It is really nice to be home. I really like being able to see my family. I was able to see my aunt yesterday because she works at the school I did my field experience at. I have seen my grandma every day I have been back so far (she lives down the street, so I will see her out walking and that sort of thing). Last night my aunt, uncle, and one of my cousins who live in Dubuque came down to spend the night. They are going to the Iowa State game today. I had not seen them in forever and it was really nice to be able to talk with them. Now today is trick or treat night in Ankeny. My family usually comes over to our house to trick or treat. My aunt and uncle live on a farm, so it is difficult for my cousins to do much trick or treating out there. That's why they come here. My grandma and grandpa who live down the street come over too. We eat pizza around 5:00 and then trick or treating starts at 6 and goes until 8. Sometimes I will go out and walk with my cousins and brother, but this year I might stay home and help answer the door. I babysat a lot of the kids in our neighborhood, so it is nice to be able to see them, even though I don't always recognize them in their costumes!
This weekend is going by way to quickly. I am really enjoying hanging out with my brothers. I played basketball with one of them for a long time yesterday! I wish that I did not have homework to worry about while I am here. That's the worst- being home, but having to seclude myself so that I can do work. As much fun as I am having here, I am also excited to head back to Wartburg. I really like the freedom that I have there as opposed to here where I have to borrow my parents' car and let them know where I am going and when I will be back. Its not horrible, but now that I am used to making my own decisions, it is difficult to come back to this.
This afternoon I am going shopping for a laundry basket. I am going to use the one I have at school currently for a Halloween costume. The band is having a Halloween party and I am going to go as a basket of laundry. My current laundry basket was given to me as a gift and appears to be a really cheap one. It bends if I try to carry too much stuff in it. So I am going to purchase a better one and cut the bottom out of my current one so I can wear it. Should be fun! I think that's about all for now. Until next time!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Field Experience
So I am home for the weekend and am doing field experience as a part of Psychology of the Exceptional Child. I am observing a special education classroom in a high school. Yesterday I went in for two hours and saw two study hall periods and a science class. The students that I observed were at a higher level of thinking. Most of them just had learning disabilities, so they struggled with reading, writing, and math. There was one student with autism in the classroom.
I was surprised by the small number of students in the room at a time. The most I saw in there during one period was four. The science class only had two students! I learned a lot from this experience though. I found the science class particularly interesting. They were studying for a test that is going to be over atoms. Because the special education teacher was not qualified to teach science at the high school level, a science teacher from the building came in and taught the students while the special education teacher helped make sure the students understood. I noticed the general education science teacher becoming frustrated when he could not get his points across to the students. The special education teacher was much more patient and worked better with the students to help them understand. I think that it was good for the general education teacher to be in the special education classroom teaching though, because I am sure there are some strategies that he could learn and bring back to his normal classroom to help the students who are struggling in there.
Today I am going back in to observe for another two hours. I was supposed to go back to the same classroom, however the teacher is sick, so I may end up in a different special education classroom. I am anxious to see what is in store for me today and see what other information I can glean from this experience. I find it useful to see what I have learned and read about being put into practice. It helps make the class more real. I think that if it were possible, every class should do something like this. Knowing that the information applies and is not just something to learn really helps make the learning worthwhile. I think this is something I will run across more in college than I did in high school, especially at a smaller school like Wartburg. Yet another reason why I am glad this is the school I chose!
I was surprised by the small number of students in the room at a time. The most I saw in there during one period was four. The science class only had two students! I learned a lot from this experience though. I found the science class particularly interesting. They were studying for a test that is going to be over atoms. Because the special education teacher was not qualified to teach science at the high school level, a science teacher from the building came in and taught the students while the special education teacher helped make sure the students understood. I noticed the general education science teacher becoming frustrated when he could not get his points across to the students. The special education teacher was much more patient and worked better with the students to help them understand. I think that it was good for the general education teacher to be in the special education classroom teaching though, because I am sure there are some strategies that he could learn and bring back to his normal classroom to help the students who are struggling in there.
Today I am going back in to observe for another two hours. I was supposed to go back to the same classroom, however the teacher is sick, so I may end up in a different special education classroom. I am anxious to see what is in store for me today and see what other information I can glean from this experience. I find it useful to see what I have learned and read about being put into practice. It helps make the class more real. I think that if it were possible, every class should do something like this. Knowing that the information applies and is not just something to learn really helps make the learning worthwhile. I think this is something I will run across more in college than I did in high school, especially at a smaller school like Wartburg. Yet another reason why I am glad this is the school I chose!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Learning Something Different
Most people have a favorite animal. Usually people's favorite animals are something like a dog, bear, or a penguin. My favorite animal is different than all of these. In fact, I doubt anyone would ever guess it. My favorite animal is a sponge. I decided this was my favorite animal when I was in middle school. I hadn't really had a favorite animal prior. We were learning about the different animals in science though and when I was reminded that a sponge was an animal I decided that was my favorite. I like the fact that it is commonly mistaken as a plant and that it is not well known. I thought it was cool how simple it was, but that it was still complex enough to live and be considered an animal. I like jellyfish for this reason as well.
I like learning about random and unusual things. This is another reason why I like sponges. It is an unusual animal to have as a favorite. I like being unique in this way. When I took speech in high school I would find random people that I had never heard of before or did not know much about to do speeches over. A couple of the people that I found were Jessica DuBroff and Paul Winchell. Jessica DuBroff was a seven-year-old girl who was attempting to be the youngest person to fly an airplane across the United States. She ended up crashing and dying. Paul Winchell did pretty much everything possible. He was the voice of Tigger, along with some other characters (like one of the birds from Fox and the Hound). It was actually Paul Winchell that came up with Tigger's saying "TTFN ta-ta for now." He also came up with a prototype for the artificial heart, owned a T-shirt factory and ran a fish farm. He proposed to Congress that using Talapia (a type of fish) could solve the hunger problem in Africa. Paul Winchell was also an inventor and got patents on many different items, including a fountain pen with a retractable tip. The thing he was most famous for was for being a ventriloquist. I was amazed by all the things this man did. I found him because he and I share the same birthday.
I think some of this can be proof that I am a self-motivated learner. I want to learn about new and different things and in this case, I used my speech class to do so. It was more fun for me to do research on something or someone that I knew little about and I enjoyed informing my class about the cool things I discovered. I think they found it interesting as well because it was not a topic that is done frequently. Often such topics can get boring to listen to because they have been done so much. I try to feed my desire to learn what I want while still meeting the requirements for the course. In my mind, that fulfills the characteristics of someone who is both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated.
I like learning about random and unusual things. This is another reason why I like sponges. It is an unusual animal to have as a favorite. I like being unique in this way. When I took speech in high school I would find random people that I had never heard of before or did not know much about to do speeches over. A couple of the people that I found were Jessica DuBroff and Paul Winchell. Jessica DuBroff was a seven-year-old girl who was attempting to be the youngest person to fly an airplane across the United States. She ended up crashing and dying. Paul Winchell did pretty much everything possible. He was the voice of Tigger, along with some other characters (like one of the birds from Fox and the Hound). It was actually Paul Winchell that came up with Tigger's saying "TTFN ta-ta for now." He also came up with a prototype for the artificial heart, owned a T-shirt factory and ran a fish farm. He proposed to Congress that using Talapia (a type of fish) could solve the hunger problem in Africa. Paul Winchell was also an inventor and got patents on many different items, including a fountain pen with a retractable tip. The thing he was most famous for was for being a ventriloquist. I was amazed by all the things this man did. I found him because he and I share the same birthday.
I think some of this can be proof that I am a self-motivated learner. I want to learn about new and different things and in this case, I used my speech class to do so. It was more fun for me to do research on something or someone that I knew little about and I enjoyed informing my class about the cool things I discovered. I think they found it interesting as well because it was not a topic that is done frequently. Often such topics can get boring to listen to because they have been done so much. I try to feed my desire to learn what I want while still meeting the requirements for the course. In my mind, that fulfills the characteristics of someone who is both intrinsically and extrinsically motivated.
The Social Change Wheel
On the social change wheel I believe that I fall under the categories of direct service and socially responsible daily behavior. I may fall under the voting/formal political activities category as well though. I am in the category of direct service because I have volunteered at different locations many times. I would always help with Vacation Bible School (VBS) at my church each summer, I helped teach incoming kindergartners about safety at Safety Town, and I would volunteer my time helping with other organizations as well- through my Girl Scout troop mostly. I belong in the socially responsible daily behavior category because I try to do things like recycle and carpool when I can. This is an easy category to be a part of because it does not take a bunch of extra effort. I could fit into the voting/formal political activities category because I have voted.
I feel like I am pretty involved with my community, but when I look at all of the categories of involvement that I am not a part of, it makes me feel like I am not doing enough. While I probably could be more involved in the community than I am, I also feel that some of the things on the list would be difficult for me to do at this point in my life. There are many different leadership positions listed on the sheet under multiple categories that I do not feel like I could fulfill. It's not that I do not think I would be capable of doing the job (I bet I could if I put my mind to it), it is that I feel getting help and support from the community may be difficult because of my age and lack of experience. Although I'm sure some would support me, many adults would look at me and think that I am unable to do the job.
For now, I am going to stick with what I have been doing, but I am going to continue to look for more opportunities to become involved in my community. Wartburg is a great place to discover these opportunities. Maybe I will find a group that I am able to participate in that will not only be fun, but will help the community in the process.
I feel like I am pretty involved with my community, but when I look at all of the categories of involvement that I am not a part of, it makes me feel like I am not doing enough. While I probably could be more involved in the community than I am, I also feel that some of the things on the list would be difficult for me to do at this point in my life. There are many different leadership positions listed on the sheet under multiple categories that I do not feel like I could fulfill. It's not that I do not think I would be capable of doing the job (I bet I could if I put my mind to it), it is that I feel getting help and support from the community may be difficult because of my age and lack of experience. Although I'm sure some would support me, many adults would look at me and think that I am unable to do the job.
For now, I am going to stick with what I have been doing, but I am going to continue to look for more opportunities to become involved in my community. Wartburg is a great place to discover these opportunities. Maybe I will find a group that I am able to participate in that will not only be fun, but will help the community in the process.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Comments on Readings (and other stuff)
I have a couple random comments/connections on some of the readings that we have been doing in class.
First one: I was in euchie on Wednesday and the comment was made that the miners were being rescued. The way Pastor Brian was describing it reminded me a lot of the Plato piece. He was talking about how miraculous it must have been to step into the light after being in the darkness for so long. I was just talking about the Plato piece earlier that night with some of my friends who were reading it in their IS classes and so it came to mind as he was describing the miners' rescue.
Second one: I was reading the Bowling Alone reading and there was a part in there that said social capital is eroding partially because on an increase in technology. The author then gave the example of how so many Americans watch TV in their leisure time rather than go out and be social like had been the norm in the past. I think that there is a great amount of truth to that. I do not have a TV in my room and I do not really miss it. I find myself hanging out with friends more than I did at home (although that could also be contributed to the increase in freedom I have here) and to me that is much more enjoyable than sitting in front of the television alone. The only thing that I watch regularly is Glee, and when I do so I usually watch it with some of my friends.
Anyhoo, I am going home this weekend and I am extremely excited to do so! I can't wait to see my friends and family. I am excited for the horn recital that I am going to be able to attend at UNI as well. It should be an interesting learning experience for me. Maybe I will discover some pieces that I want to play! I am super excited for next week as well. Homecoming should be a lot of fun and I am also looking forward to the end of a few of my classes. It will be nice to have a lighter workload!
First one: I was in euchie on Wednesday and the comment was made that the miners were being rescued. The way Pastor Brian was describing it reminded me a lot of the Plato piece. He was talking about how miraculous it must have been to step into the light after being in the darkness for so long. I was just talking about the Plato piece earlier that night with some of my friends who were reading it in their IS classes and so it came to mind as he was describing the miners' rescue.
Second one: I was reading the Bowling Alone reading and there was a part in there that said social capital is eroding partially because on an increase in technology. The author then gave the example of how so many Americans watch TV in their leisure time rather than go out and be social like had been the norm in the past. I think that there is a great amount of truth to that. I do not have a TV in my room and I do not really miss it. I find myself hanging out with friends more than I did at home (although that could also be contributed to the increase in freedom I have here) and to me that is much more enjoyable than sitting in front of the television alone. The only thing that I watch regularly is Glee, and when I do so I usually watch it with some of my friends.
Anyhoo, I am going home this weekend and I am extremely excited to do so! I can't wait to see my friends and family. I am excited for the horn recital that I am going to be able to attend at UNI as well. It should be an interesting learning experience for me. Maybe I will discover some pieces that I want to play! I am super excited for next week as well. Homecoming should be a lot of fun and I am also looking forward to the end of a few of my classes. It will be nice to have a lighter workload!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Deaf but Still Capible
So, I just got done with a huge presentation in ED 211. We were in groups and it was our job to present a chapter to the rest of the class. My partner and I were assigned to talk about students with hearing impairments. As we were doing our research we came across some modern day deaf musicians. I was very impressed! Mandy Harvey is the name of one of these artists. She was my favorite of all of them we looked at. Mandy Harvey was not born deaf. She had always had problems with her hearing due to infections she had as a child. Her hearing problem was not severe until she reached college. Becoming deaf was very hard on her, as she wanted to become a vocal music professor. She eventually discovered that she could still continue singing. She has perfect pitch, which enables her to remember how notes sounded even though she can no longer hear them. By looking at the piano accompanist she is able to determine her pitches and stay in time. I think that she is incredible to listen to! Here is a link to the video we used in class if you have time and feel like listening. http://www.mandyharveymusic.com/
We also used a song by Sean Forbes. He has been deaf throughout his entire life, but he loves music. This has inspired him to become a musician. He is able to feel the music, so he raps to the beat that he feels. I think it is really cool to watch him and see how he was determined to do what he knew he loved even though he had an obstacle in his way. I really like how he uses sign language while he is rapping. It fits surprisingly well with the style of music. If you want to see his rap video you can go here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5l-2Jo14cQ
I think the thing that amazed me the most about these two artists was not their talent (which they have a lot of), but their determination to do something that most people would tell them is impossible. Too often we listen to others when they tell us we can't do something, or we ourselves tell others that doing something is impossible for them. We get it in our minds that certain people cannot do certain things, when I think we should really be asking why can't they do it and how can we help them accomplish it? If only we all had the determination and attitude that these two musicians have!
We also used a song by Sean Forbes. He has been deaf throughout his entire life, but he loves music. This has inspired him to become a musician. He is able to feel the music, so he raps to the beat that he feels. I think it is really cool to watch him and see how he was determined to do what he knew he loved even though he had an obstacle in his way. I really like how he uses sign language while he is rapping. It fits surprisingly well with the style of music. If you want to see his rap video you can go here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5l-2Jo14cQ
I think the thing that amazed me the most about these two artists was not their talent (which they have a lot of), but their determination to do something that most people would tell them is impossible. Too often we listen to others when they tell us we can't do something, or we ourselves tell others that doing something is impossible for them. We get it in our minds that certain people cannot do certain things, when I think we should really be asking why can't they do it and how can we help them accomplish it? If only we all had the determination and attitude that these two musicians have!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
A Hodgepodge of Events from the Past Weekend
Huh. I guess I forgot to title my last post. Oops! Oh well!
It was really nice to see my family today. I really missed them! I am going to try to go home this coming weekend. Ankeny hosts a marching band competition every year and this year it is this coming Saturday. I would like to go down for it. One of my friends from UNI said that he is heading down and would be willing to give me a ride. Now all I have to do is find someone to work for me! I really hope that I am able to go. Band, like show choir, was a huge part of my high school life. I feel that it is important for me to support them if at all possible. Plus, quite a few of my friends will be there next weekend for the competition and it would be really nice to see them again too!
This past weekend was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the fact that it felt like a four day weekend, thanks to outfly. It was nice to have time to catch up on some stuff and also have some time to relax and do whatever I felt like. I really needed a break. Sometimes I feel like I have no time for anything! Its okay though, because I enjoy everything I am in. It just gets crazy sometimes trying to find time for homework!
I had a band lesson on the day of outfly. It was the best lesson I have had up to date. I am working on not using so much pressure when I play. It sometimes feels like I am re-learning the horn. My teacher showed me an exercise in a book that I am super excited about. It works in the extreme low range of the horn and then eventually gets higher, but after playing so loosely and openly in the low range for so long, that same feeling gets carried up to the high notes as well. It makes them so much easier to play! I was super excited to find something that actually worked! I really appreciate the people that I have the opportunity to work with here. Everyone is very knowledgeable and is willing to work with me so that I am able to become the best that I can be. I don't feel that I would have gotten quite the same attention had I attended a larger school.
Well, busy week this week, but I am looking forward to it!
It was really nice to see my family today. I really missed them! I am going to try to go home this coming weekend. Ankeny hosts a marching band competition every year and this year it is this coming Saturday. I would like to go down for it. One of my friends from UNI said that he is heading down and would be willing to give me a ride. Now all I have to do is find someone to work for me! I really hope that I am able to go. Band, like show choir, was a huge part of my high school life. I feel that it is important for me to support them if at all possible. Plus, quite a few of my friends will be there next weekend for the competition and it would be really nice to see them again too!
This past weekend was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the fact that it felt like a four day weekend, thanks to outfly. It was nice to have time to catch up on some stuff and also have some time to relax and do whatever I felt like. I really needed a break. Sometimes I feel like I have no time for anything! Its okay though, because I enjoy everything I am in. It just gets crazy sometimes trying to find time for homework!
I had a band lesson on the day of outfly. It was the best lesson I have had up to date. I am working on not using so much pressure when I play. It sometimes feels like I am re-learning the horn. My teacher showed me an exercise in a book that I am super excited about. It works in the extreme low range of the horn and then eventually gets higher, but after playing so loosely and openly in the low range for so long, that same feeling gets carried up to the high notes as well. It makes them so much easier to play! I was super excited to find something that actually worked! I really appreciate the people that I have the opportunity to work with here. Everyone is very knowledgeable and is willing to work with me so that I am able to become the best that I can be. I don't feel that I would have gotten quite the same attention had I attended a larger school.
Well, busy week this week, but I am looking forward to it!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Tomorrow my dad and my two brothers are coming to visit. I am really excited! I haven't seen one of my brothers since I left home and I can't wait to see him again! They are going to come later in the afternoon and stay for dinner. They want to eat in the Mensa. That should be interesting. It will be a good experience for my one brother though, as he will be starting to look at colleges within the next year.
I love all of the experiences that I get at Wartburg. It is so cool to go to the different concerts and special guests. I went to see the comedian Friday night. I thought that she was really funny. I liked her better than the previous comedian. He had a lot more racial jokes, which can be funny, just as long as they are directed at all groups equally. He did a pretty good job picking on all racial groups, but it is still one of those things that you don't know if you should laugh or not. The other comedian was able to be funny without making a ton of questionable jokes, which is one of the reasons why I enjoyed listening to her more. I feel that there is enough racial tension in the world as it is. Although, maybe that is why his jokes were funny. They exposed stereotypes and preconceived notions that groups have against one another and we laugh at them because we not only know that we really do think this way, but also because it makes us uncomfortable to have our preconceived notions brought to our attention
I saw the concert "Real Men Sing" tonight as well. They were really good. Listening to them really made me miss choir. They sang the song "The Awakening" by Joseph Martin. This is one of my favorite men's pieces ever. The guys at my high school sang it last year and I fell in love with it. It was so cool to hear it again, especially with 250 guys singing it. It was amazing!
I love all of the experiences that I get at Wartburg. It is so cool to go to the different concerts and special guests. I went to see the comedian Friday night. I thought that she was really funny. I liked her better than the previous comedian. He had a lot more racial jokes, which can be funny, just as long as they are directed at all groups equally. He did a pretty good job picking on all racial groups, but it is still one of those things that you don't know if you should laugh or not. The other comedian was able to be funny without making a ton of questionable jokes, which is one of the reasons why I enjoyed listening to her more. I feel that there is enough racial tension in the world as it is. Although, maybe that is why his jokes were funny. They exposed stereotypes and preconceived notions that groups have against one another and we laugh at them because we not only know that we really do think this way, but also because it makes us uncomfortable to have our preconceived notions brought to our attention
I saw the concert "Real Men Sing" tonight as well. They were really good. Listening to them really made me miss choir. They sang the song "The Awakening" by Joseph Martin. This is one of my favorite men's pieces ever. The guys at my high school sang it last year and I fell in love with it. It was so cool to hear it again, especially with 250 guys singing it. It was amazing!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
My Favorite Song
I am slowly running out of things to talk about. My week was a typical week, nothing overly exciting, therefore I have decided to talk about my favorite song and how it came to be my favorite.
I had never really had a favorite song until last year. I enjoy listening to a wide variety of things and I had a different favorite song depending on the day and how I was feeling. This is still kind of the case, however as of last year I did discover a song that I could very easily consider my favorite. My favorite song is "We All Need Saving" by Jon McLaughlin. I had never heard of Jon McLaughlin until our show choir director told us that we would be dancing to one of his songs, titled "Industry." I enjoyed this song and felt that it really fit our show well. Part way into the year, my director told us that he had switched the song we were singing for our ballad. Previously we were going to sing "Time of My Life" by David Cook. I like this song, but I felt like it was too popular. Our show was comprised of songs that were chosen for their meaning, not their popularity. As a result our songs were not very well known. I didn't feel like our ballad really fit in the best. The new ballad that we got to sing was "We All Need Saving." I loved the song from the first time I heard it and grew to love it more and more as the year went on. It really spoke to me. The song talked about how we all go through tough times and that it is okay to lean on someone else when you need help, because "we all need saving sometimes." The lyrics to this song, coupled with the extreme bond that I felt with the rest of the members of our show choir really brought forth powerful emotions that not only I felt, but the entire choir felt. I had never experienced anything like that in my life. The people in our group (Visual Adrenaline) had a bond similar to that of a family. I felt as if I could rely on any of them when I needed something. Being a part of Visual Adrenaline (VA) was one of the most fun things I have ever done. Ever. I wish I had the opportunity to do it again this year. If you feel like listening to this song, you can hear VA (us!) singing it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUiiSm4Xqgc or hear Jon McLaughlin's original version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0TyhU80kv0.
Show choir became such a big part of my life last year and I think that it will always be an experience that I will treasure. Because of the special bond that I had with VA and the connection I felt with the song, I think that this will be my favorite song for quite some time.
I had never really had a favorite song until last year. I enjoy listening to a wide variety of things and I had a different favorite song depending on the day and how I was feeling. This is still kind of the case, however as of last year I did discover a song that I could very easily consider my favorite. My favorite song is "We All Need Saving" by Jon McLaughlin. I had never heard of Jon McLaughlin until our show choir director told us that we would be dancing to one of his songs, titled "Industry." I enjoyed this song and felt that it really fit our show well. Part way into the year, my director told us that he had switched the song we were singing for our ballad. Previously we were going to sing "Time of My Life" by David Cook. I like this song, but I felt like it was too popular. Our show was comprised of songs that were chosen for their meaning, not their popularity. As a result our songs were not very well known. I didn't feel like our ballad really fit in the best. The new ballad that we got to sing was "We All Need Saving." I loved the song from the first time I heard it and grew to love it more and more as the year went on. It really spoke to me. The song talked about how we all go through tough times and that it is okay to lean on someone else when you need help, because "we all need saving sometimes." The lyrics to this song, coupled with the extreme bond that I felt with the rest of the members of our show choir really brought forth powerful emotions that not only I felt, but the entire choir felt. I had never experienced anything like that in my life. The people in our group (Visual Adrenaline) had a bond similar to that of a family. I felt as if I could rely on any of them when I needed something. Being a part of Visual Adrenaline (VA) was one of the most fun things I have ever done. Ever. I wish I had the opportunity to do it again this year. If you feel like listening to this song, you can hear VA (us!) singing it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUiiSm4Xqgc or hear Jon McLaughlin's original version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0TyhU80kv0.
Show choir became such a big part of my life last year and I think that it will always be an experience that I will treasure. Because of the special bond that I had with VA and the connection I felt with the song, I think that this will be my favorite song for quite some time.
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| Me (2nd from the right) and some of my many VA friends |
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Harrison Bergeron
Wow. Just wow.
That's pretty much all I could think the entire time I read the short story Harrison Bergeron. It started out saying, "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal." My initial reaction to this was, "Good! Thank goodness we are going to get there someday!" Then I read the third sentence, "They were equal in every which way," and went, "Uh-oh. Maybe this isn't going where I thought it was." When I envisioned equality I envisioned equality of opportunity, not where everyone is capable of the exact same things. I was appalled when I read about all of the handicaps that were put on people to ensure equality. I could not believe that in order to achieve equality society had made everyone mentally impaired. Then they went and called those who think normally according to our standards mentally handicapped. The idea that people could not remember events that just occurred, events that should have had a huge impact on their lives really bothered me too. I was proud of Harrison for breaking free and thinking for himself. It seemed to me, in the scene in the broadcasting station, that everyone subconsciously really wanted to be freed of their handicaps, they just weren't allowed to think enough to consciously realize it. It really frustrated me that he was shot and that no one would remember it.
I really hope that someday everyone will be equal. Not equal as in we are all the same, however. I feel that everyone should have the same opportunities available. It is up to that individual to choose how they utilize these opportunities. Differences are such an important part of what makes us, us. I love all of the different cultures and languages and colors and ways of thought that are present in this world. I love that about Wartburg. My high school was very white. Sure, there were some other cultures and colors, but it was primarily made up of middle class white students. I love being able to talk to people who are from different backgrounds and have had different experiences. I believe that it is such an important thing to do. It is important to respect and appreciate the differences in people because that is what makes life interesting. Often the different ideas can inspire new thoughts in people.
Diversity is such a good thing and I desperately hope that our world never reaches the low that was portrayed in the story Harrison Bergeron.
That's pretty much all I could think the entire time I read the short story Harrison Bergeron. It started out saying, "The year was 2081, and everybody was finally equal." My initial reaction to this was, "Good! Thank goodness we are going to get there someday!" Then I read the third sentence, "They were equal in every which way," and went, "Uh-oh. Maybe this isn't going where I thought it was." When I envisioned equality I envisioned equality of opportunity, not where everyone is capable of the exact same things. I was appalled when I read about all of the handicaps that were put on people to ensure equality. I could not believe that in order to achieve equality society had made everyone mentally impaired. Then they went and called those who think normally according to our standards mentally handicapped. The idea that people could not remember events that just occurred, events that should have had a huge impact on their lives really bothered me too. I was proud of Harrison for breaking free and thinking for himself. It seemed to me, in the scene in the broadcasting station, that everyone subconsciously really wanted to be freed of their handicaps, they just weren't allowed to think enough to consciously realize it. It really frustrated me that he was shot and that no one would remember it.
I really hope that someday everyone will be equal. Not equal as in we are all the same, however. I feel that everyone should have the same opportunities available. It is up to that individual to choose how they utilize these opportunities. Differences are such an important part of what makes us, us. I love all of the different cultures and languages and colors and ways of thought that are present in this world. I love that about Wartburg. My high school was very white. Sure, there were some other cultures and colors, but it was primarily made up of middle class white students. I love being able to talk to people who are from different backgrounds and have had different experiences. I believe that it is such an important thing to do. It is important to respect and appreciate the differences in people because that is what makes life interesting. Often the different ideas can inspire new thoughts in people.
Diversity is such a good thing and I desperately hope that our world never reaches the low that was portrayed in the story Harrison Bergeron.
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