Author: TASNIM KHAN

1. I practice crap detection by simply minding my own business and asking myself, “Is this worth my time?” Often times as an employee, you’ll encounter a couple of rude customers. A couple of days ago, I was helping a customer that wanted to return a used mascara. Our return policy is either a full refund within 30 days or after 30-90 days we only allow exchanges and store credit, even if the product is used. This customer had used her mascara for over a year and emptied it and complained she did not like the product and would like a full refund. I simply just called my manager and the situation was handled. I was getting enraged inside by the customer’s behavior with me, yet I stayed calm and patient and let the manager deal with it.
2. A new tool that Lunsford and Ruskiewicz offered me and that will stick with me as I do my research is to be mindful of my audience. Based on the target audience I am trying to reach, that is how I should format my writing and ideas to connect with the audience and keep them engaged.
3. A past rule I was taught about writing that was unhelpful was to avoid using the first-person perspective in writing and personal pronouns. I found that adding personal opinion can enhance your writing and give readers more depth into your topic. Multiple sources can be very valuable.
4. An unpopular opinion I have is that it is okay to pour milk before cereal. It’s really not that deep to have the whole world split into two sides over this simple topic of how to prepare a popular breakfast meal. I myself oftentimes pour milk before cereal due to a childhood habit. The end result will ultimately end up being the same, cereal. I do think that pouring the milk after the cereal allows the milk to cover and drown each cereal piece much better. However, if you pour milk first, you can always use a spoon to pat your cereal down. Cereal is not a complicated meal to make and very hard to mess up regardless of how you make it.

1. What is one process of inquiry you’ve pursued entirely for pleasure? 4 sentences.

A process of inquiry I have pursued for pleasure entirely is cleaning. I feel uneasy when my room is a mess or if my floor needs to be vacuumed/mopped. I find cleaning therapeutic and like being organized. However, sometimes it can be hard to balance staying clean with school, work, and assignments.

2. Between their examples of subway delays and the closing of retail stores, Graves, Corcoran, and Belmihoub write, “The goal of research in the humanities in many ways is to make the everyday strange” (149). What are three experiences, questions, or moments from your everyday life that have stuck with you lately: things you’re curious, passionate, or upset about and which you could imagine researching? 6 sentences.

Three moments from my everyday life that stuck with me are my subway rides to work in the early mornings, the realization that time is going by really fast to the point I am always busy, and the little free time I get to myself. The early morning subway rides are always interesting as I witness everyone just as tired as I am and sleeping in intervals together hoping we don’t miss our stops. Recently, with school and work, it gets exhausting to balance everything like I used to. Therefore, whenever I get some free time, it is the best feeling in the world.

3. What is something about research—a practice or form of research, a distinction between categories—that you learned for the first time in Lunsford and Ruskiewicz, and why is it important or interesting? 6 sentences

Something about research that I have learned from Lunsford and Ruskiewicz is that we can do it for fun and pleasure as well. I am so used to doing research for school purposes that I forget there’s so much I am interested in that I can do research on and increase my knowledge on. Research does not have to be a sit-down boring routine where we write notes and analyze scientific data. It can be as simple as doing your own little experiments and learning about something you love. There are so many forms of research to explore. I did not realize how much research I do on several everyday inquiries until I looked at my google history, there are endless options.

Yablonovoskiy discusses the show Nu Pogodi’s deeper significance as well as the hardships of living in the Soviet Union. Yablonovoskiy then goes on to describe the wild life that existed in the Soviet Union at the time. They discuss the war and the grandfather’s recollections about it, as well as how difficult life was at the time, and how even when it did become better, it was still really difficult. Leon, the subject of the passage, was raised with the morals and traditions that his family had practiced for years. The family also makes every effort to eliminate any progressive principles that other countries connect with the Soviet Union. Leon’s granddad had a significant impact on his life and outlook. When Leon’s grandfather sees Leon grumbling about life, he educates him and instills in his memory how difficult his life was. Yablonovoskiy utilized his favorite show, “Nu Pogodi,” to demonstrate the strong link between the government and entertainment. During the reading, it was clear that the play had left an impression on him.

I found myself relating to certain instances mentioned in this writing. For instance, my parents are also immigrants and would similarly compare their lives to mine whenever I have a complaint. Yablonovoskiy’s article was particularly successful since it compared a television drama to the reality his family leads. It brings to light the hardships his family faced because of their faiths and beliefs, as well as how difficult their lives used to be. The show itself depicted Communism and provided something to which he and his family could identify.

1. Chau is speaking out against America’s storied record of negative Asian stereotypes. He claims that similar preconceptions still exist today and are used for entertainment in Hollywood, using the movie “Crazy Rich Asians” as an illustration.
2. This is a controversial topic because people begin to believe preconceptions that paint Asian people in an unfavorable light. Because Americans are presenting a different aspect of their culture, Asians who are underrepresented are not offered the option to shine their culture the way it should be portrayed.
3. The point concerning how Asians are portrayed in cinema was the most persuasive to me. This is because, when he discussed the characters from Fresh Off the Boat, it occurred to me that Asian people are usually subjected to some sort of bizarre stereotype. This occurs with several POC in the film industry, however, I found this to be particularly compelling.
4. The best argument I can imagine for the other side has to do with the Gold Rush. Due to the gold rush in California in the 1800s, the Chinese flooded the United States. This had a significant influence on work prospects, with many Chinese immigrants taking advantage of them. Many Americans would be outraged by this consequence since getting work in their own country was becoming exceedingly challenging.
5. Some gaps I discovered in my knowledge as I read this article and answered these questions have to do with how normal stereotypes are. I never realized how we don’t think twice before realizing that these labels should not be a go-to accessory when depicting a certain race in a film. Some of us have been conditioned to see these stereotypes as normal because of those shows/movies/things we have seen growing up. However, as we gain more knowledge we begin to see the faults in this as well.

1. The method of making observations of your text while developing a claim can help with creating an argument because it allows us to reflect and produce. This is because when we are able to observe the process and brainstorm at the same time, we can immediately pull out ideas to strengthen our arguments. The downside of doing so may be that doing two things at once can derail our focus and result in confusion and frustration. Nevertheless, developing exhaustive documentation on analysis before or during creating an argument will both help us build our claim. Any planning is better than none.
2. Abdurraqib stated that the music Carly Rae Jepson was singing had a mournful tone to it. This links to Hengel’s approach since it describes the first step in ‘what do you see.’ “an album obsessed with the physical space we take up when we’re forced next to each other, both in romance and friendship (Abdurraqib, 24). Abdurraqib is describing the surroundings, which is the first step in the analytical process. Following that, he responds to Hengel’s questions concerning his topic, Carly Rae Jepsen, by questioning the possibility of failure if she does not make the Billboard charts. Abdurraqib tackles Hengel’s “What do you make of it?” question additionally when he talks about Future. Abdurraqib further adds that when he and Future tried to run away from their sadness, it took longer for it to sink in, making the mourning process take longer. “it is impossible to allow all grief stages to move through you,” (Abdurraqib, 272).

1. I think Coates focuses on what was left out of a movie he evidently enjoys is because he was with his 10-year-old son. He and his son represent two generations of X-fans and he was able to view this movie from a different perspective because of this. He is more familiar with the X-Men movies than his son is as he probably watched it when he was younger. Whereas his son is just touching the surface of it and would not be able to comprehend the movie in the same way as his father. Coates states, “Thus, ‘First Class’ proves itself not merely an incredible film, but an incredible work of American historical fiction.” He acknowledges his positive opinion of the movie all while indulging in the fact that there were important issues left out, preventing it from being an “incredible” movie.
2. A strand Parkin identifies in “No Man’s Sky” are the verbs invited by video games. “No Man’s Sky is built on four primary actions: explore, fight, trade, survive. They are familiar verbs…” He is explaining that repetitiveness is unavoidable, however, it improves his patience and renews his interest at the same time. He also clarifies that Sony’s intention of this game is truly to “make the player feel impossibly small, lonely, and lost.” This is important to his analysis because he identifies a possible weak point in the video game and then turns it into a strength and advantage. This makes the video game proposal stronger and his analysis more stimulating. This strand helps Parkin in moving beyond just a summary and more into a visual journey.