Table of Contents:

Table of Contents Reflections on English 101D: Writers Choice Piece: The Mask: Revision Piece: Remembering the Titans: Critical Thinking Piece: Struggling FOR Traditions: Voice and Audience Piece: How Pop Culture is Eroding Long Held Traditions of Faith: In Conclusion:

Reflections on English 101D:

This had been a hard class for me. I am a very traditional person and writings that challenge my views put me on the defensive, it is who I am, or my identity, as it were, to challenge such thoughts, and I found a great deal that troubled me in the book, “Remix.” However, realizing that this is a diversity class, and that diverse views are expected, allowed me to fumble through the material.

To me, diversity is nothing more than a buzz word used to make people feel awkward about their own views and beliefs. In fact, it has been documented by many that diversity and multiculturalism are used by the politically correct segments of society to cause disharmony rather than harmony. As one example, this Quote from Richard Lamm in his essay, "How to Destroy American", he describes it this way. “I would establish dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would “celebrate diversity.” “Diversity” is a wonderfully seductive word. It stresses differences rather than commonalities. Diverse people worldwide are mostly engaged in hating each other–that is, when they are not killing each other. A “diverse,” peaceful or stable society is against most historical precedent. People undervalue the unity it takes to keep a nation together, and we can take advantage of this myopia.” This is the kind of thing that has happened to every society that has promoted diversity above national pride. So by looking at diversity the way I do, you can see why this has been a difficult class for me. These feelings are also what have remained in the back of my mind when addressing the assignments.

The book had its moments, however. The one story that sticks out is “Masks,” written by Lucy Grealy, as someone who has worked with children and is also working on my teaching degree, this story touched me very deeply. When I sub for the local schools in my area, I always seek out the one student who others turn away from. Seeking out the identity of this young person is very important to me because I know that others have not taken the time to do so. One boy in particular that I have been working with lately has been labeled a “problem child” by most of the teachers, and many of the students at the school, simply because he is struggling with a hard family life, and a move that has caused him to separate from members of his family.

In examining his situation the subject of community came to my mind as well. How does one come into a small community when there are problems in a way that the community perceives the newcomer? The readings in, “Remix,” did a good job of discussing different communities and what we expect from them. What does this young man look at when he looks at a community who is so willing to look the other way, rather than get to the bottom of what is troubling him? No act of kindness ever goes unrewarded, and I firmly believe that in the short amount of time I spent with him, that I saw an improvement in the way he viewed the community that I love.

So with all of this in mind I selected the four writing in my portfolio for very personal reasons. I will be using, my discussion board on, "The Mask", as my writers choice piece, the first timed writing piece from, "Remember the Titans", as my revision piece, Struggling for Tradition as my critical thinking piece, and finally my essay #3, on pop culture versus traditions as my voice and audience piece.

Hopefully by the time I have completed my E-Portfolio project, not only will I have a better understanding about how I see the world, but also how it sees me, and that my writing will reflect the constructive criticism I have received in the class from both my teachers and my peers.

Writer’s Choice Piece:

For my writers choice piece I chose my discussion board writing on, "Under the Mask". Anyone who reads this can feel the pain and anger this poor young child suffered through, and is still suffering today. As a society we put far too much emphasis on looks, and what makes matters worse, the looks that young boys and girls are striving for is unattainable. The size 0 model or the Arnold Schwarzeneggers of this world lead to destructive behaviors such as starving themselves to death, or taking steroids to make themselves bigger. It’s not surprising than that those around this scarred face girl would treat her as if she was a nobody. Unfortunately, I don’t see an end to the constant desire for these kids to be something they are not, rather than be happy with themselves for who they are.

The Mask

What strikes me at first is the fact that not only did her cancer cause changes in her life, it also put her life on hold. Friends that she had grown up with were curious but distant. She missed a great deal of what most kids learn in the social climate at school. Entering sixth grade is not and ideal time to begin to learn these valuable life lessons. “Most of sixth-grade consisted were children I’d grown up with. They were, for the most part, genuinely curious about that had happened to me. They treated me respectfully, if somewhat distantly.” What I found typical, however, was that even the kids who seem to have everything together are just as unsure of themselves as she was, but for a long time she did not understand this, most kids don’t. Everyone wants to be someone else or have the things that others have, not just her, and I think towards the end of her essay she came to realize this, and it somehow changed her outlook on life.

“My sister and her friends never had to worry about heir appearance, or so it seemed to me, so why didn’t they always feel as bold and as happy as I felt that night?” pg (43) Here we see her confusion about how others view themselves. Since her sisters did not have her deformity, they shouldn't have any problems, right. “For weeks I pictured the ruined estate where Zhivago wrote his sonnets, aware that the true splendor of the house was inextricably bound to the fact that is was ruined.” pg (44) Here the author is discovering that people, like things, can be both beautiful and ugly for the very same reasons. Although her deformity kept her from a normal life, it also caused her to see things differently, more profoundly.

“I viewed other people both critically and sympathetically. Why couldn’t they just stop complaining so much, just let go and see how good they actually had it?” pg (47) Here she is beginning to understand that each of us has a mask that we hide behind, something about our life, or ourselves, that we would like to change. Although she complains about it, she understands it perfectly.

Works Sited:
Latterell, Catherine. Remix, Reading and Composing Culture. Bedford/Saint Martin’s, Boston/New York, 2006

Revision Piece:

My revision piece is to try and do a better job on establishing the questions raised in the first timed writing piece, "Remember the Titans". The prompt asked us to question the differences of being an insider versus an outsider, and how the film affirms or challenges your own perspectives. My mistake in analyzing the movie was that I summarized along the plot lines of the movie to show the insiders and outsiders, instead of addressing how those in either situation were made to feel. As someone who has experience as an insider and an outsider, I can certainly relate to both the feeling of being part of a community, and the pain of living on the outside. In revising the piece I am going to make an attempt at rectifying these mistakes.

Remembering the Titan's

“Remember the Titans,” defines being an outsider as someone who is of a different race, who is thrown into a situation and is thus forced to find meaningful ways to deal with the problem. The movie introduces the audience into this dilemma from the very beginning of the story when the south does away with segregated schools in order to promote racial harmony. The problem is that while things look good on paper the reality of the situation is usually very different from the expected outcomes.

We see what can happen to a football team, a school, and an entire town when government tries to force a solution upon the populace. While I certainly agree that desegregation was valuable to the conscience of America, the people involved certainly had to deal with a myriad of problems.

The movie focuses on how a football team is forced to deal with not only the addition of several African Americans to the team. The existing players are filled with the emotions of having to deal with this. Many are afraid of losing their spot on the team, but many are reacting to the hate going on in the streets at the idea of having blacks in the community.

The coaches, on the inside, especially Coach Yoast views this all from the perspective of what is going to happen to his team as a result of the addition of new players. He looks on the team as his, he built it, he has coached it his way, and he is not going to let new players and the addition of a new coach have any effect on what he has planned for them.

Being an outsider, Coach Boone deals with the situation at hand by promoting unity, as he had done in the past among the players. He uses several techniques to accomplish this. First, he forces the athletes to share rooms with those of a different race in order for them to learn about each other. Second, he makes the team learn as much as they can about each other by telling them that if they are not able to answer specific questions about one another, then they will have three-a-day practices. Third, he uses the traditional camaraderie of the game of football to allow each member of the team to learn to rely on each other. Since Coach Boone has been an outsider all of his life, due to race relations at that time, he knew what his players were going through and did all that he could to make them comfortable. I also think because of the kind of the person he was, that he also felt what the insiders were afraid of, and he hoped that his strategies would work in addressing thier concerns as well..

While these strategies worked for the most part, there were still those unwilling to accept the newcomers. Coach Yoast faced situations where he was forced to choose between accepting the outsiders as part of the team, or working against them in order to further his own career. He ultimately made what was the best decision for his team, leaving out his own career objectives, which shows that he has grown though the experience and has come out of it a better man.

Not everyone was as willing as these great men to embrace this new world as a community in which they could all benefit as we see many forces at work within the school, and town, as the people who accepted the outsiders were ostracized from the rest.

The movie moves us along through a powerful series of events until we find ourselves cheering the outcome of how these problems were met and dealt with in constructive and lasting ways. “Remember the Titans,” gives us insight into how we can learn to deal with these problems within our own lives in order to not only help when we see an outsider tying to fit in, but also when we find ourselves in the outsider role.

In my dealings with those in my life, I will take the message of, "Remember the Titans", to find ways to promote unity among the students I work with. Cliques as communities are a very destructive force that causes hurt feelings and confusion. Things can happen in the blink of an eye to change the way these communities see its members. One who was assured of his or her place on the inside suddenly finds themselves on the outside with nowhere to turn. If I can find a way to help these kids see others for who they are, rather than who they pretend to be in order to be a part of a clique, perhaps the feelings of inferiority will lesson, and these kids can start to view themselves as worthwhile.