Small Violin

                There are many instances which I would like to go back in time and re-enact, but there is one in particular which goes all through me as I reminisce about the situation.  I was a second semester freshman at the University of Southern Indiana about to indulge in a taste of Humanities 211.  I had heard the teacher wasn’t the best to take, but I was taking it with my best friend and figured we could stick together.  The first few weeks of class were not as bad as I had expected and I almost enjoyed attending the class.  I kept up with my readings as well as paid attention, and spoke up during the lectures which were usually run by the students.  The class seemed to be going just fine and I was starting to actually develop an interest in the assigned reading material.

                Everything was great in the course up until the month of September.  My grandpa was very ill throughout August and into the beginning of September.  A few weeks in, he passed away.  I told all my teachers I would be missing a few classes because he lived in Oklahoma and we would be driving down to attend the funeral.  I asked my friend to keep track of the assignments which were due until I returned thinking I would not miss much, and the professor would surely understand if they were not completed to exact perfection.  Unfortunately, the make-up situation did not occur as I had expected.

                As I returned to class the following week, I sat down in my normal seat as always and awaited class to start.  The professor walked to the front of the room, put his books down and proceeded to tell the class we were having a pop quiz over notes taken the days I was absent.  I had asked my friend if we had homework due, but she hadn’t told me about the notes they took while I was gone.  With a puzzled look on my face, he got the message and slowly made his way to my desk as I proceeded to explain my situation.

“I’m sorry I was out of town when you went over the material…is there any way I could take it during the next class period so I have time to prepare?” I said hoping he would consider.

“Oh Chelsea…I do not care that you were not in class.  What would you like me to do pull out my violin and play you a song?” he said.

                As shocked as I was at his response I did the polite thing by breaking eye contact and biting my lip to keep from jumping back at him with a not-so-professional remark.  Until this day I regret letting my eyes do the talking instead of my mouth.  I wish I could go back and re-do the situation with a little more backbone.  In re-enacting this certain situation I would have taken it a little further to explain the rude aspects of his heartless joke and that I was saying goodbye to one of the men I will always cherish, and a veteran at that.  If he had not allowed me to retake the quiz after that I would have proceeded to address someone over him.  I would have then told him how unhappy I was with the treatment of the professor.  I would not only do this to embarrass the professor as he embarrassed me in the classroom, but to also ensure this type of situation would never happen again.  Although his end-of-the-year evaluation which we completed revealed much of what I thought about him as my feelings boiled throughout the entire semester.

                I think taking initiative and “being tough” shows that you have confidence in yourself that you will not let people push you around.  It also shows that you have a planted foot in the situation and nobody has the ability to move your opinion. 

What I've Learned from Men Response Questions

1.       What is the tone (see definition below) of the opening paragraph? What does the tone of Ehrenreich’s first paragraph suggest we can expect in the rest of the essay?

I think the tone of the first paragraph includes a little sarcasm and annoyance from the way men do certain things.  This suggests that we can further expect more details of why she uses sarcasm as well as why she is annoyed with the habits of men.

2.       Ehrenreich contrasts “being tough” and “being ladylike.” What are the attitudes and behaviors that she associates with these opposing ways of being?

When she refers to “being ladylike” she means timid as well as always feeling like we should be nice no matter what the situation.  She refers to “being tough” as acting in such a way as a man would in some situations.  Instead of smiling through and being nice actually put your thoughts on the line and act.

3.       According to Ehrenreich, why are women reluctant to exert power?

It is equivalent to selfishness and destructiveness.

4.       Why do you think Ehrenreich shares the story of her encounter with the “prestigious professor” in paragraph 3?

I think she is trying to show an over exaggerated way to exert power.  She based it off of a movie, but I don’t think situations should be handled in that light no matter how much power you hold.

5.       Why do you think she “reruns” the scene with the professor to conclude her essay?  What does the “do-over” or mulligan allow her to accomplish?

This re-run gives the reader a clearer picture to the events that portrayed and how she exactly showed a sense of power.

Night Walker Essay

                There are many instances in this life where people are mistaken for someone that they never intended to be.  Everyone has an outer appearance which is judged by a simple first impression and usually doesn’t go much deeper than that unless you get the opportunity to get to know them.  I was brought up in a small town located close to the Oklahoma-Arkansas border.  I was brought up with a hardworking father and a loving mother all my life.  They taught me many different useful tips to get through life and one of them was to be the best person you can be.  I have lived my life around this motto and encouraged many other people to do the same.

                When I graduated from high school I immediately knew I would attend the University of Southern Indiana because it has a great location and is highly ranked in degree programs.  During my freshman year I wore a smile on my face as I continued to meet and greet many new people.  Some of these people are still very close to me to this day and while reflecting with them I realized the first impression they received of me was not correct in the slightest.

                Someone I met freshman year and has remained one of my best friends throughout the years told me about her first impression of me.  I have blonde hair, blue eyes and freshman year I weighed about 115 pounds.  The first time she met me the reaction she cornered in on was my weight and then she assumed I was probably a cheerleader, in many different sports, popular, snobby, etc.  She came to find out very quickly that I was none of these things.  I could never have the flexibility of even dreaming about being a cheerleader even though I think it would be a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people.  Also as she got to know me she realized I stopped playing sports when I entered high school not because I didn’t love the game but because of a change in school, and dislike of the coaches.  I was also never part of the popular crowd.  I was the type of a person who had a group of friends that kept to themselves and didn’t try to be anything they weren’t.  She also quickly realized I was a lot nicer that she expected.

                Since she told me of her first impression of me I have always been very curious as to what other people’s first impressions of me were.  I asked a few other people and some of them said the same things but others differed to an extent.  I have thoroughly worked on trying to make people think of me differently than a snobby popular girl from high school.  I strive to smile and talk to people as much as I can to give their first impression of me a slight twist.  I want to bring out my personality and be thought of as the person my friends tell me I am today, not what my first impression was a few years ago.

                In hearing what my friends had to say about their impression of me for the first time, I realized I judge people in the same way they were judging me.  It is only human nature to assess what first meets the naked eye, and it takes a lot more time to get to know the real person inside.  It is a joy to not judge someone from their outer appearance and to work towards actually getting to know them for who they are inside.  I believe this opens up many more opportunities for great friendships with people you meet by simply walking down the street.  It is very rewarding to let a person speak from their heart and reveal the person they truly are rather than make up your mind before they open their mouth.

Night Walker Response Answers

1.       Why do you think Staples refers to the woman he encounters in the beginning of his essay as a “victim”?

I think he was being humorous by referring her to a victim because she judged him as a person who was going to hurt her.  I think he was saying how she viewed herself as a victim when he never had any intention of harming her.

2.       What, exactly, is his “unwieldy inheritance” mentioned in the second paragraph?

Staples’ unwieldy inheritance is the judgment of his appearance by other people.  He cannot control the fact that people thought he was a dangerous person when he had no intention of hurting anyone.  He inherited this through his race, which is usually known as not-so-nice people wandering the streets late at night.  He did take some precautions towards the ending of his essay which helped his impression among other people.

3.       What, exactly, is “the language of fear” (paragraph three)?  What examples does Staples give to illustrate this “language”?

The language of fear is the actions certain people took that let him know he was viewed as a threat to their wellbeing.  Some examples include as he walked down the street he would hear people locking their car doors, crossing the street instead of walking past him, and various instances with police, doormen, bouncers, cab drivers, and others whose job it was to keep people out of harm’s way.

4.       This piece is sometimes printed under the titles “Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space” or “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space”;  how do these very different titles affect your understanding of Staples’ reason for writing? How would your perception of his purpose for writing this essay change, if given these different titles?

The two titles listed above give more of a foreshadowing aspect to the overall moral of the story.  The reader will be more informed about what the essay will be which allows their imagination to wonder just before reading the excerpt.  I think these two titles are more effective than “Night Walker” because they allow the reader to understand the plot of the story.

5.       Why do you think whistling selections from Beethoven and Vivaldi seem to make people less afraid of the author?

I agree with what Staples’ said towards the ending of the essay by mentioning it is a calming rhythm, and most people don’t expect murders to be humming such high-class popular classical tunes.

On Fire Essay

                Early on in training we were taught to keep a calm and close watch on the situations at hand.  It took a semester to learn the certifications as well as taking the time to pass each test ensuring you are confident of how to rescue someone in, and out of the water.  These tests are designed to be difficult and engage you in situations where you are required to make quick decisions.  There is not a clear way to prepare for these actual instances no matter how many times you practice.  Once you are sitting up in the chair looking down upon the patrons, you must be prepared with the knowledge of how to keep your eyes focused, and your brain ready for action at all times.

                Every morning you report fifteen minutes before the doors open to clean the deck and bathrooms ensuring safety for the patrons.  You’re dressed in a two piece swimsuit accompanied by a whistle around your neck and instructions to sit in various temperatures ranging from 65⁰ to 99⁰.  Every day just before the pool opens, after making your rounds you stare at the water wondering what the day will hold, and willing to do whatever it takes to keep their lives safe.

                As the manager opens the doors the ticket guard takes the customer’s money and lets them pass through to the dressing rooms.  They are to lock up their belongings and then walk out to the pool deck.  This rarely happens since most children are too excited after being cooped up all winter to walk rather than run and jump in the water attempting to splash the lifeguard on duty.  As the pool quickly filled with children and adults of all ages it became apparent the job wasn’t just sitting up high on a chair underneath an umbrella getting a nice tan.  It meant responsibility for their lives as well as a constant reminder of a drowning victim which you would have to save.  This job was much more than a simple way to make money; it held a huge responsibility of keeping people out of danger.

                The daily starting positions were randomly chosen by the manager, or assistant manager, on duty that day.  The positions included 3 foot, 12 foot North, 12 foot South, 6 foot, bottom of the slide, top of the slide, cleaner 1, cleaner 2, break and on deck.  They rotated in the order mentioned above on a fifteen minute basis.  This ensured a different guard watching a different area every fifteen minutes.  Sitting in the chair you enforced the pool rules by blowing the whistle if a kid was disobeying.  It was your job to sit for an hour and a half rotation enforcing these rules and monitoring each patron’s every move.  Many people don’t realize what a huge responsibility is weighted on our shoulders, and it is definitely not something to be taken lightly.

                Some days the heat is unbearable and it takes more than a drink of water to cool you down.  As you sit under an umbrella, the sun still bearing down on you, it takes a lot of energy to focus on getting your job done.  The heat is something which you cannot prepare for and something you must deal with on a daily basis.  You learn quickly your skin isn’t made to be in the sun for seven long hours in the middle of the day.  This makes the fifteen minute rotations feel a lot longer and the shift go by a lot slower.

                In many instances lifeguards work for years and never have to leave their chair to save a drowning victim.  These lifeguards work very hard to ensure the safety of their area and go to extremes to avoid any possible hazardous situations which could come their way.  I am happy to say my experience was one of these instances in which I worked three months every summer and never had to get in the water and rescue a drowning victim.

On Fire Response Answers

1.       What process does Brown describe?

Brown is describing the process of being a firefighter.

2.       How is this essay unlike the typical process explanation, presented in strict chronological order?  Why does this departure “fit” his subject matter/occupation?

As Brown writes the essay he skips around describing the process of how firefighters handle the duties of their jobs along with the actual processes they must go through to ensure safe trips and ability to help people.  I liked the way he described the process because the essay was unsure of a chronological order just like his job in not knowing when he will be called or what he will be doing.  This departure fits his subject matter/occupation because it is as disfigured as the essay and takes a special person to take on these duties.

3.       In the first paragraph, Brown uses a simile when he says that one of the things a firefighter learns is that they “can burn like a candle.”  What other examples of figurative language does he use?  How does such language enhance the essay?

He compares his job to different jobs such as being a cashier or working in a factory where you do the same thing every day to being a firefighter.  This shows the differences he is trying to point out in the essay and how difficult taking on that position can be.  It gives the readers a sense of understanding that this is no simple task.  Also he compares failing to fix the fire hose resulting in a waterstorm on the street.  This shows how quickly and vigorously the water comes out of the hose.  The different types of language used in the essay help the reader visualize and paint a more accurate picture of what it is like to be a firefighter.

4.       Throughout his essay, Brown repeatedly uses the second-person pronoun you. Why do you think Brown uses the second-person perspective, instead of the more usual first- (I) or third- person (he or she) in his essay? What effect does it have?

I think he wants to put the pressure of the different duties of a firefighter on the shoulders of the reader.  The reader can then envision themselves doing the actual task instead of another character.  I think this effects the reader in that they visualize themselves being in the position of the writer.

5.       What overall impression(s) of firefighting do you think Brown wishes to convey?  How is this purpose exemplified in his final paragraph?

I think Brown is trying to give a detailed description of the overall life of a firefighter.  I know I have never had the opportunity of reading an in-depth description of what it’s like to wait by the phone.  He is trying to say that you learn everything there is to know about being a firefighter because in the end it is you against the fire saving as many lives as humanly possible.

First Conk Essay

When I was younger I never understood the fascination and obsession some girls had with being thin.  I was nowhere close to a size zero and had no intentions of becoming that size in my near future.  My reasoning came from the stick figure models on covers of magazines and the rumors of how they became so thin as well as firsthand experience.

My family and I moved to Jasper, Indiana when I was in middle school.  At my previous school I was involved in Strings, which is an organization that introduces string instruments to students.  I started playing the violin when I was in the fifth grade.  When we moved to Indiana there was an organization through the school which taught basically the same thing as the Strings organization.  I was introduced to my new teacher and began taking lessons immediately.  Throughout the lessons and getting to know each other we quickly bonded becoming very close, and she is like the sister I never had today.

Throughout the years I noticed her lack of eating as well as substantial weight loss every time she would come back and visit my family and me.  I encouraged her to get help but she always denied the possibility of her having an eating disorder.  In fear of pushing too hard, I just told her how concerned I was because of her rapid weight loss.  She assured me she was eating and that she wasn’t starving herself.  A few weeks later my mother told me she withdrew from college (University of Evansville) for a medical leave.  She had finally taken my advice and gone to the doctor who confirmed her eating disorder.  After the confirmation she then attended the doctor’s office many more times for check-ups to make sure she was eating like she should.

The doctor confirmed her with both Anorexia and Bulimia Eating Disorders.  She currently weighed eighty-eight pounds and she was a sophomore in college.  She had had both these disorders for almost two years.  The process of getting back to eating normally wasn’t an easy process, but with the help of a nutritionist and her family she knew she wasn’t alone.

The slow process involved a lot of patience and encouragement from her friends and family.  She started off slowly going to see a nutritionist weekly to ensure she was eating meals fit for her lifestyle.  The nutritionist warned her to start slowly because her body was not use to eating meals as a normal person’s body would be.  She started off eating small portions throughout the day of vegetables and fruits.  These provided her body with the essentials she needed to help her body get back to being normal.  Many severe cases of anorexia involve the patient being strapped down and force-fed food.  This circumstance never occurred with her since she realized her position was serious and she needed to turn her life around.  After attending, and working with the nutritionist for over a year monitoring her eating habits, she was finally on her way back to a normal life.

I remember, after she got over her anorexia, her intense love of vegetables and fruit.  When my mother knew she would be coming to our house, at any given point during the weeks, there would always be a vegetable tray waiting her arrival.  She loved coming to our house and has told me without my persistence of encouraging her to get help she would not have gone to the doctor.  Once she attended the doctor he told her if she had waited at most a few weeks to come in she would not have survived.  She constantly thanks me for my persistence and saving her from making a bad decision.

Today, she is happily married with a 10 month daughter of her own.  We are even closer now than before and refer to each other as long lost sisters.  She means the world to me and has definitely been someone I have looked up to since the moment I met her.  It’s meaningful to think how a few simple encouraging words to a close friend can help them turn their life around and realize they need to fix their mistakes before it’s too late.