Didn't Make It.

I didn't make all the posts for this blog this semester.  I did well, though.  Try again next year professor.

Week 7: Prompt 2: Don't Degrade Me...

Prompt – Thinking about the essay entitled “Watch Those Blurred Lines,” what is a song that you find degrading to either your sex, race, nationality, or ethnic group.  What is the song, why is it degrading, and what reaction do you have to the song & why?

Degrade: (Verb)…
treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect (Google.com)

There are plenty of songs in this generation that degrade some aspect of the person I am.  One such song is Beyonce’s “To The Left.”  I know most people would not classify this song as degrading to women, but I feel that it is.

Let’s break it down…

In the song, the woman is getting rid of a man who has mistreated her, cheated her, and dogged her out.  She’s states that she’s tired of him and his shenanigans.  But, a few lines later, she tells the man, I can have another YOU in a minute.  Then she further goes on to tell him that the new guy will be there in a minute.  So, you’re getting rid of a NUT, and replacing him with a NUT!

I consider this song degrading to women because it teaches them to continue to make the same mistakes when it comes to men.  I believe that by teaching corrupt messages to the younger generation is degrading.  Think about the definition above… to treat someone with disrespect.  It’s disrespectful to teach someone something wrong.  You make them look bad, thereby making yourself look bad through association.

In a day and age where our women degrade themselves in so many ways, we as leaders must be responsible with our messages and ensure that we teach the correct messages.

Granted I’m taking some liberties with the definition and this theory, but that’s how I feel.

Week 7: Prompt 1: Summarizing to the Point...

Prompt – Why is it important to be direct, objective, and use your own words when summarizing?

When summarizing, you must tell only the essential information needed to understand the message of the writing.  You have to be direct, objective, and use your own words when summarizing.

You have to be direct because it helps you get to the point without adding unnecessary information that is not needed.

You must be objective when summarizing because you can’t add your opinion to the summary.  When summarizing, you are telling what the writer wrote, not how you feel about the writing itself, so objectivity is a must.

You must use your own words because you are telling the “story” in your own words.  You won’t be believable if you try to summarize using language that isn’t your own.  In academic writing, you must use academic language, but it should be in a way that is reflective of your voice.

Summarizing isn’t always easy, but if you strive to be direct, objective, and use your own voice, you can do a good job of sharing information that you’ve learned to others.

Week 6: Prompt 2: Don't Embarrass the Family...

Prompt – Title your Blog Entry: Don’t Embarrass the Family.  Think about your family name (your last name).  Write your blog prompt over the following questions:  What does it mean to you?  What does it mean to your family?  Have you done anything that would embarrass your family?  How did it make you feel?  Why is it important to honor your family name?  (Be sure to answer all these questions).

The Madkins’ family name means a lot.  It means so much that I wrote a whole essay over it. LOL!

Visit… https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/93c377_3362a5862ba54fc48b75a3657fbd3609.pdf  to View  (in PDF format) “Don’t Embarrass the Family.”

It means quite a bit to me, so much so that I decided that everything I write will have the name Madkins in it.  The Madkins’ family name is a proud name filled with people who have done some great things, made some mistakes, but overall, we are some good people.  My father often reminds us that we are Madkins, and that we must succeed, so it means a lot to him, and therefore, it means a lot to me.  I’m glad my father taught us how important it was to be an upstanding member of the family because it made us (at least me) strive to always be the best and to live up to a standard of excellence that my father began.

I’ve done plenty to embarrass the Madkins’ name.  Most of the time it wasn’t on purpose, but it happened.  I often think… “What is my father going to say?” But in the end, I remember, I can make a mistake, but always own up to, and fix the issue so that it doesn’t happen again.

It’s important to honor my family’s name because it’s part of who I am, it’s what made me who I am.  I have to honor it to know who and where I came from.

Week 6: Prompt 1: It's on the Internet... So, It Must Be True...

Blog Prompt - Why is it important to cite your sources?  How does citing your sources help you avoid plagiarism?

As an English professor, I constantly tell my students to cite their sources.  But, when you go on Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat, people just post things without a source.  That irritates me to no end.  Most people don’t realize that you must check your source because if your source is wrong, then you are wrong and unreliable as a writer, but you are also a thief and a liar or a plagiarizer!

Plagiarism is a big issue in college.  But, I don’t think it’s the students fault, totally.  The internet has made “cheating” easier, but it has also made it harder.  Redundant thinking, right?  Yes!

Here are some reasons you should cite your source…

1.       If your source is wrong, then you are wrong.  If you don’t have the original wrong source listed then you are the one who is wrong and will bear the consequences.

2.       Secondly, you need to give credit to the person who said what you are saying.  If you use what someone else created, came up with, or wrote, you need to give them credit.  It’s a sign of respect.

3.       You avoid plagiarism.  You don’t want to be accused of stealing.

4.       Citing your sources can give people other things to read.  If you use a source that seems interesting to another person, they can go find that source because you cited.

Back to plagiarism…

It is stealing someone’s work, and then lying about it.  Remember, you aren’t supposed to steal… (Commandment #8), and God hates a lying tongue (Biblical Proverb).  So, save yourself some stress, and cite your sources!

Week 5: Prompt 2: You Saw A Murder… Well, No, But I Saw Something Worth Telling

Blog Prompt – Read “Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police” by Martin Gansberg.  Answer this question: In a similar situation, would you have called the police?  Would you have gone outside to help? What factors do you think might have influenced your decision?

“38 Who Saw Murder and Didn’t Call the Police” is an article written about the tragic death of Kitty Genovese.  This particular incident has been discussed, researched, pondered, written about, and retold for years.  It is a powerful thing to think about… Someone was in trouble, and in essence… No one bothered to help until it was too late!

A guy stabbed a woman as a whole neighborhood “witnessed” it, and no one bothered to call the police until the lady was finally dead.  The guy had three chances to stab her.  With each stabbing, people heard Kitty’s screams, but no one rushed to react.  The person who finally called the police went from his house to another person’s house and used that person’s phone.  Overall, he wasted 20-30 minutes, when he could have used his own phone.

Here is the question… given the same situation, would you call the police?

I can honestly say, if it were a child who was in danger, I would call the police without hesitation.  I do not like seeing children hurt, so I would call the police.  When we have this lecture in class, I often think about the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State, where a grad assistant walked into a locker room as a child was being hurt, then walked out, called his father, and left the scene, leaving the child in danger.  This makes me angry.  The grad assistant could have done something to help the child.  He could have kicked a bench to make some noise.  He could have slammed some locker doors.  And, in my opinion, he should have called the police.  Am I saying that he should have attacked the man hurting the child, no, but the grad assistant should have had some compassion on a child, and helped him.

As I stated earlier, I would definitely call the police if it were a child in danger.  I do not know if I would step in to help; it would depend on the situation.  Now, I ask myself, would I do the same thing for an adult?  In my heart, I believe I would call the police.  This does make me pause and think because, as an African-American, we do not call the police as a general rule, for so many different reasons.  As a woman, will I be putting myself in danger? I do not want to get hurt trying to help someone.  But in reality, will I get hurt by calling the police?

It takes courage to overcome the bystander effect (standing by and waiting for others to help), which occurred in the Kitty Genovese murder.  It takes courage to say, I will help someone in need.  Remember, as a functioning human being, we are our brother’s keeper, act like it.

----

Works Cited:

Gansberg, Martin. “Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn’t Call the Police.” Patterns for College Writing, edited by Laurie G. Kirsznek & Stephen R. Mandell, 9th edition, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004, 101-105, e-file.

Week 5: Prompt 1: Helen Makes Me Smile…

Prompt – Why is it important to develop your own voice when writing?

This week we are talking about honesty and openness when writing.  When I give this lecture, I like to have a student that I can talk about specifically.  Every year, I manage to have that one student.  This year, it is a student named Helen.  She is a good writer, and she has developed her voice.  It is a sweet, cute, funny voice that makes me smile every time I read her work.

This is amazing because when my students leave my class, I want them to have a voice, one that has grown over the time they have spent with me.  I enjoy hearing my students’ voice as I read their work. 

Developing one’s voice is important because writers have to be true to themselves, and learn how they write.  They need to know how they sound as they put words together to make sense.  They need to have the freedom to be creative in whatever manner that inspires them.  They need to be uninhibited as they share their hearts with the world (or their teacher).

Most students do not know how to do this because they are not really given the chance to use their voice when writing in high school.  In general, they have to write about what they are told, in a way that they are asked to write.  I think this hampers creativity, and limits their voice.

I enjoy this conversation…

A student asks… “What do we have to write about?”

I respond… “You can write about whatever you want.”

They respond… “Whatever we want?”

“Yes, whatever you want!”

Then there is a discussion about them being able to freely express their thoughts.  The students are always happy about this, but at the same time scared.  I gently reassure them that I want to hear what they have to say.

That’s why it is important to have your own voice… you have something to say, and I want to hear it, but I want to hear you… not someone else.

I look forward to reading students’ essays because, perhaps, like Helen, one of them will make me smile, make me think, make me cry, or challenge my thoughts on a subject, but they can’t do that if they have not developed their voice.

---

Works Cited:

Russo, Nat.  "Honesty In Writing - A Writer's Journey." A Writer’s Journey, “Honesty & Openness in Writing,” PowerPoint, Freshmen Composition II: ENGL1302, (Professor Deartra D. Boone,) Richland College, Feb. 2017, PPT.