Author: z.osiecka

03/31/16

Proposal for Project

For this project I have decided that I want to explore and research the amenities that immigrant students, or any students whose first language was not English, are provided with in terms of education. Being an “ESL kid” myself, I also want to share my story in order to demonstrate the hardships that I have endured. I would like to find out if the experience that I had is similar to the average student’s in New York City. In order to do that I have to research information about ESL programs and which schools do and do not offer them; I would also like to see how many students are in need of such programs and how many are not provided with them.

I think one of my audiences for my argument could be my fellow students who have not had a similar experience and may be interested in finding out what it is like. Another audience could be policymakers in New York City who are responsible for providing such programs in public schools.

 

03/24/16

Literacy Narrative

Although both of my parents have obtained college degrees and have always done well in school, their attitude towards my education has always been very “hands-off”. I have always received good grades and no one ever had to reprimand me to do my homework. My dad used to always tell me, “You’re not going to school for anyone but yourself. If you don’t want to go to school, you can always find a minimum wage job.” He knew that threats of punishment and yelling would only make me want to rebel, and in the end hurt my future. I feel that a lot of parents push their kids too hard; I have always believed that your personality and the kind of person you are has just as much if not more worth than your grades.

My father was the first in his family to go to college, while both of my mothers’ parents were college-educated. They came from two different social classes in Poland, but they both took their education very seriously. My mother attained a degree in nursing and loves what she does; my father’s degree in mechanical engineering, however, did not help him in finding a job in New York. He ended up becoming a driver and I can tell he wants me to have a better life. I think the reason he has never been as hard on me regarding education is because I have seen the hardships my parents faced. I have worked many minimum wage jobs and since I graduated high school I have lived on my own and seen how hard it is to make a living wage.

Because I have come to America when I was nine, my parents were never hard on me when it came to English. It was not my native language, and they had no idea what it was like to sit in a classroom completely clueless searching for every other word the teacher said in a Polish-English dictionary. Regardless, I have always tried my best in every subject; I know that if I can start my education from scratch and learn a whole new language I can already do more than most people.

 

03/23/16

“Mother Tongue” Response

Amy Tan shares her childhood memories of how the “English” that her mother spoke directly influenced the respect she received from others. She realized how her own way of speaking alters depending on the people she is surrounded by, whether it is her mother or her husband. I think her argument is that just because someone’s native language may not be English, it should not have an effect on the way they are seen and treated by others.

Tan recalls situations where she has had to speak on the phone for her mother impersonating her in order to be taken seriously by the person on the other line. Her mother’s “broken English”, or what she claims other people usually refer to it as, has held her back from accomplishing many things. She has even had trouble receiving her CAT scan that revealed a benign tumor; the hospital lost it and did not even apologize. After calling her daughter, Amy Tan, however, who spoke perfect English, the hospital assured her that the CAT scan would be found, there would be a conference call the next day, as well as apologized for the “suffering [her] mother had gone through.”

“Mother Tongue” directly relates to Tan’s argument because it captures not only her own mother’s language, “broken English”, but it is also a term used to describe one’s native language. Because Tan was raised listening to her mother speak, broken English should be a very familiar “tongue” to her.

I believe that Tan is trying to demonstrate the hardships that a language barrier may have for people. Not everyone is lucky enough to be born and raised in the country that they will later on live in. By using her mother as an example, Tan appeals to the emotions of her readers. I think that her audience could be comprised of young people that can relate to her, as well as be the ones to understand and make a difference. Tan could be targeting Asian American children in particular. She mentions how there are not many Asian American students that are interested in American literature or becoming writers. Tan explains that her mother’s language could have definitely geared her towards math and science, where the answer is either right or wrong. Through her piece, Tan could be attempting to convince Asian American students that they could easily become writers as well, and to diminish their fears due to a language barrier.

Tan uses a different English when she is with her mother than the “standard English” that she has learned in school through books. She refers to the similar English that she uses with her husband as their “language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language [she] grew up with.” Although at one point she claims that she was ashamed of the English her mother spoke, she realized that her mother’s language skills have no correlation to her intelligence. Tan also believes that her mother’s English almost had an effect on “limiting possibilities” in her life; she believes that in general immigrant families tend to be more “insular” and as an effect, can result in lower grades in English and lower scores on achievement tests, IQ tests, and the SAT.

Being an immigrant, my experiences with English have been very similar to Amy Tan’s. I used to impersonate my parents on the phone since I was 12 or 13 simply due to the fact that I learned English faster than anyone in my family. Once I became older, I started to speak English with my parents but only around my friends. The English I speak with them is definitely a lot different; I try to use simple words in a way that I know they will understand. With my friends, I am able to fully express myself without any limitations.

03/15/16

Acts of Revision Response

Before college, I have never realized the importance of revision. I was one of the people that tried to make their draft perfect so that I never have to look at it again. Over the last few months, however, with the amount of papers that I have had to write, I learned something that has completely changed my views on the writing process; writing a “perfect” paper on the first try is very close to being impossible. This kind of thinking not only prevents me from spilling my ideas straight onto the paper, but it prolongs my writing process by hours. If I try to write a paper with a different, less idealistic attitude, I’m able to convey my thoughts a lot more easily. With revision I’m able to express my thoughts and not feel pressured for it to sound perfect on the first try. “Revision offers writers many things beyond more praise or a better grade—a deeper, sharper understanding of the subject, a satisfying sense that the ideas come across in the best possible way, a chance to clarify and perhaps change your opinions.” As someone who has never looked at revision as a necessary part of writing, I was intrigued with what Brock Dethier had to say. He does consider revision just a process of fixing up your paper. I think that if more people viewed revision that way, they would understand the importance and opportunity that writing possesses.

03/3/16

Responding to Others’ Writing Response

The process of editing papers has always given me slight anxiety. Having other people read and judge my work causes me to immediately doubt my abilities as a writer. I know that I am definitely not the worst, but watching someone read my paper makes me cringe. I immediately wonder what they are thinking and demand their opinion right away. I think just from the nervous look on my face, people tell me exactly what I want to hear. After reading “Responding to Other Students’ Writing”, however, I want someone to judge my paper as a reader. I want to know what they think about the paper without considering my feelings; I want to know what I could improve on and what sounds awkward. I fully believe that that is the only way that I will be able to become a better writer.

As for the editing side, I am guilty of making the mistake of acting as a “writer” instead of a “reader”. I fix little mistakes like grammar and spelling, but I tend to avoid thinking about the paper as a whole. From now on, I am going to try to give people the advice that I know I would want. Editing and revising is probably the most important process in writing. Without fixing and working on a paper, it will never become something better. I think that a lot of my essays in the past had a lot of potential, but came out mediocre due to my laziness. If someone claims that my paper is good and I should not change anything, then I have no motivation to work on it. However, if someone took the time to tell me how the paper really sounds to them, I would have the incentive to try to fix it.

03/1/16

Shitty First Drafts

While reading Anne Lamott’s Shitty First Drafts, I realized that I have never looked at the writing process the way she does. I usually try my best to make my first draft a good base to begin my essay with. In the past, my teachers have graded my rough draft as well as my final draft; some teachers even made the first draft worth as much as the final draft. It is incredibly overwhelming to feel as if you have one shot at writing something, so you need to make it perfect. I wish that my teachers have looked at writing the way Lamott does, “The first draft is the child’s draft, where you let it all pour out and then let it romp all over the place, knowing that no one is going to see it and you can shape it later”.  I feel that if I viewed my writing that way, it would be much easier to get all of my ideas down and realize what I want to include in my essay and what should be locked up in a box and hidden from daylight.

Lamott’s excerpt from the book not only reads well, but is informative as well as entertaining. The fact that she has been writing for so long and still writes “shitty first drafts” is a little comforting. Lately, I have been looking at writers’ styles and attempting to figure out what it is that makes their work so readable. All I have figured out so far is that good writers incorporate their own personality into their writing. From Lamott’s piece you can tell that she has a good sense of humor as well as years of experience. She seems incredibly knowledgeable about writing but at the same time she is able to give us a glimmer of hope and claim that her work process begins the same way as anyone else’s.

02/25/16

Rhetorical Analysis Project Pitch

Unlike the average teenager today, there are not many shows that grab my attention enough for me to “binge” watch for 16 hours straight. “The Blacklist”, however, is definitely one of them. It completely redefined my idea of what is considered “good” and what is seen as disorderly or “bad”. The main character of the show, Raymond Reddington, is rated number four on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, yet he has won the hearts of all of his viewers. As we learn more about the characters we begin to understand who they are and why they do the things they do. Using empathy as well as appealing to our emotions, “The Blacklist” has persuaded millions that murderers are not necessarily all bad and that our world is not exactly black and white.

 

 

02/23/16

Rhetorical Analysis of Baldwin

In order to fully understand James Baldwin’s argument in the “My Dungeon Shook: A Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation”, you have to understand his past as well as the amount of prejudice he has encountered throughout his life. Baldwin has been exposed to violence from a young age; at ten he was beaten up by the police as well as abused by his stepfather. His childhood alone consisted of struggling to survive and attempting to ignore the racial slurs thrown at him in school. In order to cope with his demons, Baldwin turned to religion. He even became a junior Minister but at age 17 he began to view Christianity differently. He accused it of “reinforcing the system of American slavery” by “delaying salvation until a promised afterlife.” He believed that it gave people false hope in the future when they should be taking steps to better their lives in the present. As he entered his teenage years he realized he was gay and could no longer see himself in the United States. He moved to Paris where he believed he would no longer be seen as “merely a Negro writer”. Baldwin then wrote many progressive essays, some the size of books, dealing with racial as well as social issues.

Baldwin’s letter is an attempt at conveying his pain to not just his nephew James, but to everyone. I only call it an “attempt” because not everyone will be able to fully grasp Baldwin’s point. Although he believes that not all hope in mankind is lost, he is well aware of the pain that has been inflicted on Blacks. He makes his point through a letter to his nephew because he is aware of the sentiment people possess for their close ones. While reading the letter, it is hard not to be reminded of the people you love. He talks about the tears that he sees his brother “shed invisibly today.” Baldwin justifies the cruel world he has encountered by claiming that it is the world that has been forced to believe false premises about Blacks; for whites to see the world differently would be a loss of identity. His experience has shaped who he is and has been passed down through his writing over decades.

02/18/16

Letter to My Nephew

Hand-written letters from loved ones will forever hold a special place in my heart. When I moved to the U.S. from Poland, my grandparents sent me numerous letters that kept me sane during days that I especially longed to see my friends and family. The letter written to James immediately brought me back to the times when an envelope in the mail was enough to make me feel at home. Having asserted my views on hand-written letters, I feel that this letter in particular can make anyone feel as if it were written especially for them. I am aware that I am not James nor am I black, but I am able to empathize and understand the struggles that Negroes were and still are forced to face.

Although I have personally done nothing wrong, I feel a tinge of guilt when James Baldwin refers to the “white world” and its condescending actions against blacks. His words are full of pain but they also inspire hope. Baldwin tells his nephew that the real problem is not that African Americans need to be seen as white in order to be accepted, but that the white people need to realize how terrible their actions are. They need to be able to see how cruel and unfair they have been towards other human beings who only vary from them with the color of their skin. I agree with Baldwin, through love and care for one another we can eliminate the terrible stereotypes and stigmas we have created over the years. The quote, “The very time I thought I was lost, My dungeon shook and my chains fell off”, is one of the most inspiring messages I have ever encountered. It tells us that even when we feel that there is no way out and we have done everything in our power, not everything is lost.

02/16/16

Apple’s 1984 Superbowl Ad

Apple’s “1984” ad promoting the release of the first Macintosh computer is making a big statement in a quite attention-grabbing way. The ad’s exigence, or according to Bolin Carroll, “the circumstance or condition that invites a response”, is the announcement of the first Mac. Since the ad is trying to make a statement using George Orwell’s political satire, 1984, its audience would have to be adolescents and adults that are familiar with the book. The next piece of the rhetorical situation is the constraints. Because this is a Superbowl ad, the time that Apple has is very limited and extremely expensive. Superbowl ads tend to compete for the most memorable one, therefore Apple must have put in a lot of effort to make the ad as unique and unforgettable as possible. When looking at the subject of the ad, I would assume that the main subject would be the computer itself. Its purpose is to make its audience believe that in order to stand out from the crowd and avoid being a mindless drone in society controlled by the government, one must purchase a Macintosh computer. The argument of the ad is definitely aimed at persuading the audience that Apple is not only original, but the best choice for purchasing a computer; we can see that through the strong pathos appeal. The ad is comparing us to a dystopian society controlled by a totalitarian government, and the ruler or rather the “tyrant”, who is based off of “Big Brother” in the book, is meant to represent Apple’s competitors. The goal is to make the audience feel that as consumers, they have the option to be different. The strong images of the people that resemble robots is meant to further convince people that being unique is important. The ethos, or the credibility of Apple, is hard to find in the ad. Because it is a satirical approach, and there are no statistics or any technical language, a lot of people may simply take the ad as humorous. Logos, or the argument from reason, is meant to appeal to “an audience’s intellectual side”. Since the ad is based on a controversial book, one can say that the idea of the ad alone requires speculation and analysis. However, the ad itself does not include any real data or facts. The kairos, or the “timeliness”, of an ad is crucial to its success. Apple released this ad during the Superbowl, where it was watched by a significant amount of people. Apart from the specific day it was released, it was also 1984, a decade that is known for big strides in technology.

02/11/16

What Is Rhetoric?

I often find myself thinking about what makes a good writer “good”. After reading “What is Rhetoric?”, I realized that pathos, logos, and ethos are the three components that I’ve been using in my writing for years without even realizing. Of course I have learned about these different appeals in English class before, but I have never actually applied them myself. I usually just transfer my ideas straight into words and figure out how to organize and connect my sentences. Truthfully, I feel a little more enlightened after reading about rhetoric. Although at first it was overwhelming to find that I have been completely oblivious to it, I feel that the more I read about writing, the better of a writer I become. Even if that isn’t true, I already feel like a better writer.

02/11/16

Backpacks vs. Briefcases

In the essay, “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps toward Rhetorical Analysis”, Laura Bolin Carroll demonstrates the importance of understanding rhetoric as well the procedure that we unconsciously follow when analyzing. I found Bolin’s argument quite fascinating, considering that I have never thought about the way I arrive to various conclusions. She claims that “as you have interacted with others, you have built a mental database that you can draw on to make conclusions about what a person’s looks tell you about their personality.” I consider myself very observant. When meeting someone for the first time, I tend to dissect each little thing about them. From the way they are dressed to the way they are sitting, I believe that everything has a deeper meaning behind it. However, I am also extremely guilty of overthinking, which can definitely hinder my process of analyzing.

In my opinion, the process of rhetorical analysis is important not only to understand what the media is trying to convey, but also to aid us in understanding ourselves. Being able to decipher our own thoughts and conclusions can help us grow intellectually. I often analyze how my actions as well as words could be interpreted by others, so that I can improve the way I express myself.

02/10/16

Everybody’s a Critic. And That’s How It Should Be.

“Everybody’s a Critic. And That’s How It Should Be” is not as much thought-provoking as it is ironic. A critic explaining why his job could easily be performed by anyone who is capable of forming an opinion seems a little strange. Why would anyone in their right mind discredit their own work? In my humble non-professional opinion, A. O. Scott may have gone a little too far to make a point.

However, I agree with him on the Oscars. Not exactly because I think that celebrities are not reliable judges, but because of this generation’s overuse of social media. We rely too heavily on others’ opinions, and not because it is so much easier to communicate, but because the number of likes on a picture holds any sort of significance. We are all blessed with our unique tastes and opinions and we tend to forget it. Scott reminds us that before Facebook, the only conversations we had with ourselves were in our heads. Now every thought and opinion is out on the internet for everyone to see.

It is true that everyone is a critic. In my opinion, critics are not popular unless they attract an audience by expressing their thoughts in an entertaining way. Why would anyone read a three-page review if it didn’t grab their attention? It is the way that someone is able to reach and appeal to an audience that makes him or her a critic. “This movie sucked” would definitely not be enough for an average person to care enough to keep reading. It is the art of expressing one’s opinion that makes him or her a good critic.

 

02/9/16

Facebook Loses a Battle in India Over Its Free Basics Program

The article “Facebook Loses a Battle in India Over Its Free Basics Program” discusses Mark Zuckerberg’s roadblock in his vision of “connecting the whole world”. Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, has linked over a billion people all over the world. His effort to reach the poor and not-so technology-savy people of India through his Free Basics program was “shot down” by the regulations imposed by the Indian government. The Free Basics program is described as a “no-fee access to a text-only mobile version of the Facebook social network, as well as to certain news, health, job and other services”. Although Facebook claims that its goal is simply to provide access to the internet all over the world, the people of India began to question its true intentions as the program was mostly focused on promoting itself rather than the coalition of telecommunications firms  that were supporting the effort.

The title of the article is a metaphor in itself. Facebook did not get into a physical altercation with anyone, especially not a battle. It was a simple disagreement that fit the metaphor simply because there were conflicting opinions. The title of the article shows our overuse of war terms in daily life. A battle is not a battle anymore, with guns and armies, but a simple dispute.

 

02/9/16

The Egg and the Sperm

In Emily Martin’s article, titled “The Egg and the Sperm”, she argues that scientific accounts tend to portray reproductive biology using stereotypes. Frankly, I have never read a biology textbook and considered it gender-biased, but as I read Martin’s explanation my well-hidden feminist side took over. “Why do women shed a single gamete each month, but men produce hundreds of millions of sperm?” I began to ask myself (486). Every part of the menstruation as well as reproductive process of women was phrased in a negative and inferior way. As I continued to read the article I understood the point that Martin was making: even something as small as learning about the reproductive process can be biased to “justify the social order of that time”, subconsciously creating gender roles in our minds (500).

Although it may sound ludicrous to some, I completely support Martin’s argument. Scientific evidence should not be influenced by “cultural ideas”, especially if these beliefs favor one gender over another (500). Women are depicted as passive and helpless, while men are seen as strong and heroic. Regardless of the unfair portrayal of women, the actual information has been proven to be incorrect. The sperm, once seen as a “forceful penetrator”, is actually extremely weak (492). The sperm and the egg are mutually active partners, and both have equally important roles.

The further I thought about the metaphor Martin analyzed in her article, the more I understood the metaphors hidden in our language as well as in our culture. The sexist ideas concealed in scientific research still exist today, and it is up to us to uncover the truth. Without questioning and analyzing things, growth cannot take place.

02/4/16

Metaphors We Live By

In Metaphors We Live By, written by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, the authors explore the idea that our conceptual system is in fact “metaphorical in nature”. I found the first three chapters of this novel very thought-provoking, considering that I have never thought of language as “metaphorical”. I was skeptical at first, but as I continued reading I realized the implications of metaphors such as “argument is war” and “time is money” on our language, as well as on our actions. The metaphors do not just change our expressions; they shape our thinking.

If the metaphor “time is money” did not exist, would we still refer to time with words such as wasting, investing, and saving? When I first read about this concept, it felt as if my whole perspective on language was a lie. I realized that although I do not use standard metaphors when I speak, I do in fact speak using metaphors. It feels so natural to talk about time as if it were money, I have never considered that maybe other people see time differently. When I read that conceptualizing time is tied to our culture and there are cultures that do not perceive time as a limited resource as well as a valuable commodity, a different thought emerged in my mind. If metaphors in the English language are connected with our culture, it means that other languages have completely different metaphorical concepts that can only be understood by understanding the culture itself. Learning a new language did not seem like an impossible task until now, when I realized that language is far more complicated than I thought. In order to truly understand a language, understanding the culture tied to the language is crucial. If it wasn’t for our culture’s association of time with money through hourly wages and “serving time”, expressions such as “saving time” would make no sense.

02/2/16

Zuzanna Introduction

Hello! My name is Zuzanna and I am a freshman at Baruch. I have recently moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn from Staten Island, although I am originally from Poland. I like to cook and bake for fun because I am completely obsessed with food. I especially love to spend my free time eating and watching Netflix. This is my first hybrid class so I’m not really sure what to expect, but I’m definitely looking forward to the spring semester!

food

link to personal blog: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/zuzanna/