December 17, 2005
Hey!
I have no idea what happened! Sorry Everyone!
Posted by lcisowens at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)
Final Evaluation
I know everyone is saying this, but I think it’s obvious how amazing the final projects were. I was so impressed by everyone’s artistic talents and ability to recognize an identity and think outside of the box to show how words and images can project this identity to society. There were so many projects that made me want to cry. That doesn’t happen in every class.
A skill I have now that I didn’t have before this class was the ability to be confident in my writing and to allow others to critique what I have written. Blogging was very scary to me at first. I would spend hours and hours reading over what I wrote, making sure that everything was proper English but still reflected who I am. Now I still read over what I wrote, but I don’t spend twenty minutes on each sentence fearing that a classmate might be intensely critiquing something I blogged. I finally realized that no one has enough time to do that. I still don’t like writing things that other people can read but I’ve gotten over the fear and I can blog with no problem now.
My goal for next semester is to not worry as much about grades but instead to have fun and explore Boston. I basically played catch-up this entire semester. Now that I have a new start I’m not going to let myself get behind, but I’m also not going to allow myself to get as stressed as I did. I didn’t do anything fun in Boston this past semester. This upcoming semester I want to go to a lot of museums, walk the Freedom Trail and most of all, have fun.
Good Luck Next Semester Everyone! It's Been Fun!
Posted by lcisowens at 01:30 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2005
I Forgot a Title
Sorry, the previous entry was my comments and questions for Lisa Delpit "No Kinda Sense"
Posted by lcisowens at 11:53 PM | Comments (1185)
Chapter 5 (Stubb's article)
Comments
- At first, when reading this article, I thought that it was outdated and inapplicable to me and my life. However, when I began to think about it, I realized that I do make judgments about a person’s intelligence and educational level if I hear him/her say “good” instead of “well,” or “real” instead of “really.” I never thought that it was wrong to make judgments on things like this before.
- I think that it is wrong for teachers to assume academic ability based on speech usage and it’s sad to know that this is human nature and it will probably never change. However, if teachers don’t seek out to correct this papers will include slang terms and the quality of education will lessen.
- I didn’t think “sort of” was improper in English. I felt really dumb when they were saying that using the phrase “sort of” is comparable to retreating to “Tarzan” English.
- I think it’s interesting that English, as a language is accent-less. It’s too bad that even though there is technically no right or wrong way to speak English, stereotypes are still created and used to discriminate against certain groups or cultures.
- I think Michael Stubbs’s brings up a good point in that language usage greatly affects education. A vicious cycle starts where people with certain linguistic styles are less educated and therefore do not learn the “proper” linguistic style. As a result they continue to be less educated.
Questions
- What can the educational systems do to prevent teachers from judging a student’s potential based on their linguistic style?
- Am I the only one who thinks that sort of isn’t that unintelligent of a phrase? I mean, I wouldn't use it in a paper, but I definitely would judge a person’s intelligence if he or she used it.
Posted by lcisowens at 08:53 PM | Comments (88)
November 28, 2005
My Thesis Statement
This paper supports the idea that gesticulation is an important part of communication.
Posted by lcisowens at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2005
Baby Talk
I think for baby talk the first thing that changes is pronunciation. Infants learn to make noises before they apply those noises into words. Then lexicon, when the child expands his/her vocabulary, is learned. Last and the most difficult is syntax. It takes a long time for children to learn the proper form of negation and possession. I think this differs for adults because once we learn pronunciation and syntax it does not change much. However, words are constantly changing or being invented.
Posted by lcisowens at 10:44 AM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2005
MFA Assignment
When I first walked in I decided to focus on this question because I knew I would be distracted by the Ansel Adams exhibit once we were upstairs. To be honest, I didn't really get a feeling. If anything, I felt comfortable, free to explore, independent although Ellen's lack of rules and restrictions probably added to that. It was a big building. For the most part it is well a kept up building, very modern and very bland (although Jess Y. and I saw peeling paint on the inside of the dome later on after carefully selecting our Ansel Adams' photos). At first I wondered was such a famous museum would have such dull architectural feelings, but after thinking about it, I realized how helpful the lack of architectural detail was in emphasizing the artwork displayed.
I think I definitely fall victim to what Berger said in this quote. When I go to a MFA, I expect to see extraordinary works of art. I think a lot of the art, especially modern art (e.g. minimalism), I would not recognize as the ingenious masterpieces they are if I didn't have that expectation. I know that other people see something in it, so I look very hard and eventually see it too.
The Tetons and Snake River, 1942 is an Ansel Adams photo that I would definitely describe as a landscape. What I found very interesting was how the river, the sky, and the top of the mountains in the background were all light and the rest of the nature scene was dark and unclear. Though he was representing the actual landscape, Adams used abstraction by altering the amount of light and darkness in specific areas of the photo. There are many different interpretations that can be made from looking at the winding river and light in the far background. One can presume that Adam’s attempts to symbolize life itself, the twist and turns of life (the river), and the supposed “light at the end of the tunnel” (light on mountains in background).
Woman Behind Screen Door, Independence, 1944 is a portrait that communicates the emotions of regret, sadness, and helplessness to the viewer. The subject represents and elderly woman. Adams abstracts the photo by emphasizing the winkles on the woman’s face that express her tiredness. I think this photo symbolized the lack of freedom humans have in the course of their lives. Even the title refers to independence, and obstacle blocking her from the outside world (freedom).
Rose and Driftwood, 1932 is an abstract photo that displays the beauty and intricacy of a single rose lying on wood. Though the viewer can easily understand that this is a photo of a rose, the angle that allows the viewer to look into the rose and the closeness of the shot symbolizes opens the viewer eyes and allows them to see detail in the simplest of objects. This relates to his landscape work because it is still nature, but an abstract, close-up photo instead of an overview.
I loved looking at Ansel Adam’s Trailer Camp Children, 1944. In this photo, Adams is able to capture the reality of three young children struggling to survive. The children show so much emotion with innocence and lack of awareness as to why they are struggling. It is interesting that the youngest child stares directly at the camera seeming both engaged and puzzled. The older of the toddlers, being held by his big brother, has the same puzzled look on his but stares away from the camera, disconnected from the viewer. The oldest, and the only visible caretaker, seems both aware of their helpless financial instability and disengaged at the same time. I think this photograph should be considered a work of art because Adams accomplished his goal in creating awareness of this matter. I believe that it is a work of art because it successfully connected the viewer to the subject matter and goal of the artist.
Posted by lcisowens at 01:18 AM | Comments (4)
November 17, 2005
Conversational Style
My roommates are such great sports. Ever since we started learning about gestures, pauses, and so forth, I've been conducting all sorts of ‘conversational style’ experiments on them. A couple hours ago my roommate was talking to me about the A she got on this really hard exam and I sat and listened. Every time she paused, expecting immediate praise or questions I waited five very long seconds until I responded (or at least it felt long!!!). She asked me "is everything okay?" and after five awkward sentences I responded, "Yeah, everything’s fine." She gave me a look and then said with an appropriate amount of concern she said, “Okay, well if you wanted to talk about it you know I'm here for you." She's so sweet! I felt really bad so I told her. I don't think she likes being the victim of all of my 'conversational style' experiments! Oh, well!!
Posted by lcisowens at 02:36 AM | Comments (0)
Homework 8: Question 2
I definitely agree that social groups are a large part of dialects. I think that geography forms the basis of a dialect, and social groups are subdivisions within those general categories. People change their social dialect depending on who their speaking to, but their geographical dialect is not easily altered. If a person from Georgia, a person from Minnesota, and a person from Boston were all speaking to their friends for example, they would have the same social dialect but would sound very different because of their origin.
Posted by lcisowens at 01:57 AM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2005
Emmy Evaluation
Hello!
I definitely appreciate the support I get from Ellen and Nanette.
I enjoy the subject matter very much and I feel that I am increasingly more aware of unique gestures and conversational styles.
I also enjoy the classroom setting. I think my classmates and my professors create a welcoming learning environment (this makes blogging a much easier process than it could be)
I think that with all of the reading, writing and blogging assignments, it's very easy to feel overwhelmed and behind in class. Also, it's hard to figure out what's do when (that has gotten better however)
Posted by lcisowens at 11:08 AM | Comments (1)
November 07, 2005
Slam Poem
Abstract contact
To enact or impact
The slamming of our souls,
The cramming of our bones,
Everything’s unknown
God, why can't we standstill?
Where’s my freewill?
We keep crashing and smashing and slashing our lives
When will the violence stop?
What makes life such a culture shock?
Too much jaywalk
Where’s the structure
I want a category for me
I want a category for life
Cut the tension with a knife
Shaken, we collide
By our social goals we abide
Our lives tied, denied, and untried
Where is the comfort we all seek?
Where is the justice, what makes us weak?
-Emmy
- I can't format mine the way I want to either!
Posted by lcisowens at 11:26 PM | Comments (2)
October 27, 2005
Bell Hooks and the Photo of her Father
I really liked this essay and I thought it was very interesting how each sister had a different perspective on the same photo. Bell's sister V. had a close relationship with her father and because of this Bell could look at a photo she had of him and see signs of their closeness in his pre-fatherhood, carefree smile. It was interesting that her little sister G. was so disconnected from this side of her father that when she got the picture for Christmas she declared it a "horrible photograph." Bell's curiosity of this hidden side of her father drove her to interpret each visual aspect of this photo as a signifier representing a look into a secret world only V. had access to. Bell Hooks believes that photos connect us to memories, and depending on who you are and what experiences you have had with the subject matter, you will interpret a unique understanding from the photo and focus on specific visual signifiers that you relate to most. Emmy
Posted by lcisowens at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2005
Review of Persepolis
I think that the review on Persepolis 2 was very well done for many reasons. I was really impressed by the way that Camper used the graphic-novel format to both describe what the book focused on and to give an actual example of Marjane Satrapi's writing/comic style. She conveyed that this is a book that can interest many different audiences by showing different cultures and ages discussing many different things about the book that they found interesting. I'm really interested in reading Persepolis 2 now, not only because I felt like Persepolis' ending was rather sudden, but also because I really liked the information given on Persepolis 2 by Jennifer Camper.
Emmy
Posted by lcisowens at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)
Review of Persepolis
I think that the review on Persepolis 2 was very well done for many reasons. I was really impressed by the way that Camper used the graphic-novel format to both describe what the book focused on and to give an actual example of Marjane Satrapi's writing/comic style. She conveyed that this is a book that can interest many different audiences by showing different cultures and ages discussing many different things about the book that they found interesting. I'm really interested in reading Persepolis 2 now, not only because I felt like Persepolis' ending was rather sudden, but also because I really liked the information given on Persepolis 2 by Jennifer Camper.
Emmy
PS- Sorry about the previous two entries. I don't know what happened.
Posted by lcisowens at 11:07 PM | Comments (1)
October 13, 2005
Gestures
I can't help but notice how many people gesture. I've been trying to study one person's gestures in particular but it's hard not to notice everyone's gestures now, including my own. I've also noticed the effect gestures have on communication. I am much more interested in conversations with people who gesture. After class on Wednesday I decided to try not to use gestures when I spoke with my roommates to see if they would notice or if it would affect my communication skills. I was still telling stories but I kept my hands in my pockets and tried not to move my head with my speech. Within 15 minutes of our conversation my roommates asked why I seemed so out of it and advised me to take a nap. It might be because I'm usually very expressive, but I found it very interesting that by not using my body language my communication skills were obviously limited.
Emmy
Posted by lcisowens at 06:25 PM | Comments (0)
Gestures
I can't help but notice how many people gesture. I've been trying to study one person's gestures in particular but it's hard not to notice everyone's gestures now, including my own. I've also noticed the effect gestures have on communication. I am much more interested in conversations with people who gesture. After class on Wednesday I decided to try not to use gestures when I spoke with my roommates to see if they would notice or if it would affect my communication skills. I was still telling stories but I kept my hands in my pockets and tried not to move my head with my speech. Within 15 minutes of our conversation my roommates asked why I seemed so out of it and advised me to take a nap. It might be because I'm usually very expressive, but I found it very interesting that by not using my body language my communication skills were obviously limited.
Emmy
Posted by lcisowens at 03:42 PM | Comments (1)
October 07, 2005
Tannen Article
I really enjoyed this article! I never realized before the impact culture has on an individual’s linguistic style. I found it fascinating that the difference between men's and women's linguistic styles can be easily explained by the conversational rituals they learned at an early age. I think one of the most interesting parts of this article was when she spoke about the study done where they asked students to predict what grades they would get in their first year. Although the men seemed to predict the same grades as women privately, publicly women predicted their grades significantly lower than the men’s grade predictions.
Posted by lcisowens at 10:09 AM | Comments (126)
October 06, 2005
Seeing Essay
Seeing, by Annie Dillard, is an eye-opening essay addressing the miracle of perception and the abstract idea that by eliminating depth a world of light, colors, and shapes burst open. By researching stories of blind patients who have gained the ability to see for the first time, Dillard learns that the realization of where objects are in relation to a person is a not born skill but rather a learned technique that the brain takes many years to develop. Gazing over orchards bearing ripe peaches, Dillard regretfully stated that “I couldn’t unpeach the peaches.”
Dillard’s brain, like almost everyone’s, has learned at an early age to appropriately gage distance, therefore making it almost impossible to dissect objects into formless blobs of lines, shapes, and colors. “…I couldn’t sustain the illusion of flatness...Nor can I remember ever having seen without understanding; the color-patches of infancy are lost.” I personally feel a sense of understanding toward Dillard’s wish to see the world as she did as an infant. Staring at the van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir posters on my wall, I envy their ability to detach from the actual figures and display their image through thick brushstrokes of light and color.
“I live now in a world of shadows that shape and distance color, a world where space makes a kind of terrible sense.” Lacking the ability to “unpeach the peaches” is an unfortunate, yet critical part of growing up. In class we discussed methods that organize what we see, such as the law of proximity, law of similarity, law of continuity, etc. These are all examples of why we are unable to detach from our perception. Our brain is trained to rationalize what stimuli our rods and cones sense. We are, at times, victims to our own skills of adaptation. Seeing clearly conveyed both the miracle of perception and regret that few people can actually “unpeach the peaches.”
Posted by lcisowens at 06:09 PM | Comments (0)
October 02, 2005
Seeing Essay- First Draft
Seeing, by Annie Dillard, is an eye-opening essay addressing the miracle of perception and the abstract idea that by eliminating depth a world of light, colors, and shapes burst open. By researching stories of blind patients gaining the ability to see for the first time, Dillard learns that the realization of where objects are in relation to a person is a not born skill but rather a learned technique that the brain takes many years to develop. Gazing over orchards bearing ripe peaches, Dillard regretfully stated that “I couldn’t unpeach the peaches.”
Dillard’s brain, like almost everyone’s, has learned at an early age to appropriately gage distance, therefore making it almost impossible to dissect objects into formless blobs of lines, shapes, and colors. “…I couldn’t sustain the illusion of flatness...Nor can I remember ever having seen without understanding; the color-patches of infancy are lost.” I personally feel a sense of understanding toward Dillard’s wish to see the world as she did as an infant. Staring at the van Gogh, Monet, and Renoir posters on my wall, I envy their ability to detach from the actual figures and display their image through thick brushstrokes of light and color.
“I live now in a world of shadows that shape and distance color, a world where space makes a kind of terrible sense.” Lacking the ability to “unpeach the peaches” is an unfortunate, yet critical part of growing up. Illusions discussed in class, such as the law of proximity, law of similarity, law of continuity, ext. were all examples of why we are unable to detach from our perception. Our brain is trained to rationalize what stimuli our rods and cones sense. We are, at times, victims to our own skills of adaptation. Seeing clearly conveyed both the miracle of perception and regret that few people can actually “unpeach the peaches.”
Posted by lcisowens at 05:51 PM | Comments (1)
September 22, 2005
My Visual Illusion
I think this is so cool. Basically, both the upper and bottom part of this object are the same color. However, because they are separated by a center section, shaded differently, and surrounded by different colored backgrounds, it appears that the two surfaces are different colors. If you block the center section it becomes obvious that they are the same color. I think this is interesting because it shows us how often times we see things in relation to their surrounding rather than just seeing the object itself.
If you want to check it out it is http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/alumni/dm29/purves.html. It’s figure four.
-Emmy O
Posted by lcisowens at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2005
What is Language?
1. What is and what is not language? Why make a distinction?
Language is a complex system of communication. Linguistic knowledge is the ability to communicate any idea and the ability to understand the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences in a language.
Language is not the imitation of sounds or a response to external stimuli.
A distinction of what language is and is not is necessary because it emphasizes the difference between human language and animal instinct.
2. You might say I learned a new word today, but not "I learned a new sentence today." Why?
One is more likely to say “I learned a new word today” because it is much easier to register learning a new word than an entire sentence. (Especially because there are an infinite amount of sentences to be created and only so many words.)
Posted by lcisowens at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2005
Ode to a Basketball
Holding a basketball, so peaceful, so rewarding. Remembering past games, seeing future goals accomplished, truly being one with the ball. I analyze its shape with my fingertips. Once perfectly round, now losing its youthful appeal and transitioning from a functional object into an antique of my memories. An indoor ball, 28.5 inches in circumference, lacking the discolored bumps and alternating colored sections found on many street balls.
Its old, dark orange-brownish leather, smooth to the touch. Each section detached from one another by the smooth black rubber seams. Comfortable in my hands, completing my fingertips as the smells of sweat, work, and desire escape from its outer layer.
The sound of the ball bouncing on a hardwood gym floor rings throughout my mind. Loud and demanding, an echoing thud, thud, thud… in an empty gym. With each dribble I determine the power, the speed, the sound; the basketball always follows through.
Slapping the worn exterior of the basketball roughly from one hand to the other, developing a connection between the hand and ball. Squeezing the ball between my hands, elbows extended. It is precious to me but I must trust its durability so onto it I hold. Images rush through my mind as I sit with the ball. Shooting, forcing the ball against gravity, smoothly flicking my hand against the ball, sensing the desired release.
Creating a spinning effect, each seam turns under, each section passes quickly by as the spherical form glides though the air and descends through the hoop missing the clanging sound of the red rim and producing a simple swoosh as the ball drops through the net.
Posted by lcisowens at 11:22 PM | Comments (2)
September 13, 2005
The Fantastic Four
Tightly packed molecules in a solid. A tasty stir-fry of various flavors. A fruit salad. Jazzy, a lioness, roaring loud and strong, caring for her clubs. Leah, an owl, wise, witty and observant, late into the night. Lauren, the golden retriever, loyal to her family, fetching the ball of hope and kindness. I, a young deer, naive and caring, clumsily running unfamiliar with her surroundings, unaware of danger. We are the Ninja Turtles.
Posted by lcisowens at 11:39 PM | Comments (6)
September 12, 2005
I used to think I was mostly Irish with a little bit of almost every European nation. I used to think I was Methodist. I used to think I was a New Yorker, but not the cool kind that lives in the city. I used to relate to all of these things.
And that was my first response to this assignment. And then, on September 11th (yesterday), I woke up filled with thoughts of sadness for the many victims of 9/11. Keeping these thoughts in my mind all day, I realized that my first response to this assignment was very wrong and poorly thought out. I am an American. I felt detached from my heritage. The closest I have come to partaking in Irish traditions is eating potatoes and wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day. I am so much of a mixed breed that I don’t feel any allegiance to the many countries my ancestors came from. My immediate reaction was to relate back to my bloodline. My culture is not where my ancestors came from or what they believed in. My culture is what I am surrounded by and what I believe in.
I take pride in my country and I support my troops (no matter how I feel about the war). There is a certain kinship that Americans feel for one another; however, it is often hidden by the many subcultures that consume the American way of life. July 4th and Memorial Day are days that every American celebrates. And times like Pearl Harbor and September 11th are times that every American mourns.
In my psychology textbook culture is defined as a complex blend of language, beliefs, customs, values, and traditions developed by a group of people and shared with others in the same environment. I have grown up surrounded by American culture and this is what I know. America is a nation where a person can speak any language, practice any religion, and partake, or exclude themselves, from any tradition. I live in a society that bleeds freedom and I couldn’t be more thankful for that.
Posted by lcisowens at 12:08 AM | Comments (1)
September 11, 2005
Ode to an Orange
Sorry I'm late with my opinions of Ode to an Orange. I had problems with my internet for the past three days. The technique of Woiwode’s that I found most helpful in conveying the overall appreciation he feels towards oranges are the many similes used. “And in the broken-open crates (as if burst by the power of the oranges themselves)…” “…glowing in the light, as if giving off the warmth that came through the windows from the real winter sun.” “…on Christmas day you would find yourself digging past everything else in your Christmas stocking, as if tunneling down to the country of China…” It took me a while to get over how strange the author's obsession with oranges was, and though I still don't see the essay as a metaphor for something deeper and more precious to him, I realize how much description can be used for an ordinary object and reading the passage has helped prepare me for our writing assignment due on Friday.
Posted by lcisowens at 01:01 PM | Comments (0)
September 07, 2005
You can call me Emmy!
Hello! I'll be doing my visual and verbal experience because I was unable to blog it over the summer.
My visual experience that I cherish most is my little sister's smile. She is only 15-months-old and has not yet learned the insincerity of a fake smile. Every time she smiles or laughs it is purely genuine and it fills my heart with warmth.
My verbal experience isn't a famous quote of inspiration but rather a simple song my Dad used to sing me before a big test, or during a rough time in my life to calm down my nerves, boost my self-esteem, make me laugh, or simply comfort me. It sings:
"Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, and don't mess with Mr. In-between!"
Posted by lcisowens at 02:13 PM | Comments (2)