Eloquentia Perfecta 2014 by Core Writing at Fairfield University

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………......3 Inquiries One: Literacy Narratives/Literacy Memoirs……………………..………..5 Finding the Words Through Silence, by Alyssa Raines………………………………………….7 Accents Speak Louder than Words, by Ania Perrin…………………………………………….14 Healing Words, by David Vilanova……………………………………………………………………19 The Tiny Seed: My Literacy Memoir, by Jesse Erickson………………………………………24 Inquiries Two: Profiles……………………………………………………………………….……….29 Guarding Nantasket Beach, by Briana Mullaney………………………………………………….31 Just Keep Swimming, by Jillian Lucia…………………………………………………………………36 A Place to Call Home, by Shauna Dresel……………………………………………………………42 Inquiries Three: Analyses and Arguments………………………………………………….53 Daisy Miller: The Male Perspective, by Michael Flanagan……………………………………55 Grete’s Transformation, by Laura Salerni…………………………………………………………..62 Female Agency in the Language of ‘Leda and the Swan,’ by Abigayel Phillips………..67 A Deceiving Concept, Merit Pay, by Tori Jedson………………………………………………..72 All Good Things Must Come to an End, by Kimberly Lindquist………………………….76 Writing Across Disciplines, by Madeleine Davis…………………………………………………82 The Importance of Writing: Inside and Outside the Classroom, by Dana Aigotti....87 Creative Intervention…………………………………………………………………………………101 Blue Dress, by Paola Garcia……………………………………………………………………………..103

Eloquentia Perfecta: An Anthology of Core Writing September 2014

e are pleased to offer the second collection of writings from students in Texts and Contexts I and II. The idea for the collection originated with the 2013 Core

Writing Award Committee, as we reviewed many fine student pieces and realized that other faculty and students could benefit from reading them as well. The EN 11-12 sequence offers a full year course of study in the literary and language arts intended to help students develop facility with college reading and writing. Students practice increasingly sophisticated reading of complex texts across a broad set of contexts and genres, employ a variety of strategies for writing in different rhetorical situations, and use reading and writing to practice inquiry, reflection, critical thinking, and argumentationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;competences critical to academic achievement. More broadly, our aim is to foster studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; abilities to use both Rhetoric and Reflection, across the Core Curriculum and the majors, and in the communities where they will live and work in the new literate cultures of the twenty-first century. This work acts in the spirit of the long tradition of Jesuit education, which has always valued active student engagement with language in the service of the public good and personal development. The Jesuits used the term eloquentia perfecta as the aim of a humanities education: the development of someone articulate, informed, civil, sympathetic, and engaged â&#x20AC;&#x201C;someone who could act in and on the world with words rather than weapons. Core Writing is just the first step in that journey, and these essays are the efforts of strong first year students as they enter the discourse communities of college writing. Our collection includes several types of essays that capture the mind at work, or as Montaigne would have called them, essais. They all act as forms of inquiry and call on a variety of intellectual strategies. We have given them some broad categories: literacy narratives or memoirs, profiles, and formal inquiries and arguments, but the categories are not at all fixed. We thank the fine student writers, their excellent teachers, the Core Writing Awards and Anthology Committees, and all who supported the creation of the Anthology. We would also like to thank Riley McCarthy (En 11 Fall 2013) for the National Day on Writing images on the cover.

Inquiries One: Literacy Narratives/Literacy Memoirs â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come then, what is it to be literate?â&#x20AC;? In the essays in this section, first-year writers consider what literacies and discourse communities are and situate their own literacies and literacy development through encountering a variety of readings on language, identity, and power. The writers undertake a careful process of reflecting on their own individual and larger cultural histories and stories as they enter the new discourses of the academy.

Finding the Words Through Silence By: Alyssa Raines, Class of 2017, Biology Major and Math Minor Alyssa Raines’s tender essay was written toward the end of her semester in EN 11 in response to a literacy memoir assignment. The purpose of the assignment was to have the students become more aware of the complex personal and social nature of language and literacy itself—to write essays that would offer lenses on the many ways in which literacy is taught and learned, made and manifested, and the ways that it can be encouraged or hindered. A science student, Alyssa thought she hated writing and was no good at it until she immersed herself in this piece, where she began to discover a powerful, new voice: her own. – Professor Sarah Balsley

o any of us know the first book we were acquainted with? Our mothers read to us when we are babies, but we do not understand the words they speak. It is only the fact that their voices ruminate throughout our

small minds. She is what matters most. Her voice is what matters most. When is it that we take it upon ourselves to pick up a book? When we are bored or when there really is not anything else to do? To occupy time. Why do we do such a thing? It really isn’t as appealing as people make it sound. A five-year-old little girl certainly doesn’t find the same enjoyment in “wasting time” when she cannot go outside and play. She cannot run around in the yard or swing on the swings at the neighborhood park, her feet dangling freely and her long black hair flowing in the wind as she oscillates back and forth. She does not even have the strength to breathe on her own. Why are so many wasting time when this little girl does not have any time to waste? The doctor predicts only six months. She proves him wrong. She fights for seven years, eleven months, and two days, spending most of her time in a psychedelic tie-dye wheelchair. Although she is not able to function on her own, Mommy, Daddy, and these ladies give her baths, dress her, and nurture her every day. I am born two and a half years after my sister, Kristyn; yet it is as if we are on the same level of maturity. I need to be secured, protected, and treated with gentle care, just like Kristyn. Mommy carries me into my sister’s bedroom, with the teddybear border on the walls, and an antique pink-cushioned rocking chair in the corner

where Mommy rocks me to sleep and reads to me every night before bed. I am just a newborn. Mommy lays me in between Kristyn’s long, chubby legs. She knows that her legs will not budge. It is a great barrier that I could not penetrate nor roll through lest I plummet to the pink carpet. Together in her bed covered in white linen sheets with miniscule blue and pink butterflies, she is my protector. She doesn’t realize it, but she truly is doing the duty of a big sister. I am now three years old. It is the end of August 1998. Is Kristyn aware that there is a tube implanted in her neck to nourish her and provide oxygen to her lungs? It does not seem very comfortable. I try to ease her pain by removing the tube from a huge beige box with lights and buttons. I pull with all my might until finally the black connector releases the tube. I did it! I set her free! Loud noises start to blare. It is the box with buttons attached to the left side of the tie-dye chair. A red light begins to flash repeatedly. It reminds me of the carnival my family and I attended a month before. We walk toward a stand. Daddy and I decide to play. It is a game in which you must fill up a cylindrical tank with water. Every contestant must shoot the small red bull’s-eye in the middle of a white target with a two-handled water gun. The stakes are high. A fluffy, pink pony is up for grabs. My hands tightly grasp the handles of the water gun; my dad’s hands engulf mine. GO! He aims, keeps our hands steady, and presses the small red buttons that propel the water out of the spout. With competitors to the left and right of us, we stay focused. A loud noise sounds. Did we win? We simultaneously raise our heads. Our eyes widen when we realize the red light above our station is brightly flashing. We did it! We won! The pony is ours! He lifts me up and spins me through the air, his big hands wrapped around my tiny waist. My flashback has ended. The beeps get faster and louder. A sudden throng enters the room, swarming around, and Kristyn’s eyes begin to water. Mine do as

well as I watch in the background, scared for her. The temperature escalates. She is now not visible to me. Her entire chair vanishes and is replaced by a sea of women. The beeps get even louder. My mother at this point doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t read to me. She just hands me a book, which has Elmo and the Sesame Street crew on the firm front cover. There is no time to waste. My big sister is in trouble and it is my fault. I am the one who pulled the cylindrical blue plastic tube from her ventilator, her only source of life. But I am just a child, unaware of how to fix the problem I caused. So, I take the small, hardcover book that my mother gives to me. She always reads this book to me, but now she is busy fixing my mistake. I walk outside the white-framed door and walk down the six large stairs. The beeps fade as I grab onto the wooden handrail. The slamming of the door startles me. I drop my book. It tumbles down the stairs, thumping even louder as it gains momentum, hitting every step. The book slides across the oak floor of the living room. Where the book lies is where I eventually sit, against the couch where the light from the window is most luminous. Crossing my legs in a pretzel formation, laying the book in my lap, I begin to venture through the pages. This is my first true book. Mommy is handing me more books to read. I have not been outside since last week, when Mommy and I walked around Courtney Lane. My blue bucket with the white handle is in one hand and my other hand holds tight to Mommyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boney finger. I wear my pink fuzzy jacket and sparkly sneakers. My blond curly ringlets bounce as I walk. The scarlet-colored leaves crunch under my feet. Mommy is wearing her black button-up jacket and her wide-framed prescription glasses. We find one! A corn with a hat on it! I place it into my blue bucket, in which I place only the corns with hats on them. We search for a very long time for these specific types of acorns, laughing

as we walk along. The wind begins to get stronger, whipping against my bare face. Mommy carries me back to our house. I assume my sister is getting worse since I am given more books to sift through during the next year. I begin to recognize the pictures and words on the pages. Elmo has a round transparent sphere on his table with this orange-looking creature. The words read, “This is Elmo’s goldfish, Dorothy, in the fishbowl on the table.” This is my new method of learning. It is through pictures. My aunt sees how pictures fascinate me. A few weeks later, she hands me a flat box wrapped in pink paper, even though it is not Christmas time or my birthday. I quickly tear open the paper. I see pictures. I count twenty-six individual pictures, one for each letter of the alphabet. I am elated. “The word is apple,” says the monotone voice of the raised surface on the board with an A and an image of an apple. I press this button until I am able to repeat the phrase. “The word—The word—The word—The word—” it repeats. Mommy hates this gift from my aunt. She tells me to listen to the complete sentence before pressing the button again. But Mommy does not understand. I must do this to remember “the word.” After a week, I cannot find my favorite toy. Mommy suspiciously says she has no idea what has happened to it. I am now four and a half years old. It is October 6, 1999. Mommy and Daddy haven’t returned home for a while now. Kristyn is not home either. I sit in the rocking chair in her room, with a book. It is titled Kittens with Mittens. I read the pages by myself now and recognize words more quickly. I put the letters together and sound out the word. I ask Robin, one of Kristyn’s nurses, for help whenever I am having trouble with the pronunciation of a word. October 8. My sister has not been home for four days, and Mommy and Daddy did not come home to sleep last night. Robin says we are going on a trip this morning and that I need to get dressed very quickly. Climbing into the back of her

Honda CRV, she straps me into my car seat. She hands me a new book, The Cat in the Hat. Quickly starting the car, she begins to pull away from the curb. I begin to read aloud. I read the first page on my own. I am so proud! We are moving faster than usual. The turns and curves fling me back and forth. I clench the book tighter and continue to read, quietly now, determined to finish another page. The car jolts to a halt. We are here. But where? I walk with Robin to a large glass-pane door that conveniently slides open, so that I do not even have to place my book down. We enter. Robin goes to a lady sitting at a raised counter with a red cross protruding in the front, the word HOSPITAL in red bold letters underneath. She points down a hall and this is where Robin leads me. Where are we going? The walls are white, the floors are marble, there are metallic tables in the hallway, and no one is in sight. We enter the fourth door on the right. All I see is a blue-and-whiteplaid curtain. Stepping closer and closer to the curtain, I do not know what to expect. I feel scared. I squeeze Robin’s hand tighter, bracing myself. The curtain is now moving. I step back, stiff as a board. Closing my eyes, I prepare myself for the worst. I hear a voice now, calling my name. I recognize this voice. It’s Mommy. I instantly open my eyes, drop my book, and run toward her. I wrap my arms around her neck, grabbing onto her silky smooth hair. Daddy is beside her. He hugs me from behind. I have missed them so much. There are four planters of flowers on a small blue dresser next to a bed. I see a body. A little girl lies motionless in this bed. She has long black hair, a white gown with embroidered pink flowers, and…a blue tube attached to her neck. It is my sister. It is Kristyn! This is where they have been all along. Mommy carries me over to Kristyn. Her big, dark, brown-button eyes peer straight into mine. Her dry mouth curves into a small smile. She has another tube attached to her arm that leads to a clear baggy that resembles Elmo’s fish Dorothy’s tank. Her skin is paler than usual. I place my

cheek against hers. It is cold. I hug her, thinking maybe my body heat may warm her. I run my small hands through her course black hair. Mommy picks up the book I dropped. She hands it to me and I know exactly what to do. I begin reading The Cat in the Hat aloud. I read through the text, without hesitations, without pauses. It is my moment of glory. After I finish, Mommy, Daddy, and Robin clap for me. But that does not matter to me. It is my big sister’s toothless smile that matters the most. She is delighted because of me. This is all I need. My eyes rest on her face alone. I want to treasure this moment. Her smile eventually does fade, for she is weak. I glance at my mother, who is now holding a stuffed cat. It looks like Sparkles, Kristyn’s white plush kitty with the baby-pink bow around her neck and faint sparkles in her fur. Mommy hands the cat to me. She tells me this one is my Sparkles. It is Kristyn’s way of saying thank you. This is the last time Kristyn smiles. That night, my big sister is not strong enough to maintain life. The ventilator, which has been lodged in her throat since she was six weeks old, cannot support her any longer, and she passes on, from this world to eternal life. I begin to cry. As I write this, exactly fourteen years after this moment, I again begin to cry. Never have I written in such a way. Never have I expressed how that day has impacted me. Writing is not something I do often. I do not find it enjoyable. It is more so a painstaking task in my opinion. But when I write about my older sister, writing seems effortless. It is my coping mechanism. It purifies my heart of sadness, of nostalgia, of hurt. Kristyn spoke to the hearts of many without ever speaking a word. Through my writing, I wish to convey her unspoken message and her underlying meaning in my life. This is gratifying. It makes me feel so powerful. The sensation that flows through my hands to create words is indescribable. A

transformation of my entire body and soul sparks my inspiration. It is through Kristyn that I unfold into a prolific writer.

Accents Speak Louder than Words By: Ania Perrin, Class of 2018, Psychology Major In asking students to consider the many possible meanings of the words “literate” and “literacy,” we are requesting that students dig deeply into their own memories of readings, words, and understanding, but also to think about other ways in which we can be literate. In this essay, Ms. Perrin does a beautiful job marrying a more prosaic idea of literacy (how words are pronounced and understood) with the much bigger ideas of cultural literacy, and the familial literacy that comes of first seeing one’s parents through adult eyes. With her strong use of scene and dialogue, Ania effortlessly brings the reader along on her journey to literacy, in all its messy incarnations. –Professor Lindsay Ferrara

was ten years old when Nadia and I slept over our friend Kaitlin’s house. A vibrant red couch stood in the family room, a bright purple table in the dining room, and there was yellow color-schemed wallpaper throughout the mansion

- a bold vision of striking beauty, powerful yet invitingly accented by the flamboyant furniture found within. Kaitlin’s mother awoke us the next morning. She was kind enough to prepare a breakfast of pancakes, waffles, and fruit. As we tasted the mouthwatering food, Kaitlin’s mother said that one of us was about to be picked up. “I have no idea which of your mothers is coming,” she said with a smile. “I couldn’t quite make out what she said on the phone.” “Did the woman have a heavy accent?” Nadia asked. “Yes, she did. Is that your mother?” “Oh no, that is Ania’s mom. My mother does not have an accent.” Nadia said. She took another bite of the chocolate-chip pancakes stacked on her plate. “What are you talking about, Nadia? My mother doesn’t have an accent. Your mom does! Your mom is Mexican.” “Yeah, but your mom’s accent is heavier than my mother’s.” “No,” I said. “That’s impossible. “After living with my mother for ten years, I should be well aware of her accent.”

Later that morning my mother came to pick me up. I said goodbye to the girls, but Nadia’s remark remained in the back of my mind. I climbed into the BMW, exchanged kisses with my mother, and freed myself of the bulky sleeping bag. As we drove off into the woodland I conversed with my mother to see if I was able to identify her accent. We talked about the sleepover, what junk food I ate, and how long it would take my body and mind to recover. To my astonishment, I was unable to distinguish her accent from mine. When we arrived home, my stepfather Edward greeted us. While Edward helped my mother with the bags, the two of them spoke about the drive we had just taken. I was suddenly struck by the way my mother mispronounced each English word. I could no longer be in denial. Though my mother looked the same as she did before; though her tone of voice did not change, her English was foreign to me. I listened closely to her broken words; I observed them for quite a long time, then, asked her to speak directly to me. She turned around. It seemed that my odd request bewildered her. We starred at each other and I gave her simple words to repeat back to me, and, for whatever reason, she didn’t refuse my strange demand. “I just noticed you have an accent.” “Of course I do, dear. I’m from Colombia, what do you expect?” I knew where she came from. It was easy for me to hear my relatives’ accents, however, I was under the false notion that my mother was different. She had been in America since she was eighteen and I was convinced that she did not possess an accent. After so many years, she should have adapted to the way we speak. To others, her broken English was not a big deal. But, to me, it felt like I had just heard my mother’s voice for the first time.

I grew accustomed to my newfound discovery of my mother’s accent. However, there were specific words she mispronounced that were particularly irritating: lettuce, beach, focus, and “the;” all simple words that any toddler could say, yet she pronounced them differently. Lettuce became letters; beach turned into the word that means female dog, and focus was mispronounced as another derogatory word in the English language. Her mispronunciations agitated me, specifically the word, “the” which she would pronounce as, “de.” Though I tried to correct her numerous times, I eventually gave up and came to accept her accent as a part of who she was. At the same time, I had trouble with accepting her accent when she spoke to others. One beautiful summer’s morning, years after realizing my mother’s accent, my friend Andrew came to my house to prepare snacks for a relaxing day at the beach. We gathered fruits and chips from my pantry, assembled them in a tiny cooler, and planned our activities for the day. My mother came into the kitchen wearing her goto beach outfit, which consisted of pink shorts, a white oversized shirt, and her short hair tied up in a messy bun. She grabbed the car keys from a drawer in the kitchen, turned to us and said with a huge smile, “lets hit the beach!” Andrew burst into uncontrollable laughter. My mother knew why he was cackling away and joined in on the fun. I, however, was not amused. In fact, I was so embarrassed that I punched Andrew in his arm, and hoped that his joyful tears would turn into tears of pain. Unfortunately, my action backfired and Andrew’s laughter grew painfully louder. “I love your mom. She is so funny,” Andrew said after calming down. His words soothed my anger. I began to giggle and acknowledged that he was laughing with my mother, not at her. I proceeded to hug my mother to let her know I once again accepted her accent as being part of her.

Though my mother was often praised for her accent and people thought it was just as beautiful as she was, there was hint of sadness and anger in her voice when she complained about those who judged her for the way she spoke. It was difficult for me to have two languages conflict with each other every day. I would wake up to the mispronunciations of the English language spoken by my mother, then listen to an articulated version at school. I went home feeling as if my mom was a societal outcast. Her accent immediately categorized her as a foreigner. Only later did I realize that my conception of the way she spoke, my idea of how she was viewed by others was simply a product of my own self-conscious issues. I never truly accepted or appreciated my mother’s accent until I watched Sofia Vergara on Modern Family. While I sat on my snow-white couch, spread out comfortably under a blanket of pillows, and flipped through channels, I paused every so often to see if anything was worth watching. Nothing caught my full attention until I came to ABC’s the “Modern Family.” Just like Andrew, I burst into an uncontrollable laughter whenever Sofia Vergara mispronounced English words. My eyes were glued to the televisions screen; it was impossible to avert my eyes during Vergara’s hysterical scenes. I was mesmerized by her character’s self-confidence in comparison to the other characters on the show. I made a connection between my mother and Sofia Vergara, which helped to overcome my embarrassment of my mother’s accent, and in fact, I became proud of it. My mother knew that many people viewed her accent as a restriction, but she didn’t allow that to get into her head. She continued to live her life without limitations. Her accent adds soul to the way she speaks. Beautiful body movements accompany each word that comes out of her mouth. They are often expressed through hand gestures or the way she tilts her head when she laughs. When I was younger, my mother’s accent limited my ability to fully appreciate her beauty. Now,

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve come to love it. I cannot imagine her speaking any other way. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fluent in the discourse of life and her language emanates from her soul.

Healing Words By: David Vilanova, Class of 2017, Nursing Major The literacy narrative is the first major writing project assigned in many EN11 classes. Students write about how an experience as readers or writers transformed their lives in some way. This narrative journey can take any number of different paths. But I have never had a student write so profoundly and courageously about his life and the role writing has played in it as David has in “Healing Words.” Writing for David became not just a powerful means of expression, but a catharsis for the conflicting feelings he has had towards his mother. Although David destroyed the letters he wrote, and for good reasons, he has salvaged from the experience this compelling and candid personal essay. As the title suggests, it not only shows how the written word can express the deepest of emotions, but also heal the wounds of the mind and heart. In that sense, despite the grimness of the situation it depicts, it ultimately paints a reaffirming and positive portrait of the human spirit and was well deserving of the honorable mention it received in this year’s Core Writing Awards. –Professor Steven Otfinoski

hat are words? Are they simply letters strung together? For me words are much more than that. For a long time words have been my method of healing. While some people submerge themselves in

music and novels to avoid the harsh reality that clouds their lives, I write to cope with mine. As I write, I am coping with the issues I have to face at home, the issues that make me feel like a claustrophobic person struggling to get out of a closet. Words are not letters simply strung together, but an emotional relief and a method of healing. After what seemed like hours of walking in the heat, I finally reached my doorstep and, with one last surge of energy, I bounced up the porch steps to the front door. Staying after school for class council was something I enjoyed, but it was difficult making that forty-minute walk home after a long day, especially with a throbbing headache. The only thoughts racing through my head were the air conditioning that waited for me on the other side of the deep red door, and the icecold water in the fridge. This was my mistake. My desires were focused on the advantages of stepping through the door in front of me, and I failed to account for what else I might be walking into. As I stepped into the house I could immediately

feel the tension. the tension that seemed to permeate the house. The friendly and welcoming house that I had just witnessed from outside seemed to fade away and was replaced with a much darker and threatening structure. The air conditioning that I thought about the entire walk home was now less of a priority, and the coolness quickly became uncomfortable. I strongly considered leaving just as fast as I had entered, but it was too late. Surely she must have heard me open the door. Leaving now seemed like escaping from a maximum-security prison, and I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get both feet out the door before being caught. If I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave, then my only option was to continue into the darkness as bravely as I could. As I entered the kitchen, I could tell she was angry. The light coming in from the windows seemed to refuse to shine on her, and the state of disorder in the kitchen enhanced the dark vibe she gave off. I could also tell that the golden-colored foaming drink in front of her was not apple juice. She sat there staring into space with an expressionless cold face, her legs crossed and the top leg bouncing slightly. For a second I thought she hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen me at the entrance to the kitchen, and again I considered leaving just as fast as I had come, but it was too late. Then it happened, just like an unexpected land mine going off; she exploded without warning. I cannot remember exactly what she said, but I remember feeling helpless, confused, lost, and angry, all at the same time. As my mind and ears attempted to shut out the swears and insults coming from her mouth, my eyes could not help but bear witness to the monster that was unleashed within my mother. Her alcoholism was at its worst and it pained me to see her in this state. The drool that dripped off the corner of her mouth as she yelled, the slurring of her words, the incoherency of her whole argument, and the way she answered her own questions all pointed to the evil work of that golden-colored drink. At this point I should explain

that this was not the first time I had witnessed my mother drunk, nor would it be the last. At this moment in time I was not ready to stand up against her. Instead of David defeating Goliath, it was the other way around, and so I turned without a word and went to my room. As I sat down, the reclinable swivel chair embraced me and welcomed me back into a world of comfort. The paper, pen and my desk all seemed to usher me to move closer and begin my journey to peace of mind. In my room, the warm sunlight poured in through the windows directly in front of my desk and illuminated the entire room. As always, the room was fairly neat. The bed was meticulously made, the television in the corner of the room had a shelf underneath it where my DVDs were arranged by genre, and on the left side of the room was the bookshelf that seemed untouched. For the most part there was no disorder, unlike the kitchen. This was my writing sanctuary. As I wrote and entered my own world, I felt untouchable. The words poured out, but in reality, the monster that I had just fled from was only a few feet below me on the first floor of the house, and if she made the effort, she could climb the stairs and enter my sanctuary. As her rage burned beneath me, words of different meanings, emotions and lengths all worked in unison to save me. What I was writing was a letter to myself, and lately these letters were becoming increasingly more common and longer in length. Towards the beginning of my letter, the hopelessness and fear I had previously felt turned to anger and my hand pushed the pen down with a force that tore the piece of loose leaf. As my letter progressed, the radical change of emotions was incredible. It was as if two parts of me were in a boxing match with each other. In one corner was the good fighting for forgiveness, tolerance, and understanding, and in the other corner was the bad fighting for anger. Just when the good seemed to be prevailing, the bad would punch back. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe she will get better

and maybe she will realize what she has said and done to me,â&#x20AC;? and then, just a few lines later, I would angrily question why I put up with her, and why she hates me so much. The result of this inner civil war was a vast array of emotions in no logically progressive order. My penmanship varied according to the emotion I was feeling in the particular moment that I wrote a sentence. When my writing was bold and there were holes in the paper, I was clearly angry. When my writing was smooth, I was in a calmer mood, and when my writing seemed distorted or the paper was stained with wet spots, I was upset and crying. To anyone but myself it would have been difficult to understand the letter, for it had no logical coherent sequence. There was no introduction or conclusion. I did not proofread for grammatical errors. A thesis was non-existent, and awareness of my audience was of no concern. The emotions on the sheet of paper simply reflected everything I was feeling. By studying my writing you could view the sporadic and random change of emotions. Of course I began with and focused on my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abuse of alcohol, but that led to writing about her anger problems, and then that fueled my theory of her also being bipolar. The purpose for this terribly organized form of writing was to serve as a system of relieving myself of anything that upset my emotional equilibrium. The anger, pain, and disgust I felt towards my mother were all deposited onto the lines of the several pages of loose leaf in front of me, and I would not feel those emotions again until my next encounter with the monster. Every time I write the good prevails, but just like every war, the victorious army must also suffer. Even though I manage to expel the negative thoughts and emotions, every encounter does its damage. Just like a band-aid protects a cut so that it may heal properly, writing allows me to cope and escape from further harm so that I may begin the healing process. This process, although difficult, is made easier by

the power of the words I write, and eventually the civil war within me is brought to an end and peace is restored. After a few more incidents like this one, I was able to gain the strength to move out of my motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house. It was time for David not to submit to the power and force Goliath exerted over him. Writing after difficult altercations with my mother allowed me to grow stronger, and eventually continue my life in a more positive way, but unfortunately a way that is more distant from her. Now I have moved in with my grandparents, and entered a household that does not hinder me, but rather promotes my success in college and supports me as I face the challenges of life.

The Tiny Seed: My Literacy Memoir By: Jesse Erickson, Class of 2017, Business Major After reading several examples of literacy narratives and discussing the nature of literacy, I asked my students to reflect on the ways in which their lives have been shaped by one of their most meaningful encounters with reading and writing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jesseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s narrative because of the fluidity of the prose, the figurative language and the authorial voice. She is able to capture a childhood memory and relay it with the insight and contemplation of an adult. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Professor Jill Bodach

he rain pounded on the blue-grey siding of our home. The thunder roared from above while the sun attempted to peek through the sour sky. My cousin Erica and I sat around the dinner table. She was eight and I was

ten. My older age obviously made me more mature, and I used my two years to boss her around in everything we did, whether it was making her play the baby when we played house or telling her to chase after the ice cream truck before it hummed away. It was that awkward time between summer and fall. Our noses sniffled, our heads felt heavy, and our toes froze as we spent the last few days wearing out our cheap Old-Navy flip flops. As we sat around the table, Erica pestered me by saying she was bored. Being the ten year old that I was, I took the initiative to venture upstairs to my mother's in-home office. Amongst the papers, she argued on the phone. She spent nearly all of her time on that phone. Anxiously awaiting the end of the phone call, my cousin and I sat on the tainted-white rug staring longingly into my mother's eyes. We finally heard the words "Okay, thank you, see you then" and we exclaimed the usual "we're bored." Getting ready for her usual response of "sh-I'm busy", we moaned when she suddenly handed us two blank pieces of letter paper. With the blank paper came our blank stares and she began to set some rules. We were given sixty minutes to complete a story she began for us. She narrated: "One day a little girl was walking down her road when she began to wonder just a little too far into the scary old lady's garden. The little girl didn't have many friends so she

spent a lot of her time making trouble. Curiously, the little girl crept into the endless garden when suddenly a fragile, but frightening, old lady, emerged. The little girl went to run away, but the old lady stopped her and placed a seed in her hands. She whispered for her to take the plant and grow it with lots of love and sunshine and to come back when the flower had grew." My hands hit the floor, I rolled my head back, and my ten-year old tantrum began. Tears streamed from my face as I screamed in hysterics. My anger escalated and I shouted that I didn't want to write a story about a "stupid girl and a stupid seed." My mother shrugged her shoulders and looked at me with a disappointed look. My cousin giggled and I stormed downstairs making my footsteps loud enough for the neighbors to hear. I hated writing stories, like the generic one sentence picture books in Kindergarten. Even then, I thought of the stories as childish. The plots were so simple, usually revolving around solving problems like scraped knees or lost dogs. But the idea of these childish stories were constantly being reinforced and at the time, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I thought I needed to write about and scraped knees and lost dogs were the last things I wanted to expand upon. But, my cousin handed me the paper and started to write on her own paper. Regardless, I didn't want her to be given the praise for writing so I started writing in disgust. I decided to go and sit on the front porch. As the rain trickled down the gutters, I looked in the garden and thought about the lonely girl and all a lonely, little girl could ever want is a friend. I put my sweaty palm against my forehead and started to write about the little old lady and the girl. With my vast imagination, I started to think about a dog or a cat that could come from the seed. But at ten years old, a cat or dog wasn't wild enough. In my story, the little girl took care of the seed every day and watered it and put it in the sun until one day a hand started to pop from the beautiful flower. After the hand came two feet, and after the feet, came a face. The little seed had grown into a friend for the little, lonely girl. At first the girl was scared

but she learned to love her friend and when she went back that day to the old lady's house, the old lady had disappeared. In my story, I concluded that the old lady had become the seed and the old-lady seed became my best friend. Far-fetched or not, the little story had changed everything. When my mother read my story, she had an astonished look in her eyes. I remember looking at me asking “How did you come up with this? Did you get this from somewhere else?” For a second, I had almost felt guilty the way she began to question me. But then, the questions turned into praise. That single look in her eyes would forever change the way I looked at writing. Up until this point, I had looked at writing as a hassle-- something everyone my age had to do in school. I looked at literacy as the ability to read and write, but now I look at literacy as an ability to express myself through words. Like linguist James Gee explains, “language is not just what you say, but how you say it.” Throughout his entire essay, Gee stresses that most have the ability to speak and use language, but only a few have the talent to express themselves creatively through words. Physically, I’ve always troubled to express myself. But with words, like Gee says, I can express what I truly need to say. At that moment, I had a whole new appreciation for writing. The look assured me that writing was something I had a strength in. For months, she praised my imagination and today that look still gives me an identity. I'm not a math person, a science person, but with my imagination, I have the ability to create a new world for myself and others to immerse themselves in. Writing has become a get-away for me and without that rainy day I wouldn't have found a love for writing. Throughout middle school, I wrote for the Creative Writing Club. And in high school, I joined journalism. Journalism was nothing like creative writing, there wasn't any opinion, but I loved that people were reading my writing. I learned to explore the different faces of writing. I struggle with essays, excel with articles, and find that narratives offer me a gateway to a different world. Through words, I can express myself and I

know who I truly am. Even at Fairfield, I have involved myself with The Mirror where I spend hours writing my articles for the next issue. My friends look at the articles as extra essays I assign myself for the week, I look at them as my getaway; the one time I can get away from everything else. Without that rainy day, I would have struggled to find myself. Because I can express myself through words, I have a power to change and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most powerful abilities in the world.

Inquiries Two: Profiles These essays derive from first-hand knowledge, observation, and information-gathering, as well as other secondary sources to provide novel accounts of people, places, and activities and help us all see salience and meaning in the daily life around us.

Guarding Nantasket Beach By: Briana Mullaney, Class of 2017, College of Arts and Sciences, Major Undeclared The two profiles from my students included in this anthology both have to do with water, the new university-wide theme. Briana was the only student in my two EN11 classes whose profile wasn’t about a single person, but a group of people who are part of a unique community. She herself was one of the lifeguards on Nantasket Beach, and she writes with the authority of someone who knows her subject intimately. The quotes she includes from her interviews with the other lifeguards are well chosen and insightful, and the incidents she uses to illustrate the challenges of the lifeguard life are compelling. As she makes clear, lifeguards are responsible for the very lives of the people who come to play on their beach. After reading her well-crafted essay, we may never look at these well-tanned young people on their high wooden chairs the same way again. –Professor Steven Otfinoski

eing paid to sit on a beach for eight hours seems like the perfect summer job. For myself and the other 20 teenagers who lifeguard at a busy beach on the south shore of Hull, Massachusetts this perfect summer job is not

always so perfect. As young adults, the title of a lifeguard holds us responsible for the lives of the hundreds of patrons who visit any day of the week. We may be getting paid to sit on the beach, but we are doing so much more than sitting….we are guarding lives. Each lifeguard on Nantasket Beach has had to earn his or her position at the beach. “Not just anyone can buy a red bathing suit, and call themselves a lifeguard,” says Gretchen Barrett, a three-year guard. To be a lifeguard one must go through vigorous training. Certifications must be renewed, tests must be taken, and courses must be passed. The DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation) requires that every lifeguard must swim 500 meters, 20 laps in a pool, under nine minutes and thirty seconds to even attempt to be a lifeguard at any of their facilities. A typical day at Nantasket Beach begins with the arrival of the guards at 9:30 am. When everyone’s there the head lifeguards lead an in-service training activity. On any given day this activity could be a swim, run, core workout, practice rescues, or a game of beach flags. After the workout, all the lifeguards return to the shack

(lifeguard headquarters) and are assigned to stations. Nantasket beach has eight stations that stretch three miles along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The two or three lifeguards assigned to each station are responsible for all the area in their station. Nantasket Beach is a beach where lifeguarding seems to run in the family. All but two guards at this beach have a brother, sister, cousin, or multiple relatives that work alongside them. My mom, and both of her sisters were lifeguards on Nantasket Beach. Now, my three siblings, my three cousins, and myself are lifeguards. My older brother has followed closely in my mother’s footsteps and now holds the position of head lifeguard of Nantasket Beach just as my mother did in 1985, 1986, and 1987. Gretchen Barrett works alongside her two older brothers, and three of her cousins at Nantasket Beach. “Its nice to be able to work with my family members.” Gretchen says. “All of the lifeguards on Nantasket Beach are so close its almost like we’re all one big family anyway.” Spending eight hours sitting alongside another guard gives you plenty of time to get to know someone. The guards on this beach have a bond stronger than most ordinary co-workers. This bond is strengthened by having to rely on each other in life or death situations. Sometimes people seem to forget how difficult and stressful the work of a lifeguard can be. A lot of times people look at lifeguards and can’t see past their bronze tan. All the lifeguards on Nantasket Beach started working as teenagers in high school. Lifeguarding is one of the few jobs where it requires teenagers to make decisions that could lead to life or death consequences. This is a lot of pressure for someone so young. Lifeguards have to be on top of their game at all times, one slip up could be fatal. Head guard, Jake Mullaney says: “You never know when something could go wrong, you have to be prepared at all times, in a split second anything could happen.” Jake knows this all too well.

Jake Mullaney was late for supper on August 3rd, 2010. Almost four hours late. As the door opened, Jake walked into his house leaving a trail of sand behind him. Before anyone could question his tardiness he blurted out that a man almost died. This day started like any other day at Nantasket Beach, Jake recalls. “All of a sudden I heard screaming. It was such a loud, piercing, screech that it gave me chills.” As he ran toward the edge of the water, an overweight man was lying face down in the Atlantic Ocean. He had swallowed too much water and was now unconscious. As he pulled the man from the water onto the shore, the other lifeguard on his station, Becca, had already radioed the lifeguard shack to call EMS. After finding no pulse, Jake began cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR. “I did the compressions and Becca did the rescue breaths. After two rounds of CPR, the man started to foam at the mouth. He began to cough and I couldn’t help but feel relieved. He was alive.” Jake and Becca had saved a man, yet they don’t view themselves as heroes. “We aren’t heroes, we are lifeguards. We just help those who need to be helped. It’s our job,” says Jake. Finding missing children is another challenge that lifeguards at Nantasket face. Kids sometimes wander off from their parents or drift to another part of the beach when boogie boarding in the ocean. Although each missing child case brings tension and anxiety, the lifeguards of Nantasket beach are experts in finding them in record timing. The Fourth of July is the busiest day of the summer season, and lifeguards have to deal with a number of children reported missing. In the summer of 2009, lifeguards were prepared to be on full alert for the thousands of patrons who were to venture to Hull to enjoy their summer holiday. As the lifeguards at station one radioed the report of a missing child, everyone on duty was ready to follow the normal protocol. It wasn’t until the parents notified the lifeguard that the child had

already been missing for two hours that panic set in. After searching on the shore for ten minutes, a full-fledged search was called into place. A human chain was created to maximize coverage on the shore and in the ocean. “My biggest fear was the possibility of stepping on a body.” Says Jake who was covering the ocean in the human chain. “The ocean water is not crystal clear, its murky, it can be hard to see the bottom at times. “ Before long, there were helicopters hovering above Nantasket, participating in the search. After what seemed like forever, the search was called to a halt. The little boy had wandered off the beach and had walked five miles to the neighboring town. He was safe, and alive. “It was like a weight had been lifted off our shoulders,” says Mae Price, after the boy was finally reunited with his family. Every guard hits the point at one time or another where they get tired of going to the beach. “Usually in mid August, you hit a wall where you hate the sun, the sand, the ocean.” Says Danielle, a rookie lifeguard. “Then I remember all of my friends are inside and are wishing they could be at the beach, and I remember how awesome my job is.” When most lifeguards graduate from college, they often leave Nantasket Beach to work at an internship, or find a “real job.” Old guards often return to Nantasket Beach to reminisce with the guards about their lifeguard stories, and memories of the beach. They are quick to remind the guards to treasure each moment. I would give anything for one more summer at Nantasket Beach. Being a lifeguard is the best job there is, no question about it,” says Joe Barrett, a former guard of Nantasket. You never realize how much you’ll miss it until your spending your summer working in a corporate office wearing a suit and tie.” At the end of each summer season the guards gather one last time at the shack and have their final debrief. They say their goodbyes, unsure of what next !

summer will bring. No one can be certain of who will be returning as lifeguard next summer, but they are certain that when next summer approaches there will be enough lifeguards guarding the patrons of Nantasket Beach. That will not change. The work of a lifeguard can be very stressful at times, but it does have it perks. We are lucky to work where we have the sun shining down on us, the sand beneath our toes, the wind in our hair, and the ocean at our fingertips. The beach is a lifeguard’s office and the ocean is at their disposal. As 6:00 P.M approaches, Jake’s voice can be heard on each radio on the lifeguard stand “Bring it in Nantasket Beach. It’s the end of another day at the office.”

Just Keep Swimming By: Jillian Lucia, Class of 2017, College of Arts and Sciences, Major Undeclared The final major writing assignment in our EN11 class last year was to write a profile of a person, place, or event. Interestingly, some of the most passionate and well-crafted profiles were of athletes, and the best of these was Jillian’s profile of her friend, swimmer Tommy Kealy. Like the finest newspaper and magazine profiles, “Just Keep Swimming” gives us a close-up portrait of a fascinating character – a student who is driven to get to the top of his sport. Along the way, Jillian shares plenty of eye-opening information about the grueling training a competitive swimmer undergoes. Yet in the end, this essay isn’t just about swimming or sports, but the grit and determination it takes to excel in any endeavor. As such, it is an inspiration for all of us to do our best. –Professor Steven Otfinoski

he alarm sounds. The young man lying lethargically in bed rolls over as his hand slaps down against the alarm. Sitting in bed pondering about the day, he knows he has to get up and head off to practice. As he slowly

arises, he looks out the window into the darkness. Leisurely creeping around the house, making sure not to make a sound, he does his morning routine duties and prepares himself. Most other students his age do not know what this time of day looks like, but getting up at five o’clock in the morning is nothing out of the ordinary for Tommy Kealy. Tommy is a senior in high school, and a nationally ranked swimmer for the Wilton Wahoos Men’s Swim Team. Most people do not think of swimming as such a tough sport, but they do not know the half of it. Of course many people know about the world-renowned swimmers, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, but they do not know the background and training they went through. A long day of practice and hard, enduring workouts are nothing but an ordinary routine for any competitive swimmer. A regular day for Tommy consists of morning practice, which means getting up to be in the pool by 5:15, and then having to get to school by 8:15 for a regular seven hour day. However, this is just the start. He constantly hears everyone complain about how tired they are, but he just looks and smiles at them, knowing what he has already been through. Then, once his school day is complete, he races

back to the pool for another three-hour practice. By the time he gets home and eats dinner, he has to start his homework. The constant shuffle of Tommyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day makes his friends and family wonder how he can manage everything. School is something that has always been important to Tommy. One of the requirements he has set for himself is to do well academically in school in order to maintain his rigorous schedule. When he receives a bad grade, Tommy goes home after school and skips practice to study, work, and improve his grades. Skipping practice when training at a national level is not as easy as it sounds; missing one practice could potentially destroy the hard work and hours that he has put into training. Not only will his coach increase his yardage in the pool to make up for the missed practice, but statistics show that if a swimmer misses one practice their muscle tone could easily shrink, making future practices harder. It is true, swimming is conditioning, which means that every muscle in the body is being used and the conditioning is for the entire practice. Most people who play contact sports do conditioning, but only for a short period of time throughout their practice. For swimmers, their bodies demand the work in order to improve their times in races. Although a tough workout is painful, swimmers know that they must push through it because there is no stopping. All of the hard work they push through will turn out for the best in the end. From an online journal of a swimmer, the writer puts into perspective the tough practices that they go through. He explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do you work out for three straight hours per day... Twice? Do you do strength training for three straight hours per day, twice? Do you also do cardio training for three straight hours per day, twice? Do you have a coach who passive-aggressively tells you that you're going too slow so instead of being told to do better, you have to convince yourself to do better? Do you risk hypothermia on a daily basis? Do you cry during workouts, but have no choice but to keep going? Do you experience the pure agony

of lactic acid every day of the week? Do you place all of your training into 25 seconds? Do you compete next to someone every day until you barf? Do you hold your breath for two minutes while strength training your entire body and simultaneously doing a cardio workout?” Then, the swimmer goes on to explain how the enduring, rigorous practices are everyday, and swimmers at the national level never get a break. Tommy explains, “There is no such thing as a break or off season when it comes to swimming.” Because Tommy is a sprinter, all of his hard practices go into a swim about twenty seconds long, or sometimes fifty seconds at most. People always ask why his races are not longer, or why he has to practice for so long. He tells them: “A sprinter’s race is far shorter than a distance swimmer, who swims the mile, but we need to condition the same in order for our bodies to be ready. I still need to push just as hard in the race, just everything is done in a shorter period of time.” Every part relates to the swimmer, it is what they go through and live up to in order to reach their full potential. Most people do not understand the extremity of it, but seeing it first hand, I know swimming is not a joke. Tommy swims, trains, and competes year round. Although every meet is important to improve his best times, there are two major meets that Tommy attends every year that he trains the hardest for. Junior Nationals occurs twice a year, and this is not the meet for fun and games. Tommy knows he needs to be mentally and physically prepared. Starting two weeks before the meet, Tommy regulates his sleep pattern. This means going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday for two weeks straight. The week before the team leaves for Nationals, the swimmers go through a tapering schedule where the coach conditions their bodies so they are ready. Each day the swimmers will do fewer yardages in the pool so that they can work away from the large distance they swim each practice and prepare for the big race. Not only that, but throughout the

second seven-day period, Tommy has to eat a strict diet. The first three days of the week is protein overload. During this time, the protein will help build up the muscle from the workouts he has been doing. Then, the next two days consists of carbohydrate overload. This is important because the carbohydrates help the body restore and repair all of the broken-down muscles. Finally, from the sixth day throughout that week until the meet is over, Tommy explains how everyday is hydrate day. Aside from his constant trips to the bathroom, this allows the body to be cleared of any unwanted toxins, which includes lactic acid and bad muscle tissue. Being such a conditioned swimmer, Tommy knows the routine he has to follow. This meet occurs twice throughout the year, and this is his time to prove that all of the hard training he has done pays off. Even after this meet, Tommy will not get a break. On top of his schoolwork, he still will continue to work hard and practice everyday, even when summer comes. His rigorous swim schedule does not lighten up in the summertime; he jokes that it will even get harder because the coach knows that schoolwork will not interfere. Continuing the twice a day practices, everyone knows that Tommy is always in the pool. Throughout the school year and summer, Tommy will swim, on average, 20 to 22 hours during the week, which is about 65,000 yards or 40 miles. The physical, emotional, and mental challenge of a practice proves that swimmers are dedicated, and I have never seen a more dedicated swimmer than Tommy. On top of Tommyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strenuous Wahoo schedule, throughout the school year he swims for the Wilton High School Swim team in Wilton, Connecticut. Along with all the Wahoo meets Tommy has to partake in, he also has swim meets for the high school team. Two major swim meets for the high school league are the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC) and Championships, and Tommy made his name known at both proving that it was his time to shine. Not

only was he named athlete of the month in our town of Wilton, but he was also named the FCIAC champion. He explains, “’It’s a little bit of pressure knowing you’re the FCIAC champion and representing the sprinters in Fairfield County,’’’ Kealy said. “’It’s an incentive to go fast.’” From this, he continued on his way to the Class L State Championships. This relates back to the question: how do you manage all of this? Tommy responds, “Of course everything in my life is a top priority, between swimming and school. It is just a matter of balancing everything out and time management.” If there is something Tommy is good at besides swimming, it is time management. With his entire swim time, and extra curricular clubs he partakes in at school, it is a wonder how he has any time to do his homework. But Tommy always gets it done, and continues to strive while doing it. Tommy has worked hard in school, and has strived in swimming. As a senior, now came his moment of reality. He needed to commit to a D1 school for swimming. He tells me how important the process is because he needs to know that it is the right school academically for him, and the times for the swim team need to be good enough so he can improve. At the end of all of his deciding which school to pick, the College of William and Mary is where he wants to be. Tommy has come a long way. Being a competitive swimmer for almost thirteen years now, he has proven to himself and his family that he can do anything when he puts his mind to it. Swimming is not a sport where you can just jump into a pool and win a race; it takes long, hard practices in order to condition your body to be ready for something this major. In a previous interview with the Wilton Daily Voice, Tommy tells us: “The key for that race is you have to map out what you want to do before it starts. You have to know when to breathe, where to breathe. If one thing goes wrong, it’s over.” Swimming is a sport that takes much practice,

endurance, and stability. Tommy Kealy does the job by staying focused and working hard to be one of the top swimmers in the nation. Works Cited Albano, George. "On The Record -- An Interview with Wilton High's Tom Kealy." Thehour.com. N.p., 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Renner, Tom. "Tommy Kealy Named Wilton Athlete Of The Month." The Wilton Daily Voice. N.p., 7 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. "Swimming." : Top Ten Hardest Sports. DH Top Tens, LLC, 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

A Place to Call Home By: Shauna Dresel, Class of 2017, Nursing Major and Spanish Minor Shauna’s amazing ethnographic details successfully re-created her trip to PAWS, an animal shelter in Norwalk, CT. Rather than a “just-too-cute” kind of essay, the details she painted all speak to the central theme of her story: love, professionalism, and dedication. –Professor Lei Xie

he PAWS shelter located in Norwalk, CT is a modest salmon-colored structure concealed by a white corporate building. As I drive up the narrow hill, I pass by an elderly woman walking two Yorkshire Terriers

who, without a doubt, are half the size of my two cats. She smiles and waves while politely scooting off to the side so I can pass by. Small trees and shrubs encompass the property. I park the car and walk toward the set of glass doors. 1:25 pm. Right on time, I think to myself. Pulling the heavy doors open, I find myself standing at the top of a winding concrete staircase. Immediately, my nose crinkles, as a strong odor envelops me; the smell is reminiscent of the trips to the pet store that I took as a kid. The air is thick and musty, a mixture of wet dog and the bedding made of wood pulp and wood shavings, the kind found in gerbil cages. What did you expect? It’s a dog and cat shelter! Expecting to confront a chaotic scene filled with the commotion of dogs barking and cats meowing, a bleak and run-down interior, and dreary staff, as I descend the winding staircase I am in awe. As I pull open the second set of heavy glass doors, I find myself in a quiet lobby. Directly in front of me is an empty desk chair, seated behind a reception desk complete with a donations jar, neat stack of information packets, and a plastic pumpkin basket filled with candy. Displayed behind the desk on the ocean-blue wall

are the words “PAWS: Love, Hope, Believe”. To the right, a bulletin board advertises “Our Adorable Adoptable Dogs”, and is filled with pictures and information on an array of breeds. I smile, noting the “ADOPTED” signs that cover a handful of the pictures. To the left a sign reads “The PAWS Petique”; displayed beneath the sign is a variety of merchandise, ranging from paw-print magnets, to paw-print mugs, to paw-print sweatshirts. A row of wooden brown chairs with cushions to match the walls lines both sides of the room. Festive fall and Halloween stickers decorate each wall. I take a seat, my nostrils finally adjusting to the potent atmosphere. All of a sudden, the same woman that I passed by in my car enters the lobby area. She coos to the dogs, mumbling in the tone that adults involuntarily use when talking to a baby, as she walks them down a corridor. Less than a minute later, a woman who looks around my mom’s age appears from around the corner, dressed in a long forest-green button-down shirt and black pants. Her wavy brown hair flows loosely around her shoulders. “Can I help you?” she asks, smiling. I explain that I have an interview appointment with the Director. “She will be right with you,” she replies, disappearing around the corner once more. A moment later, a slender, middle-aged woman with short brown curls pops around the corner. “Hi, I’m Michelle. Nice to meet you!” She leads me down a hallway towards her office. “You’ll have to duck under this gate. We had to put it up to prevent the cats from jumping out.” Sure enough, as I pass through the door and duck under the gate and into the room, I come face-to-face with a lean grey cat, with white mittens for paws. He sleeps curled up on top of the desk, on a plush bed of faux print fur, sleeping like a king. He opens one

eye to peek at me, then uninterested, closes his eye once more. Hearing a meow coming from my right, I whip my head around to find another cat gracefully roaming around in a large, black cage. “We have been running out of room for the animals that we intake here. So, we now keep two cats or dogs in every office. They keep us company,” states Michelle, matter-of-factly. Michelle tells me that PAWS was founded fifty years ago by Betty Holmes Long, an eccentric and wealthy woman of her time and also a crusader for the rescue of stray animals. Other passionate, dedicated animal-lovers have continued to carry out her legacy. For several decades, PAWS relied on boarding facilities, such as veterinary hospitals, to house the stray animals before they were adopted. However, twelve years ago, the organization raised enough money to buy a car-painting property, and transformed it into the shelter utilized today. The non-profit shelter is able to maintain and renovate the building, and continue its mission, through generous donations. The donations range from individual donations in memory of a pet that passed away, to a specific donation to help pay for an unexpected surgery that a shelter animal may encounter while at PAWS. Each donator is able to choose where the donation goes. As the Director, Michelle never has a dull moment at work. She is in charge of overseeing everything. She mentors volunteers, hires and assists employees, works with and supervises the managers, comes up with innovative ideas for adoption, and deals with any unexpected events that arise. The Dog and Feline Coordinators work hard to thoroughly process each adoption application that the shelter receives. The applications are rigid and it is a time-consuming process. Yet, it is crucial to “ensure that we have the very best possible placement for each animal”. In addition to checking a potential adopter’s background and references, the shelter requires that any pets that the adopter currently owns be introduced to the shelter animal.

Multiple shelter and home visits occur to observe the interaction between the animals, and to be sure they get along, before any animal is adopted. Throughout the years, PAWS has consistently been achieving its primary goals: to rescue and rehabilitate animals, to diminish the overpopulation of these animals, and educate the community about animal welfare, cruelty, and overpopulation. The shelter is currently striving to raise awareness of these universal issues by bringing more young people into the volunteer program. “Education is such an important component of our mission,” continues Michelle. And the adoption process offers surprising information to most people. For example, “We do not allow our cats to be declawed. It is, for lack of a better word, quite a barbaric procedure…Most people believe it is just taking off the nails, when in reality it is amputation of the fingers and the joints, and it is quite painful.” Through this learning experience, the organization hopes to teach the community, especially the younger generation, about the proper way to treat animals. This will ultimately “prevent these young people from growing up and becoming the kind that torture and abuse animals”. In addition to education, PAWS strongly believes in retention of pets. The members of the organization offer assistance to the community; the goal is to help a family resolve any problems they might be having with their pet (for example, if a cat’s behavior suddenly changes), so that they will keep the pet instead of giving it up and having it sent to the shelter. Michelle begins to lead me on a tour of the shelter. We pass along a corridor where the dog “suites” are located. These large rooms each house one dog; the rooms !

are reserved for the dogs that come from home situations and are used to being around people, or for the dogs that do not adjust well to the kennels. There are gates for each room, wooden doors that have been sawed in half with the top part removed. We walk up to one and I peer over the door to find a dog sleeping below. He instantly hears my movement and springs awake. He jumps up onto his hind legs, paws pressed against gate for balance, and begins to bark with excitement. He warmly licks my hands, covering them in slobber. And I could care less. His room is the size of a singles dorm room at Fairfield University, furnished with a light-brown leather couch and an array of cotton and felt blankets of varying sizes and colors. We pass by another suite; this one is furnished with a bed! A black-and-white polka-dot blanket has been strewn across the ground, exposing the baby-blue mattress underneath. A few dog toys lay in the corner. Michelle then leads me down a different hallway; cats in kennels occupy this area. The kennels have passageways connecting each one so that the cats can intermingle with one another. I notice one black cat with brown stripes staring at me from across the room with his yellow glassy eyes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two large round marbles. He is seated in a light-blue hammock, which is suspended from the kennel. Michelle, following my gaze, points out, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The volunteers made these hammocks for the catsâ&#x20AC;?. As we enter the room, the cats stretch out from their sleeping positions, rubbing along the cages and meowing, or pushing their butts into the air as they bend into a downward-dog yoga pose. I stick my fingers through the holes to rub the side of one, and he begins to purr. His fur has been groomed with care, and is soft as silk. He twists around and nuzzles into my touch, his wet nose kissing my fingers.

I follow Michelle once more to yet another hallway. Still amazed at the size of the building compared to its seemingly small exterior, I recall Michelle saying that the shelter currently holds twenty-five dogs and one hundred and twenty cats. This ensures that the volunteers constantly bustle about. The busy, daily routine is full of dirty work. We pass by the laundry area, as well as the area where the food is prepared. “The shelter is more or less a volunteer-driven organization. We only have a handful of paid employees – I would say about five to six…the volunteers are extremely devoted to the animals,” stresses Michelle. Each day, the volunteers are the ones who walk all of the dogs, clean the rooms and kennels, feed every dog and cat, and make sure every animal gets equal play-time. It is because of the devotion of these volunteers that each dog is able to go on several walks per day, each dog is able to play outside and participate in “play group”, and the animals receive individual attention and an equal amount of playtime. Next, Michelle brings me to a large open room. I am introduced to Matt, the Veterinary Technician, and Amanda, the Veterinarian. Both appear to be in their mid-to-late twenties, and full of energy. Amanda’s wavy brown hair is swept back into a neat ponytail. She wears a sunfloweryellow scrub shirt, dark-blue skinny jeans, and grey Converse shoes. Beside her stands Matt, covered in a grey-and-white checkered scrub shirt, khaki shorts, and blue sneakers. They stand beside a metal table, illuminated by a bright round white light. Along the wall to their right is a countertop neatly lined with medication bottles, towels, cotton balls, and various other medical supplies. Numerous whiteboards cover the back wall, marked up with !

schedules and charts. Below the whiteboards is another kennel, a makeshift temporary home for two kittens that were recently brought in. They had been found in a hotel room, along with the stench of feces and the corpse of their owner. I ask the two employees what activities they see on a daily basis. “Every day, you don’t know what is going to happen here,” replies Matt. “We just had a lady come in the other day carrying a cat, saying, ‘My asshole of an ex-husband just moved and threw the cat out’.” Amanda explains how at the shelter they are fortunate enough to be able to test the animals, spay and neuter them, give them a variety of medications, and provide routine maintenance. Animal control and other municipal shelters, on the other hand, cannot afford to provide this amount of care. Nevertheless, the shelter is limited financially. Matt admits, “Money is tight. We often have to ask ourselves, ‘Can we do anything before we have to jump to a huge surgery, or have an MRI or CT scan done?’” Matt and Amanda had been setting up the table for a medical examination of a cat. Finally prepared, Matt walks into an adjoining room and back out a moment later carrying a ball of fluffy black fur. The feline weighs fifteen pounds, and is not the least bit excited for her appointment. Matt skillfully grasps the scruff of her neck with one hand, while utilizing the other to firmly but gently position her. “This is how you have to hold them, even though it doesn’t look nice,” Matt sighs sympathetically. And the process begins: Amanda rapidly opens the sides of her mouth, checking her gums and canines; Matt flips her over onto her stomach while Amanda listens to the heart and lungs; Matt continues to hold the squirming and hissing ball of fur while Amanda calmly speaks soothing words to her; Amanda grabs a handful of fur, skin, and muscle, quickly injecting two shots; Matt flips the cat over onto her side; Amanda snatches the pill gun and shoots two pills down the cat’s

throat, who is forced to stop the constant hissing and meowing to gulp them down; lastly, Amanda hurriedly clips her nails; in under five minutes, the exam is finished. With a busy schedule to follow, another cat is promptly brought in. This one, covered in short light-brown fur, weighs a mere four pounds. Amanda has to draw blood from her. So, Matt lays her down on her side. His hand transforms into a manual vibrator, bouncing her upper body up and down. “This distracts her,” he explains. Amanda, wasting no time, carefully shaves off an area of fur on the hind leg in a single swoop. She then inserts the needle and draws the blood. Within a few minutes, this cat is all set. Yet she is far from happy. After the blood is drawn, she begins to squirm and hiss, arching her back. She glares at Matt who calmly accepts her challenge. She fights his grasp, yet he manages to get her back into her cage. He then impassively walks over to the sink and begins to wash his hands. “Did she bite you?” inquires Amanda. “Of course,” Matt responds, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. “It happens every day. This bite was not even that bad,” he explains to me. Even though they encounter an exhausting schedule daily, Amanda and Matt remain devoted. “I work here because I see more of a variety each day. I also feel that I am making more of an impact working here at the shelter, than if I were to work in a typical veterinary office,” states Amanda. Before I leave, Matt insists on showing me one last cat. He brings him in, and stresses, “One thing I’ve learned is that dental care for animals is as important as it is for humans. Most owners do nothing about it, and the animals wind up with painful dental disease. This causes a variety of other problems, including a horrible stench! Can

you smell it?!” Indeed, I could. And the grimace on Matt’s face said it all. It was worse than morning breath. Amanda opened the cat’s mouth and I peered at one extra-large canine tooth. The infected bright-red gum had receded, exposing too much of the tooth. The tooth would have to be pulled; this was the only remedy. Michelle returns, and introduces me to an Office Manager, Georgeanne. I recognize her from earlier, when I first walked into the shelter. To complete my tour of the shelter, Georgeanne leads me down the final hallway. Pictures line this hall, just like every other. The volunteers enjoy photography, and take pictures of all the dogs and cats that the shelter intakes. One picture is a close-up of a cat that is missing an eye. Another is a shot of a senior dog with old grey fur interspersed with speckles of white. The shelter is unique in that it is not discriminatory; it will intake any cat or dog, including those who have medical or behavior problems, or special needs. As we continue down the hallway, Georgeanne gestures toward the outdoor playground to our left. A small chocolate Weiner dog, seeing us approach, springs up to the other side of the glass door. He grins and barks continuously. The playground is filled with different agility equipment and a kiddie pool. Georgeanne then shows me the “open rooms” to our right, where the animals can roam about and mingle with one another. The rooms are especially useful on rainy days, when the animals cannot go outside. The variety of play areas and rooms, as well as the dedication and love radiating from the volunteers, provides an enriched environment for these animals. It is this type of an environment, and the fact that PAWS is a no-kill shelter, that other shelters are striving to achieve.

Before leaving, I ask Michelle if there are any specific stories that had an impact on her, and that she would like to share. She instantly lights up. She tells me her favorite experiences have been the wonderful adoptions and stories with the senior animals. For example, after thirteen years, a Beagle named Tyson was relinquished by his owner and the shelter became his new home. “He became disoriented and unhappy, unsure of why he was suddenly in this new place. Have you ever heard a beagle bark? That’s all he did…we all fell in love with him” utters Michele, her eyes turning glassy and shiny. She pauses for a moment, then goes on to explain how one day a volunteer brought him home to meet her dog. She called Michelle up, proclaiming, “My God, you’re not going to believe this, it’s like Tyson is a puppy again!” Michelle squeezes out this last sentence, her throat closing up. She smiles, eyes still watery. It is experiences like these that keep Michelle and the other employees and volunteers going. Michelle asserts, “It’s these stories that make working here worthwhile…it is not a career for the faint of heart. You see so much of the inhumanity that is present in the world. You know, people often think, what a wonderful job you have. You sit there and get to play with animals all day! Well, that’s not the case. During the really hard days here, when we think we can’t keep going, this is what keeps us going. It’s these kinds of success stories that make up for the bad…No we can’t save them all, but what little we do does help, and does make a difference. It makes the job worthwhile. Those are the kinds of memories that I and other people on the job walk away with and always remember.” As I leave Michelle’s office with a deep reverence for the work that this shelter does, I run into Georgeanne. She asks me if I would like to get a picture with

an animal before I leave. Being the animal-lover that I am, I instantly accept her generous offer! She quickly returns with Jenny, a cocoa-brown Terrier mix. I sit in one of the lobby chairs as she places Jenny into my lap. A loud thump, thump, thump echoes throughout the lobby, as Jennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tail flails from side to side, whacking between the wooden arms of the adjoining chairs. Jenny looks up at me with big brown eyes and licks my face. Panting, she presses into my stomach and chest, leaning her body against mine. Georgeanne snaps the picture of us. At that moment, I wanted to take Jenny home with me. Thanking Georgeanne, I grudgingly walk out the doors of the shelter, wishing I could stay longer. As I walk back up the concrete winding stairs, I begin to plan how I can apply to be a volunteer at the shelter, and how I can convince my grandmother to pick me up and drive me there every week.

Inquiries Three: Analyses and Arguments In this final larger section, the authors offer textual and literary analyses, and make researched reports and claims on subjects they have chosen. These works show first year-writers developing interesting and novel claims, finding their academic voices, and contributing new knowledge to the world of ideas.

Daisy Miller: The Male Perspective By: Michael Flanagan, Class of 2017, Psychology Major Assignment: Students were asked to write a 6 page critical essay based on Henry James’s novella Daisy Miller that includes three secondary sources besides the primary source. Michael’s Topic: Masculine Ways of Looking at Women in the 19th-Century. Michael found three valid online sources that he integrated effectively into his well-written, well-developed paper, while shedding light on James’s use of the narrative-point-of-view and European versus American gender roles. The result makes for a compelling and engaging critical analysis of the text. –Professor Marion White

enry James’s Daisy Miller (1878) is a timely novella portraying a tragedy of manners in which a newly rich and beautiful young American tourist is expelled from American society in Rome for behaving in a casual

way that comes naturally to her. Touching on sexual and social norms of the Victorian era, James describes the relationships between men and woman and what is the appearance and the reality of Daisy Miller. James depicts a seemingly innocent young girl who is very sure of herself, and how she enjoys attention from young men. James saw European society as being socially structured along the lines where the man made the money and the women stayed at home to care for the family’s immediate needs. Using a 27-year-old Europeanized male, Frederick Winterbourne, and the 19-year-old audacious Daisy Miller, James emphasizes the relationships between men and women and their respective roles in society and how the appearance often contradicts reality. The masculine ways of looking at women during the nineteenth century were different in America and Europe. American society during the Jacksonian era (1850s) was focused on the Civil War and on a constantly developing nation. Associate Professor of History and Art History, Michael O’Malley of George Mason University points out that, “a subsistence economy began to be replaced by a market economy, in which more and more household goods were bought instead of made at home.” Because of this change the role of women in society shifted from being

caretakers and family raisers to being factory workers and getting involved with political affairs. The change in the American woman during this era was most likely a jumping-off point for Henry James in his depictions of Daisy Miller. Captivated by her aesthetics, Winterbourne first suggests to himself that Daisy is a coquette because she was strong, confident, and carried herself in a prestigious manner (James 41). Daisy was representative of the American woman and of the change that America was going through during this era. The post-Civil War in America may have also affected the parental restrictions of children during the Victorian era. Elaine Fortin of TeachUSHistory.org explains that things were different before the Civil War, writing: The early life, it was believed, was the determining factor in the character of a child. Most of the child's early life was spent with its mother. It was important that she set a proper example. As mothers, women were endowed with the specialized task of raising a generation of Christian statesmen. Entrusted with such an important mission, public opinion tended to favor full time mothering. Mothers whose job it was to raise and foster their children, had a change in focus toward the war effort and toward supporting their husbands. Daisy Miller’s seemingly carefree, ill-advised, and naïve behavior may have been as a result of poor childhood parenting. During Winterbourne’s first encounter with Daisy in Vevey, Switzerland, James does not hesitate to point out Daisy’s impolite and peculiar behavior: She was not in the least embarrassed [by] herself. There had not been the slightest alteration in her charming complexion; she was evidently neither offended nor fluttered. If she looked another way when he [Winterbourne]

spoke to her, and seemed not particularly to hear him, this was simply her habit, her manner (James 40). We could possible conclude that given the times Daisy was raised incorrectly and it becomes quickly evident that Daisy’s carefree attitude poses to be a problem for the proper and sophisticated Winterbourne. Prior to encountering Daisy, Winterbourne had probably only dealt with the polite and submissive personalities of European women. He probably attracted attention of his own from young women who were looking for a husband. The fact that he was also a rich American made him more appealing to European women, but to Daisy he was simply another brick in the wall. She made up her mind from the beginning that Winterbourne would have to work for her love and affection. Daisy flaunts herself in front of Winterbourne initially saying: I’m very fond of society, and I have always had a great deal of it…I used to go to New York every winter…Last winter I had seventeen dinners given me; and three of them were by gentlemen (James 43). This quote demonstrates Daisy’s American bragging and boastfulness, and the fact that she was not properly educated by her mother. James’s father was a prominent educator and James was critical of the lack of social etiquette. There are several problems that we face when we try to evaluate the reality of Daisy Miller. One of which is that Daisy is only read about through the eyes of Winterbourne. All of our descriptions about Daisy are subjective and may not reveal her true nature, but rather reveal her attitudes toward young sophisticated men of the era. William Merrill Decker writes in his introduction to Daisy Miller: Point of view in Daisy Miller is so anchored in the young man’s perspective that a case could be made that he, and not Daisy, is the novella’s principal character… It is through Winterbourne’s eyes that we first see Daisy and through his ears that we gather information about the girl and her family (13).

The third person narrative point of view is told by an anonymous narrator who is close to Winterbourne. Therefore the story focuses on Daisy though the eyes of Winterbourne and because of this the reader is kept in the dark about her true nature. This suggests that there may be more to Daisy than meets the eye, the eye of Winterbourne. It is not until Daisy begins to reject Winterbourne that we see him only harp on her bad attributes. During his time in Rome, we see his evaluation of the “pretty American flirt” at an all-time low (14). Winterbourne is initially insecure with himself when he notices Daisy taking a liking to Mr. Giovanelli. He is baffled by her behavior and confused as to why she would be interested in such a man. Expressing to the reader that, “He is not a gentleman. He is only a clever imitation of one. He is a music-master, or a penny-a-liner, or a third-rate artist. Damn his good looks!” (67). This quote points out that Winterbourne sees Daisy as very a superficial person. That she is only interested in men with good looks and nice manners, and rejects good men like Winterbourne. James quickly takes the opportunity to raise Winterbourne’s own ego, “Winterbourne felt a superior indignation at his own lovely fellow-countrywoman’s not knowing the difference between a spurious gentleman and a real one” (67). This quote is a reflection of Winterbourne’s true nature and exposes the sense of insecurity he experiences in the company of Mr. Giovanelli. Winterbourne feels the need to lash out and affirm his superiority in order to make himself feel more at ease. Daisy’s audacious and bold nature is revealed later in the novella when she refuses to get in the carriage upon Mrs. Walkers request. Daisy had left the party with Mr. Giovanelli and Winterbourne to go for a walk. At the sight of Daisy walking with her two cavaliers, Mrs. Walker declares, “She’s very crazy! [Have] you ever see anything so imbecile? It seemed too pitiful, not even to attempt to save her…so that the world may see she is not running absolutely wild” (68). Mrs. Walker implores Daisy to get into the carriage along with Winterbourne, but Daisy refuses

to be told what to do. Initially she refuses Mrs. Walker’s request politely replying, “Oh, no, thank you…I shall admire it [Mrs. Walker’s carriage] much more as I see you driving around in it” (69). The situation escalates as Daisy later replies, “I never heard anything so stiff! If this is improper, Mrs. Walker, then I am all improper and you must give me up. Good-by; I hope you’ll have a lovely ride!” (70). In this quote the reader is exposed to the true nature of Daisy Miller. Her innocence disappears as she asserts herself against Mrs. Walker’s request. James uses this scene to represent American society at the time, which was young, vivacious, and bold. Daisy demonstrates her independence and democracy as she spends time with both Winterbourne and Mr. Giovanelli. The reader now fully understands at this point that Daisy is not easily intimidated, and that she is not afraid to express her opinions. What you see is what you get. Another aspect of Daisy’s true reality is revealed at the end of the novella when she goes out in the evening with Mr. Giovanelli to visit the Colosseum. She demonstrates to the reader her sense of recklessness and independence, and her love for romance and romantic things. She does what she wants to do, and Mr. Giovanelli is an easy-going agreeable man so he joins her. When Winterbourne encounters her and Mr. Giovanelli he expresses his concern for her health suggesting that she not stay out with the mosquitos because she could catch Roman fever. While leaving she expresses to Winterbourne, “I don’t care whether I have Roman fever or not!” (85). Again Daisy’s defensive and pompous attitude is portrayed, but she says this after she asks Winterbourne, “Did you believe I was engaged the other day?” (84). This quote points out to the reader her innocence. She was embarrassed to tell Winterbourne she wasn’t engaged, so she tries to draw out of him his thoughts, but is unsuccessful. The Colosseum scene was Winterbourne’s last encounter with Daisy because she died shortly thereafter from Roman fever. For James, Daisy’s death illustrates to the reader that she is a martyr to the European norm. When

Winterbourne hears word about Daisy’s death he fully comes to understand the true reality of Daisy, and that is that she is innocent. Winterbourne discovers that Daisy did have feelings for him, but was blinded by her own innocence and did not know how to express her love for him. In the final stages of the novella we also discover the true nature of Winterbourne as he goes back to Vevey, Switzerland, and reverts back to his dubious lifestyle. Not intent on getting married and up to no good, we learn that the American woman is too good for him. James uses Winterbourne to symbolize a mundane European culture, and how going back to “the same old thing” is hopeless. Henry James’s Daisy Miller (1878) propels the reader through a cornucopia of questions about the true nature of Daisy and of Winterbourne. James uses Daisy to represent the young and vivacious American society. She is bold and not afraid to speak her mind, while Winterbourne represents the reserved and mundane European culture that is insecure and hopeless. Throughout the novella, the reader notices Daisy’s bold attitude which could be a result of poor parenting and representative of the role change of American women during the era. Daisy’s personality conflicts with Winterbourne’s stiff and sophisticated European outlook, but he still finds himself being attracted to the “young American flirt” (41). In the end the reader discovers that there is more to Daisy than meets the eye. She is innocent and above suspicion, while Winterbourne is hopeless and lost in his search for affection.

Works Cited Fortin, Elaine. "Early Nineteenth Century Attitudes Toward Women and Their Roles as Represented By Literature Popular in Worcester, Massachusetts." TeachUSHistory.org. Teach U.S. History, n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://www.teachushistory.org/detocqueville-visit-unitedstates/articles/early-19th-century-attitudes-toward-women-their-roles>.

James, Henry. Daisy Miller. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. Print. O'Malley, Michael. "Women and Equality." Exploring U.S. History. Gmu.edu, Apr. 2004. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://chnm.gmu.edu/exploring/19thcentury/womenandequality/>. Stott, Anne. "Feminism, Socialism, Anarchism." Web log post. Europe 1700-1914. Blogspot.com, 22 Feb. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2014. <http://europetransformed.blogspot.com/2007/02/feminism-socialismanarchism.html>.

Grete’s Transformation By: Laura Salerni, Class of 2017, Psychology Major Laura Salerni was quite taken up by Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” from the first time she read it. In her initial response she repeated how “creeped out” she was because of the realism and how relate-able it is to our lives, aside from the bug. Her engagement with the story and other critical writing leads her to understand and argue that the transformation of Grete (Gregor the bug's sister) is of great significance to the power of the story. This is the movement of reading and writing we are looking for. –Professor John Burlinson

pon reading Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, one naturally maps out Gregor’s transformation from the start as a bug, through his adjustments, and to his finish. But what really needs to be addressed is Grete’s equally

intriguing transformation. Grete changes from a naïve teenage girl, unsure of whom she is or what she stands for, to a strong, nearly self-sufficient woman. While at the same time, Gregor changes from a hard-working, competent man, to a dependent, insecure, child-like character. Essentially, Gregor and Grete switch roles in the Samsa household. Without one transformation occurring, the other would not be possible. Gregor’s deterioration was able to elicit Grete’s progression into adulthood. In order to analyze a character’s transformation, one must look at how the character was in the beginning and also at the conclusion of the story. Gregor’s sister is introduced to the reader when “…in the room on the right side the sister began to sob” (17). This in itself says much about Grete’s character at this point. The author is not referring to her as Grete, but just as “the sister” which makes it seem as if her character is not yet important enough to be addressed by name. Her crying is commonly seen as a sign of weakness and youth, and it also implies that she cares deeply for her brother. That same compassion moves her to help her brother even when her parents are unsure of how to react to his situation. In regards to Grete as a familial figure at this point, Harold Bloom states: “Up until Gregor’s transformation, Grete has been a child with few family responsibilities” (Bloom 71). Since Gregor had

the sole responsibility of providing for the family up until now, the parents did not put much pressure on Grete to complete tasks in or out of the home. Grete has essentially been acting as a “typical teenage girl”, living and feeding off of Gregor’s labors but not providing much herself. This is further illustrated later, when the narrator states, “…and he often heard them expressing complete satisfaction with the work his sister was now doing, whereas up to that time they had frequently been vexed with his sister because she had seemed a rather good-for-nothing girl to them” (32). But suddenly, as Gregor is no longer able to attend work and is forced to stay cooped up inside the house all day, Grete and Gregor’s roles begin to switch. As the story progresses, Grete begins to leave some of Gregor’s favorite foods and beverages in his room in hopes of somehow being able to elicit his transformation from a bug back into a human. Bloom says, “By assuming the duty of feeding Gregor and cleaning his room, she takes on the role of an adult and with it an adult self” (Bloom 71). Grete is even able to keep her composure much more than her mother when they are put in a difficult situation involving Gregor. When they both spot him scaling the wall, Grete reacts by calmly exiting the room whereas her mother passes out almost instantaneously. At this point, despite her father’s increasing irritation with Gregor, Grete still defends and empathizes with him, as seen when Kafka writes, “…with her hands behind the father’s head, she begged him to spare Gregor’s life” (38). All the while, the family is slowly running out of money and they are being forced to live more frugally. This is when the reader learns that Grete has “taken work as a salesgirl, and was learning stenography and French at night so that she might possibly get a better job some day” (39). When reading this quote, it almost sounds as if Kafka should be talking about Gregor since he has always been the one to go above and beyond to make sure that ends meet for the family. Nina Straus writes, “As a gigantic insect, Gregor exchanges responsibility for dependency, while Grete exchanges dependency for the burdensome efficiency and !

independence that Gregor formerly displayed” (Straus, 655). There has been a complete role reversal since the beginning of the story, now that Grete has taken Gregor’s place as the backbone of the family. Straus goes as far to argue that, “The brother’s and sister’s interchange of male and female roles and powers, the hourglassshaped progression of the plot as they switch positions, suggests the idea that the ’Metamorphosis‘ is Kafka’s fantasy of a gender role change” (Straus 655). As the story comes to a close, it becomes obvious that Grete’s feelings toward Gregor have completely changed. After Gregor makes a brave appearance when Grete was playing the violin, she tells her father “We have to try to get rid of it, eventually it’ll kill both of you, I can see it coming” (47). Grete has gone from feeling very sympathetic toward her bug of a brother because of his unfortunate struggle, to completely despising it because of what it has done to the family. Chris Danta writes, “What makes the end of the story so unsettling is the way in which Grete’s natural transformation continues to be linked to the monstrosity of Gregor’s” (Danta, 287). The story concludes with the three remaining family members leaving their apartment in hopes of ridding their minds of their recent troubles. As they all sit silently on the trolley pondering their current life situations, Mr. and Mrs. Samsa realize that their daughter has “blossomed” into a “beautiful and voluptuous young woman” and this moment marks the completion of her transformation. The main characters in almost any given story are predicted to experience some sort of transformation. In The Metamorphosis, Grete and Gregor both morph into exceptionally different characters by the end of the story. Grete is initially a timid character who is expected to live a simple life of dependency while her brother slaves away at work. She has very positive feelings toward her brother and he feels the same way towards her. By the end of the story, Grete and Gregor’s roles have completely reversed, with Gregor staying at home all day, accomplishing nothing

productive and Grete working diligently to make sure that all is well in the family. Grete also feels great antipathy towards her brother by the end of story, ultimately allowing him to die since she sees him as more of a burden than an aid to the family. Grete’s transformation into a self-sufficient adult would have never occurred without Gregor’s physical and mental deterioration, also known as his metamorphosis into a bug. Works Cited Kafka, Franz, and Stanley Appelbaum. The Metamorphosis and Other Stories. New York: Dover Publications, 1996. Print. Bloom, Harold. Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretation: Frank Kafka's The Metamorphosis. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2008. Print. This article also speaks about Grete’s transformation, specifically how her feelings toward Gregor change so much throughout the story. She very slowly seems to lose her empathy towards him and this is something that is interesting to consider. It is possible that The Metamorphosis was not only called that because of Gregor’s metamorphosis into a bug, but also because of Grete’s mental and emotional metamorphosis. This source is reputable because it was published relatively recently (2008) and was retrieved from a reliable database called Google Scholar. The intended audience is one that has experience with the text and is interesting in looking deeply into the characters and their individual developments throughout the story. This article is useful for my paper since it explores Grete’s change of heart and her relationship with her brother, which both contribute to her transformation. Danta, Chris. “Two Versions Of Death: The Transformation Of The Literary Corpse In Kafka And Stevenson.” Textual Practice 20.2 (2006): 281-300. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. This article speaks about how Grete’s great transformation, where she becomes a woman, is directly related to Gregor’s deterioration. As one character prospers, the other experiences their downfall. This source is directly from the Fairfield University Online Library, so I believe that it is a very reputable source. The intended audience is those who have read The Metamorphosis and are interested in learning more about Grete and Gregor’s

transformations. This article is useful for my paper because I am researching Grete’s transformation (including Gregor’s influence on it). Straus, Nina Pelikan. Transforming Franz Kafka's "Metamorphosis".: The University of Chicago Press, Print. This article goes into detail about Grete’s transformation in The Metamorphosis, rather than Gregor’s. It touches on how as Gregor is deteriorating physically and mentally, Grete is doing quite the opposite. Also, the author goes into detail about the gender roles that are present in the novella (in relation to the transformations). The University of Chicago Press is a reputable source that publishes many articles. The source is also reputable because it cites many other papers as well. The intended audience is definitely those who have read and want to further analyze The Metamorphosis, such as I. This article is perfect for my topic since I am so interested in looking at how Gregor’s sister was truly the one who went through a metamorphosis.

Female Agency in the Language of ‘Leda and the Swan’ By: Abigayel Phillips, Class of 2017, International Studies Major The essay was written for my En 12 class, responding to a prompt asking students to research something specific about the historical or cultural context of a poem, then, in a thesis-driven essay, to explain how this context deepens our understanding of the work, using examples from both the research sources and the poem to substantiate these claims. I nominated her essay because it is easily one of the best, if not the best, literary analysis essay by a first year student that I have read in my six years at Fairfield. It demonstrates original thought, sophisticated analysis, lucid prose, and, most of all, incisive critical thinking. It demonstrates all of the key moves in persuasive, analytical writing, from asserting a thesis that requires reasoning and evidence to be accepted as valid, to moving deftly between her own argument and quotations from the sources. –Professor Nels Pearson

illiam Butler Yeats’s poem “Leda and the Swan” (1923) is a succinct and jarring poem: a retelling of a Greek myth in which a girl, Leda, is sexually assaulted by Zeus who is disguised as a swan. Within the

scope of the poem, Leda is portrayed as a helpless woman. Zeus’s violent act as the swan fill the stanzas. But nowhere is Leda described. Her voice in the matter is silenced, overshadowed by the event. And although the children that Leda bears as a result of Zeus raping her are essential personae in the Greek mythology, Helen and Clytemnestra, readers must question the perspective of the poem. Yeats writes with a pronounced tone throughout the brief poem and he seems to suggest that this violent struggle—Leda’s futile defense against Zeus— instills a precious knowledge of the world in Leda. This would suggest that for the ensuing mythological history to have continued, Leda had to have experienced such an encounter. The human cost of Leda becomes a given. Evaluating the history of this myth as well as Yeats’s patriarchal language illuminates the poem’s perspective that this woman bore the obligation of suffering in order for civilization to continue. The language in Yeats’s poem is abrupt and provocative. By a “sudden blow” Leda is left “staggering” by a great bird above her, the word above indicative of the dominance of her attacker (Yeats 821). Held by the bird’s forceful beak and amidst

its “dark webs”, uncomfortable “rush of white feathers” and “strange heart beating” (Yeats 821), Leda is trapped. There is also controversial language within the poem. Leda’s thighs are “caressed” and are “loosening” and she has “vague fingers” (Yeats 821) that push away the swan. However, Leda is not fascinated by or in awe of this attack. She is instead caught unawares and “so mastered by the brute blood in the air” (Yeats 821). The significance of the language is that Leda’s voice is never considered and no one speaks for her, nor is she even named in the poem. Leda’s agency is absent— in the poem and myth she is a helpless woman who is at the mercy of a male god. Her comfort, security and autonomy are sacrificed so that history may go on. As Leda is “laid” in the “white rush” of the swan’s body, she is impregnated (Yeats 821). Camille Paglia examines the implications of this moment: Impregnated, she will give birth to the entire classical era. From Leda’s egg will hatch Helen and Clytemnestra… Helen will trigger the tenyear Trojan War, inspiring Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Clytemnestra will slaughter her husband, Agamemnon, commander in chief of the Greek forces… Aeschylus’s trilogy about these events, the Oresteia, was the first great work of Western drama. (Paglia 116) It is remarkable that although Leda is physically defeated, her daughters, named by Paglia as archetypal femmes fatales, hold power in their lifetimes. But Leda is simply and violently the recipient of Zeus’s passion. In this way, her own agency is sapped from her. She is just another woman, another human, to carry on the destructiveness of the world. Yeats writes, “A shudder in the loins engenders there/ The broken wall, the burning roof and tower/ And Agamemnon dead” (Yeats 821). These lines have a dual purpose. It is a foresight into the future and also implicitly symbolic of the nonimportance of Leda. In just two lines, the fact of Troy and of history overpowers the

rest of the short poem. Zeus’s burning “tower” and Leda’s “broken wall” confirm that the violation of Leda and therefore the sacking of Troy are one in the same in the poet’s view—they are undeniable. In her criticism, Paglia goes on to explore the narrative that Yeats continues in his poem. She names it one of the best of the twentieth century because it is a “vast historical vision and an agonizing pantomime of passion and conflict” as it depicts the uncompromising “irrational ambitions” of civilization (Paglia 116-17). Yeats’s poem romanticizes Leda’s pain, or perhaps justifies it, in its closing lines: “Did she put on his knowledge with his power/ Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?” (Yeats 821). Is woman in such a role to receive that she cannot have had worldly knowledge beforehand? Yeats seems to assert that this brutish encounter with the god instills the knowledge of the world in Leda. However, this knowledge is not prosperous. This specific knowledge, or concept of how the world works, seems almost damaged. But the poet was not communicating a satire of this. The poem seems to read that violence justifies itself if it inspires history to continue. The malady of civilization is this conviction. Alternatively, if Leda had become the focal point of this myth, of this poem, and as a woman, of her ability to govern her own story, maybe then Troy would not have burned in order to exemplify this defective god-human narrative, which humans mistakenly designate as a creative force. Civilization founded on cruelty is not the only way to continue. As someone who received the will of a passionate, indifferent god, Leda is the subject of all burning cities everywhere. Nestled in the “feathered glory” of an unsympathetic force, her own will is struck off her. While Leda is a victim of sexual assault, the attack does not define her. There is power in recognizing that true identity is not the one created when coercive forces are exercised over others. In this, it is striking that Yeats does not reprimand Zeus. His absent criticism of Zeus’s

uncivil behavior—and one that is beyond reproach—is telling and curious. In her seminal work The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir says that a god-like lover “communicates with his worshipper by obscure signs; she knows his heart only through an act of faith; and the more superior he seems to her, the more impenetrable his behavior appears” (Beauvoir 670). Zeus is the ultimate superior being therefore his actions are immaculate and Leda, being his subject, only experiences love as he designs it. Therefore, she lacks power to control or reprimand him and thus cannot actualize justice for herself. It was not in Yeats’s hands to create an alternate future in this myth. Zeus defiling Leda and the ensuing mythological history remains what it is. However, Yeats being a vastly important poet of the twentieth century could have empowered Leda with a voice. Leda is only seen in Yeats’s poem through the lens of Zeus’s violent passion. And although not a femme fatale like her children, Leda is certainly formatted within the poem. In Virginia Woolf’s argumentative essay A Room of One’s Own (1928), she argues that women in literature and poetry had been portrayed only through the lens of love. In this, their complex private lives, from which we could learn, are simplified and destroyed. Perhaps Yeats wrote as a man of his time would, with his privileges and perspective. Or perhaps he was defeated by the state of his own country, Ireland, which was set in turmoil and civil strife. But then all the more would Leda’s personal narrative be important to validate: to see how the recipients of force could fight back against their assigned role. The poem and the poet do us a great disservice. It is true that history went on and led to continuation of culture, but the travesty lies in the negligence of the one on whom civilization was built: Leda. Works Cited Beauvoir, Simone De. The Second Sex. New York: Knopf, 1953. Print. Paglia, Camille. Break, Blow, Burn. New York: Pantheon, 2005. Print.

Yeats, William Butler. “Leda and the Swan.” Poetry. 12th ed. 2013: Pearson, n.d. 821. Print.

A Deceiving Concept, Merit Pay By: Tori Jedson, Class of 2017, Biochemistry Major In the Fall 2013 semester, my En 11 classes were deeply engaged in exploring issues related to education. One of the major writing assignments for the semester was an essay in which students were asked to take a stance on a controversial issue related to education issues and enter into the on-going conversation about that issue. This required the students to acknowledge other viewpoints and claims about the issue and express their own view/argument. Victoria Jedson chose to explore the issue of merit pay and its effect on teacher quality. Her essay, “A Deceiving Concept, Merit Pay,” provides us with a careful examination of this complicated issue and does so with surprisingly equanimity, as well as serving as an example of outstanding student writing. –Professor Elizabeth Hilts

n the discussion on teacher quality, one controversial issue has been teacher pay; more specifically, merit pay. Merit pay is extra pay given to employees, in this case teachers, who have performed well according to certain standards.

Merit pay was in place during the 1800’s but the United States education system has moved towards single-salary pay. During his presidency, Barack Obama had called for a national effort to improve teacher quality and has continually supported policies that would provide extra pay for well performing teachers. On the one hand, V. Dion Haynes, a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune speaks for the unions when he argues against merit pay. He claims that merit pay will increase competition for teachers, which will put an end to teacher collaboration, replacing it with an “every man for themselves” attitude. On the other hand, Mike Van Winkle in his article ‘Teacher Pay’, states that merit pay rewards and encourages well performing teachers. After considering both sides, my stance is that merit pay would only increase corruption in our education system and decrease teacher quality. Sweden is a perfect example when it comes to the positive correlation with teacher pay and teacher quality. Sweden is known for its great education system. One of the keys to their success is teacher quality. In Sweden, being a teacher is a respectable and high paying job. Because of this, teachers are not only more qualified but are more determined to have a positive influence in a child’s learning. Sweden is a

real-life example of what teacher pay can do to help a society. Yes, teacher pay needs to be increased. However, is merit pay the right way to go? The United States education system values experience over performance. Teachers are rewarded with higher pay and job security for their experience in years teaching. Experience, however, is not a just measure of teacher performance. An experienced teacher can be just as productive as an inexperienced teacher, and vice versa. The increased job security ensured by tenure allows teachers to slack off, do poorly and still keep their job. Teachers who receive tenure not only get greater job security but also greater pay. In theory, they get to keep their job however poorly they perform and leave the classroom with a bigger paycheck. Giving teachers higher pay based on experience is not fair to those just beginning their career who are working harder and performing better. It is the same theory as high school basketball for example. Does the coach play the senior who isn’t as good as the freshman just because he/she is a senior? In order for our education system to improve, we need to reward teachers who are performing well, and have a team of teachers that all deserve playing time. For the future of America, we need teachers who will consistently work to better our children. It seems only fair that teachers who are performing better receive higher wages. However, we must further discuss the consequences of merit pay. First, what do we base teacher performance on? Test scores has been one of the many suggestions. As Frederick Hess, Director of Education Policy Studies at AEI, states in his article ‘Teacher Quality, Teacher Pay,’ when looking at test scores one must consider the level of the school itself, the ability and background of students, subject of the class, class size and class circumstances (Hess, p. 2). Not every class will have the same potential, and to judge a class on test scores would be unfair to the teacher with the lower ability class. Class size is also a factor, as the larger the class is, the more disturbances and the harder it is to have authority and give particular attention

to students who are struggling. Additionally, the subject of the class can make the teaching more difficult. As Hess strongly states, “it is time to end the fiction that schools should pay English, social studies and physical education teachers the same amount that they pay science or math teachers” (Hess, p. 2). It is not to say that some subjects are more valuable, simply more taxing and demanding on a teacher. There is no way of clearly judging teacher quality. This is not the only issue regarding merit pay, competition and bias must be considered. In his article “Teacher Pay,’ Larry Horist speaks of the union opinion that merit pay would cause an ‘every man for themselves’ mentality among teachers (Horist, p.1). Teachers would no longer collaborate on projects or lesson plans, and may even hope that other teachers are underperforming. This would create a hostile working environment in which winning the game and earning the prize would be more important than actual student achievement and development. One may argue that teachers wouldn’t be that selfish as to put competition over their students, but competition is a natural instinct in humans. Given some may work towards true student achievement, most would fall into the competition. This competitive environment may even cause teachers to cheat, ignore lower achieving students, and teach only to the test, says Horist (Horist, p.1). If teachers are given merit pay, and the only way to gage teacher performance is through test scores, teachers will eventually merely look to raise scores. Teachers will teach only to the test. This would create more of a memorization than actual understanding, which is an issue present in the system today as well. Basing teacher pay on test scores would only worsen this issue. There is also the possibility of cheating by the teachers or the administration. It is known that there is favoritism and politics present in any administrative system. People are hired based on who they know or even how they look, what race they are or how old they are. This would also be the case regarding pay, as administration will favor certain teachers over the other. At

the teacher level, teachers would be tempted to cheat on the tests, as it has a direct correlation with how much they will be getting paid. Teacher would also be given a reason to ignore students with lower potentials, as it may seem pointless. In these ways, merit pay would merely cause corruption. So if merit pay is an imperfect way to gage teacher performance, what else could work? Teachers could be judged by an administrative sit in during a class. If that were the case, however, we would have to take into account favoritism, have to learn about the class itself and it would never be 100% accurate which is unfair to teachers. There is no perfect way to judge teacher performance. The fact still remains that we need higher test scores, and therefore better teacher quality. We need to reward teachers for performing well and attract better performing students to the profession. I believe the best solution would be to raise the general salary of all teachers, regardless of experience and performance. If we did this, however, we must have stricter regulations on teachers, with monthly checkups to encourage teachers to perform well. If teachers are under performing, they must be fired. Tenure must be abolished. If teachers know that there is a slight chance of getting fired, they will not perform to their best ability. If teachers know that they could be fired, they will fear for their job and put all they have into it. By raising the general salary, more qualified students will be prone to choose the profession. Changes like these donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen overnight. Every little step will help the education system which is so important to our society. Works Cited Hess, FM. "Teacher Quality, Teacher Pay." Policy Review.124 (2004): 15-28. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Horist, Larry P. "Teacher Pay." Chicago Tribune: 20 Dec. 2000. Web. 4 Nov. 2013 Van Winkle, M. "Teacher Pay." Chicago Tribune 26 Dec. 2006. Web. 4 Nov. 2013

All Good Things Must Come To An End By: Kimberly Lindquist, Class of 2017, College of Arts and Sciences, Major Undeclared In this essay, Kim makes a thorough analysis of two poems about a difficult topic: death. She fully and deeply explores the poems without relying on clichés or melodrama. Kim also makes insightful commentary about how the poems affect its readers and what devices the poets use to elicit these reactions. –Professor Jill Bodach

e are always told growing up to focus on what is happening now, and to never look far enough into the future so that we are unable to look back. Often times, endings come too soon, before we are

ever really ready for them. Both Seamus Heaney’s poem “Mid-Term Break” and Sharon Olds poem “The Victims” depict an ending that seems to have come too soon. The poems differ in the way that Seamus Heaney uses descriptions of physical sounds to help the reader interpret his poem, while Sharon Olds focuses more on using imagery. Seamus Heaney’s “Mid-Term Break” is a tragic poem about the death of a four-year-old boy. The family in the poem is mourning the death of their young son and all the years of life he had ahead of him. A good question to ask about this poem is what elements does Heaney use to help the readers see the dark and depressing mood that is brought forth by the poem. Heaney provides us with many sound descriptions that give us a way to almost feel like we are both picturing and listening to the different scenes. Words such as “bells” (Heaney, 1), “crying” (4), “cooed” (7), “whispers” (11), and “sighs” (13) are used throughout the poem. Heaney also likes to use a lot of descriptions in his sentences such as “angry tearless sighs” (13) or “poppy bruise” (19). These descriptions give the reader a feeling of the pain the characters in this poem are feeling and an image of the young injured boy. One technique I like that Heaney used is the way he left the last line of the poem standing on its own. This is clearly the most dramatic line of the poem so it !

adds a bit of emphasis to the end of the poem. It can almost be paralleled with the short life of the young boy that is ended so dramatically as well. Now by analyzing the context clues given in the different scenes of this poem, we can find that the speaker of the poem seems to be the older brother of the young four year old boy who dies. We can see from the title “Mid-Term Break” and from the first few lines of the poem “I sat all morning in the college sick bay/Counting bells knelling classes to a close” (Heaney, 1-2) that the speaker was a student in college at the time. Most likely he came home mid-semester to mourn the loss of his younger brother. After doing some research on Heaney and a few of his poems, I found out that Heaney’s younger brother Christopher died when he was only four years old. This poem was most likely a way for Heaney to express his feelings and memories about that sad day. Another thing to notice is that the poem is all a description of a past memory for the speaker. None of it is taking place in present day, and it never goes on to tell us anything about the life the speaker is now living after his brother’s death. This is important to notice because there is strong emphasis on this specific memory, which makes it so powerful. Another thing we can notice about the poem is that there is not much emotion expressed by the speaker. The poem describes “my father crying” (Heaney, 4) and “mother held my hand in hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs” (12-13), which gives us a description of how his parents felt, but his feelings are never stated directly in the poem. The speaker seems as though he is almost hiding the way he truly feels about the incident. This is odd because even though the speaker does not share much about his feelings, the poem evokes much feeling in the reader of the poem. We are struck with a sense of awe when we read that last devastating line. Something else that Heaney does not include is imagery of how exactly the incident occurred. Most likely he saves us the pain of picturing this young boy’s death, however it may have happened. !

While Heaney focuses on the sounds of the poem, Sharon Olds focuses more on the imagery that her poem can provide the reader. Sharon Olds’ poem “The Victims” is quite a traumatic story as well. While it is not about death, there is a sense of darkness that is drawn from the poem. The poem is about parents who are getting divorced and making the young children victims of a house of fury and anger. The speaker of the poem is one of the children in the family who is now all grown up and looking back at the nasty divorce. It is spoken in an angry and vengeful tone, which gives it the dark quality. The speaker in this poem is describing how as a child the mother turned him or her against the father and how this caused the speaker to grow hateful because of the father’s absence. It is interesting to see how Sharon Olds gets us to understand the way the children were feeling for their father based on her writing style. She gives many descriptions of the ways the children felt when certain events occurred. Such as “when mother divorced you, we were glad” (Olds, 1). This clearly shows that the children had built up resentment for their father and the divorce was the climax, the end of their relationship. Other phrases that seem spiteful are ones such as “then you were fired and we grinned inside” (4-5) and “we were tickled to think of your office taken away” (7-8). These descriptions show how malicious the children were towards the father; it is almost as if they think it is karma for all of the bad things he has done. This poem expresses so many emotions that the speaker and their siblings were feeling when the parents got divorced. It is a poem that is filled with hate, disgust, and resentment. Another powerful technique that Sharon Olds uses in this poem is comparison. In lines 18-23 of the poem, Olds gives a description of what the speaker “I” compares the father to. They describe bums who are sitting aimlessly near doorways with no money in their pockets and nothing meaningful in their lives (1823). This description gives a good picture of the hate the children feel for their father and how they are comparing him to a type of person who has nothing left in life but !

regret. This life of the bum can be paralleled with the life the children want for their father. Olds does a good job of paralleling these images. Similar to the comparisons Olds uses, she also provides the reader with some strong imagery. She provides us with the imagery of “the stained flippers of their hands” (20-21) and “ships gone down with the lanterns lit” (22-23). This imagery that Olds provides us with is very descriptive and gives us a picture of what the speaker sees when thinking about the father. If we were to guess who the speaker of this poem was, based on the information provided in the poem, we can see that it is clearly one of the children of the family who is now grown up and remembering the divorce and the pain the father caused the family. What is interesting is that the speaker uses phrases like “we were glad” (Olds, 1) and “we grinned inside” (5). This shows that the speaker of the poem is sharing not only what he or she felt at the time, but also what his or her siblings felt. He or she is speaking on behalf of the other siblings, stating that they all felt and currently feel the same anger towards the father. What also should be recognized about this poem is that it not only shows how the speaker felt during this memory, but it also incorporates how the speaker is feeling now in present time. Clearly the anger that was alive during that memory of the divorce is still alive and strong in the heart of the speaker. They still feel that same hurt from the actions of their father when he first left them. This shows that there are many unresolved issues between the father and his children. If we look into the past of Olds, we could guess that she might have written this poem for her children, who grew up in a household with divorced parents. Olds and her husband were married for almost 32 years until he left her for someone else. This could be where Olds got all of her anger and resentment to write this poem. It may be hard to say, but certainly this poem expresses all of the emotions that the speaker felt during this hard time. We can parallel some of these techniques Olds uses with those that Heaney uses as well. !

Certainly there are many similarities between the two poems, including the way the authors convey their ideas. As stated earlier, both poems have darkness about them that creeps up on the reader as they go from line to line. The ends of the poems present the reader with a collection of emotions to deal with, leaving them to wonder if these families ever really move on from their pain. While the pain the two families feel are not identical, they both experience an emotional response to the ending of a relationship. For the family in Seamus Heaneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poem, the family is left to deal with the ending of their relationship with their young son after his death. For the family in Sharon Olds poem, the family is forced to deal with the ending of the relationship between the parents, and in a way, between the father and his children after the divorce. The authors use similar techniques to evoke these strong emotions in the reader. For example, both authors play into the past of the characters, using their feelings from a specific moment in time. This makes each poem specifically strong because the reader can see first hand how the memory progressed. Both readers also play with the images of the memories and give strong descriptions of what the scenes were like and how people around the characters were feeling at the time. Providing the reader with these vivid descriptions allows them to evolve a more realistic view of what is happening in the poem. While it is important to recognize the similarities between the poems, we must also notice the things both poets did differently. It is key to recognize the different styles each poet uses to build their poems. For example, Seamus Heaney provides his reader with many sounds, while Sharon Olds focuses mainly on using imagery. Both techniques are equally as useful and work very well with setting up each poem. Another thing that is different is that the speaker in Seamus Heaneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poem is very reticent when it comes to emotions, not giving away how he feels, in order to allow himself to be vulnerable. The speaker in Sharon Oldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poem on the other hand provides so much anger and emotion that it almost makes the reader feel !

a bit awkward. Both poets portray the emotion of the speakers in a different way, but both poems evoke equally as much emotion from the reader. Something else different that we can recognize is the way the authors play with past and present in their poems. Heaney focuses only on the past memory of the death, and how the speaker felt in that moment. Olds, on the other hand, gives emotion from a past memory and also provides the reader with a glimpse of how the speaker currently feels about the situation. Both strategies are equally as useful, but Old’s style gives the reader a bit more intuition about the future. Each poet clearly knows what strategies work best for their poems in order to successfully leave the reader with an array of emotions. It is never easy to let go of those you love and accept a tragic ending that was never meant to be. Heaney and Olds have done a great job of recognizing what elements can create a poem with such dramatic and physically real situations. They knew exactly how to get the reader to feel sympathetic for the characters in their poems and create a lasting effect on those who could and could not relate to these specific situations. Works Cited Heaney, Seamus. “Mid-Term Break.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed.Kelly J. Mays. NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2014. 687. Print. Olds, Sharon. “The Victims.” The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed.Kelly J. Mays. NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2014. 619-620. Print.

Writing Across Disciplines By: Madeleine Davis, Class of 2017, Business Major Madeleine Davis's "Writing Across Disciplines" was the final assignment for my EN11 course in Fall 2013. This purpose of this multi-step research and analysis project was for students to survey writing across their classes that semester, analyze the information, contextualize the importance of writing by interviewing an older family member about the role of writing in that person's life. In this essay, Maddie is candid about her initial assumption that writing was "of minimal importance" for students majoring in business and for those working in the corporate sector. It is her candor about that assumption and about the discoveries she made in doing the assignment that makes this essay an important addition to the Core Writing Anthology (and any conversation surrounding the core curriculum at Fairfield University). –Professor Elizabeth Hilts

earning to read and write is a fundamental part of growing up. These skills are regarded as some of the most important not only early on in life but through your entire educational career and farther still to your professional

career after college. Writing plays a large role in much of your higher education but the importance of it can sometimes be overlooked. Here at Fairfield University, one of the most important aspects of a student’s education is the completion of the Core Curriculum. This “core” encompasses the courses that the founders and current administrators at Fairfield believe to be important subjects to have background knowledge in. on first glance, the core courses might not seem to relate but one of the most important aspects of the core is the focus on reading and writing. Through an analysis of my current classes I have proved (and in the process surprised even myself) the importance that the core curriculum places on writing across disciplines. The core is a means to prepare students for a professional career after college and writing is important and necessary for almost any field of study. In every course you take in college I believe that some aspect of it should involve reading and writing; whether it is math or this class, English, knowing how to write for that subject is important to fully understand the subject. On a close examination of my five classes this semester I noticed that I do a lot more writing

than I originally thought. Initially I was under the impression that the business core courses I am taking like accounting, economics, and calculus did not involve much reading and certainly not any writing. However on a closer examination of my courses, I found that writing and reading were essential parts to understanding the material and doing well on the exams. In both my accounting and economics class, we are required to read between 30 and 60 pages of the textbook weekly (Appendix A). In addition to this, during class we are expected to take detailed notes involving many examples and sample test questions (Appendix A). In the analysis of the writing I do for my classes I mention that what I wasn’t realizing prior to this exploration was that I am writing in all of my classes, it is just different types of writing (Appendix B). For example, in my accounting class the most important part of the course is attending class and taking notes on the topic the professor is discussing. Unlike this course, formal writing is not an important aspect of doing well in accounting (Appendix B). After looking more in depth at the different types of writing associated with each class I realize that before, my definition of ‘writing,’ was a formal paper. Now I realize that ‘writing’ encompasses everything you put down on paper. Even the simplest, most informal notes are important for success in every course. After seeing how informal writing in business core classes like accounting, economics and calculus, facilitates the learning process it’s important to realize the differences between these three classes, my history class, and this class. For this class and history, I have had to write multiple formal papers that have taken careful planning, research and time to produce the finished product (Appendix A). Unlike the informal note taking done in my other classes this type of writing not only takes careful thought the first time around but also multiple revisions and excessive editing to produce a final draft worthy of a professors eyes. One of the most noticeable differences about the writing I do for this class is the inclusion of my own ideas in !

the assignments (Appendix B). For my business core classes, my ideas are basically irrelevant; the class is focused on the facts and principles that are associated with learning the different concepts. However, in almost every assignment I have done for this class I am asked to analyze, reflect, or respond to something I have read or written (Appendix B). This forces me to learn as much as I can about a topic so that I can make well-educated decisions on my position and back up my own ideas with insights based off of others thoughts. I am not only finding information and spitting back facts I have found online but also incorporating my own ideas in response to the information. This in depth research and formulation of ideas is what’s called critical thinking. Critical thinking is important across all courses and careers; it helps you solve problems and think about things in creative new ways. When I began considering my position on the importance of writing across disciplines, I originally thought that writing was of minimal importance for courses and careers that were part of the business and corporate sectors. Due to this notion I decided to interview my mom, Renee Davis, a chief actuary for an insurance company based in Chicago (Appendix C). Between her mathematical educational background and scientific, numbers-based career I was sure I could use her answers to support my idea that writing was not incredibly important for careers in similar fields. Her answers surprised me; when I asked her the question, “How did the writing you did in college prepare you for the writing you have done for employers?” She replied with “I wish I had more prep from college on how to write and explain technical concepts in a streamlines way. I have learned that on the job (Appendix C).” It surprised me to realize that not only was writing an important part of her career but also that college did not adequately prepare her for it. The core curriculum is designed to create well rounded students that will be able to apply the concepts they learn in these core classes to their future careers. Sometimes things

like writing get overlooked in fields related to math or science but here the core values help to close this gap and include writing in all areas of study. As I talked about earlier there is a clear difference in the types of writing associated with difference classes and I was curious as to how true this was in the professional world as well. I asked my mom, “What types of writing have you done throughout your career?” She described the types of writing she does as, “explaining actuarial analysis and documenting [her] work product,” as well as, “writing proposals to a boss or senior leader requesting something; funding for a project, additional staff resource, change in responsibilities or change in organization structure (Appendix C).” The writing she does may be informal but that doesn’t mean it is uninformative. Being able to clearly explain herself is essential to her success as an actuary and being able to write persuasively is crucial when writing up proposals for her bosses. These types of writing might be based on numbers and actuarial principles but the clarity and persuasiveness that is included in both of these ‘types’ is something that she had to learn from work experience. This is important when thinking of the purpose of the core and how the writing you do in English classes, such as arguing a position or writing an analysis (Appendix A), could lend itself useful to a different subject – such as math, entirely. When I first learned about the core curriculum here at Fairfield I thought it was just something that was going to get in the way of what I should be learning. I thought that classes like history, philosophy, and religion would be useless to me as I pursued a degree in business management. I didn’t think I would get anything useful out of these core courses and honestly I wasn’t about to try my hardest for a course that in my mind ‘didn’t matter.’ One of the biggest surprises for me this semester was that my favorite class; the one I actually enjoyed going to, the one that I didn’t spend the whole time looking at the clock, and the one that I really tried to produce good

work in, was English. But this wasn’t right, I was a business major, I was supposed to like accounting and economics. That’s when I realized, it’s not the material you are learning, it is how the material is taught and how you as a student react to that. I like to be challenged; I do my best work when someone tells me that I’ve done it all wrong and I need to try again. I learned to write in this class at a higher level than I have ever written at and produced final products that I was incredibly happy with. This class is a core class and if I didn’t have to take it, I probably wouldn’t have. What surprised me the most was that I learned the most from this class and more importantly I learned why learning to write well is important not just to pass an English class, but to get a job and to excel at your career. Writing is helpful across the board and being able to dictate between the styles of writing and what is helpful for which course is essential to doing well in every course you take throughout your college career.

The Importance of Writing: Inside and Outside of the Classroom By: Dana Aigotti, Class of 2017, Communications Major “The Importance of Writing Inside and Outside of the Classroom” by Dana Aigotti was the final piece in a multi-step research and analysis project for En 11, Fall 2013—the purpose of which was for students to survey writing across their classes that semester, analyze the information, and contextualize the importance of writing by interviewing an older family member about the role of writing in that person’s life. This essay explores Dana’s investigation into the role writing plays in one’s educational and professional journeys. What is remarkable about this essay is this: Dana made connections across a wide range of subjects (including Philosophy and Communications, as well as English) and across a range of various discourse communities—and the writing voice is singularly her own while adhering to the conventions of academic writing. –Professor Elizabeth Hilts

riting is a reflection of our beliefs, opinions and most importantly, our voices. Writing is the one tool that connects us all; it is a form of self-expression that allows people to explain what and

how they feel. The art of writing is accumulative—it grows with us. From learning how to write in elementary school to learning different styles of writing in higherlevel schooling, we grow accustom to the art and use it not just in academics, but also in everyday life. Writing assists in achieving a successful education and career; it enhances communication skills and our knowledge of the world around us. In nearly all required academic classes in the Core Curriculum, some form of writing is involved. In my many years as a student, I have noticed that test taking can be mastered through memorization of the material, reading can be skimmed over and quickly forgotten and equations or definitions can be temporarily crammed but not learned. Writing, however, has no cheating mechanism or short cut—writing requires you to think critically, analyze, explain, argue or report a topic and express it to your audience in the most effective way possible. In addition to writing, discourse also plays a key role in learning; without questioning or discussing a subject, how can we fully understand it? For example, in an academic class, if a student fails to understand the lesson being taught, he or she

must seek further help through communication by asking a teacher, tutor or classmate in order to gain a better understanding of the criteria and pass the class. Communication in the classroom can expand knowledge through hearing other's thoughts, opinions and arguments on a topic. As a Communication major, I anticipate that writing and discourse will play a major role in both my academic career and my professional career. The core requirement classes for a Communication major involve public speaking, research, analysis and application of the theories of Communication. My main career goal is to work as a public relations specialist for a corporate company. Working in the field of Public Relations requires effective communication with corporations and the public and wellwritten press releases to enhance the company's overall image. The practice of writing and discourse develops excellent public speaking and professional writing skills-all of which are required in the field of Communication and Public Relations. In analyzing my classes this semester, I have found that writing is more dominant in Social Science, Philosophy and English courses than Mathematics and Classical and Modern Languages. My Philosophy (PH 0101 ), Communication (CO 0100), and English (EN 0011) courses require two or more fom1ally written research, report or argumentative papers (Appendix A). The writing assignments in each of these classes have allowed me to gain a deeper understanding for the material taught and how it is applicable to everyday life. In considering the list of core requirements for Fairfield University, I anticipate that writing will play a major role in each class. I believe that the main role of writing across the Core Curriculum is to teach us not only how to write well but also how to take our writing to another level by applying it to the world around us. In my interview with occupational therapist, Michael Amatrula, Michael discussed the components of his 170-page dissertation paper on attachment theory

for his PhD in psychology. Michael explains, "hands on research with my dissertation paper gave me a great insight on relationships and human behavior, which is very applicable to being a clinical psychologist and helping people with their issues" (Appendix C). Similar to Michael, the formal papers I have written thus far in my college career are extremely applicable to real world events and issues. In my Communication class, we were assigned a 5-7-page research paper on any topic of our choice in the communication field. I chose to research how negative gender stereotypes are perpetuated in the media through television shows, movies and music videos. Not only have I learned about the vast amount of gender stereotyping in modern day television shows, movies and music videos but I also gained the ability to notice gender stereotyping in media that I am exposed to everyday. In my Philosophy class, we were assigned an argumentative paper on our opinion of what the single most relevant reason to continue the study of Socrates was. I chose to argue that Socrates' belief in curiosity was the most significant reason to continue studying him because it set a major precedent for human interest and societal advancement. In writing the argumentative paper, I was able to recognize how monochromatic our world would be without curiosity; studying and writing about Socrates made me realize that in order to gain knowledge, one must dig deeper and go further than just information given on the surface. In my English class, we were assigned an argumentative research paper on topic of our choice on an education related issue. I chose to research and argue for women's educational rights in Pakistan. In researching and writing the paper, I gained an insight on the Taliban's harmful influence on Pakistani citizens and the negative affect that a lack of female education has on the country's overall quality of life. Writing the argumentative research paper lead me to expand my knowledge of education in other countries. Researching and writing about the topic taught me about the Pakistani culture, the motives behind the Taliban's suppressive actions, !

and the negative impact that lack of female education has on a country's quality of life. Writing does not necessarily need to be in the format of an essay or a formal paperâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;writing can simply be in the form of texting, emailing or note taking depending on the rhetorical situation. Whether or not we realize it, both formal and informal writing is a major part of our everyday lives. As a student, I am constantly emailing professors or classmates, texting friends or family, jotting down notes in class or writing papers. As we make the transition from being a student to being an adult with a career in the corporate world, we carry the art of writing with us from one stage of our lives to the next to communicate with business partners, clients or bosses and effectively convey our opinions, thoughts and ideas on a subject. Writing in the corporate world allows for a new level of professional and efficient communication. The most unique thing about writing is that it has developed and evolved alongside technology. At one point, the corporate world depended on letters, papers or memos that were hand written or typed on a typewriter. Now, with a new generation filled with technology savvy skills, resources and machines, writing in casual and concise forms via email or text message has become the new method of business and communication. Articulating yourself on paper correlates directly to your interaction with others, which is the source of humanity as we are meant to coexist. Through writing, you are able to organize your thoughts, consider the context and rhetorical situation and deliver your message in the most proficient way possible, which can then be communicated to others. Writing not only plays a major role in real world applications but also in communicating with one another. As an occupational therapist, Michael must be able to effectively communicate with his patients inside and outside of his office to frequently monitor their issues and concerns. Michael

explains, "communicating with my patients requires a serious amount of thinking; you don't want to say something that will give them a negative attitude, discourage them or make their issue worse" (Appendix C). In interviewing Michael Amatrula, I learned that writing is not only necessary in achieving academic success, but also in attaining career-based success. Prior to the interview, I was unaware of the importance of both formal and informal writing in a profession. Being an occupational therapist, Michael has to compose emails, take notes on his patients' progress and communicate with patients outside of his office (Appendix C). Although Michael is not required to write papers or memos as a therapist, he does frequently compose emails. In emails, he must take on a professional tone, use proper punctuation and spelling and express his thoughts and ideas in a clear and concise manner. On the other hand, informal writing for Michael involves note taking: Michael must be able to listen to his patient's speak, interpret their words and annotate quickly and succinctly for his own future reference in order to ultimately benefit the patient. Essentially, writing is an important part our everyday lives and is used in several different forms and situations. Writing follows us far beyond our academicsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it continues with us into our careers, personal lives and communication with others. Appendix A Course

Texts and Contexts I â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EN 0011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; R

Major Written Assignment s

Required Reading

Informal Reading, Writing and Speaking

-Writing -Occasional -Daily 5 Project #1 (4- readings from minute Everyone is an reflections 5 pages)

Presentations/Publi c Speaking

None

(Core) English Department CRN: 70031

-Writing Author Project #2 (10 -Occasional pages) assigned -Literacy reading passages on Narrative Blackboard -Annotated Bibliography (2-5 annotations)

-Class participation -Note taking -Mandatory office hours -In-class discussions

-Reflection Papers (1-2 pages) -Portfolios

Introduction to None Calculus – MA 0019 – B (Core)

None

-Note taking None -Class participation

Mathematics Department CRN: 72387 Human Communicatio n Theories – CO 0100 – C02 (Foundation)

Research paper (5-7 pages) -Annotated Bibliography (5 annotations)

1-2 chapters of reading per class from Communication s Theories for Everyday Life

-Note taking Group presentation from as assigned -Class chapter in the textbook participation

Reading passages required for every class from Exploring Philosophy

-Note taking None

Communicatio n Department -Evaluating a Research Article (2-3 CRN: 70203 pages) Introduction to Philosophy – PH 0101 – T (Core)

Argumentativ e essay on Socrates (750 words) -Final Paper

-In-class writing activities based on the chapter

-Class participation -Written homework

Philosophy Department

(600 words)

assignments

CRN: 71709 Elementary -3 writing None Spanish I â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SP compositions 0110 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I (Core) (75-150 words each)

-Note taking 3 oral presentations

Department of Modern Languages

-In-class writing activities based on the chapter

CRN: 71207

-Class participation

FYE (Core)

-In-class conversation s

Academic None integrity letter (1 page)

-Class None participation -One on one meeting with FYE leader

Appendix B As a Communication major, I tend to be assigned more papers and writing projects than quizzes and tests. In almost all of my classes this semester, one or more formal papers are required. The writing in Human Communication Theories (CO 0100) is closely connected with the writing in EN 0011. Similar to the EN 0011 Writing Project #1, CO 0100 entails an annotated bibliography and a research paper. The annotated bibliography for CO 0100 involves summarizing sources and explaining how they apply to our research topic. Although the assignment is strictly informative rather than argumentative, the paper still implicates similar methods

of research, critical thinking and citation. In my Introduction to Philosophy Course (PH 0101), we were assigned an argumentative paper on our opinion of what the single most important lesson Socrates taught that is still relevant in today's society. Although the paper did not involve any research, it still required us to state and support an opinion. Learning how to argue a position and think critically about the rhetorical situation, language and context needed to persuade an audience was extremely useful in conveying a convincing argument for the paper. The reading, writing, speaking and critical thinking taught in EN 0011 is applicable in some way to every one of my classes. In every class, aside from FYE, note taking is involved. With discussions, lessons and lectures, note taking is essential in achieving success in any class. Although it is an informal method of writing and not graded, note taking is extremely helpful with studying and keeping up with the information taught in class. Like EN 0011, every one of my classes involves some form of discussion or class participation. Whether it is answering problems, asking questions or stating an opinion, speaking is a necessity in every class. I find that in CO 0100 and PH 0101, more reading is required than writing compared to my other classes. In Introduction to Calculus (MA 00 19) and Elementary Spanish (SP 0110), I notice that more basic, informal reading and writing is required in order to get properly acquainted with the subject. In all classes, other than SP 0110, there are no presentations or public speakingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;rather, more informal speaking takes place. No matter the class or the amount of writing assignments; some form of

writing or discourse is required in every class. Without writing or discourse, learning would be extremely limitedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the material taught would be general and unexplored. Writing and discourse allows a student to be involved with the class on a more personal level, creates connections with the outside world and provides a better understanding of the material taught. Appendix C Date: 11/28/13 Time: 10:00 am Location:

1) Q: What is your profession? What does it entail? A: I am a clinical psychologist. I help people with their anxiety, issues, depression and other problems they have in their lives. 2) Q: What type of degree do you have? A: Bachelors, masters, and a PhD in psychology. 3) Q: Where did you go to school? (Undergraduate/graduate) A: For undergraduate, I went to Bucknell University where I received my Bachelor degree. For grad school, I went to Fairleigh Dickinson University where I received my Masters and PhD is psychology. 4) Q: For how many years were you in school? A: I was at Bucknell University for 4 years and at Fairleigh Dickinson University for 6 years. 5) Q: Going into college, did you know what type of major/career you wanted to pursue? A: No. I was between majoring in communications and psychology. Ultimately, I decided to choose psychology because I wanted to help people.

6) Q: In your years as an undergraduate student, did you do a lot of writing? A: In my years as an undergraduate student, I did the basic amount of required writing; there were no thesis papers or final papers required for my Bachelors degree. In grad school however, a lot of writing was required especially in completing my dissertation. 7) Q: Do you like to write? Why or why not? A: Yes, I like to write to express my ideas and opinions. I don't write often though. 8) Q: Did writing help you choose your career? Why or why not? A: No. It was more learning and reading about psychology that lead me to chose my career. Psychology is mainly made up of theories, definitions, observations and understanding the human brain; more reading and studying is required rather than writing. Reading others writing on psychology peaked my interest. 9) Q: How much writing did your graduate classes require? a.

Masters- no dissertation

b. To get my PhD, I wrote 170-page dissertation about attachment theory. It took me about a year to write it. The dissertation required me to conduct hands on research, come up with a topic, pose a hypothesis statement, collect data to prove or disprove the hypothesis, conduct statistical analysis, and write up results. It was a serious challenge, but I completed the assignment and went to the dissertation committee meeting. I went into a room with 5 people and they asked questions about my dissertation, AKA, I had to defend my dissertation. The judges determine whether or not you the pass the entire dissertationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I passed. 10) Q: Were there any final writing assignments/projects you had to complete in order to graduate? A: Term papers in undergraduate, dissertation in graduate. 11) Q: How much writing does your career involve? A: Minimal. I have to do basic note taking to track the progress on my patients and communicate with them through text message or email. Communicating with my patients requires a serious amount of thinking; you don't want to say something that will give them a negative attitude, discourage them or make their issue worse.

12) Q: How has writing impacted your career? A: Hands on research with my dissertation paper gave me a great insight on relationships and human behavior, which is very applicable to being a clinical psychologist and helping people with their issues. 13) Q: How has writing impacted your personal life? A: Although I don't have much free time to write between managing a career and a family, I was recently inspired to write a children's book to help children who suffer from anxiety and fear. Contact Information: Dr. Michael Amatrula I chose to interview my uncle Michael Amatrula about the impact writing has had on his personal and professional life. Michael is an extremely suitable source for this interview because he has 3 degrees in psychology, completed 10 years of schooling and currently has a very successful career as a therapist. Because he has experience with writing as an undergraduate and graduate student and as a successful career man, I knew he would serve as an excellent interviewee. Michael attended Bucknell University for four years and received his Bachelor degree. According to Michael, "in my years as an undergraduate student, I did the basic amount of required writing; there were no thesis paper or final papers required to get my Bachelors degree" (Appendix C, Interview). However, to obtain his PhD, Michael was required to write a dissertation on a subject within the field of psychology. His dissertation was about attachment theory; it was 170 pages long and took him almost a year to complete. After completing the dissertation paper, Michael had to meet with a committee of judges and defend his dissertationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;he passed and received his PhD is psychology. In interviewing Michael, I noticed that writing plays a much larger role in his

professional life than his personal life. Psychology is defined as the scientific study of the human mind and its functions. According to Michael, it mainly deals with theories, definitions, observations and understanding the human brain; more reading and studying is required rather than writing. As a therapist, the only writing that Michael does is basic note taking to track the progress of his patients and communicating with his patients via email or text message. Although Michael isn't writing papers or reports every day, he still partakes in formal writing through email and text message with his patients and informal writing through note taking—both of which are crucial to his job as a therapist. In communicating with his patients, Michael must be conscious about what he says and writes to ensure that he is helpful and not discouraging. Only recently did he begin to pursue his personal interest in writing and incorporate it into his personal life by composing a children's book to help children who suffer from anxiety and fear. His profession inspired him to help and communicate to others outside of his practice through the form of writing. Without writing, Michael would not have the successful career he has today. Reading other authors' writing on psychology initially sparked his interest on the subject and lead him to chose his major. Additionally, writing his 170-page dissertation on· attachment theory has a positive impact on his practice today: "Hands on research gave me a great insight on relationships and human behavior, which is very applicable to being a clinical psychologist and helping people with their issues" (Appendix C, Interview). Interviewing my uncle lead me to recognize that no matter what field of study you decide to pursue, writing will always be present. In writing his dissertation, Michael utilized similar preparation and research strategies that our EN 0011 class follows.

Michael explains, "The dissertation required me to conduct hands on research, come up with a topic, pose a hypothesis statement, collect data to prove or disprove the hypothesis, conduct statistical analysis, and write up results." Whether it is personal or professional, writing will always serve as a useful and essential learning tool.

100

Creative Intervention A little treat to show that students get to try a variety of imaginative responses to texts and objects in order to try on all the resources of language in their work. This piece is written in response to the image of the Blue Dress.

101

102

Blue Dress By: Paola Garcia, Class of 2017, English and Psychology Major In EN 11, I like to introduce analytical writing by showing images of some favorite paintings and then asking my students to record and share their impressions. Paola Garcia’s touching short story “Blue Dress” was spurred by a similar exercise. Paola submitted this piece, based on Edouard Manet’s Le Chemin de fer (The Railroad), in a portfolio she compiled for our fiction unit in EN 12. A self-sponsored work, “Blue Dress” showcases Paola’s remarkable ability to render rich, knowable characters on the page. Without question, her story captures the essence and energy of the Manet painting that prompted it, and it reminds us that creative inspiration awaits us wherever we are mindful enough to look. –Professor Brian Hoover

L !

ittle Annie, in her favorite little blue dress, held tight to the metal bars in front of her. Raven sat next to her, facing the opposite direction with Tibbles, her little dog, and her favorite book. It had been just about an

103

hour and there was still nothing. They waited anxiously for the arrival they had looked forward to for months now. Annie had fallen in love with her blue dress a few weeks ago and was reluctant to leave the store without it. Raven had to pull money from her savings to calm the little racket. Annie was almost ten now, and she was the sun of the family. She had short, wavy, blonde hair that she loved to keep tied up and big, light brown eyes. She could light up a room in just a matter of seconds! She was talkative; she could talk for hours about the simplest of things. She was creative; she told the most wonderful and impossible stories. She was warmhearted; she did not discriminate against anything or anyone, and she loved everyone until she had reason not to. She was loud and expressive, no filter. Raven was the complete opposite of her little sister. She was quiet and kept to herself. She wore darker colors that made her green eyes pop. Her light brown hair touched her waist and she loved letting it down and wearing exotic hats that her grandmother gave her. They used to be her mother’s, and she always felt like they provided her with safety and strength. She loved silence, unlike Annie; she could find happiness in a quiet room with a book in her hands and Tibbles sleeping at her side. She loved Annie with everything she had, and she would do anything to put a smile on that small pale face. When Annie begged—she never begs—for the little blue dress, Raven couldn’t say no. When she asked Annie why she wanted such a pretty dress, what would she use it for, Annie just smiled and giggled. Raven did not push forward with the questions and shrugged it off. It had been a year since that happened; a year living with Grandma Linn. It wasn’t the worst; Grandma Linn was very loving, but she was getting old. Raven had taken the role of “mother” since that day. That day, the sky was so blue; she had never seen such a blue sky, not a cloud in sight, just blue everywhere. Raven and !

104

Annie were accompanying their mother to the market to buy groceries. Their mother went into the bakery while they went to get some fruits. As they walked back to the bakery, a man sprinting out of the store knocked Annie on the ground and the bag of fruits flew. There were screams and panic around them. Raven took Annie in her arms and slowly pushed through the people toward the bakery when they saw what had happened. Their mother lay on the corner of the ground; a few feet away lay the baker. Raven put Annie down and turned her face in the opposite direction as she walked closer to her mother’s body. She lay with closed eyes, clutching something in her hands. As tears started to fall from her eyes, she slowly reached for her mother’s hands. There she held her pure golden locket, the most precious gift she owned. It was given to her by their father and inside there was a picture of Raven and Annie. She fought for it until her last breath. As the police removed them from the scene and they were taken to their grandmother’s house, Annie pointed at the sky with tear-filled eyes. “Look, Rave,” she said. “The sky is as blue as Mommy’s eyes.” Raven smiled with tear-filled eyes as well, holding her little sister’s hand tight. “Yes,” she replied. “Now the skies are Mommy’s eyes watching over us.” From then on the blue skies appeared rarely, but when they did, it was a good day. Now, a year later, they sat outside the train station, Annie in her light blue dress, Raven in her dark blue dress, waiting. Annie had had as much patience as a nine-year-old can have, but she was losing it. She held the metal bars tight waiting to see him, see the uniform, see his smile. Raven just sighed silently as she observed the blue sky, no clouds around, and kept reading. After a few minutes, Annie started jumping. “Rave! Rave!” she screamed with joy. “I think that’s him! I really, truly believe that is him!”

105

Raven didn’t stop reading. “Annie,” she said calmly, “you’ve said that three times already and it is not him.” “I swear, Rave!” Annie said. “I swear this time I’m sure! I can see her locket shine when the sun hits it.” Raven turned around to look at the entrance of the train station. “Do you think he will like my dress, Rave? It’s blue. You know how much he loves blue. Do you think he’ll love it?” Raven searched until her eyes landed on him. Captain John Williams, their father. A big smile suddenly appeared on her pale face and she looked down at an ecstatic Annie. “He will love your dress. You look beautiful. Just like mom.” Annie smiled brightly and ran towards her father, who crunched down to his knees with open arms and tears in his eyes. “How is my little blue bird?” he said. “I’ve missed you so much, Papa,” Annie whispered into his neck as she held on tight. “Me, too, princess,” he said. “Me, too.” He looked up at Raven, who was standing with a smile, patiently waiting. “And how is my blue butterfly?” Raven wiped a tear away. “Perfect now,” she said, hugging him tight. “I’ve missed you two so much,” he told them as he kissed them both. “Your mother would be proud of what you have become.” Annie pulled on his hand. “Mommy is watching, Papa,” she told him. “Look at the sky, there is not one cloud around.” He smiled and looked up. “Right you are,” he said. “Blue as your dress; blue as her eyes.”

106