Well, the end of junior year is almost here. With the end of this school year comes a final meta-post to wrap my blogging for American Studies up.
Especially this quarter, my blogs began to develop significantly outside of the classroom. What I mean by that is that my blogs have moved from simply stating my opinion on in-class discussions of the week in class to finding new and uniquely American issues (not just topics) that I can tie into our classroom discussions. I believe that this is successful because it really makes sure that my blog is an "American" blog, with our class as a reference source. Additionally, I feel that my blogs were not as neutral as they used to be. I would frequently voice my opinion and use each blog post as an attempt to persuade my reader to join my side. While this has positives, it also has negatives because my posts could be seen as "one-sided" without giving the opposing side any voice. While My blogs might not be as neutral as they should, they do show a level of sincerity and emotion that an unbiased blog might not have.
Additionally, I have improved greatly over the course of the year in empathy for the reader. Especially in the first quarter, I would not use links or pictures to help show the reader the entire issue. However, my efforts greatly improved; just like in my essays and papers this year, I have effectively been able to give the reader as much context as possible with Berger introductions, pictures, and links.
As I move into senior year, there is no doubt that my blogging will continue. This has been a valuable experience for me and my entire class. I look forward to reading next year's students' intriguing posts for American Studies.
Here is my 4th quarter post: http://rennikss.blogspot.com/2011/05/american-obsession-of-testing.html
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The American Obsession of Testing
This week, I read an article in the New York Times that states that New York public schools will start having standardized tests for teachers in an attempt to improve education. This is a byproduct of President Obama's new initiative, "Race to the Top", to create a competitive edge into the learning process. The city will spend over $25 million dollars to formulate these new tests for teachers. Personally, I believe that this is not addressing the fundamental problems of an American obsession.
At the core of American education is standardized testing. On the surface, what's not to like? Standardized tests give students, schools and the government scores on where they are compared to the rest of the country. However, attempting to find bad teachers does not fix the problem of a broken education system in America. As a society, we keep looking for an inexpensive and scientific way to evaluate teacher quality because we don’t trust principals - and certainly not the children - to tell us who is doing a good job. We look for a measure that is seen as fair and objective. Standardized tests seem to provide that. Additionally, it is very interesting to compare the United States to other countries on a global scale. The United States is test-crazy; our nation's youth are being forced to fill in bubbles since 3rd grade. Standardized tests have pushed teachers replace creative, imaginative lessons with timid and defensive ones. This is not how learning should be taken place. Nations such as Finland and Korea traditionally score best on worldwide assessments, while the United States is near-average. These countries have dropped testing in favor of unique teaching styles that better improve the learning for students.
I believe that we can improve education by simply trusting the principal and the teachers. This is what Finland and Korea do. The principal specifically can interface with teachers on a much more personal level, such as sitting in on classes and talking to students about the teacher's performance. If we give principals this power, we would not have to worry about spending millions of dollars for teachers to simply take tests. With this trust, hopefully it will carry over to the teachers as well. If this happens, we could put faith back into our education systems without driving our students into Scantrons (while saving a lot of money as well. This way, we can put improving our education back into the American equation.
At the core of American education is standardized testing. On the surface, what's not to like? Standardized tests give students, schools and the government scores on where they are compared to the rest of the country. However, attempting to find bad teachers does not fix the problem of a broken education system in America. As a society, we keep looking for an inexpensive and scientific way to evaluate teacher quality because we don’t trust principals - and certainly not the children - to tell us who is doing a good job. We look for a measure that is seen as fair and objective. Standardized tests seem to provide that. Additionally, it is very interesting to compare the United States to other countries on a global scale. The United States is test-crazy; our nation's youth are being forced to fill in bubbles since 3rd grade. Standardized tests have pushed teachers replace creative, imaginative lessons with timid and defensive ones. This is not how learning should be taken place. Nations such as Finland and Korea traditionally score best on worldwide assessments, while the United States is near-average. These countries have dropped testing in favor of unique teaching styles that better improve the learning for students.
I believe that we can improve education by simply trusting the principal and the teachers. This is what Finland and Korea do. The principal specifically can interface with teachers on a much more personal level, such as sitting in on classes and talking to students about the teacher's performance. If we give principals this power, we would not have to worry about spending millions of dollars for teachers to simply take tests. With this trust, hopefully it will carry over to the teachers as well. If this happens, we could put faith back into our education systems without driving our students into Scantrons (while saving a lot of money as well. This way, we can put improving our education back into the American equation.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The American Dream
This week, we talked about how The Great Gatsby resembles "the American Dream" in the way that Gatsby was able to ascend to the upper class from a poor background. Many reference sources describe the "American Dream" as "a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. One question that would surface about this belief is whether someone born into a great amount of wealth could still achieve the "American Dream".
Personally, I believe that anyone can achieve this "American Dream", with variations of success. I think that when the American Dream was conceptualized, it was intended for poor immigrants who would come to the United States in search of a prosperous life. It's this rags-to-riches myth that has surrounded the American Dream for decades. However, in the technical definition, this dream is simply the hope of improving the life you currently have. With any degree of wealth, whether great or small, the American Dream still rings true.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Lists
Earlier this week, we talked about how in The Great Gatsby, young Gatsby creates a list that says his goals and schedule in order to achieve them. After talking about this, our class talked about the purposes of using lists to accomplish something. After polling the class, less than half of the class said that they use lists frequently.
I am one of the people who uses lists. I use these lists for a number of reasons. One reason is that it gives a path for me to follow in achieving my goals. For example, a list gives a set order to do things, something that I find helpful. Another reason that I use lists to track my progress is that "crossing off" an item on my list gives a great sense of success and achievement. The process of eliminating goals from your list makes you feel better about yourself. Lastly, writing lists makes sure that your goals become concrete and set, not loose ideas that are floating around in your head. This is vital because it makes sure that you work to try to achieve your goals.
A separate entity is a bucket list. I consider this to be completely different because it is a loose organization of things that you want to get done; it does not have a process involved. Let me ask you: Do you use lists and why do you use them?
I am one of the people who uses lists. I use these lists for a number of reasons. One reason is that it gives a path for me to follow in achieving my goals. For example, a list gives a set order to do things, something that I find helpful. Another reason that I use lists to track my progress is that "crossing off" an item on my list gives a great sense of success and achievement. The process of eliminating goals from your list makes you feel better about yourself. Lastly, writing lists makes sure that your goals become concrete and set, not loose ideas that are floating around in your head. This is vital because it makes sure that you work to try to achieve your goals.
A separate entity is a bucket list. I consider this to be completely different because it is a loose organization of things that you want to get done; it does not have a process involved. Let me ask you: Do you use lists and why do you use them?
Friday, May 20, 2011
New Trier's Big Mistake
Earlier this week, distinguished and proud New Trier alumnus Donald Rumsfeld, former U.S. Congressman and former Secretary of Defense for three (3!) different presidents, visited New Trier to talk to students about his political experiences. As one of New Trier's most acclaimed yet controversial graduates, Mr. Rumsfeld's visit could have been an opportunity to hear one of America's greatest leaders speak. Despite this, New Trier completely screwed up on handling this.
Instead of making Rumsfeld's talk known to the New Trier community so that everyone could benefit, the school instead kept the talk as a secret from everyone. What message is the school sending here? This action is downright appalling and completely disrespectful to Mr. Rumsfeld. The fact is that the school was scared of Mr. Rumsfeld's visit because he is such a controversial figure. While I understand that this is true, and that many people have many different opinions, it should not have changed the fact that New Trier was terrified of an opportunity to promote a better learning enviroment for all New Trier students. the school attempted to protect it from its students, which goes against our American values. Does New Trier really think that we are not capable of taking advantage of this once in a lifetime chance? I am a New Trier student and I deserve to know about this event; I absolutely would have attended if I had known about it.
Secondly, the New Trier administration screwed up by forcing certain classes to go while not allowing other classes to be in attendance. The school selected certain classes to be the ones that had to go while other classes (in many cases, which would have liked to attend) were not allowed to go. This gets rid of the freedom of choice that should be given to each class at the teacher's discretion; if the teacher wanted his students to see Mr. Rumsfeld, they should be given this opportunity. By not allowing choice for each class, classes that did not want to go went and all others that did could not see Mr. Rumsfeld speak.
This incident has made me ashamed of the school that I attend. New Trier, a public high school that is looked as a leader across the country, has completely ditched the motto they hold so dear: "To Commit Minds to Inquiry, Hearts to Compassion, and Lives to the Service of Humanity". Mr. Rumsfeld's visit to New Trier was an opportunity to better the school as a whole, but the school made an inexplicable mistake. New Trier's character has shown through this issue through their actions in handling this event.
Instead of making Rumsfeld's talk known to the New Trier community so that everyone could benefit, the school instead kept the talk as a secret from everyone. What message is the school sending here? This action is downright appalling and completely disrespectful to Mr. Rumsfeld. The fact is that the school was scared of Mr. Rumsfeld's visit because he is such a controversial figure. While I understand that this is true, and that many people have many different opinions, it should not have changed the fact that New Trier was terrified of an opportunity to promote a better learning enviroment for all New Trier students. the school attempted to protect it from its students, which goes against our American values. Does New Trier really think that we are not capable of taking advantage of this once in a lifetime chance? I am a New Trier student and I deserve to know about this event; I absolutely would have attended if I had known about it.
Secondly, the New Trier administration screwed up by forcing certain classes to go while not allowing other classes to be in attendance. The school selected certain classes to be the ones that had to go while other classes (in many cases, which would have liked to attend) were not allowed to go. This gets rid of the freedom of choice that should be given to each class at the teacher's discretion; if the teacher wanted his students to see Mr. Rumsfeld, they should be given this opportunity. By not allowing choice for each class, classes that did not want to go went and all others that did could not see Mr. Rumsfeld speak.
This incident has made me ashamed of the school that I attend. New Trier, a public high school that is looked as a leader across the country, has completely ditched the motto they hold so dear: "To Commit Minds to Inquiry, Hearts to Compassion, and Lives to the Service of Humanity". Mr. Rumsfeld's visit to New Trier was an opportunity to better the school as a whole, but the school made an inexplicable mistake. New Trier's character has shown through this issue through their actions in handling this event.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Government Stigmas
Yesterday was American Studies Day, an annual event created to benefit the American Studies classes in our school. One of the speakers, Molly Metzker, talked about public housing, specifically in the north Chicago area. She stated that many public housing buildings, some dating back to the New Deal-era, are being torn down for a few reasons, some of which include to "replace" them and to fix them, but mostly to redevelop them to private companies for a profit. However, these redeveloped homes have failed to sell successfully.
I began to relate public housing usage to what I already knew about other government-funded programs, including Social Security and Medicare. I knew that many Americans, especially middle-class seniors, have not decided to take advantage of the programs because of the "stigma" that surrounds them. Not taking help from the government has long signaled financial independence, something that many Americans continue to strive for. Additionally, government aid usually is considered for the working class, so many middle-class Americans refuse to accept these programs, even if they could help make ends meet. I believe that the same goes for public housing, even if they are redeveloped by private companies. Middle-class families, and in some cases lower-class families, are reluctant to look into these new units because of the stigma that surrounds them. This is one of the reasons that public housing has failed. Many Americans still would rather rent a private home for more money than a publicly-housed one for less. Why do you think public housing has failed, even in this global recession?
Social Stations
Earlier this week in class, Mr. Bolos showed us a montage of video clips. These include the stops on the westbound Metra around Chicago suburbs. The video lasted about 20 minutes and painted a nice picture of the communities that were involved.
This video and the activities that surrounded made a great impression on me in a number of ways. Most importantly, it showed the direct correlation of number of Metra stops in a particular town to affluence. Therefore, the number of stops a town has, the higher the average income is. Initially, I thought that this trend would be reversed, since I believed that lower-income workers used the Metra train more than wealthier ones because the latter could afford to own automobiles. Despite this, it is the exact opposite; this was extremely eye-opening to me. Another point that the video made is in the aesthetics and landscaping of the communities that the train stopped at. A good indicator of wealth in a community is if it is well-manicured, green spaces, nice infrastructure (fountains, roads), and new construction. All of these are factors in seeing the relative wealth in a community.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Standardized Testing
For the past two weeks, I have taken a multitude of standardized tests. These include the ACT, the Prarie State Exam, and the AP United States History test. The goals of these exams are to test proficiency in a certain subject. For example, the ACT and the PSAE both use a variety of subjects including reading and science, while the AP U.S. History test is limited exclusively to American history. These tests have become a vital role in the college admissions process because they claim to represent an objective score for colleges and universities to evaluate.
While many people believe that these tests are invaluable and not effective, I beg to differ. With so many different high school curricula across the country, it is almost impossible to compare grades from one to another; it is basically apples to oranges. Two students could be enrolled in the same course on paper, but in reality, one could be much more difficult than the other. In addition, a honors course at one school could equate to a college preperatory course at another. The truth is that these grades are subjective. While standardized tests are by no means perfect, in my opinion, they do a decent job of testing proficiency. Without these scores acting as a common requirement for all students, college admissions would be much more subjective than they already are now.
While many people believe that these tests are invaluable and not effective, I beg to differ. With so many different high school curricula across the country, it is almost impossible to compare grades from one to another; it is basically apples to oranges. Two students could be enrolled in the same course on paper, but in reality, one could be much more difficult than the other. In addition, a honors course at one school could equate to a college preperatory course at another. The truth is that these grades are subjective. While standardized tests are by no means perfect, in my opinion, they do a decent job of testing proficiency. Without these scores acting as a common requirement for all students, college admissions would be much more subjective than they already are now.
American Emotions
With the recent killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. Navy Seals, there have been very mixed emotions towards the death of the terrorist leader. Right after the annoucement, hundreds of Washington D.C.-area students flooded the area in front of the White House in jubiliation of his death. On the other hand, many people have reacted at a near opposite; many have condemned the U.S. government for authorizing the mission.
Personally, I find myself in middle ground on my emotion towards it. Initally, like many other Americans, I felt relieved that this was successfully completed and a bit of excitement. However, as I really got to grasp the magnitude of this event, I began to take a more moderate position. I feel confident that our country's military was able to do their job. I feel a greater sense of trust with the people on Capital Hill now more than before the incident. This moment has reassured that whatever goal America sets its mind to, it will accomplished the feat. This goes back to the creation of the atomic bomb, the first moon landing, and all other things in between. However, I do not support critics of the mission. Many people have still yet to grasp the enormity of his planning to kill thousands of innocent Americans, not just on 9/11 but in other terrorist attacks against our contry. No matter how you look at in, bin Laden deserved to be killed and I believe that no opinion could sway me on this; he was a terrible man. Despite this, I do not believe that the killing of a human being should be celebrated at any time. It should be a time of reflection; something I continue to try to do.
Personally, I find myself in middle ground on my emotion towards it. Initally, like many other Americans, I felt relieved that this was successfully completed and a bit of excitement. However, as I really got to grasp the magnitude of this event, I began to take a more moderate position. I feel confident that our country's military was able to do their job. I feel a greater sense of trust with the people on Capital Hill now more than before the incident. This moment has reassured that whatever goal America sets its mind to, it will accomplished the feat. This goes back to the creation of the atomic bomb, the first moon landing, and all other things in between. However, I do not support critics of the mission. Many people have still yet to grasp the enormity of his planning to kill thousands of innocent Americans, not just on 9/11 but in other terrorist attacks against our contry. No matter how you look at in, bin Laden deserved to be killed and I believe that no opinion could sway me on this; he was a terrible man. Despite this, I do not believe that the killing of a human being should be celebrated at any time. It should be a time of reflection; something I continue to try to do.
Friday, March 25, 2011
True Loyalty?
"It's just who I am. I'm a redneck. It's a way of life."
This past week, a local Oregon school bus driver was fired by his school district for flying the Confederate Flag out of his own truck. He was dismissed after he refused an order from school officials to remove the flag, which is emblazoned with the word "Redneck". The school said that the flag violated a policy prohibiting symbols that "could be offensive to minorities". While multiple civil rights groups have applauded the decision, others have called for the removal of the school officials.
Personally, I have to disagree with the decision made by the school board. First off, I do not think that his intentions are meant to be harmful to African-Americans. While slavery and black oppression will forever be associated with the Confederate Flag, it was absolutely not intended. As society and the southern identity has progressed, the meaning of the Confederate Flag shows southern loyalty. This is very similar with the Texas and the Colorado flags. The citizens of these states are attached to their heritage from this place, just like Southerns. Secondly, the school bus driver is flying the flag on his own private property and not on the school's property. Lastly, the word "redneck" across the flag again proves the point that the flag is simply the driver's way of showing pride in his upbringing. There is nothing wrong with that.
This past week, a local Oregon school bus driver was fired by his school district for flying the Confederate Flag out of his own truck. He was dismissed after he refused an order from school officials to remove the flag, which is emblazoned with the word "Redneck". The school said that the flag violated a policy prohibiting symbols that "could be offensive to minorities". While multiple civil rights groups have applauded the decision, others have called for the removal of the school officials.
Personally, I have to disagree with the decision made by the school board. First off, I do not think that his intentions are meant to be harmful to African-Americans. While slavery and black oppression will forever be associated with the Confederate Flag, it was absolutely not intended. As society and the southern identity has progressed, the meaning of the Confederate Flag shows southern loyalty. This is very similar with the Texas and the Colorado flags. The citizens of these states are attached to their heritage from this place, just like Southerns. Secondly, the school bus driver is flying the flag on his own private property and not on the school's property. Lastly, the word "redneck" across the flag again proves the point that the flag is simply the driver's way of showing pride in his upbringing. There is nothing wrong with that.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Scholarships for Athletes
This week, longtime consumer advocate Ralph Nader is calling for the elimination of college athletic scholarships, saying the move is necessary to "de-professionalize" college athletes. Nader says that this proposed move would be replaced with need-based financial aid for students and would restore academic integrity to collegiate sports.
While this appears to be a legitimate concept on paper, in reality, this idea would never actually work when it is implemented. First off, the plan would never be implemented because the colleges that would be affected would never agree to it. The biggest source of revenue for universities like Ohio State and Florida is in the athletic department, specifically football and men's basketball. The college culture that surrounds these "big money" sports has already been developed and is used by all of the power conferences. The way to get the most money from these sports is to assemble the best team possible, and the way to do this is to recruit the most talented kids to your program. A recruiting staple that all Division I colleges use is a full athletic scholarship to attract these student-athletes. Especially in the power sports, five-star recruits demand athletic scholarships and, for the most part, colleges will give one to them. With this already a vital part of collegiate sports, in is unfeasible to simply erase it from college culture.
I do agree, however, that academics in collegiate sports need to be much more important. After all, they don't call them student-athletes for nothing.
I do agree, however, that academics in collegiate sports need to be much more important. After all, they don't call them student-athletes for nothing.
Junior Theme Issues
As I started Junior Theme last week, I already knew exactly what topic I wanted to discuss in my paper. Since I am a high school male athlete, I am very interested in Title IX and its side-effects on collegiate sports, specifically on men's sports. In addition, because of the fanfare that surrounds the essay, I had heard that the junior theme was a persuasive research paper, and this really cemented the topic that I wanted to do. But, as I should have known, this American Studies class is much different than other classes.
As I soon figured out, going into the junior theme with this mindset is completely wrong. Because I already had an opinion on my topic, I could not research Title IX with an open mind. Instead, I had a very narrow viewpoint that did not grasp the other side of the arguments. When I decided to change topics to something that I had not learned as much about, capital punishment, it was much easier to think of the junior theme as an inquiry and not something that it shouldn't be.
As I soon figured out, going into the junior theme with this mindset is completely wrong. Because I already had an opinion on my topic, I could not research Title IX with an open mind. Instead, I had a very narrow viewpoint that did not grasp the other side of the arguments. When I decided to change topics to something that I had not learned as much about, capital punishment, it was much easier to think of the junior theme as an inquiry and not something that it shouldn't be.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Democracy = Participation
For roughly the past month now, there have been many protests in the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison over Governor Scott Walker's controversial move to suspend unions' rights to a collective bargaining agreement, among other things. Because of these actions, fourteen of the Wisconsin Senate Democrats have fled the state in an attempt to change Governor Walker's opinion. Despite many protesters currently working to stop this from happening, Governor Walker appears to be winning and has shown no indication of revoking this movement.
More recently, Governor Walker issued an ultimatum, saying that if the Democratic senators do not return to work soon, there will be many job firings of state employees. This firm statement makes many people believe that Governor Walker is not being tolerant enough and should attempt to compromise. Many have even called Walker's action "dictatorial". I have disagree with these statements. Governor Walker's response is justified because of the actions by the Wisconsin state representatives that precipitated it. The purpose of a democratic government is for full representation by the people. So when these elected officials leave the state in order to not fulfill their duty, they are completely disobeying their job.
I have heard many liberals who do not support Walker claim that because of his supposed iron-fist on the matter of trimming the budget, it has shown that he is not willing to move from his position. The opposite is actually true, as Walker has made it clear that he is willing to have civil discussions about improving his plans reduce the state deficit. Despite this, these state senators whom people elected are being ignorant and are actually the ones not being reasonable.
I want to remind the democratic senators that it is their job to participate in their government. After all, the people of Wisconsin entrusted them with the duty to fulfill what they want from their government. By running away from the problem instead of facing it head on, they are failing in their job and are not representing their people. They will not fix the problem if they do not participate in the government for their people.
More recently, Governor Walker issued an ultimatum, saying that if the Democratic senators do not return to work soon, there will be many job firings of state employees. This firm statement makes many people believe that Governor Walker is not being tolerant enough and should attempt to compromise. Many have even called Walker's action "dictatorial". I have disagree with these statements. Governor Walker's response is justified because of the actions by the Wisconsin state representatives that precipitated it. The purpose of a democratic government is for full representation by the people. So when these elected officials leave the state in order to not fulfill their duty, they are completely disobeying their job.
I have heard many liberals who do not support Walker claim that because of his supposed iron-fist on the matter of trimming the budget, it has shown that he is not willing to move from his position. The opposite is actually true, as Walker has made it clear that he is willing to have civil discussions about improving his plans reduce the state deficit. Despite this, these state senators whom people elected are being ignorant and are actually the ones not being reasonable.
I want to remind the democratic senators that it is their job to participate in their government. After all, the people of Wisconsin entrusted them with the duty to fulfill what they want from their government. By running away from the problem instead of facing it head on, they are failing in their job and are not representing their people. They will not fix the problem if they do not participate in the government for their people.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Protecting Freedom or Our Interests?
After 30 years of control over Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down and give power of the country over to the military after millions had protested in the country's major cities demanding his oust. Mubarak has been outlined for his one-party rule and his oppression over many of the Egyptian citizens. However, Mubarak and his regime had become a major ally of the United States, as during this time Egypt supported Israel. In return, America has provided financial resources to them and has supported them vocally.
This week, as the protests were in full-swing, President Obama issued a statement, saying that he hopes Mubarak "will end up making the right decision", also known as urging him to step down. I believe President Obama should not have acted so quickly towards this turn of events across the Atlantic. While I realize that by promoting the actions of the protestors in Egypt, Obama is making a stand that certain oppression will not be tolerated and that freedom should always reign supreme wherever it can. But I caution Obama to take any part of this conflict, let alone the stance that he is taking. First off, President Obama must realize that by supporting the Egyptian protests, he is basically attempting to cut all ties with U.S.-Mubarak relations in one blow. By trying to do this, he is failing to recognize the support that we have given him in the past and that he is an essential ally to Iraeli relations in the Middle East. Secondly, I do not suggest the President to interject his views about the civil unrest in the nation because he follows an eerily-similar path that his predecessor took in Iraq. Obamaa should try to stay neutral on the topic and not make any remarks towards the country and their citizens, since the United States has a lot of merit between freedom and our own interests.
African-American Portrayals: Past and Present
This week in American Studies, we have begun to talk about the portrayal and stereotypes that surround African-Americans in today's society and in the past. After thinking about the perceptions that are connected to black people, we started to see some patterns that ring out in nearly every form of today's media.
Because we are a forward-thinking society, we would like to believe that racism has virtually been eliminated in the 21st-century. Despite these hopes, the negative stigmas that define African-Americans really flaw our views. Some portrayals of African-Americans include: violent, uneducated, and unintelligent. While there are millions of blacks in America that completely shatter these concepts (like President Obama), they always seem to be exceptions to the rule that the media presents. In primetime television dramas such as CSI and Law & Order, these negatives views about African-Americans are born. In both shows, blacks tend to be the criminals that are fighting against the law. But when they are on the "good" side, they always seem to be playing as a minor supporting character; a follower to the nth degree. In other forms of media, especially sports, African-Americans themselves use slang and profanity in their speech.
It is important that the media balances out their portrayals of African-Americans as much as possible. That way it gives the full spectrum, making it more and more realistic.
Because we are a forward-thinking society, we would like to believe that racism has virtually been eliminated in the 21st-century. Despite these hopes, the negative stigmas that define African-Americans really flaw our views. Some portrayals of African-Americans include: violent, uneducated, and unintelligent. While there are millions of blacks in America that completely shatter these concepts (like President Obama), they always seem to be exceptions to the rule that the media presents. In primetime television dramas such as CSI and Law & Order, these negatives views about African-Americans are born. In both shows, blacks tend to be the criminals that are fighting against the law. But when they are on the "good" side, they always seem to be playing as a minor supporting character; a follower to the nth degree. In other forms of media, especially sports, African-Americans themselves use slang and profanity in their speech.
It is important that the media balances out their portrayals of African-Americans as much as possible. That way it gives the full spectrum, making it more and more realistic.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
My Second Quarter Meta-Blog Post
At the beginning of the year, I thought that, to be honest, blogging was really a hassle and not an activity that I could use to benefit my writing skills. I have realized that, as the year has gone on, I have begun looking forward to my blog post every week, as it gives an insight into how American Studies class can relate to current event topics that are affecting our daily lives. Blogging has really helped me become much more aware of my surroundings and how that coincide with my classroom work.
This quarter, I have seen a few slight changes to my blogging style. First and foremost, the change that I believe has been most influential is my shift from a higher degree of focus on the current events rather than the classroom topics. Instead of starting with things said in class, like I have done earlier in the year, I have scoured other websites and external sources for fresh new information that I could relate to class. By having the current event be the foundation for my posts instead of vice versa, I have gained a heightened sense of American news and the stories that surround it. It's isn't too hard too find an obscure article that fits with our class disscussions, while it is much more difficult to take high-profile stories and relate it to something strikingly similar in the American Studies environment. Secondly, I have also begun to write blogs about material that I am more interested in, not just the ones that fit the bill. For example, sports and politics have become recurring themes in my blog because they are among my interests. I do believe that I need to work on my neutrality. Sometimes, my posts can have a negative bias and I really want to work on fixing that so all readers feel free to comment on.
I believe the post that exemplifies my second quarter is the one titled "Censorship in America". It really displays the trends and changes that I have been making. Here is the link: http://rennikss.blogspot.com/2011/01/censorship-in-america.html
This quarter, I have seen a few slight changes to my blogging style. First and foremost, the change that I believe has been most influential is my shift from a higher degree of focus on the current events rather than the classroom topics. Instead of starting with things said in class, like I have done earlier in the year, I have scoured other websites and external sources for fresh new information that I could relate to class. By having the current event be the foundation for my posts instead of vice versa, I have gained a heightened sense of American news and the stories that surround it. It's isn't too hard too find an obscure article that fits with our class disscussions, while it is much more difficult to take high-profile stories and relate it to something strikingly similar in the American Studies environment. Secondly, I have also begun to write blogs about material that I am more interested in, not just the ones that fit the bill. For example, sports and politics have become recurring themes in my blog because they are among my interests. I do believe that I need to work on my neutrality. Sometimes, my posts can have a negative bias and I really want to work on fixing that so all readers feel free to comment on.
I believe the post that exemplifies my second quarter is the one titled "Censorship in America". It really displays the trends and changes that I have been making. Here is the link: http://rennikss.blogspot.com/2011/01/censorship-in-america.html
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Media Biases
Last week, a tragedy occurred in Arizona that has shook the entire nation as a whole. As many of you know, U.S. House Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot at point-blank range in an assassination attempt during a informational event in Tuscon. The suspect, Jared Lee Loughner, killed six others and injured twelve more besides Giffords in his gun rampage. This event, without a doubt, has stunned America as a whole in many different ways.
What has disturbed me is the media speculation that has surrounded this horrifying event. While these last few days should be ones of mourning and sorrow for the families that have been directly affected by it, the media has immediately jumped to conclusions. Already, the media claims that politics have a central focus in this event. Many sources, including high-ranking news outlets such as the New York Times, have put blame on conservatives for Loughner's actions. Some of their opinions include that Republicans are the sole reason for partisan rhetoric, that Loughner was a direct follower of Sarah Palin's website, which included an image of Giffords' district in the crosshairs, and the simple act of presenting Loughner to "resemble" right-wing talk show host Glenn Beck.
This is really awful on so many degrees. I believe that once these media outlets look into Loughner's background and the evidence against him, they will realize that conservatives are no more to blame than liberals. In fact, as it appears, Loughner had dropped out of both his high school and community college, a drug addict, and a firm believer in radical conspiracy theories. His favorite books, as stated on his MySpace page, include Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto. I firmly believe that as this evidence surfaces and becomes clearer and as common sense takes over liberal biases, the media will realize that Loughner is a mentally unstable and is insane. To make it more clear, Loughner has stated in the past that he neither sides with the Republicans or the Democrats; he is a registered independent.
I pray the media will realize their mistakes and apologize for their accusations. It is clear that while political partisanship might be involved, Republicans are in no way, shape, or form involved in this crises. As President Obama would say, “it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” As Americans, we should realize that this is a healing process and not a string of hate. This horrible disaster is only one that“lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind" and not any other groups'.
What has disturbed me is the media speculation that has surrounded this horrifying event. While these last few days should be ones of mourning and sorrow for the families that have been directly affected by it, the media has immediately jumped to conclusions. Already, the media claims that politics have a central focus in this event. Many sources, including high-ranking news outlets such as the New York Times, have put blame on conservatives for Loughner's actions. Some of their opinions include that Republicans are the sole reason for partisan rhetoric, that Loughner was a direct follower of Sarah Palin's website, which included an image of Giffords' district in the crosshairs, and the simple act of presenting Loughner to "resemble" right-wing talk show host Glenn Beck.
This is really awful on so many degrees. I believe that once these media outlets look into Loughner's background and the evidence against him, they will realize that conservatives are no more to blame than liberals. In fact, as it appears, Loughner had dropped out of both his high school and community college, a drug addict, and a firm believer in radical conspiracy theories. His favorite books, as stated on his MySpace page, include Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto. I firmly believe that as this evidence surfaces and becomes clearer and as common sense takes over liberal biases, the media will realize that Loughner is a mentally unstable and is insane. To make it more clear, Loughner has stated in the past that he neither sides with the Republicans or the Democrats; he is a registered independent.
I pray the media will realize their mistakes and apologize for their accusations. It is clear that while political partisanship might be involved, Republicans are in no way, shape, or form involved in this crises. As President Obama would say, “it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.” As Americans, we should realize that this is a healing process and not a string of hate. This horrible disaster is only one that“lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind" and not any other groups'.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Censorship in America
This week in American Studies, we have discussed a current event topic regarding our current book, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A publisher has decided to release an abridged version of the Mark Twain novel that removes the N-word from the book altogether and replacing it with "slave". This movement is another addition to the 21st-century phenomenon of censorship and "politically correct". I completely disagree with this decision wholeheartedly. I personally believe that if Twain had heard that a third-party publisher would essentially rewrite the meaning of his story, he would be outraged at this. It also goes to what we are as a nation. I think that we have to realize that the N-word is engraved in our nation's history and flaws and that by simply hiding it from our nation's youth, we are simply not accepting our failures in the past and not accepting it. Instead, we should teach our children about the background behind this word and ensure that we learn from it in a positive way.
This movement presents a striking parallel to the Native American mascot controversy in the United States. In 2005, due to strong pressures from the far left, the NCAA decided to create a self-evaluation into all collegiate athletic programs with possibly "offensive" imagery. One of the schools on this list was the University of Illinois due to their mascot, Chief Illiniwek, which the NCAA deemed "hostile and abusive". Chief Illiniwek, meaning "the indomitable human spirit" was a 70 year tradition that was created to celebrate the Native American heritage of the state of Illinois. Chief Illiniwek's His costume was designed by a Native American chief from the Lakota Tribe and his dances, performed at halftime of University of Illinois sporting events, was proclaimed by the U of I Board of Trustees "His ceremonial dance is done with grace and beauty. The Chief keeps the memory of the people of a great Native American tribe alive for thousands of Illinoisans who otherwise would know little or nothing of them." Despite all of these truths, clearly the NCAA was extremely ignorant and did not look into the history and background of what Chief Illiniwek. At Florida State University, however, the NCAA allowed the use of the nickname "Seminoles" because of tribal support. But because there were no more living members of the Illini tribe to support the Chief, the NCAA forced Illinois to retire the mascot and logo, therefore destroying a great and respectful symbol that payed homage to our state's rich history.
The censorship of Twain's novel and the University of Illinois' revered symbol are alike in so many ways, as they have fallen victims to this new era of unjustified politically correctness that is attempting to rewrite our nation's past. Instead of teaching our children about our past through these devices, many people and organizations are attempting to blind our citizens from the truth. Censorship, simply put, is not what America has ever stood for and never shall be.
This movement presents a striking parallel to the Native American mascot controversy in the United States. In 2005, due to strong pressures from the far left, the NCAA decided to create a self-evaluation into all collegiate athletic programs with possibly "offensive" imagery. One of the schools on this list was the University of Illinois due to their mascot, Chief Illiniwek, which the NCAA deemed "hostile and abusive". Chief Illiniwek, meaning "the indomitable human spirit" was a 70 year tradition that was created to celebrate the Native American heritage of the state of Illinois. Chief Illiniwek's His costume was designed by a Native American chief from the Lakota Tribe and his dances, performed at halftime of University of Illinois sporting events, was proclaimed by the U of I Board of Trustees "His ceremonial dance is done with grace and beauty. The Chief keeps the memory of the people of a great Native American tribe alive for thousands of Illinoisans who otherwise would know little or nothing of them." Despite all of these truths, clearly the NCAA was extremely ignorant and did not look into the history and background of what Chief Illiniwek. At Florida State University, however, the NCAA allowed the use of the nickname "Seminoles" because of tribal support. But because there were no more living members of the Illini tribe to support the Chief, the NCAA forced Illinois to retire the mascot and logo, therefore destroying a great and respectful symbol that payed homage to our state's rich history.
The censorship of Twain's novel and the University of Illinois' revered symbol are alike in so many ways, as they have fallen victims to this new era of unjustified politically correctness that is attempting to rewrite our nation's past. Instead of teaching our children about our past through these devices, many people and organizations are attempting to blind our citizens from the truth. Censorship, simply put, is not what America has ever stood for and never shall be.
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