Last Journal Titled "This Class Rocked"

I really enjoyed this semester, and after ENC1101, I was totally pumped about what ENC 1102 was all about, I just hoped it wasn’t as boring as the first round. To my surprise, not only did I get a professor that I admired, but I was also in for an exciting adventure. As soon as I saw the video selection, and found out we were going to be building a blog, I was already totally stoked. This was my first blog ever. I knew blogging had become popular a few years back, but I really had no interest. More recently family members had been blogging, and I was thinking, what is this blog thing really all about. This semester I learned. First off it was simple, building and maintaining was so simple, just a few clicks here, and a few clicks a week, and I to had my very own, not bad looking blog. I was impressed. With almost no effort I was able to build a sharing house for others that was approachable and useful. Needless to say, I’ll probably be using this in the future. I am a bit of a media junky, I love watching meaningful documentaries, not only did I get the chance to watch movies in class, but I had the opportunity to write about what I watched, and share my thoughts with the entire class. Reading classmates responses gave me a feeling of empowerment. I felt more inclined to make my responses meaningful and in the process, I got to know some of my classmates on a more personal level. In college, for me at least, your not always given the opportunity to get to know your neighbor, but this proved to be an excellent experiment in sharing and getting to know one another, as well as getting to know yourself and your writing style in a different way, a good way. With the wave of the future and all it social media outlets, this was most defiantly a valuable experience I look forward to using in the future. I hope this approach is well received, I don’t know who would trade this in for a “traditional” ENC1102 class. The combination was just the right balance. Thank You!

Freedom in Forgiveness

Forgiving Dr.Mengele was challenging in a variety of ways. The holocaust can be a heavy subject to say the least. Kidnapping people, including children, and then roasting them to death because their not your idea of the ideal race is almost unforgivable. Today injustices are occurring on a global scale, perhaps not to this dramatic magnitude, but I believe in the future you will here of other stories with similarities of injustice, just the same you will be moved, and left with the question, why? Why and how did this happen. What can we do to prevent this from happening again? What we see here is a powerful movement by a single individual who experienced unimaginable, relentless torture, but by sole determination of single survivor who chose not to forget, but to personally forgive the men responsible, explain her position, and attempt to relate her process of forgiveness, and the power behind forgiveness.  

This is a story that should be told. The holocaust was more than real. As Americans we sometimes feel depressed, or suppressed, or oppressed or whatever, but you tell me how bad you feel after watching this documentary. Most know not of real cruelty, and not to this magnitude. Eva Mozes Kor was chosen specifically to endure repeated medical experimentation along with her twin sister, Miriam, by the then death monster, Dr. Joseph Mengele. Dr. Mengele purpose, in my interpretation, was to take subjects, twins in this case, and attempt to see how he could alter the specific group by injections of chemical combinations, see the reactions, document findings, and leave subjects for dead. The experiments often proved to be fatal, Mendele was just interested in human life, just his crazes experiments and how they could further his cause. He was given high authority at the camp to perform such exercises, and so he ran free to ruin lives in an indescribable fashion. Out of the twins, Eva specifically vowed to not die, she refused, this was not an option for her, and she needed to be their for her sister.

Eva and her sister, unlike many, survived the nightmare. They were freed by the soviets after nine months, close to a year after being held captive. The camp had a profound life long effect on the girls, but after being released and set free, the young girls tried to move on with their lives. Eva fell in love with a fellow survivor, married and had two kids. No time to really reflect on her past, or maybe not wanting to deal with such tragedy, she raised a family and came to find a life as close to normal as she could find. Eva later in life decided that the weight of memories and what happened in those camps was to heavy a burden to carry. She wanted to forgive the doctor responsible, and reached out to people who were their at the time, at the same time she was. Eva’s daughter described her mother as unhesitant. She was going up against everyone at this point. Fellow survivors, scholars, people today wanting to preserve the memory of the holocaust. Some felt like this was not Eva’s place to forgive, and others shook their head in disbelief, attesting that in no way did this one individual have any right to move forward with forgiveness, especially in the case of non survivors that were unable to speak for themselves.

To me, this is where the real story begins, a story of extreme survival, and extreme forgiveness. Against all odds, not only surviving the time, but building a life after such unthinkable acts of violence and violation. Treated like a worthless insect for experiments only, and overcoming at all cost. This is Eva’s story of triumph over tragedy, and this was her message. She met with one particular leader, who she made amends with, and even visited the camps with. Eva turned a cruel absolute nightmare into a story of survival, forgiveness, and sharing the hope that she found through forgiveness. There is now a museum like area set up thanks to Eva’s dedication to spreading her story; it’s implications, and how to perhaps cope with devastating life circumstances of this magnitude. She gives speeches and talks around the world, and she has created a legacy that will live on, and hopefully a message that will continue to resonate for years to come.

Pictures say a thousand words, and I am grateful that we have these as a reminder. This unthinkable, insufferable story is in all fact true, and as true as the act of relentless torture, is the supreme act of forgiveness. As difficult as forgiveness maybe, the payoff is, at least according to Eva, the ultimate freedom. Amnesty at its best is life changing. Pain occurs in many ways, but to hold pain and carry pain can be the biggest mistake of someone’s life. Think about your life, your burdens, and imagine the amount of weight that could possibly be lifted by shifting your thoughts, your mind, and your heart in the direction of forgives. This story inspires yes, but more importantly is the lesson. When you learn to truly let go, you learn what it feels to be truly free. 

Journal Waiting for Superman

Education is extremely inconsistent in America, and thus detrimental to the educational health of our children. Depending on the demographic or area you live in determines what kind of education you recieve. It once was thought that failing schools were the reason for failing education, but know they say that the failing neighborhoods yield bad schools.  I was astonished to learn that Washington had the lowest proficiency in math and reading. The no child left behind program looks like a joke after watching the film waiting for superman. To learn that more money is spent on jails than on education each year is a tradegy and must be completely revamped. 

Female Equality 2013?

                                                                                                                                                      

Christopher Gass

Professor Kelly Warren

ENC 1102

April 2nd, 2013

Female Equality 2013?

The beauty in Documentaries is you often either learn something you didn’t know before, or it gives you a different perspective on something maybe you’ve thought of before, but never really knew to much about. The documentary “Miss Representation” takes you on a journey through the eyes of a cast of character we know from mainstream media, and the double standards that women face still today. The film calls you to action on so many levels, and I recommend anyone from anywhere to watch this film at any time. ”Miss Representation” brings home a number of issues that need to be met at the dinner table. The double standard in the work place, over sexualizing of women, and the market of conditioning women to meet a picture perfection image are just a few of the highlights.

Short of turning this into a man bashing session, equality for women needs help. The expectations are completely different for the sexes, and women frankly have more roles they are expected to fill. You could be the smartest girl in the room, and be magical in many ways, but if you have “sex appeal” that still trumps most markets. Sex sells everywhere. When I asked a girlfriend about her feelings of female equality, she responded it’s a mental thing. I don’t think the media is doing a good job selling the idea of “it’s all mental”.

This problem we have with over sexualizing women is a product of media enterprises around the world that have sold ideas of women that aren’t really representing women. How do you stop a shift that has been consistently dominating media corporations for years. This snowball effect has now become a daily dose of what our minds are used to consuming. I’m sick of the young minds that are warped and dissolution with the exact opposite of what we should be teaching not only young girls, but boys alike. Mutual respect is the common place. This is pressure after pressure with foolish unrealistic expectations of what and, who women are. We say media, but we often take on character roles and reinforce this type of behavior without a second thought. To give you an idea, only seven percent of women are directors of feature films. Many times men are still making these decisions that paint women in a light where lets just say there not shinning their brightest.

If this continues we are destroying what it means to even be human. When image is the main attraction, and no appreciation of ones intellect or talent, that becomes dangerous, and the lines are blurred. Consciousness is partially made up of what we watch on a daily basis, no change will occur if the same groups of people continue to have the last say. In addition, and I’ll end with this, movies or film are most certainly nothing like the originals. Blockbusters run together, I feel like I’m watching the same thing on replay, where is the substance? I have not seen a better portrayal of the President of the United States of America than When Geena Davis led the country in Commander and chief. Perhaps this is a good time to consider multiple shifts in consciousness. Let’s start with mutual respect.

We the media have cheeped hooked women into objects of a haunting, and horrific nature. Misrepresentation exploits the abuse in a straightforward informative fashion, but more importantly inspires you to action. By the end of the film you want to stand up, stand tall and stand for something. This film made it to Sundance for good reason. Call yourself and the ones around you to action, let them know that equality has not yet been met. 

Journal 6 Miss Representation

We the media have cheeped hooked women into objects of a haunting, and horrific nature. Misrepresentation exploits the abuse in a straightforward informative fashion, but it more importantly inspires you to action. By the end of the film you want to stand up, stand tall and stand for something. This problem we have with over sexualizing women is a product of media enterprises around the world that have sold ideas of women that aren’t who women really are. How do you stop a shift that has been consistently dominating the media corporations for years. This snowball effect has now become a daily dose of what are minds are consuming. I’m sick over the young minds that are warped and dissolution with the exact opposite of what we should be teaching not only young girls, but boys alike. Mutual respect is the common place. This is pressure after pressure with foolish unrealistic expectations of what and who women are. We say media, but we often take on character roles and reinforce this type of behavior without a second thought, it has become second nature. Many times men are still making these decisions that paint women in a light where lets just say there not shinning their brightest. If this continues we are destroying what it means to even be human. When image is the main attraction, and no appreciation of ones intellect or talent, that becomes dangerous, and the lines are blurred. Consciousness is partially made up of what we watch on a daily basis, no change will occur if the same groups of people continue to have the last say. In addition, and I’ll end with this, movies or film are most certainly nothing like the originals. Blockbusters run together, I feel like I’m watching the same thing on replay, where is the substance? I have not seen a better portrayal of the President of the United States of America than When Geena Davis led the country in Commander and chief. Perhaps this is a good time to consider multiple shifts in consciousness. Let’s start with mutual respect.