Topic 1: Trump’s Immigration Policy
Question: How has Trump’s immigration policies and their enforcement in society affected refugees and immigrants alike?
Topic 2: Immigrant Labor
Question: Why are immigrants subject to lower class jobs and worse working conditions than U.S citizens?
Topic 3: Life in a Covenant
Question: Why are so many attracted to a life of seclusion and solitude? Is it more than just religious reasons?
Hello everyone,
While looking online for some articles I stumbled upon this interesting article. It speaks of the struggles that a teen went through because she was an immigrant. She felt displaced in school and other social situations. Jessica, an immigrant from Mexico, also describes how she would try to fit in. She tried to assimilate into this new culture and environment. Jessica also gave advice to immigrants struggling to find a place in a new culture. I thought this would be relatable as many of us are immigrants or come from immigrant families. Check it out sometime.
Link:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/jessica-is-an-immigrant_n_4304636.html
In Mulan we find that Mulan, a young girl, has to take the place of her sick father in the military. She has to disguise herself as a man as only men are allowed to fight in the military. This is a classic example of displacement. She has to somehow keep her cover as a man in order to help her sick father. She has to constantly prove herself in a trade dominated by men. Mulan endures physical challenges that she never would have imagined that she had to go through. In this her situation she is a fish out of water and has to learn to adapt to a completely new environment.
I attended the How to Read A Sonnet taught by professor Kolb. I really didn’t know what to expect going into it. Once there I was welcomed by Professor Kolb who was quite welcoming. We first introduced ourselves by stating our name and intended major. Then she handed out the sonnet that we would be working on which was Sonnet 20 by William Shakespeare. Before we began analyzing the Sonnet she gave us the basics of sonnets. First, sonnets usually have one speaker who is speaking about love or romance. All sonnets have 14 lines which are roughly the same length. Each line has 10 syllables for a grand total of 140 syllables in any given Sonnet. Professor Kolb mentioned that there are a few exceptions to this and Sonnet 20 was one of these exceptions. Sonnet 20 was unique in that it had 11 syllables per line. Professor Kolb went on to tell us that the first 126 Sonnets are written to a young male. Sonnets 127 and onward are all written to a woman with dark hair which many refer to as the dark lady. After giving us the basics Professor Kolb had us read the poem aloud 5 times. She taught us how to read the Sonnet correctly taking into account what syllables were stressed and unstressed. The last thing we did before we actually analyzed the poem was go over three questions that would help us do so. What does it sound like? What does it mean? How does the sound affect the meaning? We first looked at the poem by going line by line. This helped us wrap our heads around the meaning of the Sonnet easily. As a whole Sonnet 20 was quite confusing but once we broke it down line by line it came with much ease. We found that the Sonnet spoke of someone who had both masculine and feminine features. Everyone couldn’t help but be attracted to this person. Overall this workshop was quite enjoyable. I feel as if I have a better understanding of what a sonnet is. I also feel that I’ll be able to correctly analyze a sonnet on my own. Before I was quite confused but through this engaging class I was able to successfully read and analyze a sonnet.
This last summer I had one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. In March of 2016 I received an email from Baruch college stating that I had to attend the SEEK summer program. This was exciting but yet terrifying news. I would be starting the program in early July and finish late August. July soon came and the first day of the program arrived. Taking the train there I remember the butterflies filling my stomach. It was the first day of high school all over again. Once I arrived, I had trouble finding my way around campus. I had to ask someone where the classroom was and in turn I arrived late for my first class. I felt completely out of place. None of my friends decided to go to Baruch, so I was on my own. Where I would normally participate actively in class I didn’t dare raise my hand. When the first class ended I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt relieved having finished my first class, but I then had to navigate the monstrosity that is the Vertical Campus. Again, I got lost. It was quite frustrating, but I somehow managed to get through my first day. As the days passed I felt more comfortable. I gained a sense of belonging that wasn’t there the first few weeks. I met new friends and I started to participate more and more. I’m happy to say that I overcame this displacement.