Zooming In

December 16, 2005

Evaluation

No doubt, my two favorite parts of the course were the Crash analysis and the final project, probably because I was able to relate both of them to each other at the end of the course. Before this class, I had never analyzed a movie in depth. I grew to love looking for every black and white juxtaposition in Crash and wondering what these colors could mean in every scene. This black and white them, as most of you probably know, from my writing, carried throughout the rest of the class. I could not stop thinking about these two colors that represent so many different aspects of our society today. I tried to bring this new way of thinking into my project. I am so thankful for the final project. I was able to express my feelings through images and words. Although no one could ever look at my project and know everything about me, I truly feel that that poster is a representation of my life at this point. The last class was truly empowering. Everyone's projects were done so well--and with so much thought! I was blown away. These projects were definitely a highlight of the class.

I never knew that I could analyze pictures and films or find a deeper meaning in any art. I was told in highschool that I was too logical, too literal, and I probably strayed away from art because of this. Now, I know I can. My future goal is now to explore this newfound area. I truly want to embrace it :)

Great job everyone! -Christina

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December 02, 2005

If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?

Baldwin explains that the argument of whether Black English is considered a language or not “has nothing to do with the language itself but with the role of language” (Baldwin 1). Language defines a person and allows a person to be recognized. Each person’s language evolves overtime as a response not only to societal changes, but also to necessity. For example, sometimes, a person must tweak his or her language in order to converse with another dialect.

Black English is maintained and studied because many people do not want it to die out, just like the Basque and Welsh’s determination to keep their language alive and spoken. Even though these languages are being preserved, it is an interesting concept that some of these languages were forbidden to be spoken, and if spoken there would be harsh consequences. In this way, the language that someone speaks is a representation of their identity. A language or dialect can be pinpointed to certain regions, and each region or country has a rich history. This background and history is immediately linked to the person that speaks the language.

Baldwin writes, “a language comes into existence by means of brutal necessity, and the rules of the language are dictated by what the language must convey” (2). Black English, in particular, developed because of the Black church. Blacks from many different places in the world were pushed together on slave boats to come to America. In order to speak to each other, they had to merge languages and create a language that was not only unique to their society, but also could be used as a means to communicate with each other. Baldwin even remembers standing next to a white man and being told to speak fast in order to confuse the white man. So, essentially, Black English was used as a means to converse without the whites knowing about which they were speaking.

Finally, Baldwin cannot understand why Black English would not be considered a language. This language has its roots in history. Baldwin believes that the truth of the matter is that no white person ever felt responsible to actually teach the blacks a language, and when they were taught proper English, their teachers despised them. After all, a child that is taught English by teachers that despise him will not learn anything. He/she will revert back to their native tongue, so in a sense, Black English is the only way in which these people could communicate.

In the end, the inability for whites to teach blacks English has brought about many of the social struggles that blacks have even today. If they are in a society that still does not accept them, even for their language, how are they able to function? Without support from our own country, hope is lost. This may be the cause of so many blacks in the streets. They don’t know how to deal with a society that seems to have given up on them. It is incredibly sad to think about.

Questions:

1)In one of Baldwin’s paragraphs, he, in particular was forced to speak a language so fast that the whites could not hear or understand him. If the whites did stop to think about what the blacks said, they would be revealing a certain identity about themselves, that they actually took the time to listen and understand “black talk”. Baldwin writes, “This understanding would reveal to him too much about himself, and smash that mirror before which he has been frozen for so long” (Baldwin 2) What does this imply?

2)What would Americans have sounded like if there had been no Black English?

3)What does this quote actually mean: We, the blacks, are in trouble, certainly, but we are not doomed, and we are not inarticulate because we are not compelled to defend a morality that we know to be a lie” (Baldwin 2)?

4)Are so many non-whites truly in jail because “both the child and his elder have concluded that they have nothing whatever to learn from the people of a country that has managed to learn so little” (Baldwin 3)?

5)[In connection with the previous question]: What exactly has this country learned so little about? Just equality or a myriad of aspects of life in general?

-Christina

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December 01, 2005

In Response to Zaya's Question

Q5: In the end, what is Lisa Delpit’s feeling towards Standard English? Is she encouraging the rest of the community to be more respectful to Ebonics so African American children will “adopt our language from as one to be added to their own”?

It seems as though Delpit is negative towards Standard English. She believes that most people think that Standard English is the highest form of language that one can speak. Sometimes, we may become too wrapped up in the idea that English is superior so we tend to disregard other languages and refer to them as "lazy". I do believe that she is encouraging the rest of the community to be more respectful of Ebonics, but not just so that African-American children will adopt our language from as one to be added to their own". I think that Delpit encourages African-American to learn English, but also to retain their roots, specifically, their mother tongue languages. She places high value on these languages because they are unique and hold importance for each person.

-Christina

Posted by lcisgancarz at 10:48 PM | Comments (1)

"No Kinda Sense" Chapter 3

Comments:

C1) Lisa Delpit writes “the second, if it was that easy for my child to “pick up” at school a new language clearly not her home language, then what was preventing the millions of African American children whose home language was different from the school’s form acquiring the dialect of Standard English?” This aspect of language is something to ponder. How can a child pick up a language so fast in one area, but many children can not learn proper English in the same amount of time? Delpit sees the change in her child because of her want and need to fit into a society. She feels comfortable with her friends and therefore is more likely to use their language.

C2) It is also interesting how Deplit comments on the Oakland Controversy. She writes, “behind the humor and the outrage was that some group of black folks had dared to air our dirty little secret—that a lot of us didn’t know how to “talk right,” and some didn’t much care what other folk thought about it” (37). In many ways, they still have pride in their language and usually use it frequently. Ebonics is still part of their culture and heritage. It must have been difficult seeing disturbing news about a language that is particular to your background. The truth of the matter is that the language is still common, even though it was being highly criticized (and still is highly criticized).

C3) “It doesn’t matter what other people think about you, you have to be who you are. It’s their problem if they can’t appreciate how wonderful you are” (38). This quote just seemed to jump out at me. The girl, Maya, was reiterating the same words her mother had told her, and yet her mother was telling her to stray away from this concept. I wonder, many times parents have to instill certain values into their children, but the world does not appreciate these values, and some of these values are unattainable for such a fickle world. Sometimes, I myself feel as though I have to step back for a second and analyze the situations that I am in. I try to make decisions based not on popular belief, but from my own belief.

C4) Aileen Moffitt, one of the white teachers at Oakland said that he actually obtained a rich appreciation for the culture and background of African-Americans who spoke Ebonics. He began to realize that the features of grammar, syntax, phonology, phonetics, morphology, and semantic were particularly intriguing. His response to the Oakland Controversy was a positive one. He was able to learn about another culture when all the news was portraying was negativity.

C5) “There is a reason our language is called our mother tongue. To speak out against the language that children bring to school means that we are speaking out against their mothers, that their mothers are not good enough to be a part of the school world. And in the African American community, talking about someone’s mother is the worst for of insult!” (47). I completely respect this quote. It embodies everything about language in general. We have learned a language since birth that is unique to our family, our background, our life. To ridicule a person because of his or her speech is one of the greatest insults possible. Again, just because a language is different, does not mean that it is less valued or less important for someone else.

Questions:

Q1) How did Delpit change her mind so quickly about language differences and accepting them? She indicates at the beginning of the chapter that she came from disciplining her child not to speak in Ebonics to speaking to others about embracing their language differences.

Q2) Why were linguists never involved in the Oakland Controversy even though they seem like they could make the biggest contributions?

Q3) I just want to clarify here. Delpit is suggesting that one can learn a language or a dialect easier if he or she is not forced into learning it?

Q4) When Delpit explains about students feeling alienated from school because of their background, is she just talking about her own heritage or in general? Is there a certain race that she is pointing to, a race that feels especially secluded?

Q5) Why did Delpit feel so awful about her daughter speaking Ebonics? Was it just because she thought that her daughter would be looked down upon?

-Christina

Posted by lcisgancarz at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)

"Some Basic Sociolinguistic Concepts" Chapter 5

Comments:

C1) This quote from a teacher talking to her class, in particular, struck me. “You can see on the bottom of your sheet, ‘We ain’t got no money.’ That is typically a London accent—the tendency to drop the aitch off the front of words, d’you see? It’s a lazy way of speaking”. I was taken back because I often call English that is not spoken properly, lazy, when in actuality, proper English should not have any priority over any other language. Every language and dialect should be treated with respect and should not be put down. Unfortunately though, in our society today, we do judge others by the way that they speak, but linguists have this ability to see the beauty in each language, dialect, and accent.

C2) I found it interesting that in a Canadian study, teachers actually judged how a student performed academically through their language. Teachers found that the way a child spoke directly influenced how they wrote and how they were able to produce art (e.g. painting, drawing). Students that spoke proper English were able to perform better in the classroom in general. This just shows that language does play an incredibly important role in the development of other skills.

C3) It has been noticed that the language of the poor is not underdeveloped and uncomplicated. “Fieldwork in urban and rural areas of Britain and the U.S.A. has demonstrated in detail that such dialects are inherently systematic and rule-governed, deeply organized systems of great complexity” (71). I have always associated poor people with poor simple language, and this information was new to me. Although these languages may not be English, they have significance with certain structures and rules as well. In connection with this comment, I thought that this statement was powerful and very true: saying that someone’s “English is “wrong” is to not make a linguistic, but a social linguistic judgment” (77).

C4) “Thus a child’s language may be a disadvantage in his educational progress: not because his language is itself “deficient,” but because it is different” (79). – In America, we have trouble accepting other’s languages. When someone cannot speak English, we automatically think that they are dumb, stupid, or uneducated. This particular quote, aforementioned, is completely true. Even though another person is not fluent in your language, does not mean that their language is any less important or should be labeled “deficient”.

C5) “I used to think I was poor. Then they told me I wasn’t poor, I was needy. Then they told me it was self-defeating to think of myself as needy, I was deprived. Then they told me derived was a bad image. I was underprivileged. Then they told me underprivileged was overused. I was disadvantaged. I still haven’t got a dime, but I have a great vocabulary” (79). This quote from a cartoon caught me off guard. It was so powerful. This quote shows how the meanings of words evolve over time, yet conditions do not change.

Questions:

Q1) I am confused about the conversation with the two girls and “sort of”. I do not understand what Michael Stubbs is trying to get at here. What did this conversation show?

Q2) What did the teachers do to make the children that they had identified as “less able”, “more able” in their classrooms?

Q3) Why do linguists think that there is no ambiguity in meaning in the two phrases “we was” and “we ain’t”? Sometimes, I become confused about their meanings, especially “ain’t”.

Q4) What exactly is the difference between nonstandard and informal speech?

Q5) How is it that the African-Americans could understand the meaning of a certain sentence but not repeat the sentence?

-Christina

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Twilight Los Angeles

Just to let all of you know.. Some of us are going to watch Twilight Los Angeles in the South Hall basement at 7:15 pm if anyone wants to join us.

Posted by lcisgancarz at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2005

Ebonics Controversy Websites

www.jadeworks.com

http://www.stanford.edu/~rickford/ebonics/

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jmw22/1stOaklandRes.html

http://www.cal.org/ebonics/ebfillmo.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebonics

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_speech/v075/75.3weldon.html

http://fsweb.berry.edu/academic/hass/ejohnson/ebonics.htm

http://www.questia.com -search for "ebonics controversy" -gives lists of books

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/miqa3626/is1299801/ai_n8792373

-Emily, Jessica, Lauren, Yasmin & Christina

Posted by lcisgancarz at 12:15 PM | Comments (0)

Christina's Thesis Statement!

Williams' poem, "Talk to Strangers", Ginsberg's poem, "Message", and Dickinson's poem, "A slash of Blue", all combine morphology and syntax to creat distinct connotations, each specific to the poet's own style.

Posted by lcisgancarz at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)

November 25, 2005

Cultural and Language Differences Over Break

I was fortunate enough to be able to come home for Thanksgiving and to visit one of my neighbors. She is one of my best friends. She is from Serbia and was forced from her home in Serbia when she was young and traveled to the United States, without any knowledge of the English language. Her time here has been very difficult, especially in terms of cultural differences. She still does not understand the American way of life, even after living here for seven years. She has this thick accent. You can barely understand her, but she is so intelligent, it almost scares me. When she speaks, she says some profound statements, but she says them with about 200 words instead of just one since she still does not have a complete grasp on the English language. I just remember listening to her this past vacation and thinking, “o my goodness..I know the word for what she is trying to say”, but yet, I couldn’t stop her because her message was so powerful. When I did say the word for what she was trying to explain, it didn’t really matter. She preferred explaining the concept, or her idea to me. I just thought that this was such an incredible difference in language or difference in personality. In the end, though, when I don’t know a specific word in French, I try to beat around the bush and explain it from any other way possible, but my French does not sound as profound as her English. Lastly, I can never repeat any American phrases or quote anyone really with her because she does not understand. This has occurred many times when I had to back off from my American expressions and fully explain what I was trying to say. I am intrigued when I see my friend because I learn something new about language and culture every time we meet.  -Christina

Posted by lcisgancarz at 05:18 PM | Comments (2)

Chapter 2: Taste

In Chapter 2 of Practices of Looking, taste is defined as being “informed by experiences relating to one’s class, cultural background, education, and other aspects of identity”. The book goes on to explain that taste is usually associated with a certain class, a certain culture, or a certain group of people. Taste has a +high class or +wealthy connotation. If a person has taste it usually means that he or she knows how to wear, buy, or arrange something to make it look expensive or show off its value. Interesting how that word has evolved. Now, in an age of thrift stores and bargains, taste no longer holds that connotation as much as it used to. Someone can have good taste, even if they are not wealthy. Then again, when I think of the word “connoisseurship”, I immediately think of a wealthy higher class person. A connoisseur judges what is good and bad. Being a connoisseur is something that can only be attained through study and most likely travel. When I think of a connoisseur, I think of a wine connoisseur who has tried hundreds of wines and has the right frame of mind and tongue to be able to detect good wine when he or she tastes it. But again, in order to be an excellent wine connoisseur, one needs to have tasted many wines, been to many regions, especially in France, and experienced wine tasting. So again, I do not think of a connoisseur as a poor person, but a very rich and worldly one. I just have never thought about this particular word before, and now I realize that it is truly specific to a certain class and group of people. -Christina

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November 21, 2005

Pygmalion Effect

“The Pygmalion effect (also known as Rosenthal effect) is a finding that people tend to behave as you expect they will” (“Pygmalion effect”).

Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson conducted experiments concerning children in schools. They used psychology in order to trick the teachers into working a small percentage of students to their full potential. Twenty percent of the students were selected and the teachers were told that these students showed great intellectual potential. By the end of eight months, these students possessed a higher IQ that the other children who were not singled out. This indicates that the teachers must have given these students more attention, knowing that they could be mentally advanced. One educational reformed concluded that “labeling matters, and the younger the person getting the label is, the more it matters”. In addition, James Rhem said something interesting : “when teachers expect students to do well and show intellectual growth, they do; when teachers do not have such expectations, performance and growth are not so encouraged and may in fact be discouraged in a variety of ways”. Essentially, he is suggesting that, if teachers do not have high standards for learning, neither will their students, so ultimately, a student’s performance is governed by their teacher. This occurs in everyday life too; in the workforce or at home. If my parents have high expectations for me, I will have high expectations for myself and therefore will continue to push and work myself harder.

The Pygmalion Effect also seems to have to deal with a person’s body image and view of him or herself. Like in My Fair Lady, Eliza only becomes of high status when she looks the part (clothes, hair, makeup), and acts the part (speech, manners, poise). Only then is she considered an upstanding citizen of society.

I used www.wikipedia.org for my research. When I went to do my blog, this source was already used, but as I searched around online for another credible site, there were mostly dot com sources that did not look credible because of advertisements. Wikipedia is a credible source because it is a dot org, meaning, it has to do with an organization, and for most of my research papers, teachers have listed Wikipedia as an informative and good source of information.

-Christina

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November 19, 2005

Baby Talk

It is intriguing how the chart that Nanette wanted us to fill out, comparing the length of time that a particular part of language would need to be changed like among lexicon, syntax, and pronunciation ties in directly with first language acquisition or baby talk. If you think about it, babies first learn words. They try to pronounce them, but more often than not, their pronunciation is inaccurate and sloppy. I find it hard, when I am babysitting a younger child, that I cannot understand what they are saying because of the jumbling of sounds that they are using to produce a certain word. The key here is that though they do not know how to articulate the word, they are still trying to do so. Then, when they master the pronunciation as they grow older, they can form sentences using syntax. In order to be a master of syntax, though, one has to learn and study it. This is exactly why changing syntax is so difficult. Everyone knows and uses the simple syntax because it is both innate and learned. Syntax rules allow people to speak to each other and understand. If English syntax is changed, the ability of everyone to communicate is destroyed. We need to keep consistency. From the example of babies, it is obvious that words can be changed easier because they are absorbed easier, and then pronunciation is the second aspect of language that these babies learn, which is a little harder to absorb. So, essentially, much of how language can be changed can be determined by first language acquisition, especially in babies. Very interesting! -Christina

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November 17, 2005

Lone Girl --> Brighten up!

What immediately struck me at the conclusion of Chapter 4 in Seeing and Writing, was the picture of the lone girl on the stool, staring off into space. This picture shows such innocence, but also such a lack of confidence. Interesting how this photograph is placed in the book. On one side of the layout is a beautiful, very stylish and sexy woman, while this picture is of a young girl, very much outdated and "frumpy". It looks as though she is sitting, waiting to get her class picture taken. One of those embarrassing moments where you have to smile, readjust a million times, and say "cheese" (or "fromage" -- I like to say that), knowing that your picture is still going to turn out horrible. I just wish that this girl would have had more confidence, would have taken pride in herself. Her eyes wander and she slouches, indicating to me that she doesn't care and that she is lost, either literally, or figuratively (in terms of life). Unfortunately, she seems to be around the age where most girls feel insecure about themselves and their own body images. No matter how much we are taught in school to respect ourselves and accept ourselves, we always seem to keep putting OURSELVES down. I wished the picture carried this connotation instead, "Here I am! This is ME! I am ready to conquer the world!" I know, it's cheesy, but its true. Sometimes I have to say that to myself just to keep positive.

-Christina

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November 11, 2005

MFA Assignment

**HELP: If anyone has the dates for some of my pictures, can you comment please? For some reason, I did not write two of them down. Thanks!

1) At one point, during my stay at the MFA, I just stopped analyzing of the photographs around me, stopped searching for my friends, stopped thinking about the studying for the Biology exam that I had to do, and let myself take a minute to observe my surroundings. The walls, stark and gray, gave this perfect backdrop to the intense photographs nailed to the front. These walls were displaying masterpieces, and they themselves had to be modest and unattractive in order to showcase the art. Interesting that, here I go again, back to my black and white theme, all the photographs were black and white, yet the walls were gray. Black and white were so pronounced in the pictures and yet the walls showed that there was this intermediate stage, this connection between the white and black in the photos. I found myself actually staring at the walls, thinking, how could the planners for this exhibit be more creative? The black and white photographs contained on these rectangular squares were placed upon the infinite gray color of the walls indicating that though these pictures only showed a certain person, certain landscape, or a certain object, there were infinite possibilities to their meanings, infinite ways in which to interpret and connect to them. The juxtaposition of these colors was so powerful to me that the architecture and the floors became secondary.

2) Personally, I did not bring many learnt assumptions about art into the museum with me, except for the ones that I was taught in class. I have never been one to analyze photographs, and sadly enough, before going to the exhibit, I thought “anyone can take pictures”. Now, I realize that I was completely wrong. I found that Ansel Adam’s work incorporated elements of representation, symbolism, and most of all, abstractness, the very concepts of art that had been taught to me. I assumed that all art would possess these ideas, but I, being logical and very literal, thought that these elements of art would be shown more concretely. Again, I was proven wrong. This was a real learning experience.

3) Winter Sunrise from Lone Pine, Sierra Nevada 1944 - Detailed and plain. Night and day. Black and white. Adams shows us this powerful image of sunrise, the phase of the time when the sky is neither dark nor light, day or night. He is trying to reveal this sense of an intermediate stage in our lives when we can neither see life in black nor white. There has to be some ambiguity. Our world, our lives cannot be that simple. He also breaks the light of day with the darkness of night. This one band of black mountains provides this stark contrast between the white snow-covered mountains at the top of the photograph and the white trees at the bottom. In addition, at the top and bottom of the photograph, the images are so distinct and detailed. The dips and rivets in the snow covered mountains are accented with shadows and the trees with the lone animal at the bottom of the photograph is also outlined and perfectly formed, whereas the black or the shadow in the middle is a solid color, void of any detail or definition.

Three levels of Visual Data: Ansel Adams incorporates representation into this photograph through the use of a landscape. He is “representing” a sunrise in Sierra Nevada. In this photograph, mountain ranges are towering over a plain with some neighboring trees and an animal, possibly a deer is grazing in the distance. The clouds are in clumps across the gray sky. The representation of the landscape includes many symbols as well. For example, the deer is a symbol of life among the large mountains. The deer can also be used as a frame of reference, to show the relative size between one part of the painting and another. The juxtaposition of the black and white mountains can also be a metaphor for racism, the white mountains in being the white race towering over the black mountains, the black race. The white mountains are casting a shadow over the smaller hills. This is a representation of today’s society, especially with the fight for equality between blacks and whites. This photograph, though maybe just intended to show a sunrise, is taken in such a way that I can have this abstract idea, just from the juxtaposition of the colors and the difference in the height of the two mountain ranges.

4) John Marin, Artist, Cliffside, New Jersey 1949- Immediately, when you look at the photograph, you see this intriguing look of surprise on a man’s face. His eyes just jump out. The picture represents a man, consumed in his artwork, in probably his office at home. He seems to be almost startled by the picture being taken (Representation). It seems as though, in this photograph, that Adams wanted to show everyday life, a man and his work or possibly, a man and his passion. Marin, the painter shown in the picture is holding onto a piece of paper. This grasp on the paper is an indication of some symbolism. It seems as though he is tied to his work or his hobby. I am not completely sure whether he likes his work or not. He is neither smiling nor frowning, indicating that he may be indifferent. His face becomes of symbol of his mood as well as his posture, which is quite erect. He does wear a suit, suggesting that he may be wealthy or at least well-off. When I first looked at the photograph, though, I realized something about the detailing of the picture. Every object in the picture, including the man himself, is rigid and possesses straight lines, except for a tiny painting with squiggly lines. This is abstract. For some reason, Adams included the photo in the background to show that maybe this man has another side to him other than his work. Though he may seem stately and determined, he also can be creative and free with artwork; yet, the painting is situated in the background, indicating that maybe only few people know about this other personality. This portraiture does not exactly relate to the landscapes that Adams photographed. Adams truly focused on the face of the person. The person is the center of his photograph and all there is a distinct background that just adds to the dimension of the picture. In many of the landscapes that Adams photographed, I realized that he does not focus on one aspect of the landscape. He showcases entire areas. There does not seem to be a distinct foreground and background in his landscapes. This is what I noticed, but I have not seen every photograph that he has ever taken.

5) Grass, Water, and Sun, Trailside near Juneau, Alaska 1948 - This photograph defines the term “abstract”. When I first looked it, I had no idea what it was representing. I stood at the photograph for about five minutes, just staring, until I finally read its title, “Grass, Water, and Sun”. I then understood. It was a very abstract photograph of blades of grass upon some body of water (Representation). Each blade possessed small drops of water that glistened in the sunlight (Representation). I took step back from the photograph and realized that, even though I did not see an actual sun, I understood that it existed and that there must have been some source of light to generate these the glean or shine on these beads of water. Actually, I believe, that in this photograph, the things that he leaves out, like the Sun and the origin of the water are the symbols (Symbolism). Ansel Adams creates this photograph to show that we do not need to see everything in nature in order to appreciate it. Adams takes a part of the whole; this part of the water only represents probably a tiny fraction of the entire body of water (Abstract). The analyzer cannot say where these blades of grass are from or what time of the day it is. Every aspect of this photograph is left up to the imagination, and I truly believe that is what Adams intended to do. I found this photograph incredibly powerful because my imagination ran wild. I could stare at that photograph and wonder all day what was occurring behind the scenes. In the end, though, in some ways I wish that there hadn’t been a title. I could have developed my own, what I thought the picture represented. This photograph relates to his work as a landscape artist because this photograph is a smaller snapshot of a landscape, a deeper look into the different parts of nature that make up a landscape like the water, the sun, and the grass (or the plants).

6) Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941- This photograph almost moved me to tears. I stood next to this landscape for almost fifteen minutes, soaking up every inch. There is no other way to describe my feelings for this photograph other than “I truly loved it”. I was at first drawn to the picture because of the religious symbols, the crosses, littered throughout the bottom of the photograph. I consider myself religious and just seeing that among the hills and valleys of New Mexico, where no one was insight, was a church, houses, and a graveyard. How powerful. The gospel is carried even further than large basilicas and cathedrals. God is apparent even in the smallest of villages and the widest of unoccupied land. What struck me was also that these people living in the middle of New Mexico still commemorated the dead and followed the Catholic customs for burial. The lit clouds in the background of the photograph could be seen as representing the souls of the dead traveling to Heaven, blending into the darkness, or abyss in the sky. And yet, there is this one light, the moon, that shines over the village. Whatever your domination, it is apparent that there is something Godly like about this photograph, that the light represents a higher power over the town, over all of us.

After being in New Mexico, for just a week, I had a personal connection to this photograph. My family drove from Colorado to Taos, New Mexico one summer. I saw exactly what is in this photograph. The rolling hills and small villages were breathtaking. We were fortunate enough to see a storm in the sky far away and then a rainbow. It was so magical. So, with this photograph, I carry some of my own sentiments and past experiences, which draws me even closer to it. The description of the photograph says that Adams was able to take this picture seconds before the entire village was consumed in darkness. This photograph is truly a gift. It touches me in such a way that, excuse the cliché, words cannot even begin to explain.

**Lastly, one of my favorite photographs that he took was the Still Life, taken in San Franscico (1932). It was a picture of eggs, an egg-slicer, a bottle of wine, a shower head, and a glass milk bottle. I connected immediately to it because it reminds me of my great-aunt’s house. Every Sunday, my family would visit her in Holyoke, Massachusetts. We would all sit around and talk in her old house that had been in the family for years. She would always have hardboiled eggs for us, and she would pull out the egg-slicer. My brother and I used to have so much fun cutting the eggs this way and eating them. Sometimes, I would take two eggs, just because I wanted to use the slicer. :)

-Christina

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November 10, 2005

Differences in Dialects

(1)I grew up in Suffield. It is a small suburban farming town located near the notch of Connecticut, almost on the Massachusetts border. Both of my parents grew up in Massachusetts. My mother was raised in Palmer, just a town over from my father, who was raised in Three Rivers. Though my parents are both 100% Polish, my mother’s immediate family was Polish-speaking, while my father’s immediate family was a little more modern, not as much Polish speaking. At the time that my parents grew up, being Polish was not an accepted thing. Polish kids were made fun of and tormented, so both my mother and father’s parents did not teach their children much Polish because they did not want others to know about their heritage. I was raised in a Roman Catholic household because my entire family is Roman Catholic, although my religion really has had no bearing on my language or dialect. I have neither the Boston nor the New York dialect. Bostonians pronounce their “r”s differently and New Yorkians have this twang and a distinct vowel sound, it seems. The only word that I can think of that defines me as a Northeasterner is the word “wicked” which is only common around this area. Other than that, usually, people cannot tell where I am from. I don’t really hold an accent or use any particular phrases or words. My family all comes from around the same area; we are all within the same borders on the dialect chart, so maybe that is why I have no real distinct drone or accent. I am not really sure. In general, I speak pretty clearly and enunciate all letters in a word and sometimes, I can speak very fast, when I am not thinking about it. I was brought up in a middle class household, so I neither talk very proper, nor in slang.

(2)I do think that “social group” is an operable factor in different dialects. Personally, I do not really speak differently from my parents to my friends, but I know many people who do. You can almost see a complete turn around from when someone is talking to an adult and when someone is talking to his or her friend. Actually, I notice this a lot in my father. When he is talking with a client, he speaks very firmly and to the point. He is understanding, yet strong. The tone of his voice becomes a little lower and more distinct. He enunciates every letter and syllable of every word in order to get his ideas across. When he is talking to his great aunt, almost 90, on the other hand, his voice is softer and gentler. He is not as strict in enunciating every syllable of every word. He speaks in short sentences and asks short, very simple, questions. There is this dialect difference. I notice it every time he speaks, and he can’t seem to change it.

It is so intriguing how there can be many different dialects because of the immigrants that moved into the United States. There are just some words and phrases I do not understand from the South and the West, just because of my location. It is almost like I need to have a history lesson before I go to different parts of my own country! Specifically, I am still amazed with the disconnect between East coast and West coast speaking. Many of the things that Yasmin says, I have no idea what she is talking about! I just have to write them down sometimes because they are just so random. It is amazing to me that just a difference in location can create this gap between lingoes.

-Christina

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November 09, 2005

Nature vs. Nurture

I found the article, “Why Boys Don’t Play with Dolls” particularly intriguing. Nature vs. Nurture has been debated for years. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have had to argue both sides before during biology class. It is just such a tough topic to debate because there is not much explicit evidence that explains the situation either way. In the article, this paragraph, in particular, interested me: “Could it be that even sports-resistant moms see athletics as part of manliness? That if their sons wanted to spend the weekend writing up their diaries, or reading, or baking, they’d find it disturbing? Too anti-social? Too lonely? Too gay?” (317) I can see where the article is going with this statement, but for me, I disagree. If a boy wanted to write poetry, maybe slam poetry or raps all weekend, that wouldn’t be that unbelievable, would it? Can’t writing be a release for boys as well? Personally, I don’t consider writing in a diary a release but more of a hassle. I guess my views are a result of how I was brought up. My mother and father always forced me and my brother to explore every area of life; both stereotypical boy activities and stereotypical girl activities. I learned how to change a tire, wire a light, build a cradle, paint my room by myself, cook, clean, sew, balance a checkbook, make a budget, use a drill, drive a standard, etc. My parents instilled in me that as long I have the will, the confidence, and God, I can do anything. They not only encouraged me to take art or child development in school (mostly attended by females), but also engineering and computer language classes (completely male dominated—only girl). These experiences have truly shaped me as a person. In the end, I think Pollitt hits the nail right on the head when she says, “that’s why, if you look carefully, you’ll find for every kid who fits a stereotype, there’s another who’s breaking one down. Sometimes, it’s the same kid—the boy who skateboard and takes cooking in his afterschool program; the girl who collects stuffed animals and A-pluses in science” (317). Can’t we all aspire to be like this?

**Additional Comment: I thought the comic attached to the article was hilarious and so true!

-Christina

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Mid-Semester Evaluations

Positives: 1.) I thought that the teaching approach was very different and interesting in both classes. I feel that, many times, movies, comics, pictures, etc. were shown to supplement the readings or the lesson. I found this extremely helpful because I am more of a visual person and many times, I cannot just see a concept one way; I need to see it applied to something. I need to see its significance or importance in my everyday life.

2.) I thoroughly enjoyed the grading. I am used to English classes in highschool where every bit of my writing was critiqued. There was so much structure, that I found no room to be creative and different, so being in this class and not having to worry about my grades was a tremendous relief. I could write anything I wanted. Also, I have never been in a class like this where I had to analyze everything I saw or read. Usually, I have trouble with seeing metaphors and representations, but in this class, I didn't have to worry about the grades I was going to get on my papers, I just had to focus on symbols and my own interpretation.

3.) This, in many ways, relates to the second positive, but I just enjoyed the environment in class. Everyone was just so accepting of my ideas and views. Everything I said or wrote seemed to be recognized and appreciated. For me, this was a boost to my confidence in writing. I always thought I was a poor writer, but now, I realize that I may not be that horribly bad.

Negative: 1.) It was difficult to blog sometimes, though I did enjoy it, when I have the chance. Overall, enjoy this class! No negatives.

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November 05, 2005

His Song--This Beacon of Light

I have this personality- these experiences inside- Unfolded my life- don’t think I haven’t I’ve tried- Haven’t succumbed to pressure- Kept my ground- I stand strong- For the long- I am the driver- I set the pace- I try my best- I’ll win the race

My ways governed by the shape of my face- My nose, my build- My Polish race

Through grief and happiness- The Lord has guided me- He’s opened my eyes- He’s allowed me to see- I sit in church- Soak in his words- His gospel- His love- His hope – a true dove

Been granted this myriad of colors- To paint this canvas of mine- Each person I meet, each experience I have- Represented through a paint stroke, a brush mark, a sign

Been taught lies through school- About equality, racism- Things I never knew- When did the world become so cruel?

Need to make a difference,- Bridge that gap- Bring that black and white together- To make a profound gray- So what exactly is it, I’m trying to say?

Striving, desiring, to learn about others- Want to love thy neighbor, love thy brother

My God will help me to see the light- He’ll give me his strength, the will to fight- I will continue on- I will keep on singing His song

My attempt at SLAM poetry--Christina

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Museum

I truly enjoyed the Ansel Adams exhibit. I was intrigued by his use of black and white photography to illustrate so many landscapes and people. I had always thought that anyone could take pictures, anyone could produce a work of art through different angles and zooming techniques, but I was proved wrong by this exhibit. I have never seen photos like the ones I saw in the museum. They were just so powerful. I think I stood at two pictures for fifteen minutes a piece, just analyzing and soaking in every inch. That artwork just changed me. Now, I want to see more. I want to go back and just wander through. I want to spend fifteen minutes on every photograph. I want to understand what Ansel Adams was trying to portray. Thanks again, Ellen, for planning this amazing trip! -- Christina

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November 03, 2005

Blanche et Noire (White and Black)

Black and White. United Colors of Benetton. What a powerful picture! In this particular image, in the Practices of Looking book, pg. 264, a black person and a white person are handcuffed to each other. It is intriguing how both are wearing the same outfits and their hands are placed in the same position. Even though there is this linkage, this chain between the two wrists and this linkage, this sameness between dress, there is a definite space between the hands. These handcuffs represent that blacks and whites being forced to come together, to integrate, to mix; but yet, these two groups are still so far apart. There is still a gap. And still, we see that there is no gray. No intermediate color is in the picture. The hands are either black or white, just like life. We tend to see things in black and white, right or wrong. Again, I am reiterating my thoughts in my Crash paper, but I just cannot help noticing the juxtaposition of black and white in every image and yet, in every image I see, these two colors mean something completely different. In the end, I was truly moved by this photo. --Christina

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October 29, 2005

An Extremely Frightening Individual

My photograph is titled “Kerie Campbell” or at maybe the person’s name in the photograph is “Kerie Campbell”. The photograph was taken in San Francisco, California by Annie Leibovitz.

Studium (Denotation): When I first glanced at my postcard, I was shocked and almost terrified. In the center of a white postcard is a figure which possesses arms, long hair, face, body position and body, shoulders, muscles, eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and hands. This figure is a human. At first, it is difficult to distinguish this human’s sex. This human is covered by paint, but underneath the colors of paint, one can see breasts and a shapely form shown by rounded hips and thighs, indicating that this person is a woman. She is standing erect and her palms are up. The woman’s hair is a red-orange and most of the paint on her skin is that same hue. There are visible paint strokes on her shoulders and large zigzagged white strips of color outlined in black on her chest, legs, and arms. Her face is white, except for black paint covering her eyes, a black triangle on her forehead, black stripes on her face and neck, and blue drops near her eyes. The middle of her chest is colored black, and her stomach possesses shades of yellow with ovals outlined in green and stripes contained inside the yellow. Even though hard to distinguish, she is wearing a bathing suit bottom that is barely visible because the paint pattern on her body extends to her garment.

Punctum (Connotation): Upon analyzing this picture, I noticed the distinct colors which could indicate that this person possesses a very vibrant personality. She could be outgoing and exciting though it appears that she contains some darkness because her chest is black, almost near her heart, and black consumes part of her face. This darkness could represent a certain unknown or mysterious background or history of this one woman. Maybe her heart is covered partly by the black because she is in some way mourning or suffering a loss of a person, a possession, etc. The paint that covers her body could be a symbol of her trying to conceal her own identity, her own being; yet, her hands are exposed and open. She may be calling out for help or in need of a friend to hold her. On some parts of her body, white stripes are painted. The white can be a symbol of goodness, kindness, holiness, innocence, or purity, but even though this woman could possess all these traits, I notice that all of these white lines/shapes are bounded by black. This could indicate that her goodness, innocence, purity, holiness, and kindness are limited. She is not completely untainted. In addition, the yellow section on her stomach is striking. The yellow highlights her stomach from the rest of her body, indicating some importance. Maybe she has a sickness in her stomach or is pregnant. The green ovals contained within the yellow could represent cells that are dying in her body, offspring, or possibly even evil spirits. These little ovals have faces that seem to just stare out into space. Lastly, her face is uniquely colored. The blue drops near her eyes are most likely tear drops. They could represent tears of joy or tears of sadness, but it seems as though they represent sadness because her eyes are so dark, almost like she has been sobbing. Also, her teeth are depicted in an extremely odd manner. They are simplified into just eight white blocks with a black frame. This could connotate that she cannot speak or that she possibly has hurt someone or something with her teeth. Lastly, her hair is free and flowing, showing that she may be a free spirit; she may not be contained within or restricted to the walls of her body.

Overall, I believe that this woman is in some tribe. The painting on her body is indicative of tribal art. Maybe she is being highlighted for a specific crime that she has committed or someone else has committed against her because she is obviously not happy from the photograph. No humor or joy can be seen in her body or expression. Overall, this woman is an extremely different and frightening individual.

-Christina

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October 26, 2005

Harvey Pekar

I was intrigued by today's class. It was amazing to see the difference in interpretation from my group-the girls looking at the words and creating pictures-from the other group-the girls analyzing the pictures and generating a words to accompany it. In the word-analyzing group, I was able to form a picture of what each sentence meant and how to depict this sentence or word on paper. Something I never thought about was that, while my group was completing our project, many ideas to represent words or phrases were thrown out on the table. Each person possessed a certain scene in their head of Pekar loving his name, for example. We learned, through this activity, to compromise our ideas and form pictures that were uniquely ours.

Personally, I was completely surprised by the actual pictures of the comic, and I was more than impressed by the way the other group formulated a storyline that truly adhered to the pictures. It was so believable! There were such small differences in each panel, and it seems that the other group dissected each picture.

This activity truly showed the ambiguity between words and pictures. There is a certain element of unknown for each.

Great job to both groups! -Christina

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October 25, 2005

ELIZA's Purpose and Function

Eliza is a complex program that somehow looks at strings (words) and identifies them in terms of where they are placed in a sentence, the amount of strings that come before and after that particular string and possibly punctuation marks as well. Eliza, from what the programmer writes, seems to break sentences up through the importance of words. Maybe Eliza has a specific set of words that it refers to, that people most commonly use and are of some importance. Maybe each common word actually corresponds to a certain number that the computer can recognize. Eliza also breaks these sentences down into structural word trees and analyzes the sentences based on their subjects. It seems as though the Eliza has a special way that allows her to find subjects like "you" or "I" and make these subjects the focus of her next question. She also gives part of the sentence a number or letter, indicating that this part of the sentence could be anything, any combination of letters and words. In general, Eliza is definitely sentence structured oriented and dissecting the sentences inputed is the only way she can truly function. Then Eliza takes these words or takes these number combinations (from sentences) and stores them, so that she can then generate a new response. I can imagine this process and code for this program is extremely in depth. In being an amateur programmer, I can understand that working with words and strings are incredibly difficult.

-Christina

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October 24, 2005

Bell Hooks' Intensity and Passion

I was struck by many aspects of Bell Hook's essay. Most notably was when she began to write about her father's image that her sister cherished above all else. She writes, "Standing before snapshot, I came closer to the cold, distant, dark man who is my father, closer than I can ever come in real life" and "although my sisters and I look at this snapshot and see the same man, we do not see him in the same way." I began to reflect on these two lines after Ellen's class last week where we were forced to ponder on the photography and if photography actually helps us to remember certain people or certain places, or if it hinders our memory. I said, in class, that many times, pictures give us this false sense of reality and of the truth, which is definitely addressed in Bell Hook's essay. She writes that the man in the picture is completely different from her own image of him; his personality, demeanor, and way of life. I analyzed the picture of her father and determined that this man was joyous and elated. He seems as though he is carefree and "suave". Bell Hooks has this same feeling, yet she knows the truth. And yet, even though her sisters know the truth as well, they all have differing views of him. Their experiences with this man have formed their own ideas about their father. I just found this intriguing that we had just been discussing this topic in class, and automatically, Bell Hooks describes it perfectly.

I was also amazed at how Bell Hooks describes her early disatisfaction with cameras. She voices her frustration in such a unique way. "I hated it. I hated posing. I hated cameras. I hated the images that cameras produced. When I stopped living at home, I refused to be captured by anyone's camera. I did not wish to document my life, the changes, the presence of different places, people, and so on. I wanted to leave no trace. I wanted there to be no walls in my life that would, like gigantic maps, chart my journey. I wanted to stand outside history." How powerful and ironic! Here, she discusses her hatred for photography, and then again, she writes this entire essay based around one photograph. It is absolutely fascinating to me that this intense dislike for photography (because of one person) developped into a career and a passion. -Christina

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JUST A REMINDER

To everyone who is in the Picture-Making part of the Comic Analysis Group...Remember that we are all getting together tomorrow, Tuesday at 3:30 pm in Simmons Hall 1st floor lounge to complete the assignment!!

-Christina

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October 20, 2005

Ballet

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure and privledge to attend the Boston Ballet's performance of Cinderella. It was intriguing experience because I have never been to one, or actually, any organized dance in general. I have attended musicals, plays, and concerts, so this ballet was completely different than what I had expected. For some reason, I thought that some words would have been spoken, but no voices were heard, and yet, I was mesmerized by the intensity of all their gestures and movements. After discussing gestures in Nanette's class, I was able to notice every little twitch that the step-sister's made, and every facial expression. It was extraordinary. Instead of vocalizing their emotions, the characters represented them through their dance and face. I realized that when I attended musicals or plays, I was too busy paying attention to the script, that I failed to truly look at every motion. In the ballet, my eyes were concentrated on every flick of the wrist and bat of the eye. Now, I know that I will view plays and musicals in a different light. Not only will I focus on the lines, but also the distinct gestures that help to portray the scenes. Everyone needs to see Cinderella! It is so powerful! -Christina

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October 19, 2005

Persepolis 2

Jennifer Camper critiques Persepolis 2 in such a unique way. She utilizes a comic in order to analyze another comic, which is incredibly powerful. By illustrating her thoughts through a comic, she is able to get her point cross with few words and many informative pictures. I believe that people take great interest in new and different ways of representation, and her review will and probably has been viewed by a great percentage of people because of its format. Paragraphs and paragraphs of long sentences tend to bore Americans, specifically, so being short, to the point, and artistic is alluring to the eye and engaging for the mind. Personally, I believe that one of the strongest points in Camper's comic is that she appeals to all people (most specifically, all ages). She incorporates two Iranian women, two modern day women, a teenage boy and girl, men and women (probably 20 and up), teenagers, and children who all freely give their comments on the book. Also, by changing the setting of each couple of panels, it appeared as though Persepolis 2 is being talked about everywhere. Overall, this review is extremely effective in its purpose to interest society in learning about Iran and Marjane Satrapi. -Christina

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October 15, 2005

Comic Analysis -- Did we have to blog this?

** I didn't think that Ellen wanted us to blog our analyses but I saw other people did, so I just decided to add mine too.

This comic called Lola by Steve Dickenson and Tood Clark is definitely interdependent. The words cannot function with out the pictures and vise versa. A visual representation as well as a dialogue of what is actually occurring is essential. In the scenes shown, it seems as though a father is talking to his family about a family budget. It is known that these shapes in the panels are people because of the way they stand and are positioned. Also, certain features like a nose, mouth, arms, eyes, and hair can all been easily seen, indicating that the objects in the panels are actually people. The sex of each of these characters can be determined by the clothes they wear, the length of their hair. It seems as though the man standing head of the household because he is standing up and dressed in business clothes. The black strip on his shirt looks like a tie while the collar near his neck illustrates that his outfit would be worn at an office, somewhere that forced him to dress formally. In addition, when he is standing, he is higher up in the panel, showing his dominance or strength over the group of people underneath him, sitting at the table. The woman across from him seems to be his wife. She has exactly the same square nose as the man possibly signifying that she is related to him in some way. As previously mentioned, it is obvious that she is a woman, through her shape, clothes, and hair. The little boy in the picture sits next to the mother and the grandparent. He has square classes and freckles. He does not look like he is the child of the woman and man in the comic, yet, he is sitting next to the woman, so automatically, I am inclined to believe that he is her son. He is also drawn with square glasses. It is known that this object on the front of his face are glasses because they are covering his eyes. The shape of his glasses are square. This shape is repeated through out this one panel, specifically in the nose of both the mother and father. This could suggest that the boy is actually the son because he shares a common characteristic with two of the other people in the panel. Lastly, the person to the far left in the first panel also possesses glasses but seems to be much older than the little boy. The age of this woman can be determined by her colorless hair and the overall weary face. Her glasses also show that her eye sight is failing. These characteristics all indicate that this person could be a senior citizen or maybe a grandparent because sometimes families might invite older relatives to live with them, if they cannot take care of themselves. Also, if you know the history behind this cartoon, this older woman is always added. This character’s name is Lola.

The supposed mother, son, and grandparent are all seated. The curved line with enclosing two or three lines, behind the people, indicates that these people are sitting down on chairs. Also, the difference in height between the three people in the bottom of the panel and the man is drastic, furthering solidifying the fact that these people are seated. The shape, in front of the family, also shows reaffirms the fact that the family is seated. This square or rectangular shape is a table. It is intriguing that this table is square because the woman, man, and boy all have a square shape incorporated into their figure, so possibly, this table could be further proof that this table is theirs and the room that they are in is in this man and woman’s house.

The father of the family begins the comic by waving his finger in a serious manner to the rest of the family in the panel. The author of the comic includes zip ribbons to show this movement around this one particular finger. Even the father’s eyebrow is tilted slightly, expressing his concern for the “family budget”, as noted in the word bubble. Then, there is a panel transition which can be considered both a “moment to moment” transition as well as an “action to action” transition. The reader realizes that time has passed, but also, that the man has picked up a pie chart. When the man shows this pie chart, his eyebrows wrinkle to express his anger and distress. Zip ribbons are again utilized to show the movement of the pie chart from side to side. This movement emphasizes a certain importance in the chart. With the addition of a new object in the comic, a different type of panel is used to dramatize the man. He is not contained in any panel, but rather he is free-floating. This could suggest that all his frustrations with his family cannot be restricted to just one enclosed area.

Basically, the comic is portrayed through one symbol, a pie chart. The humor of the comic all centers around the family’s misinterpretation of the graph. The pie chart is supposed to be a representation of the amount of money each person spends in the household, but instead, the family sees it as a pizza. One of the family members then says, “let’s order pizza!” The little boy stretches out his arms for the pizza, while the woman and the grandparent both raise their arms showing that they agree with the pizza. While this is happening, the father is discouraged and displeased. His eyes almost sink back into his head and he is not showing any anger with his eye brows, but more of a tired and confused emotion. His ending words, “I give up” give the sense of defeat, and also, his bubble line is squiggly and not direct and straight like a line, indicating that he is puzzled.

In the end, at the top of the comic, specifically, on the top of both the first and last panels, there is some black. In the first panel, the color black is defined and dense and shows a great contrast between the white. This indicates that what the father is trying to say is black and white. The concept is simple: the family budget needs to be addressed and then modified. In the ending panel, it can be sent that the dense area of black at the top is no longer dense and solid, but rather is made up of many brush strokes that have no form. The father’s conversation is no longer black and white. The family has completely disrupted the purpose of his meeting.

This comic is definitely a representation of how just one simple symbol can be viewed so many different ways. -Christina

Link attached.http://www.comics.com/comics/lola/archive/lola-20051012.html

Sorry this is so long!

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October 13, 2005

Hands waving and fingers pointing

Tonight, I attended a seminar with Yasmin at Harvard Medical School on Crimes and Science. It was a very extensive presentation on the way DNA is used in aiding forensic analyses of crime scenes. I found myself lost at some points in the speech because new concepts were being addressed; scientific methods I have never seen and vocabulary unknown to me. When one of the speakers could not answer a question, one other man in the audience explained the concepts in simpler terms using his hands. I understood every metaphor he made, every example he gave, and I do think that my comprehension was due to the movement of his arms, hands, fingers, head, and actual body motion. Specifically, he utilized the deictic and beats gesture. He kept pointing to a certain spot and then refering back to that certain point to illustrate a scientific technique. I found it extremely helpful! Also, he tended to tilt his head to the side with every new phrase he began. In addition, during my First Year Experience class, I noticed that my teacher used all kinds of the gestures in every sentence she said. She puts emotion into every sentence and now, I can detect when she is try to say something important or stress something. She tilts her head and moves up into her chair, and then she commences her sentence. She also waves her arms around and around when she cannot think of a word. It is a stalling technique, in a way. This is a cohesive gesture. In the end, I have found myself using gestures more and more. I used to never contiously think about the way I move my hands or head, but now, I am contious of what I am doing. --Christina

Posted by lcisgancarz at 09:18 PM | Comments (1)

The Sound of Music

Ever since we were forced to pick apart Crash, I feel as though I analyze ever movie, every television show I watch. I was flipping through some of the scenes in The Sound of Music, the other day, and I stopped at one of my favorite parts, when Captain Von Trapp and Maria are dancing the Liander (certain Austrian or folk dance, I believe) on the terrace. At one point, they stop and Maria's face is titled towards the Captain's. Maria begins to say that she has forgotten the dance steps and cannot continue. She knows, in her heart, that something has changed between the two of them. She doubts her vow to God. You can see that all in her face, right at that very momemt, and in the background, a statue peaks out behind her head. Immediately, I halted the movie and focused on that statue. Carved out of stone is a naked woman, vulnerable and yet holy, almost in a stance in which the Virgin Mary would be sculpted. I put two and two together and realized that this vulnerable woman is a symbol of Maria. Maria is confused and helpless and, even so, she has this divine glow because of her love for God. This scene is similar to when Sandra Bullock asks her husband to have the locks changed again. While she is screaming, you cannot help but notice the picture of the naked woman, vulnerable, cold, and scared, in the background. It is very interesting that a naked woman can be used in two movies to prodcue drastically different effects. **If you ever have The Sound of Music, just take a glance at it. -Christina

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October 04, 2005

Words and Pictures Reading

I was taken back a few times reading the "Words and Pictures" packet. On several occassions, I felt myself saying "ah ha!" or "I never thought of that!" Coming from a family that is more science and math oriented, more in tune with logic and reason, I never questioned many of the aspects of words and pictures that I am continuously forced to question in class everyday and in the reading passages. On page 24, in the packet, there is a picture of a church, only represented by black lines. I see the church vividly because of the cross on the top and the shape of a house depicted on the white background. The reading tells us that this image is only composed of ten black straight lines, and yet "it is largely by convention that we identify a roof, two walls, a tower and a cross." This image is more of a symbol on the symbol-icon scale. We can see the cross and we know that it represents Christianity (the cross of Jesus). We see the almost hexagonal shape, and we know that it represents a house, a building, or in this case, a church. We see the taller structure next to the house, and we know that it is a tower. The resemblence of these placed lines to an actual church is a stretch, but this image, in particular, directed my mind in a different path, to not always look so literal into pictures, but to analyze them. To think that this picture is only composed of ten lines, but still holds such meaning and power is absolutely intriguing. I will not be able to look at another symbol or icon without truly analyzing the image being presented to me. --Christina

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October 03, 2005

Seeing Essay: "What? Analyzing grass in college?"

On the first day of biology lab, Dr. Connie Chow brought us outside to the Muddy River, and told us to sit down and observe a patch of grass. We weren’t even told what exactly to be looking for or noticing and I began to think, “this is a college level course, and we are watching grass?” But during this time of solitude, I found myself lying on the grass, eye level with the blades, observing the unique blend of greens and browns and oranges and creams. This region seemed so large, though I knew that if I stood up, this unfamiliar world would only be a tiny part of the scene I saw everyday. It was not until a few minutes after commencing my study that I began to touch and feel the broad grass leaves and examine each particle of soil in my hand. As I moved closer to the grass, I could see minute creatures eating and tearing at each fiber, gnawing for food. I actually closed my eyes for a moment and let my fingers be my guide. I mimicked what the blind people, like in Annie Dillard’s essay, had been living. They learned to touch, feel, and sense the area around them. Their hands were their eyes. They were able to imagine the grass and imagine the branches through their senses. I was unfortunate. I already knew the shape of the tiny rocks and the color of the grass, and I could not visualize these certain aspects of nature in any other way.

Ever since I was young, I could identify a picture of a tree. I had knowledge of its size and shape. I knew that a brown rectangle with a green circle on the top would be a sign of a tree. A blind person, from birth, would not have this ability. Their trees would all be drawn differently. How amazing to have your own perception about the world as it truly is! It is clear why they never wanted to open their eyes if they had the chance. And yet though I am able to see, I never stopped to truly look at the entire ecosystem, buried in the greenery beneath my feet.

In a very split second, my small patch of grass was disrupted by a rather long bug. It sat on the dead branch for just a moment, but I could see its streaks of gold and red in its shell, and the green grass provided such a stark contrast to its body. It stayed for but a moment, rubbing its legs together, but I would have never noticed it if my eyes had not been at level with the grass. This bug that had nearly startled me, was a beautiful surprise. To think nature could display such a myriad of colors, from the dark brown-black dirt to this vibrant creature astounded me. Why did I never notice such color in nature before? It is because I never truly opened my eyes.

Like Dillard, “I would like to know grasses and sedges—and care”. This is the beginning of my journey into the world beneath my feet.
-Christina

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September 30, 2005

Morphology: The Words of Language

• Based on the specific examples above, do you have evidence that your brain might handle/learn/store function words different than content words? This question holds great validity and truth for me. After reading this chapter, I am convinced that the brain may handle/learn/store function words differently from content words. It just seems to make sense. We can turn content words upside down; add prefixes and suffixes to change the word into a completely different one with a completely different meaning. Function words do not have this ability. They are words that we know cannot be changed and switched. They always have the same meaning. These words must belong to a part of our brain that has to deal with memorization or logical thinking. When words are put together in a sentence, a function word helps to give the sentence grammatical structure as well as fluidity. Content words, on the other hand, seem to belong to a part of our brains that is responsible for part of our lexicon, but also our creativity. Having the ability to change words to form different meanings definitely has to deal with rearrangement and knowing what sounds right and wrong. This chapter of the open class of content words and the closed class of function words further solidifies the hypothesis that separate parts of the brain control each group. -Christina

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September 29, 2005

Picture Analysis

The telvision is the centerpiece of this entire picture, yet it does not seem to be the center of the lives or life that owns it. The picture displays metonymy by dipicting the life that does own the technology, maybe this person or people are older. The bright blue gelly sandals and the red shoes against the dark background also seem to show metonymy, indicating that children are around or maybe grandchildren. A stark contrast is seen between these two objects, displaying the old and the new. The televison scene is a representation of peace (a metaphor) amoung the chaotic world. When one sits down to watch something, all other problems are left behind. Although the television is cluttered with objects everywhere, acting almost like a shelf, I can't help but noticing that no where is the television screen covered, indicating that the television has some value in the household still. The chair next to the television is highlighted by the light streaming in from some source. For some reason, this chair is added to the picture; potentially to represent relaxation which comes with the televsion, or something unknown to me. -Christina

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September 28, 2005

Mimesis and Social Construction Ideas

We, as society, definitely represent the world around us through language and images; writing and speech. We are continuously using imitation or mimesis to portray something concrete and real. For example, I was assigned to write a short story in sophomore year. It could be written in any time period, in any place. I chose to write about my grandfather's life; some of the hardships he went through and his baseball career. I sat with him several times, or over the phone, writing everything down: where he had been, what he had seen, how he had felt. It was a truly powerful story. I completed the assignment and handed it in, only realizing the next week that I did very poorly. I had imitated his life, his past, but my writing never reflected the entire experience. I tried to reconstruct or imitate a story that couldn't be fully imitated. Documentaries are related to this representation. Directors try to "reflect the world as it is through mimesis", taking other people's actual stories and bringing them to the screen. In a sense, every movie is a copy of the orginial, which is a copy of an actor's words, which may be a copy a fight between two people years ago. Nothing seems real until one witnesses it first hand. So how can something be represented to another person who was not a witness, without the scence being imitated or replicated in some way, through the use of a movie camera, pictures, or speech? We see this representation on the news every single day, especially with the effects of Katrina on New Orleans (tapes, videos, personal accounts--everything is imitation and representation). As seen today in class, paintings are mere forms of mimesis. I cannot say that the sweater on OldNavy.com is actually there because it is not. I cannot reach out a grab it. I am only seeing little colored dots that seem to come together on the computer screen to make up a sweatshirt. All in all, our world is definitely a product of mimesis. Just pick any place, and there will be imitation.

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September 27, 2005

A Continuation of My Culture, My Life

When we were given the assignment to blog about our own culture, I thought of exactly what I was going to say and how I was going to say it. I would write about my Polish heritage, my Polish background. Never once did I think above and beyond, and stretch my limit to something other than my Polish background and the traditions that I have been a part of ever since I was young. I looked back over my blog and realized that the culture I wrote was only part of me. Of course, my Polish heritage and my family are extremely important. I cherish all the experiences I have and all the love I have been given. Soo..here is another piece of my life, my culture. I have been a swimmer since I was in 5th grade. My swimming and my studies ruled my life. I was always called a fish when I was small (spending hours and hours in the pool; my fingers becoming pruney), but this was a time of competition where I could take out all my frusterations on the waves and the evil water, which sometimes on those cold 6:00 morning practices seemed like teeth, biting and tearing at my skin. I used to live for the water, but then I was hurt and most of my swimming was lost, but the pool is still a part of me, especailly of my past. My skiing has also been a release for me. I welcome the snow, ski jackets, and cold temperatures every year. The feeling of gliding down a ski slope is truly and completely indescribeable. I feel a passion, where human and nature meet. And my French. What an amazing language. I try to watch French films whenever I can, my eyes fixated on the differences in culture--in speaking, dressing, dispostion, or eating. I know that someday, when I am able to stand on the Champs Elysees, I am going to just cry in joy. I have been dreaming about it for as long as I have been taking French, for about 6 years. I hope to not only see France, but other countries, all over just to experience new places and new people with new interests and values. I am passionate about cooking and concocting new recipes like garlic shrimp or vegetarian sandwiches overflowing with peppers and onions. I love to spend time fishing, kayaking, and gardening, especially when it involves my family. I should have defined my culture as who I was, and what I am, but I never connected the two. ** Thank you, Ellen, for forcing us to comment on our writing. I probably would have never added anything to this blog if it wasn't for that assignment.

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September 25, 2005

Japenese Writing Systems

Question: In Japanese, there are several writing systems. Kana is phonetic (like English-the spelling corresponds to sounds, more or less) and Kanji is symbolic (like Chinese-words are represented as pictures). Reading which language would be more affected by left brain damage (and back it up with reasons) and reading which language would be more affected by right brain damage?

It would be expected that Kana, a phonetic language that corresponds to sounds like English, would be more affected by left brain damage, while, Kanji, a more symbolic language using pictures, would be more affected by right brain damage. As stated in An Introduction to Language, “he accuracy with which subjects report what they heard is evidence that the left hemisphere is superior for linguistic processing, and the right hemisphere is superior for nonverbal information” (Fromkin 42). Many tests and experiments have been conducted to further prove this lateralization or the differentiation of the right brain abilities from the left brain abilities. One type of experimentation is called dichotic testing where “subjects hear two different sound signals simultaneously through earphones” (41). They may hear a laugh in one ear, and the word “cry” in another. “When asked to state what they heard in each ear, subjects are more frequently correct in reporting linguistic stimuli delivered directly to the right ear, but are more frequently correct in reporting nonverbal stimuli delivered to the left ear” (41). These tests show that the left hemisphere is more likely to distinguish and recognize actual words than the right hemisphere. The right hemisphere, then, would probably be more likely to decipher pictures and colors. To further this idea, many savants who are brilliant in calculating and completing large mathematical equations, do not seem to have the ability to be creative (49). Cases of actual people who have had part of their brain removed have not been able to regain their speech and or their ability to recognize certain objects. There is definitely a separation between creativity and speech development, and these two Japanese languages are definitely examples of this differentiation between the two hemispheres. ** To add, in high school, we were told to complete tests concerning right and left brain thinkers. It is truly interesting how some people really utilize their right brain skills by developing a vocabulary and making incredibly complex sentences, while others can analyze paintings and find great pleasure in color and art.

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September 17, 2005

Visual Illusion

What is the illusion about?: This visual illusion is one of the most intriguing ones that I have ever seen. A man on a crate and a boy are painting a fence. This fence has words on it like "EAT" and "FLAKE CAKE", and the words are progressively smaller until they become unreadable in the background of the picture. Located in the picture is a road, phone lines, and a sidewalk, which is abutting the fence.

What is happening?: I was completely dumbfounded when I found that the man in the background is shorter than the boy in the foreground. There is a caption underneath the picture that indicates this. I had to actually take a ruler out just to make sure that it was true, and it is. The boy is about 2.7 cm while the man on the crate is about 2.3 cm. I guess the fence just grows larger and larger into the foreground. This visual image is astounding! This is picture is a representation of the effects of perspective on the human eye. Here, though, the size is particularly hard to distinguish.

Website: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://etc.usf.edu/clipart /4000/4003/illusion7lg.gif&imgrefurl=http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/ 4000/4003/illusion_7.htm&h=564&w=700&sz=30&tbnid=2k1aS4bDXGgJ:&tbnh =111&tbnw=138&hl=en&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dvisual%2Billusion%2 6svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D

(Make sure to look at the bigger picture, not the smaller one at the top of the webpage) -Christina

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September 13, 2005

Language

What is and what is not language? Why make a distinction?

(7-9) To simplify, a language is comprised of words, meaning a certain vocabulary, and grammar. It can include hand motions, gestures, noises, and specific pronunciations. A language is used to communicate with another being that has knowledge of the same language in order to express emotions, views, beliefs, etc. A language is not words, signs, symbols, noises, etc. tied together without meaning; these parts of language have to possess a certain value or purpose. A language is not just based upon an external or internal stimulus that forces one to converse, but it is an unconscious act. When one has a thought, language is automatically available in any sort of form. Languages, though, may change over time, but general rules for expression of thoughts are maintained and followed. It is important to make a distinction between what is and is not language because we have to establish some basis on what we, as humans listen to and believe. For example, if a human said that a car told him or her to steal jewelry when it screeched its wheels, any normal sensible person would quickly realize that cars do not have their own language and therefore, cannot converse with a human being.

You might say that you learned a new word today, but not “I learned a new sentence today.” Why?

(5) Technically, we all learn a new sentence everyday, and we all construct a new sentence everyday whether in writing, in reading, or in speaking. This is an interesting fact that I have never pondered. I believe that we don’t say that “I learned a new sentence today” because we take our own ability to create sentences for granted. We never stop to analyze what we have said. Contrary to the fact that we never say we have learned a new sentence, I feel as though I have. I possess a small quote book in which I write many different sayings and quotes that are especially valuable and priceless to me. A wide variety of these quotes are just sentences that have inspired me or made me sit and think about the way I life my life. So, in a sense, this question does not relate to me. To conclude, I believe that it is easier to remember a new word that one has found, than a new sentence. Also, the number of words in our language has a limit while the number of sentences that can be made from these words are limitless.

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September 10, 2005

My Culture, My Life

I am Polish-American and sometimes, people look down upon Poles or make Polish jokes, but I am proud of my heritage. Ever since I was little, I have attended Polish Easter and Polish Christmas Eve. My most comfortable place to be is sitting at the dinner table at Christmas Eve and awaiting hot cabbage-filled dough pockets called “pierogis”, mushroom soup, and rye bread while conversing with my relatives. I feel as though I am carrying on a tradition that has been celebrated for ages. I actually had the privilege and honor to travel to Poland two times in the past two years. Seeing people with the same round faces, pudgy noses, and disposition as me was absolutely incredible. Not to be cliché, but there are no words to describe the experiences I had in my “home country”. I possess many of the same values and beliefs of the Poles. Wanting to help everyone and give everything and anything you own to others has always been a part of me. I saw this immediately when I was offered a seat in my relative’s house and was given any kind of food I could possibly want. In the United States, the news is filled with information concerning the decrease in attendance at Catholic Church Services. In Poland, this was notion was opposite. I consider myself to be a religious and devout Catholic and to witness the amount of people going to mass was inspiring and made me feel like I belonged (since the scandals in the church have turned many away). I realized that my tastes and work habits were very similar, and I appreciated and respected many of their own customs since I had experienced them myself over the years. The Polish culture defines me, in many ways, as a human, even though I cannot speak the language yet! The other half of Polish-American is of course, American. I have the American mentality of time is money and the more you work, the more you will succeed ideals to some extent, and I enjoy much of the American entertainment. I might wear American clothes or listen to American artists and read American novels, but my Polish background truly defines me.

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September 09, 2005

"Ode to une Gaufre"

The soft wind, accompanied by the cool rain on a summer day, gently guides the tantalizing molecules of yeast and sugar crystals in spirals around and around my head. Each step along the cobblestone pathway is headed in one direction, toward the yellow drooping awning and the shiny glass windows. My mind is consumed by the molecules that skip to every taste bud and dance into my nose. I draw closer and closer, the anticipation mounts until I reach the counter. “Juste Une Gaufre, s’il vous plait”*. In that instant, a baker’s creation composed of the finest sugar, flour, eggs, and a splash of milk from the pastures of the Belgian countryside sizzles upon the steaming iron. And I know I have consumed my vegetables, so this wrapped bundle, this present, covered with smooth wax paper is mine, only mine to enjoy, to savor, to experience. I merely glance up at the vendor, smile, hand him my precious Euros and say “Merci Monsieur”. My hand senses the warmth as the treat is placed in the middle. As I peel away the paper, this beautiful light brown waffle emerges. The waffle is consumed by the sugary pools filling each one of the small twelve compartments embedded down into the dense dough, surrounded by crusty walls. Piles of whipped cream that top the waffle are like clouds above the fertile earth. The rain begins to fall rapidly as my tongue wraps around every morsel, every inch of the magical dessert. I feel the waffle’s comfort as it enters my body and soothes my soul. Waffles should be ingested with the utmost care, making sure that each bite is just as flavorful as the next. As I end this period when teenager and food have united, the most pleasant thought is in the imagining of another. The feeling of trying a Belgian-Liege waffle cannot be measured, cannot be fully described. Once a gaufre has been tried, nothing else compares. *"Juste une gaufre s'il vous plait" means "just one waffle please."

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September 07, 2005

Ode to a Peach

Let me just first comment that I really enjoyed class today. It was an amazing experience, better yet, a renewal, not to enter a class feeling negative energy. I have never meditated in a class before (except for maybe Health Studies) but I felt this freedom, a release from a quite stressful day after sitting through a class of Chemistry and then awaiting Biology. For once, I was able to collect my thoughts on paper and run with them. I am not a writer, but my pad became my vessel and paper became my tool in which I could focus all my emotions. I read the essay "Ode to an Orange" by Larry Woiwode. What a completely moving essay! Woiwode's simple pleasure in an orange just illumiated his entire piece. It was kind of like what Emmy said in her introduction about the joy that came over her when her little sister smiled. What passion! I was blown away. I would like to try writing a few sentences about one of my favorite fruits, peaches: The sweet peach juice running down the hairs of my arm, dancing on each one, tickling every inch, every cell. Plump, round, and soft, the peach rests in my hand, a ball containing the sunrise, shades of yellows and purples (and reds and oranges). Its tender flesh, rich and fiborous treats my tastebuds. A most glorious product of the earth, of the cool rains, and the dense soil. A fruit handed down from the Heavens.

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Hello everyone!

"In the midst of winter, I found an invincible summer"

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July 18, 2005

Introduction- Christina Gancarz

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful summer relaxing and planning for college in the fall. It is such an exciting time for all of us, to start a brand new section of our lives in such an incredible city and an incredible college. I am truly looking foward to the years ahead, but I know that much of my heart will still remain at home with my supportive family and my two Cocker Spaniels, Sammy and Willy. The people that I have met in the years of my life leading up to this very moment of entering and experiencing college, have truly taught me significant values and lessons that I will surely never forget. I am thankful everyday for these people. I too have lived in the same house my entire life, the brown contemporary on River Blvd. This house has always been a place of security, warmth, and comfort with people I truly love and could not live without. Seeing a religious cross somewhere in my house or a necklace with a cross on it everyday has been one of the most powerful visual experiences for me, even when I was younger. The church has been a staple part of my life ever since I was a young child. This cross brings back the memories not only of what it symbolizes as a religious icon, but also the memories of singing up on the altar with my mother and altar serving, feeling so important and close to God. It is an image I will carry with me my entire life, just seeing that cross up in my room or that rosary in my hand and nowing everything will turn out right, everything will be okay. My Calculus teacher told me, before I left school, to “dream big” and never back down from anything you want to accomplish. She also instilled in me that “whenever you stop learning, you stop living”. So everyone, keep this in mind as you enter the first year of college. I certainly know I will. And whenever you feel that your life is about to end or that life cannot get any worse, remember these quotes: -“Where God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window” (Maria from the Sound of Music) -“When you think you have it bad, meet with someone who could only dream that life would be that easy” (Greg Forbes) GOOD LUCK DORM ROOM SHOPPING!

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