Sound and Fury

This documentary made me mostly furious. It seemed to me that the deaf family members in the documentary took a unilateral view to what community their children could be raised in and ignored the multidimensional life their children could have lived. Having been a child of a biracial, bilingual, foreign family, I was disappointed that this documentary did in no way address how many children in this world adapt very well to two different spheres of life.

I understand that being deaf and speaking are two different experiences, but I also fully understand how adaptable children are. When I was four years old, I barely spoke any French but fluently understood it. After I finished pre-K we moved to France where I fully learned to read, write, and speak French in about nine months. Children's minds work like sponges and adapt like the flu every year. After only two years of living in Paris, I decided I no longer wanted to speak English and excel only in French. I had skipped a grade and only continued to improve. When I moved back to the United States in 2004, my English was deplorable. Again, I adapted and am now one of the top ten students in my class. My entire life I have been thrown from different cultures and languages like a basketball but I still have excelled in my current life. On the contrary, in my humble opinion, without this severe experience in my early life, I would have never been as successful as I am today. 

To this exact point, I would like to comment on the Sound and Fury situation. Heather was obviously a very bright and excited four year old. She could have easily maintained her sign language abilities and learned to speak like I learned English. Although it would obviously be a very different experience, I think it would have occurred. Her family was being completely unreasonable in their fear of having her lose her deaf culture. I'm a proud Guadeloupean, Frenchwoman, and American to this day. I have learned about all my cultures and stand for their values like Heather would have. 

Ultimately, I was kinda right. Mr. Kunkle told us later on that Heather did get the cochlear implant and was quite successful in her life. So, I told Peter and Nita so.

Elevators

The small metal box closes as I hold on to the railing. I implore for the person next to the button panel to press my floor --or just let me out at any level really--. The contraption lifts and my stomach squeezes. At any point this elevator could stop. It could come crashing down. And I honestly can't do anything about it. I hate elevators.
In my short lifetime I have grown to tolerate elevators, but this symbiosis developed gradually after my traumatic experience in Chicago. When I was 10-years-old, my family had decided to visit the beautiful city of Chicago. Having only been minutes within our lavish Mariott hotel, I grew bored of the dull checking in. I then dragged my cousin along with me to perform some mischief; or at the very least have some fun. That's when we found the elevators. Their doors were golden and glimmered like the gates to heaven.
What better way to entertain oneself then with the classic elevator jump? As the floor pushes ones body at extreme speeds, one must wait for the stop. For when that elevator stops, the body's momentum follows that of the elevator: up. If one jumps at the same time, one flies. What better way to have fun!
My cousin and I excitedly walked into the golden box and pressed the button of our choice. Pressing the 5th floor, I gave my cousin, Malika, an excited look. How had my mom let us go by ourselves like this? She had told me I could go wherever as long as I came back soon! One elevator ride would do just the trick.
The doors smoothly closed as Malika and I waited. We felt the pulse of strings and levers pull up our cage and gently yet quickly sensed the vertical motion of our bodies. We waited. We anticipated. We timed. And we jumped! What a rush. The gold doors opened again for us and we walked out, visited the floor, and giggled back to the elevator doors. But this time, an eerie sign appeared at our arrival: Wet Floors. Malika, not being able to read English (she was from France), saw this as a warning.
"Should we go?" she asked.
"Malika, it means wet floors! It's fine," I confidently responded.
But I felt it too. That feeling of premonition. But we walked in.

The elevator went down with ease. I looked at Malika smugly. It wasn't until the doors didn't open that I looked away from her. Malika looked at me. Tears formed in her eyes. She was panicking asking me what to do. She was 3 years older than me, but I was the only one who spoke English. The venomous elevator floor buttons all read numbers except for one blood red circle; emergency call. I pressed it. My voice stayed firm as a lady picked up on the other line. Malika cried in the corner as I spoke. We heard men calling our voices asking if we were ok. The room was tiny and my mind congested. Responding ok, we waited for them to fix it. I held Malika. I waited. I closed off my emotions like the doors of the elevator. When the doors opened, fresh air breezed by and my youthfulness came back --the adult ability of making decisions was suffocating me--. My emotions burst and I realized my fear.
I feared being trapped, I feared being alone, I feared being an adult, I feared emotional distress, I feared death.
My mom, having found us after hours, came up to me asking, "where were you?!"
I said one thing, "I hate elevators," and burst out crying.  

Blurred Lines? Or Quiet Clear?

Through the reading of both articles "Blurred Lines" Is Cocky. Yes. But Rapey? No. and ‘Blurred Lines,’ Robin Thicke’s Summer Anthem, Is Kind of Rapey, I was able to form an opinion from two radically polar articles--so I think I'll be taking the middle route--. I have many internal issues discussing about the song "Blurred Lines". It seems to me that the lyrics and music video doesn't imply rape, but that the depiction of women within the video definitely makes me uncomfortable.

I'll start by just saying the NSFW version of this video is TOTALLY UNNECESSARY! Don't get me wrong, I don't think nudity in visual art form is something to be preached against or vetoed from our society, but this form of nudity honestly just makes me completely uncomfortable. For one, why are the men fully clothed? In Trycia Romano's article she states, "Thicke has insisted, a bit guilelessly, that by having the women naked, he was pushing the boundaries." But is Thicke really pushing the boundaries? In today's society, we have innumerable amounts of women being depicted as objects and half naked. Words stating that women are just looking for rich boys, that we're bitches, and such. So in that sense, the nudity isn't very much different for it still shows women as being manipulated within public view. 

Want to know what would have been "pushing the boundaries" Robin? If you were a half naked in a music video with a skin tight banana hammock on for your bottoms. The ladies would love it! But all of a sudden, putting women on an equal level ground with men is pushing it too far. For me, consent is having both players being on the same level --whether that consists of both saying "Yes" or "lets get naked", that's up to the players--. Thus, for me to feel more comfortable about the whole "Blurred Lines" video, the men should be as naked as the women. 

Although the music video was kind of offensive, I don't think the lyrics of the song should be seen as "rapey". I thoroughly agree with Jennifer Lai's interpretation; '"Someone who says "I know you want it" is probably overly cocky and presumptuous as hell by assuming you/she wants “it,” but nothing about "I know you want it"'. The lyrics seem to me more like a group of cocky, self absorbed men thinking they have a chance with this girl than men who intend to rape someone. The "Blurred Lines" title aspect reflects that the girl isn't sure whether to let loose or stay in her self possessed state. 

Overall, I don't think Robin Thicke was trying to have people think he was okaying rape. I think, like Jennifer Lai stated, "Blurred Lines" is a publicity stunt to get people's attention. And if you think about it, he's done a pretty good job. 

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- My Non-Fiction Novel

Do you know what you eat? Do you realize what your food does to you? In Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she discusses her unique one year nutritional journey in the southern Appalachians. Her entire family and she decided to take a bold step in food consciousness by only eating local food for a year. This eye-opening book reveals the plight of food companies and the benefits of eating locally. The genetic modification forced onto fruits, vegetables, and meats to survive long travels is a source of nutritional deficit. In several parts of her book, Barbara Kingsolver implies the taste superiority in local foods and the benefits they bring to our environment. Overall, this was an eye opening non-fiction read that truly informed me on the United States' food corporations.

Barbara Kingsolver's novel was very uniquely written. Throughout her book she presented small articles on relevant nutritional facts or local food producers contacts. With every point she made, Kingsolver would use "How to Find a Farmer" and "The Price of Life" by Steven L. Hopp to enforce her point and inform the reader. In addition, Kingsolver included in each chapter at least one article written by her own daughter, Camille Kingsolver. Each anecdote related to the month or subject at hand rendering the book into a beautiful whole.

Each chapter represented a month with its beautiful difficulties and rewards. Times such as March presented challenges with the beginning of the harvest; only a meager handful of green onions and meats were attainable. In the August chapter, the tomato and squash plight occurred. Kingsolver would spend days chopping, cooking, and canning these vegetables to use over the winter. Each chapter had its own personality and provided a unique piece of information.

Overall, this book did a great job at presenting information. The author took care in using her own personal experiences to expose and teach the reader. For example, Kingsolver explained explicitly the details of grocery store foods. All year, California sends millions of pounds of fruits and vegetables all over the United States. This provides U.S. citizens vegetables that are normally out of season onto the food provider shelves. In the middle of winter when no tomato sprout would dare speak its name, you will find ripe and shiny red tomatoes in your grocery store. Unless you live in California, this fruit was shipped to you from thousands of miles away --and if you didn't know, tomatoes aren't in season in December--. This all-year-round process consumes a lot of energy. By buying these shipped goods, you consume gallons of petroleum. Over 10% of our oil intake is used for food transportation. In this way, Kingsolver took care in well informing the reader.

Although the author does take many stern opinions throughout the book, the reality of the situation still stands; global warming isn't a question of if anymore but when. In her humble opinion, if you can avoid wasting energy by eating only local foods all year like she did, do it. But if you can't, do your best. Try to eat more locally. Recycle a bit more. Buy a hybrid. Bike to work. "This (global warming) is a now-or-never kind of project"(345). Barbara Kingsolver's ultimate point was very clear in the end. She has tried to help the world. Maybe if we all tried, we could save this earth from a less catastrophic outcome and give us more time on this spinning block. This was an eye opening book.

The Great Lawsuit and If Men Could Menstruate

The United States has always feared the demolishing of the family life. From working moms to gays, all we seem to think about are the kids. Right? Or do we fear the deterioration of classical beliefs? The real threat possibly pointed to citizens mentalities? The articles The Great Lawsuit and If Men Could Menstruate both address this fear through the analyzing of masculine prejudice towards women. In their creative and well-developed manner, Margaret Fuller and Gloria Steinem unravel society's sexism.

My personal favorite article was If Men Could Menstruate. Its creativity and originality lightly bring up the realities of sexism. Her article forced a mental change-up in gender roles but not a change in the gender authority. With quotes like "young boys would talk about it(menstruation) as the envied beginning of manhood. Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners, and stag parties would mark the day," and "medical schools would limit women's entry ('they might faint at the sight of blood')", the reader accurately pictures this new world; and also judging the real one. Looking at all the things men praise and accept, menstruation isn't one of them. Is it because the first period is women's coming of age? Why is it when men lose their virginity before marriage its praised when for women its repulsive? The superiority and authority of menmin society is greatly emphasized in this article.

Margaret Fuller's text was masterly crafted to undermine a heavy sense within the reader of injustice. When she spoke of women as "helots"and men as "profligate" and "idle", one ascertains her objective: to truthfully depict her world. Men were on top, and women cleaning men's shoes. Even though society has been endlessly affected by a plethora of women (Catherine the Great of Russia, Queen Elizabeth of England, Joan of Arc of France, and countless other undeclared women), their recognition has been minimized in history. Women have always been part of the big picture, but they haven't necessarily been recognized. This article eloquently describes her 1843 perspective.

The question remains of whether we have changed in this century. One might rhetoric a sassy "yes" saying that our clothes are different, so our brains must be too. But this mental change might not be so dramatic compared to the change of our apparel. It seems in today's society we have come to a general consensus of letting women work. They have a right to not stay just at home (though they might still do the majority of the housework) but has society let women be successful? When men look to climb their job ladders, they are encouraged and even expected to do so. But it seems that when women try to do the same, they are put down. They are called bitches. They are called stupid when asking "obvious" questions. They are disfavored when looked at as prospective workers. And when they try to manage high political positions, they are called emotional, unruly, and unreasonable. Yet the men who are siting right next to her are the same ones putting congress at a stand-still and calling it "politics".

I don't think the United States has reached the point of complete equality towards women, but I hope we are working towards it.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Google has taken an initiative to optimize the efficiency of its search engine to increase human progress. Technologies throughout the United States aim to perfect their programs and software just like this vast company. Our society praises this goal, yet we can't seem to see what we have lost in our tracks. "Is Google Making Us Stupid" takes a new look at our brilliant technology that is changing us forever.

 Taylorism. A simple idea with dire consequences. This procedure began in 1911 when a certain Taylor defined each step in an operation and delegated independent jobs for each sequence. This was the beginning of major increases in efficiency. From that point on, mechanical productivity has morphed into the area of intellectual efficiency. Search engines on the web look to "understand exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want". Ideally, the search engine of the future would be one "as smart as people--or smarter". But are we losing something by wanting to optimize these intellectual aids? Will humans ultimately lose more than they will be gaining in Google's new initiative. This article strongly implies that.

In the past, technology has compromised aspects of humanity. Before Taylorism, humans were what mattered. The men that worked for these companies took their days perfecting their products. With the new system, men where as much part of the machine as the bolts and screws. "In the past the man has been first...in the future the system must be first." This seems like a very cold thing to say. But the truth. Today, especially in the United States, companies will do anything to enhance their factories to increase profits. Dehumanization of men has been an unexpected outcome.

Do we realize the dangers of shallow reading? With quick skimming, distracted clicking, and constant searching, internet goers are at the risk of manipulation. Search engines can guide you and pull you into ads and opinions you never wanted to hear or see. With so many people mindlessly clicking on their screens, the future of our society might be at risk.

We might have lost our sense of natural time from the invention of the clock, we might have lost our sense of humanity with the invention of the assembly line, but I hope we won't lose sense of our free will. With possible chips being implanted in humans minds, our efficiency will be at the top of its shape. But what will we ultimately lose in this gain?

Racism Still Exists Today

Founded by a band of rogue British colonists, the United States has always prided itself in its knew idea of freedom and rights like two shiny diamonds. In schools we chant “for liberty and justice for all” in the same phrase of “under God”. Yet we also pride ourselves in the unique concept of division of church and state. From the perspective of a foreigner, this country is very perplexing. This article, instead of confusing humans living outside of these boundaries, baffles the in-land-born Americans. Ethics of Living Jim Crow shows the United States’ incapability in sustaining its idealistic equality. How is it that “justice for all” was ignored for these poor black southerners? Have we changed today?

Racism is a subject the United States has had to deal with since its founding. The beginning of this issue stems from slavery. At the origins of our nation, justice for all was only considered towards whole people, not 3/5ths of people. From that point on, blacks have only tried to readjust this gap. By the 1930s, African Americans had been promoted from farm animals to people, but not yet full U.S. citizens. Just like bodies on a battle field, those of the opposite color were shot at incessantly. But blacks had no guns. ‘“How come yuhh didn’t hide?’ she asked me. ‘How come yuh awways fightin’?’” Though considered people, African Americans have never stopped losing their humanity. “Whut yuh tryin’ t’ do, nigger, git smart?” for blacks aren’t meant to learn. “They said, you got to ‘stay in your place’ if you want to keep working” for a black man to not act how a white man wants is unacceptable. “This watchman boasted of having killed two Negroes in self-defense” for people without rights aren’t real citizens thus gun targets. This nation has never stopped giving disadvantages to African Americans, and to this day, we still deal with this issue.

Inequality still exists here today. Sadly, news media and politicians like keeping this problem concealed (in urban terms as ‘on the D.L.’). By ignoring the issue, there is none, right? Well, that’s what it seems like to 60% of the U.S. population, but for those black men who try to walk down streets without getting pulled over by the cops, this secret discrimination is made evident. Coming from an African American family, I have too many personal stories. My first tale engaged in our little home town of McFarland. My black cousin named Jonathen had come with his cousin and mother to visit the United States in 2007. 14-years-old at the time, my brother had decided to bike with my cousin to the now demolished Family Dollar. My brother Sisco of much darker skin tone then me had chosen Family Dollar for its reasonable assortments of candies at low prices. Eating their cheap food, my cousin and my brother walked out of the store and chose to enjoy their treats under the sun near the store. Only minutes after their seating did a police officer role in front of the young boys. He asked them, not delicately, what they were doing in front of this store apparently loitering. With their bitten candy they explained how they had bought chocolate and now were eating it in front of the store they had bought it from. The officer frustrated got back in his car and drove away.    

Racism still exists in the U.S. Events such as Darren Wilsons murder reminds us of this reality. Though some U.S. citizens can’t see it, I bet if they asked around they would find something.  

Have We Truly Changed After 9/11

Many events have occurred within history to cause major alterations in the United States’ mentality. Some such examples include Pearl Harbor and the Civil Rights’ movement. But most quintessentially, 9/11 stands to be the most traumatic event in recent American history. In retrospect, this momentary engagement in terror has forever corrugated America’s perspective. Do we truly live free from domestic attacks? Do our decisions, made millions of miles away, truly affect us here? And will we ever change?

Written only three days after the attack, John Updike’s article illustrated most passionately 9/11. With his graceful quotes such as “it fell straight down like an elevator” and “much rehearsed moments from a nightmare ballet”, the reader encounters a plethora of new similes and metaphors to paint the author’s true impression. Detachment. Updike watched the sturdiest buildings in New York crumble like two clumsy ballerinas; he observed in awe as the unattainable shores of his beloved U.S.A. burned like dry grass near lightning. No precise words could describe what he had viewed. His mental disablement forced the crippled novelist to write in concrete ideas he knew could exist such as elevators and ballets. Through his similes he could describe the incomprehensible events of 9/11.

After his original perplexity, the author begins his blind rage. He speaks of “war” and “destruction that defies belief” precariously forgetting the years of pain we can’t seem to stop inflicting in the Middle East. Similar Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans, Egyptians, Libyans, and Syrians ask why they have the “mundane duties of survivors”. “Future kamikaze pilots” aren't necessarily formed within Florida schools, but the bombs and missiles that fall on these Middle Eastern nations are without a doubt made in the U.S.

Just as Susan Sontag’s article tells, this unilateral perspective is “unworthy of a mature democracy”. American citizens can’t let themselves be led in unnecessary wars and foreign attacks (such as in Iraq) because of a traumatic event and sanctimonious denouncement of all terrorists. We must bear the burden of reality to end the inappropriate intervention of the United States in the world.

In reality, the United States has never been safe from attack. As seen in Pearl Harbor and 9/11, the decisions we make miles away truly affect us. And the only way we can protect ourselves is by informing ourselves and listening to both sides. Only after this can the United States truly change and grow from 9/11.    

Me. Myself, and I

I have had a very exciting 2014 summer so far, and I now have the pleasure to tell a lively AP composition audience about myself! Though I could spend days giving you the minuet details of my life, I will contrive a few paragraph essay to give you a general idea of myself, Naomi Hollard.

1. I will be a Senior next year and have enjoyed a plethora classes. Of these, I most thoroughly appreciated AP Chemistry and Russian History. I have worked hard over my three years of high school and hope to go to either a big east or west coast university such as Berkeley, Columbia University, or Brown. With these relatively large ambitions, I have chosen to take AP Composition to prepare myself for the future and learn on the way!
2. In my early childhood, I had to deal with a lot of major changes in my life: I moved from my birth place of New Jersey to a Parisian suburb when I was four-years-old and when I was six we finally settled in Wisconsin where I currently reside. Originally, since both of my parents are French, when we lived in New Jersey, I would understand French fine but chose to only answer in English. It wasn't until I moved to France I would speak French. On the other hand, I would comprehend English just fine but I would then only respond in French. I reached a healthy balance with my languages when we moved to Wisconsin for ever since I have lived here I can fluently understand, speak, and read both English and French. I also understand Guadeloupian Creole (my mother's island language) and now take Spanish in school. In the future, I would like to learn Hebrew, Arabic, Portuguese, and Italian. 
3. I have many passions within my life but the most important one for me is music. I take weekly hour flute lessons and have competed in several flute competition. Ones that I have succeeded in are the State Honors Band and Orchestra auditions, WYSO, WOW, the National Flute Choir, and the Summer Music Clinic Scholarship audition. Every day I practice from one to two hours a day to insure my improvement. In addition to the flute, I can play the saxophone, the ukulele, the guitar, and the piano.   
4. In the future, I hope to be both a scientist and a musician. I would like to double major in a biological field, such as neurology or ecology, and musical performance. Though this will be the center of my studies, I am still interested in maintaining my knowledge in history and literature since I believe being well rounded in many fields is important. 
5. I see myself being bold and outgoing. I enjoy thinking about philosophical issues such as death and mortality and see myself partaking in many intense conversations in the future. Though I don't think I'm the most intelligent person, I think I work hard to gain a lot of knowledge and reach goals.