Here's my final presentation using Prezi. It's a little interactive.
Click the left and right buttons to go between slides and find my two hidden items (OOOoooo!), or click anywhere on the presentation and move it where you want. As my daughter would say, "Cool beans!"
The links I mention in this presentation are also listed below. Unfortunately, it does not let you click on the links when you are viewing the presentation. It's still a really neat program.
Things I've learned... I have definitely learned about the different formats used for writing, such as MLA, and APA, and their differences. Citing using MLA is more confusing for me than using APA. The Citation Machine never matched what the handbook said to do for the MLA format. It seems that even the computers can't get it right (smiley was supposed to go here ;o).
I have also learned more about using educational on-line sources such as ProQuest, and how to search them. I have learned to analyze poetry in ways I had not thought of before, and gained greater insight into analyzing other types of writing as well. I have learned how to give a better critique of other's works – sandwiched between positive observations, to encourage as well as critique. Critiquing others has also caused me to look at my own writing in a different light. I enjoyed reading and evaluating my peer's work, some of them gave amazing insights on our subject matter. The feedback I received was invaluable as well – very detailed, and caused me to look at my work through another's eyes. Plus... I have to admit, the praise was good too.
I am a fairly new college student with a long way to go, so all of these added or enhanced skills should help me in my future classes, especially the analytical skills. If I do decide to become a writer (most likely in the health industry), these skills will be especially beneficial to have. One link that I was surprised not to find on the library data base was “PubMed” (similar to “Medline”, but no sign-on required), or you can just Google “PubMed”. This link was especially helpful to me last semester. I hope it helps others as well, and because it's free, you can give it to others that do not have access to our library's subscribed sites.
This was a very interesting class using materials that are engaging, not boring. I chose this ENG102 class based upon two criteria: it was all on-line, and the materials chosen by our instructor to use as the teaching tools were not the stuffy old text books. The poetry section was a surprise, but was especially enlightening. My eyes have been opened, and I will never look at poetry the same again. I never looked that deep into it before to find the hidden meanings. When we read certain sections of O'Brien's book (like the animal abuse part), and Huze's play (eating lunch while watching an enemy soldier suffer and die), I became very upset, and wondered if I had made a mistake in my choice of classes. I continued on, and am glad I did. The rest of the readings were still not pleasant – war never is, but the stories were not as gut wrenching, and the overall experience made me more understanding of the problems our Vets return with. Whether our Vets became Vets voluntarily, or otherwise, they deserve our support and respect. Now days, our troops that serve willingly deserve it even more. God bless them!
So far, I have meet the learning outcomes for this class, and I hope I don't botch that up when it comes down to the final week. My writing style has changed a bit – more streamlined, and easier to follow (I hope). I really struggled with the thesis on our final paper, but with the revisions based on Laura's suggestions, I've improved.I know I may need a little more work in this area, but I have received some good advice, and I will continue to work on it in the future. This skill will be helpful in my future writing projects, especially in the nursing and science fields.
All in all, this was a very good class. I am surprised at how many people fell behind, but this was my only summer school class. If I had taken additional classes, with home and family... it would have been too much. I would recommend this class to anyone that is looking for an interesting and engaging ENG102 class... as long as they can handle the war stories. It was definitely not boring.
This source is an article written about the effects of draft dodging during the Vietnam war, and how those effects still impact political candidate Bill Clinton in his run for Presidency. It also sheds light as to how he avoided draft, why his protests were held in a foreign land, and the less moral methods used by others to avoid draft at the time to compare with his actions. This article sheds some insight on the gravity of the allegations and why the public has good reason to question his history, but also seems to come to Bill Clinton defense on the subject. This source will help to reflect what kind of impact that standing up for your beliefs can have on your career, and how others may view it as a lack of integrity, and cowardice instead of a political statement.
O'Brien, Tim. The Things They Carried. Boston/New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1990. Print.
This source is a collection of fictional writings or short stories about Vietnam War experiences - both prior to and during the war, and is the text that is being evaluated as part of this essay. I intend to use this source to show how the author, Tim O'Brien, used this writing as both a political statement, and a form of therapy for himself and his readers.
Rosenthal, Andrew. "New Forum for Bush On Character Issue: The Republicans Bush
Renews His Attacks About Vietnam." New York Times (1923-Current file)
(Special to The New York Times Oct 14, 1992): A1. ProQuest Historical
Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2007).Yavapai College, Prescott,
This source is an article about President Bush's surprise interview (it was supposed to be an interview with his wife, Barbara Bush), and the concerns that the president and the American people (especially the conservatives) had in relation to Bill Clinton's character. It was felt that some of his character flaws were revealed by his actions to escape the Vietnam War draft. This source will be used in my essay to reinforce the outlook that many people have towards draft-dodgers or draft-dodging activities.
Turner, Wallace. "Criticism and Evasion of Draft Grow With Unpopularity of the
Vietnam War." New York Times (1923-Current file) (May 14, 1969): 20.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times (1851-2007). Yavapai
This article shows how the mood and outlook on the Vietnam War and the draft-dodgers changed as the war progressed. It states how the draft-dodging activities became more tolerated, and how the draft itself was unfair in many circumstances – allowing some to evade the draft due to their choice of education, while drafting others who clearly had disabilities. This article will be quoted in my essay to show the decrease in public support of the war, and the decrease in their judgment towards the Vietnam Draft-dodgers.
Check out this cute happy baby water buffalo. If it does not auto play, click here.
You Tube caption: Baby buffalo playing in the paddy fields in Hoi nam Dang - Thailand.
… we came across a baby VC water buffalo. What it was doing there I don't know – no farms or paddies – but we chased it down and got a rope around it and led it along to a deserted village where we set up for the night. After supper Rat Kiley went over and stroked its nose.
He opened up a can of C rations, port and beans, but the baby buffalo wasn't interested.
Rat shrugged.
He stepped back and shot it through the right front knee. The animal did not make a sound. It went down hard, then got up again, and Rat took careful aim and shot off an ear. He shot it in the hindquarters and in the little hump at it's back. He shot it twice in the flanks. It wasn't to kill; it was to hurt. He put the rifle muzzle up against the mouth and shot the mouth away. Nobody said much. The whole platoon stood there watching, feeling all kinds of things, but there wasn't a great deal of pity for the baby water buffalo. Curt Lemon was dead. Rat Kiley had lost his best friend in the world. Later in the week he would write a long personal letter to the guy's sister, who would not write back, but for now it was a question of pain. He shot off the tail. He shot away chunks of meat below the ribs. All around us there was the smell of smoke and filth and deep greenery, and the evening was humid and very hot. Rat went into automatic. He shot randomly, almost casually, quick little spurts in the belly and butt. Then he reloaded, squatted down and shot it in the left front knee. Again the animal fell hard and tried to get up, but this time it couldn't quite make it. It wobbled and went down sideways. Rat shot it in the nose. He bent forward and whispered something, as if talking to a pet, then he shot it in the throat. (O'Brien 74-75 bold for emphasis added.)
I found this passage in O'Brien's book deeply disturbing. What's the main point of this passage as well as the book as a whole? War really messes people up! I am by no means a vegetarian. I'm not an animal activist, but I don't agree with killing as a sport, or a way to blow off steam. I'm OK with it if you intend to eat the animal, or if it has to be done for protection. This book has many instances of brutal mind altering war related violence, but this one struck me as the most senseless, shameful, disturbing, and reflective of how the soldiers were loosing themselves. It would not have been condoned in any other setting, other than war.
The fact that the soldiers had to designate the animal as a “VC water buffalo”, showed that in order to justify this in their own minds they had to designate that this animal was a VC, and therefore an extension of the enemy. The text states that the shooter wasn't trying to kill the animal, just cause it pain, because he was in pain. This is not the same as squeezing your husbands hand off while you are in labor. In my opinion pain transference is unattainable this way, but the soldier is hurting too deeply emotionally to think straight. The text also seems to elude to the fact that they felt like this animal had no business being there, and seemed to be provided as some sort of sacrificial animal just because they could not see any other reason for it to be there other than to be their target. This same sentiment is reinforced later in the next paragraph by references to the fact that the animal never made any noise, not even after the shooting began – like a sacrificial lamb being led to the slaughter. The cold calculated way the shooter was harming this animal in and of itself is disturbing. He took his time, enjoying it – sick! I would not have wanted to be one of the soldiers that was standing by watching it happen. The text states, “The whole platoon stood there watching, feeling all kinds of things, but there wasn't a great deal of pity for the baby water buffalo.” (O'Brien 75) There wasn't a great deal of pity shown for the baby water buffalo, but perhaps some were feeling it, and were too afraid to say or do anything out of fear that they could then become the focus of this violent outburst. Many soldiers feel you are either for them or against them, regardless of what they do. If you go against that one person, especially if they are one of the leaders, the whole rest of the platoon may turn against you. You are expected to all stick together – no matter what.
The poem I focused on last week “Immigrants in Our Own Land”, by Jimmy Santiago Baca, gave a description of how men who enter prison, do not exit it as human. War is even worse. It takes good men, and turns them into someone that they themselves do not recognize. Someone who never would have in a million years committed such atrocities if they had not been forced to go to war... forced to see their buddies die in front of them... forced to feel the pain and anguish that words cannot describe, that lead them to do the unthinkable – war crimes, against other human beings, even children, and animals, in the attempt to transfer their pain to someone or something else. Many return home so violent and disturbed that a lifetime of therapy cannot reverse it.
If this passage didn't disturb you, this video will.
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated -- Mohandas Gandhi” Source.
I could not find any images on animal brutality with regards to the Vietnam War. Was this just because it wasn't considered bad, or important? Or... was it because the whole war was so brutal, that what happened to some of these animals paled in comparison? Children and animals are some of the innocent victims of war.
Vietnam War Remnants Museum or The human rights violations and war crimes atrocities American and French forces committed in Vietnam. Photo, Pictures of, Images, Picture (January 27, 2005)
Sam Hamill and Carolyn Forche's ideas about poetry seem mostly alike – rooting out and exposing human suffering, abuse, and injustice. Putting words to things that others cannot find the words to describe, and forever engraving it in your mind.
However, Carolyn Forche seemed to be more or less trying to educate us in what Poetry of Witness is, whereas Sam Hamill's writing seemed more heated, political, and opinionated. He definitely seemed as one who would not be able to sit quiet as an injustice was unfolding – no matter how small. You can definitely tell he came from an abusive past.
In Sam Hamill's writing, I agree with the statements about abuse and how the cycle is almost always repeated. The chain of abuse is usually passed on as the abused becomes the abuser. However, I disagree with his statements on the discipline of children. His essay states, “The man who slips off his belt to spank his naughty child is about to commit felony assault. If he behaves like this toward any other human being but those of his immediate family, he is locked up for the protection of society.” He is being a bit extreme here. The parents are allowed to spank their own child, and not other peoples children because they are supposed to be responsible for teaching their own children moral values. Now days most people expect the teachers in the class room to do it, and wonder why we have tons of pregnancies, drop outs, and discipline problems at the Jr. High and High Schools. We didn't used to need metal detectors at our schools. Spare the rod, spoil the child. I do not use a rod, and I do not condone beating a child; but, when positive reinforcement is not working and a spank or an ear squeeze is needed, and used properly, then it is not wrong. It depends on when and how this form of discipline is used. It should be reserved for outright rebellious behaviors. There are way to many very spoiled children now days that are not even taught simple basics of right and wrong. They speak and act disrespectful to their parents and everyone around them. It's now common to hear the “F” word come out of 4 and 5 year olds at the public play ground – very sad. Mr. Hamill speaks as if he is one that does not have children of his own. It is easy to judge when you are on the outside looking in, or still viewing it from an abused child's perspective. Proper discipline is not abuse. You should discipline and speak the truth in love.
I agreed with the statements and facts he gave regarding people, and the need for human touch citing the study done by the University of Wisconsin showing deformation in the cerebellum of moneys if touch is denied. There are other studies also done in relation to this (to see some, click here, and here), that all prove the same thing: It does not matter if a person is male or female, human touch is necessary for normal growth and development physically as well as emotionally.
Although Sam Hamill made quite a few good points in his writing, he seems like he has a chip on his shoulder and a bone to pick with each every person on the planet, and that we are all to blame for something that's wrong, somewhere in this world – not a very positive or healthy outlook on life.
In Caroline Forche's article, I agree with her stance on human rights, and that there is nothing wrong with poetry being political, even if that was not it's original intention. I like how she gives witness to the evils of this world in her article with out being too judgmental towards the reader. She seems more to want to open the eyes of the reader, shock them with the actual visual details, and cause change that way – a more positive way. She also seems to want to make sure the victims are not forgotten. This is evidenced by her statement, “In the Bori notesz (Bor notebook) were Radnóti's final poems, among them the Razglednici (postcard poems) written during his imprisonment. They are collected in Against Forgetting, along with the works of one hundred and forty-four other significant poets, many of whom did not survive, but their works remain with us as poetic evidence of the dark times in which they lived.“ I didn't really find anything to disagree with her on in this particular article.
For more information about Sam Hamill, click HERE, and HERE. Here is a link to Sam Hamill's website with poems from other poets who stand with him in protest against the war.
For more information about Carolyn Forche, click HERE, and HERE.
