Blog #5

Patrick Kelly
EN 101
10/30/13

                                                       Overcoming New Experiences

          The short story by Langston Hughes, "Thank You, Ma'am", the poem "Directions for Resisting the SAT" and the poem "First Practice" by Gary Gildner all demonstrate new experiences and how they were overcame. Each poem or short story shows how someone was put in a scenario where they felt uncomfortable and experienced something they have never experienced before and then expressed what they were able to take from this experience.

          In "Thank You, Ma'am" a boy tries to steal a woman's purse but i unsuccessful in doing so. The women catches the boy and instead of taking him to the cops decides to teach him a lesson. She brings him to her house and is surprisingly nice to the boy by feeding and washing him. The boy is put in this uncomfortable situation where he is being treated kindly by someone he just tried to rob and learned that people can be nice and sometimes a complete stranger can be your friend in a time of need.

        In "First Practice" a boy is again put into an uncomfortable situation where what seems to be his coach is teaching him along with other boys how to win. In the poem it the writer says, "he was a man who believed that dogs ate dogs" meaning that you in life your going to have to competitive sometimes and fight against people just like you. This was an uncomfortable situation for the boy but I believe he learned that things aren't just going to be given to but instead your going to have to fight for them.

          In "Directions for Resisting the SAT" the writer describes a different type of new experience, which is taking the dreaded SAT's for the first time. The writer mainly focus on how to avoid the SAT but in doing so he demonstrates the importance of the SAT and how even though there are experiences in our life that we don't believe in or don't want to be part of, we still have to own up to them and take them head on because its the only way we'll ever get past them.

          

BLOG 5

Jeneh Perry

October 30, 2013

Event Analysis

Choosing your Destiny

 In the short story “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes, and two poems  “Directions for Resisting the SAT” by Richard Hague, and “First Practice” by Gary Gildner there is a common theme of making your own choices and deciding your own destiny. “Thank You, Ma’am” is about a young boy who, in attempt to steal an old lady’s purse, learns the value of choices. “Directions for Resisting the SAT” is a poem giving rebellious directions about how to take the SAT. “First Practice” is a poem about a team’s first practice and the start of their journey to be champions. All three of these literary works deal with life decisions that affect the type of person you become.

In “Thank You, Ma’am”, Hughes shows how choices are important in life through the interaction of two characters, a young boy and Mrs. Jones. In attempt to buy a pair of blue suede shoes that he did not have the money to afford, the young boy tries to steal the purse of Mrs. Jones. This isn’t successful and she ends up taking him back to her home. At her home, she leaves the door unlocked and her purse out in the open as if she is not worried about the boy stealing from her. She gives him food and water to wash his face and tells him that when she was his age there were things that she wanted that she could not afford. She has transformed through her choices and admits to probably doing some bad things in her past that only God can know about. Before he left, Mrs. Jones gave the boy $10 to go and buy some blue suede shoes.

In “Directions for Resisting the SAT”, Hague is advising the reader to do basically everything that the SAT requires for you not to do. He tells the reader to “not observe the rules of gravity, commas, history” and (line 3-4) “lie about numbers” (line 5). These things are examples of conformity. He does not want people to stick to the norm. He is saying that people should make their own decisions in life. The reader should reject society because the SAT does not define who you are as a person or represent how intelligent you are. Hague is saying that you can be everything you dream to be if you put your mind to it and the SAT cannot hold you back from that.

In “First Practice” Gildner is describing the first practice of a team with a new coach. The coach is very militaristic. The Coach talks to the boys very strict, telling them “if there were any girls present for them to leave now” (line 10-12). He expresses his passion for winning and how they should want that same goal. The message of this poem is that the decisions they make now will give them success in the long run.

All of these literary works talk about having control of your destiny. My event for this blog was going to see the play Merry Wives of Windsor by Shakespeare. It is similar to these works because the choice that Falstaff makes to try and get the two women backfires on him and leaves him embarrassed. His choices controlled his destiny. All of these works deal with making decisions and the consequences, but most importantly the good, that comes with deciding your own destiny. 

Event/Reflection

Inspiration is Motivation

            In the poems “Directions for Resisting the SAT” by Richard Hague and “First Practice,” by Gary Gildner and in the short story “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Huges, there is an emphasis on the importance of bringing out the best within others. In the poem “Directions for Resisting the SAT,” Hague encourages the reader to do what makes them truly happy rather than following societal norms. In “First Practice,” Gildner motivates the reader to fight for what is important, and to always give 100%. Lastly, Huges exemplifies helping those who are “lost” find the good from within. Encouragement and shared confidence from others accentuates the best qualities from within a person.

            Hague gives a series of instructions to the readers in the poem “Directions for Resisting the SAT,” in order to inspire them to focus on things truly import in their life. He explains that SAT scores and the law of gravity are irrelevant, but what matters is if one can make an impact on society. Failure has always been taught as an unacceptable and negative occurrence. Although, Hague contradicts, “Go down with the ship—any ship” (Myers 270).  He is telling the reader it is not only okay to fail, but rather beneficial that you do. Through failure experience is gained an lessons can be learned. As long as one is trying to accomplish a goal out of personal desire, then failure is natural. Society pressure children at a young age to build their resume, score well on the SAT, and become successful. Success is not properly defined by society. It cannot be measured by the amount of clubs one is involved in or an SAT score. Success is doing what makes one happy, and ultimately making “ a mark” in the world.

            The poem, “First Practice” by Gary Gildner is intense and filled with emotion. The format is very personal. The short, abrupt sentences feel as if the coach is directly yelling at the reader. The coach gives the players an alternative to rigorously fight for the title with everything they have or simply to leave. The final line of the poem is “he said. He said, Now” (Myers 275). The repetition of both the he said, and now (from the previous stanza in the poem) emphasizes the importance of making a difference in the presence. In order to achieve a goal, or make a difference, action needs to be taken immediately. The coach inspires the players, and ultimately the readers to find their inner strength, and passion and implement it.  No obstacle is too big. All it takes to accomplish one’s goal is determination, and the will to succeed.

            The short story “Thank you Ma’am,” depicts an older woman who befriends a young boy who tried to steal her purse. The older woman, Mrs. Jones welcomes the boy into her home, cleans him, feeds him, and even gives him money to buy new shoes. Mrs. Jones can empathize with the tough childhood the young boy faces. Instead of calling the police on him, she nurtures him and tries to encourage him to be a better person through her kind actions. She expresses, “I have done some things, too, which I would not tell to you son—neither tell god, if didn’t already know” (Huges 2). This confession allows the young boy to relate to her and look at her as an inspiration of someone he can strive to become. Stealing is not what should define him. The boy leaves Mrs. Jones with a new perspective on life and is thankful for the gift of not only the shoes but also for the understanding she has given him.

           On Tuesday, October 29^th, I attended a lecture on social responsibility. Social responsibility has been a topic I was yet to become familiar with until this year. I had always understood its importance, but until I began researching and applying for internships with accounting firms I never realized how seriously companies and employees are about giving back to the community. They do this not only by reducing waste and conserving energy but also by volunteering their time to local organizations. This lecture was inspiring to see the room filled with about 100 people, all gather to listen and learn about way to implement social responsibility. The society in which we live can only be as good as we make it. It is a communal effort that should be taken very seriously. This event allowed me to connect with my peers through our common interests and goals.

            It is easier to bring out the best within others by sharing personal experiences that ultimately serve as an inspiration. In all three works of literature as well as in the social responsibility event, a person with confidence in the subject at hand shared advice with their “audience”. Personal connections are formed on the trust of the speaker’s experience. This allows the “audience” to portray to act upon their internal desires for the better. Regardless of the size of a community, team, or even if it is two strangers, people can have an impact on one another that helps shape their actions.

            

Myer, Michael. Poetry. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. Print.

Huges, Langston. http://eres.lndproxy.org/edoc/EN101Hughes-10.pdf

Blog 5

Catherine McCormack

EN 101.16

Blog 5

October 30, 2013

Opportunity to Achieve

            The poems “Directions for Resisting the SAT”, and “First Practice” and the short story “Thank you M’am” all portray ones ability to veer away from societal norms and to take advantage of any given opportunity.  Richard Hague’s “Directions for Resisting the SAT” focuses on ones ability to go beyond society’s norms when it comes to success, Gary Gildner’s “First Practice” reflects on ones ability to succeed in a new and unusual opportunity and Langston Hughes’ “Thank you, M’am” emphases the importance of doing the right thing when one least expects it.  Each of these three pieces reflect on the idea of social norms and how a much larger opportunity can be found if one looks past them.

            A large emphasis within Hague’s poem “Directions for Resisting the SAT” is placed on ones ability to go beyond society’s norms and do what they feel is right and want to do rather that what society pushes them to.  Instead of letting the scores of the SAT’s determine what ones ability is, Hague is suggesting to his readers to “listen to no one” and do not let society define their success.  Hague believes that the right thing to do is to have the “desire to live whole” and not let society turn you into someone you do not want to be or force you into doing something you do not want to do.  

            Gildner’s poem “First Practice” focuses on the coach’s willingness to push his team above and beyond what is expected of them in order to succeed. The football coach in this poem treats his players like it is the military as a way of expressing the opportunity that has been given to them. The coach explains to the team that “across the way, is the man you hate most in the world, and if we are to win that title, I want to see how” (19-24).   The team is given such a great opportunity to win a title but must go beyond what they believe they can do in order to achieve it.  Often times, when faced with a large and great opportunity, like in this poem, one often must go beyond what is asked of them and beyond what society thinks that they are capable of in order to achieve it.

            Langston Hughes’ short story “Thank you, M’am” focuses on a woman’s ability to go beyond society’s norm of punishing those who have done wrong and takes the opportunity to teach the young boy who tried to steal a purse a positive lesson.  Instead of bringing the boy to the police or getting him in trouble with his parents, she takes him back to her house and provides him with a meal and teaches him a lesson.  In the beginning of the short story, when Mrs. Jones asks Roger if he would run when she let go of him, Roger replies “Yes, m’am” (Hughes, 507).  He would have used this opportunity to run from his problems instead of solving them.  Mrs. Jones, however, took this opportunity to go against social norms and teach him a lesson and Roger then took this as a time to redeem himself and prove himself reliable and worthy of her forgiveness.

            I have experienced many examples of one going beyond what is expected of them because of the opportunity that is at stake during service learning at Tunbridge.  This week at service I was talking to the teacher in the after school program as one students mom walked in to pick him up.  The teacher told me that the mother works long and hard hours just to make sure that her child is given the life he deserves and is provided with ways to stay out of trouble.   This mother is going above and beyond what she has to do and what is expected of her in order to give her child the opportunities that he deserves.

Give and Face New Opportunities

Victor Ruiz Diaz
Dr. Ellis
EN 101.16
31 October 1013

Give and Face New Opportunities

                In the short story “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes, the poems “First Practice” by Gary Gildner, and “Directions for Resisting the SAT” by Richard Hague; a weekend service with Best Buddies and a Trick or Treating activity with kids from Soccer Without Boarders focused on themes about giving second opportunities and discovering your true personalities. In Hughes’ story we see how a big and strong woman teaches a series of important lessons to a kid who tried to do something wrong against her. Meanwhile in “First Practice” a group of men are about to face a big challenge in their lives, and although their leader tries to intimidate them but the group of men still want to prove to themselves that they could do it. In Hague’s we see how the speaker wants us to stop following rules that are given by society, but instead we should be unique. With my short services I could relate these messages, because second opportunities were given, challenges were faced, and because I followed my own path.

                 Langston Hughes demonstrates on his short story how Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones gives Roger a second opportunity after trying to steal her heavy purse, but instead of reacting like the majority of the people after a robbery, she decides to take the boy with her to “teach him the right from wrong” (507). Mrs. Jones’ humble actions as giving Roger hot water, food, and money made little Roger realize that the choices he made were not correct; all possible because Mrs. Jones gave him a second opportunity. With Best Buddies I confirmed that you should allow second opportunities to happen, because on the first two events with Best Buddies my buddy could not attend. But last Sunday the Halloween Carnival took place, I was undecided to attend because I thought he did not like me, but I decided to give another try. I was not mistaken because that afternoon we had so much fun in the carnival, all thanks to giving second opportunities.

                Gary Gildner’s poem describes how a group of men encounter a new challenge in their lives; they know that it would not be an easy task because right from the beginning their new leader tries to intimidate the group. The speaker let us realize that the group of men would face this challenge because they are aspiring to win the big one. It will be difficult, but not impossible. My experience with Best Buddies also made me want to encounter a new and difficult challenge, to be a senior’s buddy. The first day that we were meeting with our new buddies our coordinator gave as a sheet of paper with basic conversation starters; also she warned us that there might be people with special disabilities. We faced the challenge, and now we have a really nice relationship with our buddies.

                Finally Richard Hague’s poem “Directions for Resisting the SAT” teaches us a new way of viewing and fallowing pre determines rules. He suggests us to stop following everyone’s path, we should follow our own. He wants us to not let the results of an insignificant test pre describe our life; it does not reflect how good of a person you are. While doing the Trick or Treating with the kids from Soccer Without Borders yesterday I thought about the message of this poem and I took some parts of its message. We were given a schedule and map orientations for walking around the dorms buildings, but instead of going up the stairs every time I decided that it would be faster and less tiring to just go down the stairs. I also tried to be unique with the kids, just be cool with them.

                With all these reading and my experiences with Best Buddies and the afternoon Trick or Treating provided me with some new understanding of people and the ways we should treat one another. The readings made me to be more aware in certain occasions on how to build up relationships with new people; to not be afraid when facing difficult challenges. Also it is good sometimes to be creative and follow your own path, but in a certain way we have to be unique to bring meaning to our lives.

Blog post 5

John Jacob

Dr. Ellis

EN 101.16

10/31/2013

Success

            Last week on October 22^nd, 2013 I was fortunate enough to find time to attend the Collin Powell lecture. He told us his stories and successes, what it was like to hold a very important leading position such as Secretary of State. In Thursday’s readings: Hughes’ “Thank you M’am,” Hague’s “Directions for Resisting the SAT,” and Gildner’s “First Practice” all share a factor for success.

            The little boy in Hughes’ “Thank you, M’am,” made an attempt to steal the purse of Mrs. Jones, but he ending up falling on his back because the weight of the purse was heavier than his. Mrs. Jones was upset and scolds the boy for his actions. She took him by a “half-nelson about his neck” and dragged him to her house where she fed him and made him wash his face. She told him stories of how she was once young and reckless. Because of her hospitality, the boy wanted Mrs. Jones to trust him so he offered to go to the store, but it wasn’t necessary. Mrs. Jones gave the boy the money to go to the store and get the blue suede shoes he wanted, and the boy never saw her again. Hughes wants his readers to know that being kind and honest leads to success.

            “Directions for Resisting the SAT” is written so the readers realize that despite what one gets on the SAT, it does not measure who one is as a person and having the ability to excel in other interests in college and afterwards. Hague encourages his readers to “Make your mark on everything,” like we do on the SATs. This poem reminds me of the part of the Hanway lecture where Collin Powell was telling us how he received a low GPA in his undergrad years, but ended up where he is now. With determination, anything is possible.

            In Gildner’s “First Practice,” the coach, Clifford Hill, “was a man who believed that dogs ate dogs.” He was determined to win the title, and in a way appeared intimidating to his players so that they can persevere and work for that title. Coach Hill was serious about winning this title and included that “if there were any girls present for them to leave now.” This adds to the intimidation and motivation that the Coach is bestowing on them. It takes certain perseverance in order to win a championship title. Like Collin Powell, who after during the military years and further on, learned that working hard and persevering to be successful in his endeavors got him to where he is now.

            The readings for Thursday, and the Hanway Lecture last week correlate in a way that portrayed the “how to” to success.  One can be successful in many ways, but through the readings and the lecture, I have learned that being kind to people, working hard, and being determined everyday will pay off in the long run despite the obstacles along the way.

Blog Post 5

Nigel Hunter

EN 101.16

10/31/13

               Langston Hughes Thank You, Mám displays to us a unique interaction between a lady and a young boy who attempted to steal her purse. Hughes shows us a rather different reaction that centralizes around the sympathy for the character stealing the purse, rather than the lady being robbed. In Richard Hague’s Directions for Resisting the SAT’s a stronger meaning is embedded in the poem than what the title may suggest. Hague informs us that one test does not necessarily define you as a person, and you are always free to be whatever or whoever you choose. Gary Gildner’s First Practice conveys to us the dialogue from a coach who is striving to get the most out of his team and see them perform at their full potential. These three works of literature all orbit around the central idea of looking out for another person and trying to get the best out of each individual. These works of literature each preach to us to be the best that we can be and that we all need guidance along the way to achieve this.

               “I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son- Neither tell God, if he didn’t already know,” is the line that best depicts how this relation works due to the fact that the lady has been in the exact situation as the boy (Hughes 508). This relationship of having been in his shoes makes the reader understand why the lady is doing this for the boy and how the boy now sees her as a role model. This puts emphasis on the central theme of all three works of literature. The lady is trying to get the best person out of the boy by letting him know that he does not have to live this way and that she has done some bad things in her life but has ultimately changed to become who she is today. After learning this information about the ladies past, the reader learns why lady is doing what she is doing and can infer that perhaps someone did the same thing to her when she was young. Hughes poem tells us that sometimes all you need is a push in the right direction, from the correct person in order to change your life.

               Rich Hague’s poem Directions for Resisting the SAT’s is another work of literature that revolves around the theme of helping others. In this poem Hague tells us to “Follow no directions, Listen to no one. Make your mark on everything.” Ultimately Hague is taking the pressure off this test and letting us know that one test does not decide your life.  You still have a chance to make your mark on the world despite the outcome of this test. Hague tells us to get rid of everything we think we know, and that just being ourselves is enough in this world.

Gary Gildner’s poem First Practice displays the dialogue from a coach to his players. Once again it is an example of someone that is seen as a role model, trying to get the best results out of others.  Gildner builds up the credentials and intimidation factor in the first stanza which allows us to see how much the man is looked up to and what makes him a viable role model. Ultimately the coach’s true desire is to help motivate these kids to achieve their goals.

The theme of these three works of literature that relate to the idea of helping other people tie into the event I went to last week, which was the Colin Powell Hanway Lecture. In this lecture General Powell discussed our need to continue to help each other and the need to look out for all people in this country. This includes making healthcare available to all people and that no one should be denied healthcare. While he said that we may all have varying opinions on “Obamacare”, universal healthcare is an important step that this nation must take in order to help those less fortunate than us. General Powell also stressed the importance of the government’s duty to look out for the American people and the disgrace of not being able to pass a budget. This does not help the American people which is what our elected officials were put in office to do. Ultimately, General Powell’s lecture best connects with the idea of “being yourself” in Hague’s poem, when the General quotes “Find something you love. Do it well. Find satisfaction every single day”.