Table of Contents

Table of Contents Reflections Critical Analysis Introduction Critical Analysis Revision Introduction Revision Revision Original Voice and Audience Introduction Voice and Audience Writers choice Introduction Writer’s Choice Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion
Thank you for reading my portfolio. You have survived a peek into a very strange mind. When I began this class I had envisioned writing some inane papers and reading about thing I had no interest in. I was very pleasantly surprised. Everything we did intrigued me, either because I am a little more mature and have broader interests, or the readings offered by this class were just down-right interesting. Whichever the cause, this class was challenging and very enjoyable. I learned quite a bit about myself.
My first lesson was about my ignorance about the internet and blogging. While the chances my blogging activity will maintain are slim at best, it was fun for now. The divisions of the class; Identity, Community and Traditions held many lessons. My view of myself is somewhat different. My beliefs may not have changed much as I was already pretty open minded and able to change my perspective however, the new view of the world was refreshing.
This class was fun. I’m glad I took it. Now it’s time to head toward the new horizon.

Looking Back At Me
My name is Vince. Welcome you to my reflection. The best way to describe myself would be as a husband, father, paramedic/firefighter, wildlife painter, gardener, traveler and now an over-the-hill student. With some exceptions, for the past thirty-two years I have been meeting people on the worst day of their lives so it takes a lot of my energy to try to keep things in perspective. I have been witness to many people reaching a crossroad in their lives. Now, I am approaching a crossroad in my own life. The clock says it is time for me to retire; however, just doing nothing is not an option to me. Unfortunately, all of my education has been very focused on my profession. If a new profession is in my future, going back to school will be necessary.
Without a plan of what to do with myself, which classes to take was a challenge. It seemed logical to start with the core classes. This way, the decision of direction could be procrastinated. After surviving a math class in my first quarter, it was time to take an English class. The fact the English 101 class at Everett Community College had a diversity theme was a plus as learning about other cultures is a personal interest of mine. However, school was a very long time in my past. Basic grammatical mechanics were going to have to be relearned. Even though the terms MLA, ‘voice’ or ‘transitions’ were mysteries to me, terms and writing mechanics were not the only challenges to be conquered.
The themes in this class challenged me to reevaluate the way I look at many things. In the Identity component, the simple act of examining the contents of my wallet made me think of how someone else would look at me. I have to admit, my wallet has undergone a few revisions since then. The Community component allowed me to look at a culture I knew little of. After watching the movie “Bend It Like Beckham” I started reading more about Indian culture and history. I knew little of the subcontinent and now I want to learn more. The traditions section was my favorite. The exercise brought back treasured memories of my late father and grandfather. The paper I submitted touched me personally and made the decision for my “writer’s choice” submission easy.
The traditions essay will be my “writer’s choice” piece. It was a joy to write and it brought back memories of going to movies with my grandfather I had long forgotten. I selected my essay about Gloria Anzaldúa’s Essay: How to Tame a Wild Tongue as my “revision” subject. The first document was clumsy and unfocussed. It was difficult to follow as it jumped around and the transitions were very weak or non-existent. It needed a lot of work. Rewriting it feels like a deserved penance. A fleshed-out version of my entry in our discussion board regarding Samuel L. Jackson's essay in Remix will be my “critical thinking” piece. It represents one of my rare times when my communication skills seemed to be on target. Lastly, my blog about communities, "Firefighters are a Community" will be my “voice and audience” piece. This was a difficult choice. Often my voice overrides my audience.
This class and the discussion boards have reinforced in me the value of communication skills. Reading entries from my fellow students opened my eyes to some opinions that while I may not completely agree with, are still very important to learn about. I have also learned, at the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, that educational style has changed in some ways that are uncomfortable to me. Some sections used comedy routines or satire websites as citations and seemed to treat them as facts. To me, this feels like education gives too much weight to entertainment influence, possibly to be more ‘hip’ or current. Edward R. Murrow’s fears may be coming true. That being said, it is imperative to keep an open mind, which I will endeavor to do.

Critical Analysis Introduction

This exchange reminded me of when my daughter would tell me of a brand new song by one of her favorite groups or singer. Many times the song is a re-release of an older song. This is a similar situation that was happening with the article written by Mr. Samuel L. Jackson, “In Character.” He seemed to be implying all the changes in attitude were just beginning to happen in our society towards African Americans. After living through the 1960s and the Cultural Revolution then, and having seen the exquisite acting skill of Sidney Poitier, it didn’t seem right to not say anything.

Critical Analysis

Response to “Pop culture changes with each new fad and phase and frames the way we see the world” by Rebecca Ostrem. (Traditions DB 2)
It is ironic Mr. Samuel L. Jackson, in his essay “In Character,” (Remix 455-457) neglected to mention the work of people like Harry Belafonte (Island in the Sun), Sidney Poitier and even Bill Cosby (I Spy) from the 1960s. Sidney Poitier won the Oscar for best actor in 1964. The characters Homer Smith (Lilies of the Field), Mark Thackeray (To Sir, With Love) or Virgil Tibbs (In the Heat of the Night) cannot accurately be called subservient roles. It appears, sometimes history is forgotten to make a point.
You make a very good point in your comment;
TV and cable networks present the news with a bias. FOX news is a well-known poster child for presenting the news with a right wing conservative slant (I'm not taking a stand here, just presenting the facts). It's becoming more of a challenge to sort out what are embellishment, opinion and bias from the facts. Sound bites can be edited to twist the words of the speaker. All of this manipulates our process of forming opinions (Ostrem)
When news stopped being the report of what happened and became entertainment we started downhill. But then there is the question of blame. It is difficult to determine who is really at fault, the news shows or the people that watch them and give them ratings so sponsors flock to them. In 1964 Edward R Murrow said "If we were to do the Second Coming of Christ in color for a full hour, there would be a considerable number of stations which would decline to carry it on the grounds that a Western or a quiz show would be more profitable." It was true then and it's true now.
Ostrem, Rebecca “Pop culture changes with each new fad and phase and frames the way we see the world.” Traditions Discussion Board 2 – Checking Assumptions About Popular Culture. 2 Feb 2010. Web.
Jackson, Samuel L. “In Character.” Latterell. 459-467. Remix: Second Edition. Comp. Catherine G. Latterell. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin. 2010. Print.

Revision Introduction

This was a tough one. Pretty much everything I wrote for this class could use some revision. It became the task of picking the worst of the worst. This particular essay; “How to Tame a Wild Heart” really hit a nerve for me. Almost every other sentence in my essay started with “I.” This became more of a diatribe than an essay. While the focus of the paper was how the author brought out an emotional response, whether from agreeing or disagreeing, my essay sounded like a lecture to a child. My belief that my points were valid not withstanding, I offer a different spin on the subject.

Revision: "How to Tame a Wild Heart"

How to Tame a Wild Heart Revision
Gloria Anzaldúa’s Essay: How to Tame a Wild Tongue drew an interesting analogy comparing the physical organ of her tongue to her language. The first part of her paper speaks of her experience with a dentist and her overly active tongue. However, then Ms. Anzaldúa changes her focus to speaking Spanish. The dichotomy was humorously portrayed. She expressed her firm desire to maintain the use of her inherited language, even though it brought out hostility toward her at times.
In her essay, Ms. Anzaldúa told of the treatment she received at the hands of her teacher. Once, when he heard her complaining about learning English and wanting to be able to use the Chicano language, he told her “If you don’t like it, go back to Mexico where you belong.” (78) This was a cruel, vindictive and very offensive comment to be made by anyone, but especially by a teacher. This intolerant behavior has no place in a learning institution. The second part of his quote tells me the teacher’s bigotry goes beyond Ms. Anzaldúa’s language. Ms. Anzaldúa defended the use of her language and went on to explain more about it.
The history of the Chicano language as described by her was fascinating. The many variations and dialects are similar to how English is spoken around the world. My family had quite a bit of difficulty understanding the English being spoken in the Philippines and they had a very difficult time understanding us. Ms. Anzaldúa also described how her language, like many Latin-based languages had a gender in its speech and how this carried over into the culture. Her assertion of male dominated culture marginalizing women in their language was illustrated with her quote; “language is a male discourse.” (79) This may be accurate for many cultures, though not all. Her experiences differ quite a bit from mine.

My own experiences with Hispanic friends and relatives have had very strong female influences. My aunt married into a Latino family that had a dominate matriarch. Her husband’s mother also came from a Hispanic background like Ms. Anzaldúa however; she did not acquiesce to any man. She also spoke two languages. Most of my family is bilingual with one language or another. Ms. Anzaldúa’s comments on the attitude toward her language do bring up some questions.

It would be safe to say no Greek today speaks the same language of Euripides or Plato. No German uses the same way of speaking as the Visigoths. Modern Germans or Greeks are not any less of a people than their ancient ancestors because they use a different language. For that matter; we do not speak English the same way our founding fathers did. Language is fluid and always changing. Ms. Anzaldúa’s desire to hold onto cultural pride is understandable. However, holding on to something like a language foreign to where you are living could be inferred as a way of keeping a people separated. It is not logical to expect society to change to suit Ms. Anzaldúa. There are more than 6800 different languages in the world. (Ethnologe; Languages of the World 1) It is not the responsibility of everyone in the world to speak every language. One could ask if Ms. Anzaldúa can speak Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian or Navaho.
People have the choice to bend to get along in an environment or stand defiant. Whether that person decides to fight for language, religion, politics or anything else, it is they who choose to make it a fight. When we stand and fight the current, the river is not at fault. In my own travels abroad it never occurred to me to expect the indigenous people to be able to speak English. It is my responsibility to learn to communicate in the environment fate or my own choices have placed me. Language is a tool. The function of a language is to communicate a person’s thoughts, needs or wants. If the language a person is using isn’t able to do this, it should be modified or abandoned.

Revision Original Essay

Original essay
Gloria Anzaldúa’s Essay: How to Tame a Wild Tongue drew an interesting analogy comparing the physical organ of her tongue to her language. The first part of her paper speaks of her experience with a dentist but then changes to her speaking Spanish. I was offended by her treatment at the hands of her teacher when he told her “If you don’t like it, go back to Mexico where you belong.” (2) The second part of this quote tells me the teacher’s bigotry goes beyond Ms. Anzaldúa’s language. The history of the Chicano language as described by her was fascinating. I do not doubt her assertion of male dominated culture marginalizing women in their language. Her quote; “language is a male discourse” (2) may be accurate for many cultures, though not all.
However, I do have some thoughts. I would venture to say no Greek today speaks the same language of Euripides or Plato. No German uses the same way of speaking as the Visigoths. Are modern Germans or Greeks any less of a people than their ancient ancestors because they use a different language? For that matter; we do not speak English the same way our founding fathers did. Language is fluid and always changing. I understand Ms. Anzaldúa’s desire to hold onto cultural pride. However, I also wonder if holding on to something like a language foreign to where you are living isn’t just a way of keeping people separated. Does she expect society to change to suit her? Is it the responsibility of everyone in the world to speak every language? Can Ms. Anzaldúa speak Vietnamese, Russian or Navaho? There are more than 6800 different languages in the world. (Ethnologe; Languages of the World 1)
We all have the choice to bend to get along in the world or stand defiant. Whether we decide to fight for language, religion, politics or anything else, it’s us who chooses to make it a fight. But when we stand and fight the current, is the river at fault? It seems to me language is a tool. The function of a language is to communicate your thoughts, needs or wants. If the language you’re using isn’t able to do this, it should be modified or abandoned.

Voice and Audience Introduction

This was my attempt to describe what it is like to be in the firefighter community. It could be described as being part of a family. In my opinion, shared experiences create a community. The more intense the shared experience, the closer the communal bond for the participants. Combat is probably the most intense experience there is. Soldiers make bonds in those times that last a lifetime. Crawling into a burning building with a partner is a pretty intense experience and therefore, the bond between firefighters is unusually strong. Firefighters are a family. Firefighters are a community.

Voice and Audience "Firefighters Are a Community"

Firefighters are a Community
Firefighters are an interesting group of people. Although we share a very common goal, we are extremely diverse. Every third day, when I report to work, I join my second family. The fifteen members of my community come from all parts of the state. We come from as close as Mill Creek and as far away as Yakima or the Olympic Peninsula. We come together as a team, support system, friends, brothers or sisters. Very few things can cement a bond between people more than a shared tragedy. We have all seen many. We all share a common concern for the lives and safety of the people we serve.

Though we share a common desire to help, we are all very different people. Among my shift are men and women, hunters, non-hunters, skiers, snowboarders, travelers and home bodies, oil painters and housepainters. Since we only work eight days a month, many have second jobs. Some stay home with their kids, others bank their time off and travel the world.

Firefighters and paramedics experience some very difficult times. These pressures and emotions can often cause friction between people. However, the bond that brings us together is most often much stronger than what may try to pull us apart. Eventually, every one of us will need the support of our ‘brothers or sisters in arms.’ They have always been there for me when I needed them. Finally, when I peer into the blackness, I know that when I go in that door, there is somebody right behind me to make sure I will get out again. That is the definition of a firefighter community.

Writer's Choice Introduction

We all have our own way to escape the world and our troubles for a time. Some use drugs. Some use alcohol. Others use exercise or meditation. My method uses a 60 foot by 25 foot piece of white cloth and a projector. Movies have been a part of my life since I was a baby. This essay was a pleasure to write. It allowed me to recall long lost memories of my father and grandfather. This essay may have been written as a conflict between technology and the tradition of theater patronage. In all honesty, they can and do have a symbiotic relationship. I hope you enjoy my story; “Flicks.”

Writer's Choice: "Flicks"

Flicks
There is an ongoing and protracted war by home entertainment technology to challenge the tradition of going to the movies. My family, like many in America, loves to go to the movies. In his essay, Timeline of Influential Milestones and Important Turning Points in Film History, Tim Dirks wrote, “Throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century, America has had a love affair with motion pictures.” Going out to a movie was a tradition in my family that started long before my birth. My grandfather started going to movies when he was a child and it continues to my children. For many years a theater seat would see my butt over 35 times a year and I was not alone in those auditoriums.
Like many Americans in the earlier part of the twentieth century, my grandfather would go to a matinee every Saturday at a small theater by his home. All of his friends would scour the neighborhood for milk bottles to turn in for deposit and then beg their parents for the remainder to pay for admission. They would spend the morning with Popeye and The Lone Ranger, The Little Rascals or Buck Rogers. Then they would re-enact the movies for the rest of the weekend. My grandfather told me, “Shoot, we’d even watch the news-reels!” He said he learned about the world through those reels, from Lindberg to Hitler, Africa to Washington. He took my father to the movies all through Dad’s childhood. My father continued the tradition throughout his life and became a bit of a connoisseur of movie theaters.
My father would travel all over just to sample the inside of another theater. He passed the ardor to me. When I was a boy, my father would take me to drive-ins on warm nights. I watched the movie Woodstock from the back of a pick-up on a balmy California night with eight other kids. My dad and I would go to matinees on Saturdays. He took me to a “retro-theater” that showed old movies complete with old cartoons, previews and news-reels. The very same news-reels my grandfather had watched. We went to midnight shows on opening nights in huge theaters downtown. He even took me to Grumman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood to see To Kill a Mockingbird when I was small. I still remember the smells as I scrunched into my seat as Scout and Jem were being attacked in the forest. It smelled of wool, wood polish, popcorn and magic. The decorations were magnificent to the point of distraction from the screen. The chandelier was breathtaking and a little intimidating in earthquake country. My father told me how he met the actor Mickey Rooney in person in the very same theater when he was my age. When I was an adult, I met the actress Shirley Temple (Black) in a theater in San Francisco. During my childhood a new challenger for our leisure dollars arrived, home entertainment.
Home entertainment technology fired its first shot; television. However, television was small and was not able to broadcast in color. Movies were interrupted many times for advertisements and roughly edited. This had little effect on most people’s movie theater patronage, including my family. However, home entertainment technology escalated with “color television” and the war began in earnest. This is where my grandfather stopped going out to movies in favor of staying home to watch his “programs.” Fortunately, my father and I kept going. Soon theaters responded with “Widescreen” format presented in auditoriums like the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, and with movies like 2001; A Space Odyssey or Born Free. These movies were grand vistas television could not match. This however, is a war of attrition and home entertainment technology was not deterred. Soon an insidious weapon was invented, the video tape.
In the later part of the seventh decade of the twentieth century the “Video Home System” recording device or “VHS” was invented. The home entertainment business aimed this weapon directly at the movie-going population. My father succumbed. These machines could bring a movie right into a home and even had a convenient slot to store peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches in. Theaters responded with even more spectacular movies, such as Star Wars, Out of Africa, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. These were presentations with a vast amount of special effects and were visually dazzling. Later, a new type of sound system came to theaters, the “Tomlinson Holman’s experiment” sound system, or “THX.” Just when I felt the threat to theater viewing had been met, home entertainment technology rolled out its siege weapon, the “Digital Video Device” or DVD.
With the invention of DVDs and later BlueRay players and LED/LCD televisions, the home entertainment technological juggernaut gave one of its most powerful challenges. Also arriving was the internet. Home entertainment’s nuclear weapon so to speak. As Steven Johnson notes in his essay, Everything Bad is Good for You: Games, “…we’re going out to the movies less regularly. We’re doing all these old activities less because about a dozen new activities have become bona fide mainstream pursuits in the past ten years: the Web, e-mail, games, DVDs, cable on-demand, text chat.” (467) Even with new technologies in theaters, such as digital projectors, 3D or ultra low frequency subwoofers, home entertainment technology has become a true threat. But home entertainment many not be all bad.
There are distinct positive aspects to home entertainment technology. Often going out to a theater is difficult due to logistical obstacles, such as children or simply not enough time. Theater ticket prices can be very expensive. New technology makes everyday viewing much more enjoyable. Television screens, both in size and quality, and home sound systems have improved to the point of astonishment. There is the ability to pause and replay missed parts of a show. Almost any type of entertainment is available at any time in the home. These things are a wonderful benefit to me and everyone. That being said, there a few things home viewing cannot provide.
One important aspect of going out to a movie that home viewing cannot match, is the experience of completely immersing oneself in a movie. There is a communal energy watching a movie in a crowd. Being in an audience that breaks into explosions of laughter or spontaneous applause can be a very emotional experience. Hearing a collective gasp from an audience can be unforgettable. Ask anyone that saw Alien in a theater. My arm still bears the scars from my wife’s fingernails. Somehow donning my cordelière, fish nets and stilettos, arming myself with a squirt gun, stale popcorn and a newspaper, then watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show at home alone, feels anticlimactic. There is a difference between watching a movie and experiencing one. Another problem is word-of-mouth. Plot lines are almost always completely known to the viewer before a movie ever gets to the home. It takes some of the enjoyment away already knowing who Luke’s father is, or which dead person Haley Joel Osment sees before ever starting the movie. Traditional movie patronage is more of an experience than just viewing, and it may be threatened.
This battle between the home entertainment industry and movie theaters is not over. My family still carries the fervor started by my father and my father’s father. My family intends to continue the tradition of going to movies. My wife has been converted and the passion has been bestowed to my children. Even though we own a home theater system, we still go to a movie theater 20 to 25 times a year. However, nationwide theater attendance is declining. (MSNBC) The war by home entertainment technology to challenge this tradition continues.
Works Cited
Johnson, Steven. “Everything Bad is Good for You: Games." Latterell. 459-467. Remix: Second Edition. Comp. Catherine G. Latterell. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin. 2010. Print.
Dirks, Tim. “Timeline of Influential Milestones and Important Turning Points in Film History.” 2009. Filmsite. American Movie Classics Company LLC. Web. 3 Mar 2010
“Survey: Theater, Museum Attendance Declining.” 27 Dec 2009. MSNBC. The Associated Press. Web. 3 Mar 2010