he said, when he woke in the hospice, I was watching the Bette Davis film festival

Careless living in the heat of a moment.

A moment where I felt loved.

on Channel 57 and then— At the wake, the tension broke when someone guessed

Those moments do not come often.

Born in a blizzard, I have always searched for a fire.

the casket was closed because he was in there in a big wig and heels, and someone said,

I heard someone say I asked for it.

Sure, I asked for it but who wouldn’t?

You know he’s always late, he probably isn’t here yet— he’s still fixing his makeup.

A place where wild horses roam, Where fingers do not point, but are interlocked.

And someone said he asked for it.

Asked for it— when all he did was go down

Rainbows on blue skies, open doors with a summer’s breeze, a place I can finally call home.

into the salt tide of wanting as much as he wanted, giving himself over so drunk

I see their mascara tears,

or stoned it almost didn’t matter who,

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and it makes me cringe.

No one should let their makeup run.

though they were beautiful, Stampeding into him in the simple,

I’ve never felt more beautiful Than I do today, in my paper tiara.

ravishing music of their hurry.

I think heaven is perfect stasis Poised over the realms of desire, where dreaming and waking men lie on the grass while wet horses roam among them, huge fragments of the music we die into in the body’s paradise.

Sometimes we wake not knowing how we came to lie here, or who has crowned us with these temporary precious stones. And given the world’s perfectly tuned shoulders, the deep hollows blued by longing, given the irreplaceable silk of horses rippling in orchards, fruit thundering and chiming down, given the ordinary marvels of form and gravity, what could he do, what could any of us ever do but ask for it.

Creative Response Reflective Essay The first time I read Mark Doty’s poem “Tiara,” I immediately knew I wanted to incorporate it into my final creative portfolio. Doty’s causal syntax and conversational tone allows readers to feel comfortable venturing into his text. The transition between telling a personal story about his friend, to delivering a message of life that anyone could relate to, displayed Doty’s ability to appeal to all of his readers.

I thought it would be interesting to write a response from Peter’s perspective because as readers, we only were slightly introduced to this character. Doty incorporates a few comments from Peter at the beginning of the poem, so from his description I was able to create an image of Peter. I felt like death was not something Peter became angry over. I believe there was a sense of acceptance and appreciation for being able to move on to the next life where he could live freely.

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I also wanted to hear Peter’s view on heaven. Doty provides beautiful imagery of the life Peter would have in heaven, and I wanted to reinforce his image by giving a description through Peter’s eyes. Heaven is always portrayed as a safe haven, where one can finally exist as his or her true self. That image provides hope and comfort to those struggling in the physical world. I wanted Peter to be at peace. I chose to make Peter feel “at home” because he was finally able to be himself.

Throughout our course, we have learned the formal aspects that make up a piece of literature. Imagery, allusion, and metaphor are just a few of these formal aspects that are rich in Doty’s poem. We also learned about looking at different works through a variety of critical lenses. I wanted to incorporate this approach into a responsive poem that shared a similar theme, but flipped the point of view to send a message that would offer hope for a comfortable life after death.

My poem begins with Peter on his funeral day. The bed of roses without thorns represent the one time he is finally receiving appreciation without judgment. Most of the people at his funeral attend to show their love and support for Peter, not to ridicule him.

Peter’s birth in a blizzard is a metaphor for being born and having to live with the struggles that come along with his sexuality. Peter is always searching for acceptance and love, which ironically leads him to his death. He is not bitter towards his death because he can now exist peacefully in heaven. The rainbows in blue skies represent the beauty that comes after a storm. Rainbows are often a symbol associated with gay pride. I incorporate hot and cold imagery to portray the feelings of welcome and tolerance verses ignorance and hate.

From this assignment, literature is a way to say anything you want to say, however you want to say it. It is a platform for expression and an outlet for creativity. For many, literature is something to confess and confide in. For Doty, it was both these things. It was a way for him to bring up the controversial issue of AIDS in America, make a personal connection, and then offer a message of faith to the people.

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Barriers.

By: Miranda Muscente, Class of 2016, College of Arts and Sciences, Major Undeclared

During the second half of EN 12, I asked students to choose and closely read one full-length literary work from a list of six—two novels, two memoirs, one book of poetry, and one hybrid work of literary nonfiction and poetry. Then, each student was required to engage in a research process, writing an elaborate annotated bibliography and working towards a writing project on an aspect, question, or topic of their choosing, inspired by or in some way connected to the book they read. The project itself could either be a traditional work of literary analysis and criticism, a researched essay inspired by the literature but focused through another lens (such as history or politics), or a “creative” option.

The following piece is a short excerpt from student Miranda Muscente’s final project. She chose to write a memoir from the imagined perspective of one of her relatives. As you’ll read in her prologue, she was inspired by Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir Persepolis. Part of her research included studying the genre of memoir, as well as issues relevant to the immigrant experience. This research, and the writing she did in her annotated bibliography, helped inform her creative work, adding a depth and richness that may not have been otherwise present. The entire work is eloquent, literary, insightful, and inspired, and this is just a taste of it—it has been excerpted and adapted for inclusion in this anthology.

—Professor Ioanna Opidee Prologue:

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fter reading Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, and recalling Night by Elie Wiesel, I was inspired to write a memoir. My life has by no means been as traumatic or historically significant as these authors; however, the stories of many Americans,

including my own relatives, overlap with these memoirs through similarities in themes and experiences, ultimately including escape from political dictation and warfare. Growing up, I have been familiarized with immigration stories, and I have come to realize that many of these stories may or may not even be true. They may appear differently to me as they would to another listener, but for my project, I decided to embark on a creative challenge to present an accumulation of these memories. Although I am a proud citizen, born and raised in the United States, I find it necessary to consider alternatives and therefore, I wrote this in a somewhat biased manner in the perspective of an immigrant. Satrapi said, “I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists” (2).

Satrapi's reason for writing her story was to express an alternate view of Iran, which is typically shown in a negative light. As outsiders, we fail to realize internal issues, and we blindly misunderstand the region in terms of terrorism, oil, and war while neglecting the people who have been exposed to years of war, prejudice, and violence. In my work, I

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wanted to express Satrapi's message differently in an effort to understand her and her nation rather than remain ignorant. By allowing ourselves to understand our misconceptions, we can become more tolerant and notice our similarities rather our differences.

-Circa 1940.

America is cold. Not cold like home; a different kind of cold. It is not red, white and blue; it is icy tones of gray and black. I am unwelcome here. I am a child without a father. I am without religion. I am without familiarity. I am left in the shadows, simply forgotten by the progressing world. They do not stop for me. They do not care where I come from; they care only that I am beneath them. They hear my native tongue and mock me; they do not hear my name. They call me crude names and make fun of my clothes; they never ask why. If only they saw me before. If they saw me in my foreign niche, they would know. If they saw us, they would know we were once better off. They would see the sprawling grass covered meadows I used to run across. They would see the sea port where I saw the ships floating by. They would see the distant mountains over the thatched roofs in my town. They would see more than this. I had a house with a warm fire. I had food to eat and family to visit.

There were women my mother could gossip with, and they had children I would play with. I had so much more. I come from a cold place, but not as cold as America.

Â

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The Tortoise and the Hare: Iron Chef Fairfield By: Melissa Guerin, Class of 2016, College of Arts and Sciences, Major Undeclared with Dong-Tung Van ’16, Christian Hughes ’16, and Pat Downey ‘16 Parody is a difficult genre to pull off. It takes a keen mind and ear. In The Tortoise and the Hare: Iron Chef Fairfield, Melissa Guerin and her three collaborators in my EN12 class, Dong-Tung Van, Christian Hughes, and Pat Downey, succeeded admirably. The assignment, our first major one, was to adapt a fable, fairy tale or folk tale into play form and give it a contemporary setting. Our semester theme was storytelling, and what better way to get them immersed in literature than to have them adapt a traditional story and have some fun with it? It also would give them a chance to get to know one another by working together as a team on a play they would both write and perform for the class.

The results were impressive. We had the story of Cinderella retold in a high school, on a college campus, and on a Hollywood movie set with “Cinderfella” auditioning for the male lead in a new movie. We had Little Red Riding Hood cruising around the hood where she met up with B.I.G. Bad Wolf and Hansel and Gretel kidnapped to work in a candy factory. We had Rumpelstiltskin taking the college entrance exam for a prospective coed who came to regret her scheme. We even had another version of the Tortoise and the Hare, this time competing on an ad campaign for a Madison Avenue firm.

All of these adaptations had their moments, but Tortoise and the Hare: Iron Chef Fairfield was the most memorable and was chosen for an honorable mention in the Core Writing Awards. The play is consistently funny with witty dialogue and an engaging, if familiar, plot. It not only gives a new twist to the old Aesop’s fable, but is also a dead-on parody of television food shows and the play-by-play commentary the Iron Chef borrowed from televised sports events. Even if you’ve never seen Iron Chef in its various permutations, you will still get the point and enjoy the humor. And that’s a tribute to the creative gifts of Melissa and friends. —Professor Steven Otfinoski

The Tortoise and the Hare: Iron Chef Fairfield Character List Host 1 Bob Jones: One of the quirky, overenthusiastic, Iron Chef Fairfield hosts.

Host 2 Charlie Waters: The second quirky, overenthusiastic Iron Chef Fairfield host.

Tortoise: The slow moving, patient turtle who is a contestant on Iron Chef Fairfield.

Hare: The overzealous, face-paced, mile a minute rabbit who competes in Iron Chef Fairfield.

Judge 1 and 2 Narrator

SCENE 1 Tortoise: (phone ringing) Hello? (slowly)

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Host 1: Congratulations! You have been selected to compete in Iron Chef Fairfield!

Tortoise: Great! I’ll be there!! (scene switches to the Hare running on the treadmill) (Phone ringing) Hare: (still running) Speak to me!

Host 2: Congratulations! You have been selected to compete in Iron Chef Fairfield!

Hare: (running on in incline) Nice! I’m in! (puts phone down and walks out the door) SCENE 2 Host 1: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 23rd annual Iron Chef Fairfield! Hi, I’m Bob Jones.

Host 2: And I’m Charlie Waters!

Host 1: Get ready for a night of world class, 5 star-cooking from some of the best chefs around America. In corner number 1 we have Tortoise - a patient cook from the beautiful and wonderful sands of Hawaii. (enter Tortoise very slowly) Host 2: Now doesn’t that sound magical?

Host 1: Oh you bet it does Charlie! On the other side, all the way from the busy streets of Chicago, Hare! (enter the Hare showboating) Host 1: Welcome contestants! You will be judged on three categories: creativity, appearance and taste, but you must incorporate the secret ingredient at least once in your dish. Charlie, why don’t you tell us what that secret ingredient is going to be.

Host 2: Sure thing Bob! The secret ingredient is (lifts cover) TURTLE MEAT! (audience awes)

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Host 1: Oh wow! I love me some turtle meat! (winks and smiles at the camera) Host 2: Me too!

Host 1: Now contestants, you will have just 60 minutes to make one amazing dish using this secret ingredient! Your time starts NOW! (clock begins to count down) SCENE 3 Hare: (picking up the meat) Hey! (pointing at the tortoise) Your family.

(The tortoise reaches in anguish ready to slap the knife out of the Hare’s hand) Tortoise: No! We can’t use that! (looking toward the judges. The clock stops) Host 1: Sorry folks, but it looks like we’re going to have to change the secret ingredient to something else! How about salt?

Host 2: That’s okay, right? (Looks towards the judges and audience’s reaction) (Judges discuss in a soft whisper. They look towards the hosts and nod their heads) Host 1: Salt it is!

Host 2: Contestants get ready! On your mark get set…GO! (the clock begins to count down again) SCENE 4 Host 1: And they’re off!

Host 2: Wow! Look at that Hare run!

Host 1: I remember those good ole days when I could run like that! (both hosts look at each other and chuckle) Host 2: Let’s check in on Tortoise and see how he’s doing! (camera pans to Tortoise) (Host 1 begins touching his ear piece)

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Host 1: It seems that our signal is in slow motion for some reason…

Host 2: (interrupting) No Bob, I think that is just the pace he is going.

(They both give an obnoxious chuckle) Host 1: Well I’ll be! I thought our cameras were having technical difficulties!

Host 2: Folks, there is nothing wrong with your televisions. He is just moving that slow.

(10 minutes pass) Host 1: It looks like the Hare is making Gingered Mousseline of Sea Bass!

Host 2: Wow, try saying that ten times fast! (chuckles into the camera) Host 1: Let’s look at what the Tortoise is making! (camera cuts to the Tortoise walking back with the dishes) Host 2: Is he…still walking to his station?

Host 1: My god, Charlie! I think you’re right!

Host 2: Folks, he has yet to start his dish! I don’t know if he will be able to pull this off! Time is running out fast.

(40 minutes left) Judge 2: Contestants! You have 40 minutes left!

Host 2: Wow time sure does fly when you’re having fun!

Host 1: In the meantime, why don’t we check in with our judges?

Host 2: Great idea, Bob! SCENE 5 Host 1: Judges, what do you think of the competition so far?

Judge 1: I’m really looking forward to the Hare’s dish! I love his use of salt. He’s really showing a strong mastery of the secret ingredient.

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Judge 2: Yes I agree! And his speed is quite impressive!

Judge 1: The Tortoise on the other hand makes me a little weary.

Host 2: And why do you say that?

Judge 1: Well, with the pace he is moving at right now, I just don’t know how he will be able to complete his dish on time.

Host 1: Thank you judges! I guess we’ll have to just wait and see what happens next! Let’s check back in with the contestants!

Hare: (looking over at the Tortoise’s station and seeing that he is nowhere close to being done) So Tortoise, you know this is a timed competition, right?

Tortoise: (blinking slowly and turning head towards Hare) Yes. (Hare quickly dicing carrots while speaking to Tortoise) Hare: Tortoise, you just got your food on your pan. No one knows what you’re making…what are you doing with your life?

Host 2: Oh it’s getting a little steamy in the kitchen!

Tortoise: My dad always said slow and… (being rudely interrupted by the Hare) Hare: Stop it. I don’t have time for this.

(30 minutes left) Host 1: Wow, time really is a tickin’! Iron Chef Fairfield is just about half way through!

(Hare makes his final plate) Hare: Ooooh! Done! I’m taking a nap. (to Tortoise) Hey, wake me when you’re done.

(Exits stage) Host 2: (Bob and Charlie looking at each other) Did the Hare really just leave to take a nap?

Host 1: I think he did Charlie! He really did.

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(The Tortoise all alone now in the kitchen, starts making progress) Host 2: Wow! It looks like the Tortoise is really catching up! Is that a soufflé he is making?

Host 1: I think you’re right! Look at it, golden in the oven!

(Tortoise keeping his steady pace turns to the clock) (The clock counts down to 1 minute left) Host 2: Well, there’s 1 minute left, folks! Looks like the Tortoise is taking his creation out of the oven.

(Tortoise puts the soufflé on his serving plate) Host 1: 10 seconds left.

Host 2: Wait, the Tortoise just forgot the secret ingredient—Salt.

Host 1: It looks like he just remembered—He’s going in for it now.

(The Turtle reaches the soufflé with the salt just in time.) (audience counts down, 5…4…3…2…1) Host 2: Tortoise please step away from your station. Time is up!

Host 1: Hare, wake up! We are now about to start the judging.

SCENE 6 (Contestants present their plates to the judges) Hare: What’s the point? We all know I won.

Host 1: Judges, please take a bite and tell us how it is.

Judge 1: Ew! (Spits the Hare’s dish on the ground.) This is cold.

Judge 2: It’s like ice.

Judge 1: There is way too much salt in this!

Hare: Nooooo! (He cries out and falls to his knees.)

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Judge 2: Let’s try the Tortoise’s soufflé.

(Both judges take a bite. Look up at the heavens and stares at their hands.)

Host 1: Is that a tear running down your faces judges?

Host 2: I think it is.

Judge 1: This…this is marvelous! So warm! So smooth! And your usage of the salt is impeccable.

Judge 2: YES! My goodness this is delicious. You must give me the recipe!

Host 1:Wow! The judges love the dish.

Host 2: I think it is pretty obvious, but let’s let the judges deliberate.

(5 minutes pass while the judges talk about the dishes they’ve just tasted) Host 1: Judges, have you come to a decision?

Judge 2: We have! The new winner of Iron Chef Fairfield is… (drum roll) Tortoise! (audience begins to cheer and the Hare looks down in anguish shaking his head) Host 2: Congratulations Tortoise! It looks like you are the new Iron Chef Fairfield.

Hare: (throwing a temper tantrum) I…I can’t believe it!

Tortoise: (looking towards Hare with a huge smile on his face) I tried telling you all along! It’s just like my father always said, ‘slow and steady wins the race.’

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Eloquentia Perfecta: Writing in the Twenty-First Century A Collaborative Poem I exhort you, then, as I am bound to do for the greater glory of God our Lord, and I beg you by his love and reverence to improve your writing and to conceive some appreciation for it, as well as a desire to edify your brethren and your neighbor by your letters.

St. Ignatius de Loyola Kings and emperors write down their decrees; Students –dear students—write to earn their degrees.

Physicians write to discover the cure; Romance writers? Just for the allure!

Tweeters can easily write with their thumbs; Percussionists communicate best with their drums.

Accountants write to balance the sheets.

Rappers prefer to drop mad beats.

Voters mark their ballots, deciding whom to elect.

At times, we all need to write and reflect.

Philosophers offer deep thoughts for the ages.

Playwrights pen scripts to perform on the stages.

Scorekeepers write to keep track of the game.

Facebookers write for that second of fame.

Historians write to preserve the past.

Journalists have to write very very fast.

Poets write to treasure the word; Comics write to expose the absurd.

Writers writing sip and nibble Babies write, but they just scribble.

On occasion we send letters to people we know, And sometimes-- writing makes friend from foe.

We write, we write, our own styles preferred, And if we are voiceless, we write to be heard.

This collaborative poem was produced by Dr. Gannett’s EN 11: Texts and Contexts class for the National Day on Writing 2012 to celebrate all the ways we use literacy to make knowledge and shape the world.

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