Letter to Reader

Dear Reader,

            I have gained more knowledge than I expected to from my first college English class. I learned how to establish a writing process and create the best versions of my essays through reading sample essays, and learning to use clear points in my paragraphs.

            In the beginning of this course, I probably would have put together an essay without even thinking of creating a writing process. However, I learned that having a writing process allows for a writer to create a better piece. In order to develop a successful essay I found it helpful to make a list of all the topics I would include in my paper. I would then connect the topics so that they would flow together and form a clear and concise essay. I found Professor Young’s teaching method of “RENNS” to be more helpful than any handout for making corrections and moving from one draft to another. RENNS stands for reasons, examples, names, numbers, and sensory detail. RENNS was a useful resource when trying to figure out if certain topics would tie into my essays or not.

            Because I established a clear writing process that was tailored specifically to the way that I write, I was able to comfortably and knowledgeably churn out my best essay. The greatest essay I have written so far is “The Boulder Run Issue.” I selected this piece for the portfolio because I feel that it showcases my ability to write and establish clear points for the reader to understand. The strengths of this essay are the points made about disruptive behavior and illegal activities from teenagers in Boulder Run. I made several revisions to this essay to improve it by including dialogue.

            By reflecting on my progress as a writer, I have found that my writing skills have improved from the beginning of the semester till now. As a writer, I discovered that I write better when I have a writing process in place. The process helps me stay focused and organized as I create my essay so that my points stay clear and concise for the reader to easily understand.

Thank you for taking the time to review my portfolio.

Sincerely,

Josh Yovich 

Beauty is Not Honest But Decieving

Can Beauty be Honest?

            As you are walking down the street something, actually to be more specific, someone beautiful catches your eye. You can’t move your gaze off them as you are examining their physically attractive attributes. In an instant they viciously began mugging a nearby elderly man for money. All of the strong feelings of attraction you recently acquired toward them were crushed immediately after they committed this evil act. You realize that despite possessing beautiful qualities on the outside they can be a wretched person on the inside. If beauty is solely based off of sight then can beauty truly be honest? The lesson learned from this scenario can connect with Cameron Russell’s, an American fashion model, stance on beauty. Russell’s views on beauty’s honesty were portrayed by her TED Talk lecture in which she explains how beauty is not honest, but constructed and fake. I agree with Russell’s perspectives on beauty because humans have a deceiving nature and will go to the extreme in order to recreate themselves into something they are not.

The quintessence of beauty is one having a combination of qualities which all please the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Cameron Russell teases the audience of her TED Talk moments after walking onto stage and puts on casual clothes over her black dress. Russell did this to show that even though she changed her superficial appearance nothing else about her changed aside from her clothing. After putting on more clothing Russell argues her opinions on beauty by stating, “Image is powerful, but also image is superficial. I just totally transformed what you thought of me in six seconds” (Russell). She is still the same person, but she could be viewed as less appealing to the eye due to her covering up her legs and chest. Both those body parts are what makes one attractive in the eyes of society and the media.

Anyone can change the way they look in this day and age with the use of Adobe Photoshop to edit photographs of themselves to improve their outward appearance. Makeup can be applied to one’s skin order to clear up blemishes and add colors to make ones skin look more vibrant and appealing. Another modern method in order to change ones appearance to look more beautiful is surgery. Surgeries such as plastic surgery and Botox injections are preformed to permanently change one’s body to their own liking when they really don’t need any change at all. My friend Mike who had a perfectly normal nose got a nose job to change his nose permanently simply because he had the cash for the surgery. Anyone can undergo a surgery to look different and possibly more “beautiful” on the inside, but they could still be an ugly person on the inside no matter what they do to change themselves.

 Beauty should not be based solely off of sight since visuals can be deceiving. Visuals can deceive because they do not show the inner motives of others Furthermore, since visuals can be deceiving, how can an individual’s beauty be honest if they are basing what their own beauty’s worth is by visual appearances? I believe that beauty is not only based off of sight alone, but what consists of one’s true beauty is what positive qualities someone has. People have to prove the beautiful qualities they have such as being kind hearted, portraying to others a positive point of view on life and giving off an uplifting attitude.

 Instead of stressing about trying to please others we should please ourselves and accept the bodies we have. The way we look naturally is the way we should always appear. Stressing about our beauty and make us insecure and that is an issue that could lead to depression. Cameron Russell interprets this to her audience by saying, “…the thing that we never say on camera, that I have never said on camera, is, I am insecure. And I'm insecure because I have to think about what I look like every day. And if you ever are wondering, if I have thinner thighs and shinier hair, will I be happier? You just need to meet a group of models, because they have the thinnest thighs and the shiniest hair and the coolest clothes, and they're the most physically insecure women probably on the planet” (Russell). Apparently, even the most self-proclaimed beautiful people, models, are insecure because they always have to be pleasing others by their looks. If they relaxed and had a day to not care about what they looked like they would have less stress and could focus on improving other positive qualities they have instead of just their bodies.

Cameron Russell ends her TED talk lecture with, “If there's a takeaway to this talk, I hope it's that we all feel more comfortable acknowledging the power of image in our perceived successes and our perceived failures” (Russell). I believe that Russell means through this statement that our appearance doesn't affect our image, our beauty and every other quality we possess. We can deceive others easily through appearances but if we are trying to be someone we are not we are only living a lie.  Eventually our true personality is revealed in the end and we are shown for who we truly are. No matter how much we try to be someone who we aren't our true identity shines through even if we don’t want our actual identify shown. Therefore, we should try to be the best person we can be and not try to pull a facade in order to make ourselves look more appealing to others. In the end, our beauty is shown through how we see ourselves and if we do not see ourselves as beautiful then we are trying too hard. No one should ever try to be someone they are not since their beauty is not honest but a fake beauty which is meaningless.

My Opinion on Dutton's Theory Of Beauty

 A Darwinian Theory on Beauty

            Natural beauty is instinctive, but do all people believe that this is the case? Denis Dutton featured on “A Darwinian Theory on Beauty” Ted Talk states his points about beauty. Beauty, according to Denis Dutton, is instinctive, anything done well is beautiful. I somewhat agree with his point on beauty. I agree on Dutton’s point that beauty can be instinctive because some things in nature are naturally beautiful. Examples of this are immaculate landscapes, waterfalls and Amazonian rain forests. Although these things can be beautiful to one person but not beautiful to another. The point I am making is that Dutton is thinking that all people have one opinion on beauty, but that is not true. Beauty is opinionated and it is ruled by how society thinks and how the media portrays beauty. One person may think beauty is the Grand Canyon while another may think that the Grand Canyon is not beautiful to view at all. The Grand Canyon was an occurrence by nature and it was indeed made very well by natural causes and time. With Dutton’s way of viewing beauty it must be that all people believe the Grand Canyon is beautiful but in my friend’s opinion it is not that beautiful. Therefore, beauty is opinionated and Dutton is incorrect to believe that anything done well is beautiful. The truth of the matter is that beauty is opinionated. Instinctive beauty is possible for some people, but for the latter everyone has their own opinions on what is beautiful and what is not.

Denis Dutton: A Darwinian theory of beauty

http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty?language=en

Can Beauty Be Constructed?

       Aimee Mullins, featured on My 12 Pairs of Legs Ted Talk, proves that beauty can be constructed through how Aimee lives her life. Aimee Mullins is a model, American athlete and fashion designer. She lived her whole life standing on prosthetic legs but that did not stop her at all from growing up to be a beauty woman and accomplishing her goals. She did not let her disabilities hinder her in her life. Aimee used her constructed prosthetic legs to assist herself in her athletics, academic studies and ultimately attaining beauty. This shows that even though she is disabled she did not let it affect her in being the funny, kindhearted, attractive and intelligent woman she is today. This can be a lesson for anyone who may feel that they are not beautiful or that they could use some improvement. If they feel that way then they should go ahead and construct their own unique beauty. If one puts in the rigorous effort and hard work towards their goals then they will be rewarded with a positive outcome.

            Beauty can be constructed in the sense that we as humans can help ourselves attain beauty and construct it for ourselves. An example of this in my life where I wanted to construct my own beauty was when I was a freshman in high school. I always wanted to be a varsity wrestler for my school team and I looked up to those who were seniors in my high school who wrestled. After much effort and work I put into each practice I grew to become a better wrestler. Finally after years of effort I achieved what I always wanted from freshman year, a better body, a strength increase and the title of varsity wrestler. Staying consistent with the positive qualities we show towards others such as kindness and support can be beneficial to constructing beauty.

Aimee Mullins: My 12 pairs of legs

http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_prosthetic_aesthetics?language=en

Final Revision, Essay 1

The Importance of Identity

            From a young age we define our identities and if someone was to make an attempt at taking a piece of our identity away we should fight back no matter what. Gloria Anzaldua did exactly this when scolded by her Catholic teachers at school for actively professing her identity. Gloria was punished for speaking her native language, Spanish. “If you want to be American, speak ‘American.’” That is what the teacher said to Gloria. The only effect this had on her was to provide inspiration for her to be proud of her nationality. I disagree with the rational of the Catholic teachers because even though she may be living in the United States she doesn’t only have to speak English. Millions of people live in the United States and they do not all speak only English. Therefore you do not only need to speak English to be American, so there was no reason for Anzaldua’s reprimanding. For Gloria, her identity relates to her Spanish language because it is uniquely and entirely part of her personal life, as well as Spanish Culture. Therefore, Anzaldua fights back and does not stop speaking her home language whether it be at home, with her friends, family, or at school. This piece is a chapter of Anzaldua’s book, “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,” which depicts Anzaldua’s life at a young age and follows through adulthood. It also explains how her identity remained with her and how she applied it to everyday life. She understands that America is a melting pot of different identities which adds to the American culture. Everyone in the world has a different identity no matter where they are located on the globe.

An identity is not simply just a language; it consists of much more. An identity can be made up of multiple features such as language, morals, personality, nationality, family, friend’s, culture and education. Identity is how one goes about their life. For example, Anzaldua identifies Spanish as her primary language. She speaks it at home with her family and at school with her friends. Anzaldua also writes in her book not in just English, but in Spanish as well. Gloria writes about her personality as, “Stubborn, persevering, impenetrable as stone, yet possessing a malleability that renders us unbreakable…” (Anzaldua). This is significant because it states how her personality is strong minded and persevering. She did not back down when faced with the being sent to the corner of the classroom by her teachers at school. Her experiences as a child shaped her identity. After she was told she was not American she was strengthened. Anzaldua then applied the lessons she learned from that incident and matured. This shows how identity is important as ones strong beliefs in their identity can help someone grow and mature to be a resilient individual.

Identity consists of education and environment. Education can be part of someone’s identity because if one is not well educated they may speak with slang using improper grammar or sentence structure. Education is also how one obtains a job in the future, so if one isn’t properly educated they will not have a decent high paying job. Identity is made up of family life as well because one may look up to one or more family members such as a mother or a father. A family tragedy also can also change a person but it also can strengthen them too such as a child who lost a father and they must now take care of their mother. Having an identity is important since it affects someone in every aspect of their life.

We should all remember that identity is important because your identity is who you are as a person. That is why even though Anzaldua might have been living in America she did not have to speak ‘American’ just to be considered an American. Your identity is how others see you and how you will be remembered. We should stand up for ourselves if someone is trying to bring us down and not let them negatively affect how we truly  are as a person. Anzaldua’s identity is her Spanish language and the Hispanic culture surrounding her. Our identities may be made up of many parts but as a whole that is who we are as an individual. No one should be judged for being professing their individualism for that is what makes up their identity.

Can Beauty Be Honest?

        The definition of beauty is to have a combination of qualities such as shape, color, or form which all please the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. If beauty is based off of sight then can beauty truly be honest? Anyone can change the way they look in this day and age with the use of Photoshop to edit photographs of themselves. Makeup can change the way ones skin looks. Even surgeries are preformed to permanently change their bodies. Beauty should not be based solely off of sight since visuals can be deceiving. People have to prove the beautiful qualities they have such as a smile, a laugh, kindness, compassion and caring. Anyone can undergo a surgery to look different and possibly more “beautiful” on the inside, but they could be an ugly person on the inside.

I believe that beauty is not only based off of sight alone but ones true beauty is made up of positive qualities someone has. Negative qualities can take away from ones beauty such as bad makeup or hair which are visually seen but also a terrible personality and a spoiled lifestyle take away from beauty. Cameron Russell, a Victoria Secret model, was interviewed on Ted Talks and she gave her opinion of beauty and if it is honest or not. Cameron says that one’s image is superficial and that surgery can change your image. She says that some people win the “genetic lottery” and just have more beauty than others or at least what society’s norm for beauty is. That norm is a tall, skinny and Caucasian woman and she fit the part very well but she doesn't let her modeling career take over her life. Cameron Russell’s definition of beauty is that beauty is constructed or man made and that it is fake. I agree with that as anyone can change their outward appearance but what really matters in the end is what is on the inside.

Cameron Russell: Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model

http://www.ted.com/talks/cameron_russell_looks_aren_t_everything_believe_me_i_m_a_model?language=en

Final Revision, Essay 2

The Boulder Run Issue

I drive back home from a long week at school looking forward to seeing my friends from my hometown at the main shopping center in Wyckoff, Boulder Run. As I am rolling by I am yelled and cursed at by some 8^th graders just for driving past them and I was very surprised by their disrespectful behavior. They also were hassling the people who were coming in and out of stores and just all were being annoyances. I continued driving and went behind the shopping center to look for better parking and what I witnessed shocked and confused me. With my own eyes I saw kids who looked no more than 6^th grade smoking marijuana and drinking from a brown paper bag. After seeing this at Boulder Run I just went home and decided to hang out later.

While I was driving home from Boulder Run I reflected on what I just saw. I thought to myself that something needs to be done to resolve the problems my town has. What should be done to get rid of the problems? I believe there should be more police patrols at the shopping center to demoralize those young gangsters and let them know that they have a higher chance of being caught. There are already patrols in the area to prevent normal problems such as drug dealing and theft as it is a shopping center. Also what should be implemented into the Wyckoff shopping center are more security cameras behind Boulder Run that will be linked to nearby security to investigate exactly what those kids are up to.        

I remember how Boulder Run once was when I was a freshman and a sophomore in high school. Boulder Run has changed so much that now it looks like as if it was a completely different place. I would always go from my bus stop to Boulder Run with my best friends to get some food or look for jobs to make some quick cash.  I always loved walking from my home to Boulder in the spring and summer too because it was a nice walk. The warm sun felt good on my skin and I would see many of my friends on the walk on my way there. Slowly over time I noticed a change in Boulder and just how it feels to be around there. Most of all my old friends started to not show up as they used to do and younger kids started showing up and were obnoxious from the get-go. They displayed this to the community by vandalizing property by breaking windows and the kids were also being too loud. As I was graduating not many teenagers my age went to Boulder as we all had vehicles and many more responsibilities such as jobs and sports. The middle school kids started to take over since no one other than older shoppers populated Boulder Run at this point. The kids followed in the footsteps of how the teenagers acted by smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol except they started very early. Business owners are complaining at how the kids are acting outside their shops but the cops haven’t seemed to have done much about that.

I can compare this drastic change in my community to Valerie Kinloch’s research project titled, “Harlem, Art and Literacy and Documenting ‘Harlem is Art’ / ‘Harlem as Art.’”   Kinloch writes that, “How did the youth view ‘Harlem as art’ in relation to the influx of newness in the community?” (Kinloch) She continued writing that, “Their dismay led them to view newness as negative…” (Kinloch). The newness in my community is the younger generations not walking in the steps as the older and much more respectful generations. I am in dismay at how my town is becoming now that all the seniors have gone off to college and that no one is repopulating Boulder Run. The only thing that is all over Boulder Run is the smell of marijuana smoke, vandalized property and litter. The crime rate is increasing and the fact that the younger generations are taking up terrible habits is not helping out the situation. This intoxication and growing thug mentality explains their bad attitudes and always acting up to the older generations like they are tough or trying to prove themselves.

            The police in Wyckoff are very tough and are always there to help out the younger generations with any issues they may have and will not be overly aggressive towards underage issues. My friend’s father is a cop in the area and he tells me that patrol cars are always in and out of the shopping parking lot just to make sure everything is safe and sound in Wyckoff. Every once and awhile they will catch a drug deal or give a driving related ticket. Security cameras are also around the entire premises and inside many of the stores such as Marshalls and Stop and Shop. This is precautionary to make sure that no illegal activities will occur and also that if any theft and anything else occurs that the perpetrator will be apprehended. More cameras should be put up behind the shopping centers as many illegal activities occur behind there which I can say I have seen from firsthand experience.  At this point in time I believe that the patrol cars should pass through Boulder more frequently. If a kid has to be detained due to their folly then so be it. This will teach them a lesson and that they should correct what they did wrong. The police force should be notified of the underaged problems that were slowly arising. This would give the Wyckoff Police more of a clue as to what the main problems are in the area which is marijuana smoking and under-aged drinking and obnoxious behavior. If the police know in detail what the problems are and where they occur then it will be much easier to fix the issue.

The future depends on the up and coming generations as they will take over all the jobs that the older generations are leaving for them once they retire. If we want a good future for ourselves and our children then we should solve the issues that we have occurring in the present. This is why the marijuana smoking, alcohol drinking and verbal profanity should be squashed among the middle school kids in my town. Boulder Run and Wyckoff itself can become a much better community with the implementation of frequent patrols by police cars. The security cameras behind the shopping centers as well as tips to the police about the illegal activities that the minors are participating in will also aid in the removal of the young crime.

 Khaleeq, a man from Harlem that Kinloch interviewed compares how an area can change for better or worse depending on what the generations have done to assist. Khaleeq says while interviewed that, “They were never here when I was growing up. They were too afraid to come to Harlem, and at night! Never would've happened.” While Harlem changed from worse to better Wyckoff, on the other hand, is going to better to worse and it is up to the community to cause a change and remove the corrupt thoughts from the generation’s minds.

Problem In Community

The Boulder Run Issue

                        I drive back home from a long week at school looking forward to seeing my friends form my hometown at the main shopping center in Wyckoff, Boulder Run. As I am rolling by I am yelled and cursed at by some 8^th graders just for driving past them and I was very surprised by their disrespectful behavior. They also were hassling the people who were coming in and out of stores and just all were being annoyances. I continued driving and went behind the shopping center to look for better parking and what I witnessed shocked and confused me. With my own eyes I saw kids who looked no more than 6^th grade that are smoking marijuana and drinking from a brown paper bag. The area wreaked of beer and marijuana smoke and I had, had enough. At this point In time I just went home and decided to hit up my friends later to hang out with. While I was driving home I thought to myself that something needs to be done to end the problems I just saw. The underage drinking is bad enough but the fact that they were so young really upset me. Smoking marijuana is illegal and should never be done unless needed for medicinal purposes and I highly doubt that those kids all had medical marijuana cards. The disrespectful behavior that those kids have towards their superiors is not necessary and their something that should be implemented to stop all that. What I believe that should be done is have more police patrols at the shopping center to demoralize those young gangsters and let them know that they have a higher chance of being caught. There are already patrols in the area to prevent normal problems such as drug dealing and theft as it is a shopping center. Also what should be implemented into the Wyckoff shopping center are more security cameras behind Boulder Run that will be linked to nearby security to investigate exactly what those kids are up to.

            The police in Wyckoff are very tough and are always there to help out the younger generations with any issues they may have and will not be overly aggressive towards underage issues. Patrols cars are always in and out of the shopping parking lot just to make sure everything is safe and sound in Wyckoff. Every once and awhile they will catch a drug deal or give a driving related ticket. Security cameras are also around the entire premises and inside many of the stores such as Marshalls and Stop and Shop. This is precautionary to make sure that no illegal activities will occur and also that if any theft and anything else occurs that the perpetrator will be apprehended. More cameras should be put up behind the shopping centers as many illegal activities occur behind their which I can say I have seen from first hand experience.  At this point in time I believe that the patrol cars should pass through Boulder more frequently. If a kid has to be detained due to their folly then so be it this will teach them a lesson and that they should correct what they did wrong. The police force should be notified of the underaged problems that were slowly arising. This would give the Wyckoff Police more of a clue as to what the main problems is in the area which is marijuana smoking and underaged drinking and obnoxious behavior. If the police know in detail what the problems are and where they occur then it will be much easier to rectify the issue.

I remember how Boulder Run once was when I was a freshman and a sophomore in high school, it was almost like a completely different place. I would always go from my bus stop to Boulder Run with my best friends to get some food or look for jobs to make some quick cash.  I always loved walking from my home to Boulder in the spring and summer too because it was a nice walk and I would see many of my friends on the way there. Slowly over time I noticed a change in Boulder and just how it feels to be around there. Most of all my old friends started to not show up as they used to do and younger kids started showing up and were obnoxious from the get-go. As I was graduating not many teenagers my age went to Boulder as we all had vehicles and many more responsibilities such as jobs and sports. The middle school kids started to take over since no one other than older shoppers populated Boulder Run at this point. The kids followed in the footsteps of how the teenagers acted by smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol except they started very early. I can compare this drastic change in my community to Valerie Kinloch’s research project titled, “Harlem, Art and Literacy and Documenting ‘Harlem is Art’ / ‘Harlem as Art.’”   Kinloch writes that, “How did the youth view ‘Harlem as art’ in relation to the influx of newness in the community?” She continued writing that, “Their dismay led them to view ness as negative…”  The newness in my community is the younger generations not walking in the steps as the older and much more respectful generations. I am in dismay at how my town is becoming now that all the seniors have gone off to college and that no one is repopulating Boulder Run. The crime rate is increasing and the fact that the younger generations are taking up terrible habits is not helping out the situation. This intoxication and growing thug mentality explains their bad attitudes and always acting up to the older generations like they are tough or trying to prove themselves.

The future depends on the up and coming generations as they will take over all the jobs that the older generations are leaving for them once they retire. If we want a good future for ourselves and our children then we should solve and issues that we have occurring today. This is why the marijuana smoking, alcohol drinking and verbal profanity should be squashed amongst the Middle School kids in my town. Boulder Run and Wyckoff itself can become a much better community with the implementation of frequent patrols by police cars. The security cameras behind the shopping centers as well as tips to the police about the illegal activities that the minors are commence will also aid in the removal of the young crime. Khaleeq, a man from Harlem that Kinloch interviewed compares how an area can change for better or worse depending on what the generations have done to assist. Khaleeq says while interviewed that, “They were never here when I was growing up. They were too afraid to come to Harlem, and at night! Never would’ve happened.” While Harlem changed from worse to better Wyckoff, on the other hand, is going to better to worse and it is up to the community to cause a change and remove the corrupt thoughts from the generation’s minds.

My Favorite Place

I personally enjoy spending most of my time inside of my lively, fully packed, moderately sized dorm room. A regular student spends time in their dorm only to do homework, watch some television, play on the internet and have a few friends over. My dorm room is not the average room. This changed ever since my 4^th roommate Mike brought in a 60 inch TV. Let me explain in further detail why I have a total of 4 people living in this dorm. I live in the I-wing at Fairleigh Dickinson University which were all originally offices. It is a single floor and houses about 18 students. Some rooms in the I-wing house two students but in my case my room, “I9” houses up to four. Now one may think that is a very crowded room but after entering the main room there is a door that leads to my side which houses myself and my roommate PJ. As we are small in number we got to know each other very well and learned to communicate well and make new friends quickly. Now back to why my dorm is even more unique then the fact that it has two rooms and has a gigantic television. On the second night of college I and my roommates threw a 40 person freshman gathering inside our rooms. We had a FIFA tournament in the main room and a water pong tournament on my side. This spread the word of I-wing being a party spot for the freshman class and more specifically the room I9, later becoming the rooms I9 and I12. The spread of word by mouth caused my room to become very popular and many people still come around I-wing looking for a good time. I hear rumors of, “I-Wing banging parties,” by people who I haven’t even met before. This also gave myself, PJ, my other roommates BMAC and Mike a lot of publicity amongst the freshman class as well. In reality my day consists of waking up, showering, cleaning my side and their side of the dorm and going to class. Nothing out of the ordinary but people love to hype things up which is understandable, the I-Wing community are all awesome people. Although most of the random people are no longer present as much in the I-Wing my room still has a lot of attention drawn to it. Which is understandable…it has a 60 inch TV in the main room! All day and night people from the I-Wing and friends of those people come in and out of my room to watch TV shows such as Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy and playing FIFA. I’m not really interested in video games but it is pretty cool to watch on that big screen. Also my side of the room contains the huge speakers so music is nearly constantly playing and for a matter of fact it is playing while I am writing this paper. I learned to deal with the noise and the amount of people in my room and I enjoy the company as well it reminds me of home and how open my house is for all my friends to come through. That is why my dorm I9 is my favorite place at the moment, it reminds me of home and I enjoy all of the people who come through here.

James McBride's Hip Hop Identity

Hip Hop Planet Response

            James McBride originally did not enjoy rap music all, when he first heard it he said it sounded like the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. He did not fully understand the talent and creativity to produce hip hop music and that it was a form of art. James was close minded to this newly founded musical art form and he didn’t bother listening to it for another 26 years even after college. He would later regret this and he wrote that, “In doing so, I missed the most important cultural event in my lifetime.” McBride is correct when he says that he missed out. A new form of music was originating and beginning to grow and he turned a blind eye to it all. Hip Hop originated from South Bronx and Harlem. A few thousand people gathered together and listened to artists such a Kool DJ Herc and Grand Wizard Theodore and the projects were alight with the party music. The radio stations slowly began to play that music in 1979. James realizes that Hip Hop is becoming a widely accepted form of art and that it can compare to the folk songs and dances from African American tribes, which is also art. He came to embrace this form of music despite how much he tried to ignore it. Some Hip Hop James does not prefer but he realizes that it is a culture that he grew up around and got to know for many years as it surrounded him and grew in popularity. The comparison to our national anthem containing bombs bursting in air and Hip Hop containing a lot of violence also revealed to him that not all music should be judged.  One may dislike the United States’ national anthem but that does not stop all the citizens in this country from singing it and playing the song. Hip-Hop shaped James McBride’s identity because it made him more open minded about a different form of music. He realized the amount of effort and years of work it took for an originally slavery based song and dance form to be accepted worldwide as what the generations listen to today.

The Importance of Identity

The Importance of Identity

            From a young age we define our identities and if someone was to make an attempt at taking a piece of our identity away we should fight back no matter what. Gloria Anzaldua did exactly this when scolded by her teachers at school for actively professing her identity. The punishment for Gloria speaking her native language, Spanish, was that since she lives in America she should speak English. The only effect this had on her was to provide inspiration for her to be proud of her nationality. I disagree with the rational of the teachers because even though she may be living in the United States she doesn’t only have to speak English. Millions of people live in the United States and they do not all speak only English either so there was no reason for Gloria’s reprimanding. For Gloria, her identity relates to her Spanish language because it is uniquely and entirely part of her personal life, as well as Spanish Culture. Therefore, Gloria fights back and does not stop speaking her home language whether it be at home, with her friends, family, or at school. This piece is a chapter of Gloria’s book, “Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza,” which depicts Gloria’s life at a young age and follows through adulthood. It also explains how her identity remained with her and how she applied it to everyday life. She understands that America is a melting pot of different identities which adds to the American culture. Everyone in the world has a different identity no matter where they are located on the globe.

An identity is not simply just a language; it consists of much more. An identity can be made up of multiple features such as language, morals, personality, nationality, family, friend’s, culture and education. Identity is how one goes about their life. For example, Gloria identifies Spanish as her primary language. She speaks it at home with her family and at school with her friends. Anzaldua also writes in her book not in just English, but in Spanish as well. Gloria writes about her personality identity stating, “Stubborn, persevering, impenetrable as stone, yet possessing a malleability that renders us unbreakable…” This is significant because it states how her personality is strong minded and persevering as she didn’t back down when faced with the intimidation and the punishments by her teachers at school. Her experiences as a child strengthened her and she applied the lessons she learned to her life and developed a strong will. Language, family and personality are the main themes discussed in Anzaldua’s, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” but that is not all an identity consists of.

Identity consists of education and environment. Education can be part of someone’s identity because if one is not well educated they may speak with slang using improper grammar or sentence structure. Education is also how one obtains a job in the future, so if one isn’t properly educated they will not have a decent high paying job. Identity is made up of family life as well because one may look up to one or more family members such as a mother or a father. A family tragedy also can also change a person but it also can strengthen them too such as a child who lost a father and they must now take care of their mother. Having an identity is important since it affects someone in every aspect of their life.

We should all remember that your identity is important because your identity is who you are as a person. Your identity is how others see you and how you will be remembered as. We should stand up for ourselves if someone is trying to bring us down and not let them negatively affect how we truly are as a person. Just like in Gloria’s situation she did not back down when the teachers told her to stop speaking Spanish just because she lived in America. Her identity is her Spanish language and the culture surrounding her. Our identities may be made up of many parts but as a whole that is who we are as an individual and are what makes us unique from any other person in the world.

McBride and Black Power

The concept of black power is that all African Americans want to be treated like humans. To be more in depth, blacks want the same freedoms and rights as the whites have. The right to vote, the right to proper education and the right to public transportation were all things that African Americans wanted, but could not obtain. McBride’s point about the concept of black power is that it had permeated every element of his life as he grew up around the time it was growing. Especially after Malcom X’s death who was a public figure for the support of black power and what it was supposed to be meant for. McBride believed that black power was a bad political act as it caused fear to many white people and he also feared for his mom as she was white but knew many African Americans. He did believe that having equal rights as any other human being should is the positive of black power and fighting for that is a good thing. McBride did not like the aggressive stance that many supports of black power had an example of this were the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers were a specific group of people that support black power but they were extremists and they hated white people. The Black Panthers were basically the African American version of the Ku Klux Klan as the whites hated the blacks, the blacks hated the whites. McBride can be defined by his identity which has developed over the course of his life. As McBride was younger and the black power movement was in full effect even the buildings were painted in the liberation colors. He also feared black power as he thought that it would be the end of his mother. As he grew older he would watch the news and see news clips showing Black Panther rallies. He didn't want his mother being caught up in any violent acts as he loved his mom and cared about her. I feel that his identity is what defines his opinion on black power as he just grew up having a fear of it for many years. He deemed that black power causes Black Panther rallies and that could be potentially dangerous for himself and his family.

How to Tame A Wild Tongue Response

Josh Yovich

September 1, 2014

Professor Young

English 1100

Reading Response Questions to "How to Tame a Wild Tongue"

1. Discuss how the opening scene of Anzaldua in the dentist's chair connects to the overall point/message of the essay and title.

Anzaldua had trouble controlling her tongue as it kept pushing out the cotton from inside her mouth. The title "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," goes along with this because he tongue was necessarily, "wild," as it was not being controlled the way the dentist would have liked it to be. Also sometimes it can be hard to tame ones tongue as people speak what are on their minds and they talk differently to adults then they do towards their friends.

2. Discuss Anzaldua's use of the Spanish throughout her writing. Did it make sense? What was her purpose?

Anzaldua used Spanish throughout her story and it didn't make sense at some points and wasn't really necessary for her to use it. Her purpose was to show that was the way she talked and she expressed her way to tongue her in writing.

3. Can Academic English be defined as Spanish (Standard) and can Chicano Spanish be described as nonstandard? why? what inferences, conclusions, can be made from referring to one identity (language) as standard versus nonstandard?

Yes because Academic English and Standard Spanish both use no slang at all and they both are used when talking properly to others such as professors and parents. Chicano Spanish can be described as nonstandard as it isn't used normally to professors and both contain slang words. Standard versus nonstandard conclusions that can be made are that people who are more educated use Academic English and Standard Spanish. People who have financial issues or haven't had proper education use nonstandard and Chicano as they couldn't afford proper teaching of their language.

4. Discuss the necessity of speaking and/writing in Academic English as an identity. Is it necessary?

It is much more professional to write and speak in Academic English than slang or any other type for it can be taken that one is much more intellectual than one using slang constantly. It is necessary because high end jobs and interviewers look for people who speak proper Academic English as it indicates they are educated and proper.

5. Anzaldua describes different types of Spanish, identities. Discuss the various types of English, identities, you know.

The various types of English identities I know are slang and English used by foreigners who have many different accents and uses of words. For example my friend from Dubai used the word trousers instead of pants and I have never heard of someone my age say that before.

6. Pachuco. Do you use a secret language, secret identity, to communicate to your friends? If so, what?

I do not use a secret language or a secret identity to communicate with my friends but my word usage is different depending on who I am talking to. For an interview or talking to my professors I talk very politely and use proper speech. With my friends I am more lackadaisical in my speech and I use much more slang depending on who I am talking to such as my friends from my home town.

7. Chicano Spanish can be compared to non-standard English. What form of English (standard or nonstandard) do you speak with our friends (audience)? what form of English do you speak when talk to your mother (audience), professor (audience)? Why?

I speak with my friends in mostly nonstandard English because all of them speak that way as well. When I talk to my mom I use standard and nonstandard English because I am not always going to speak properly when I am home and she doesn't mind at all. Towards my professors I speak standard English because they are grading my papers and I should give them proper respect. 

8. "I am my language." What does this mean? How does this statement connect to a person's identity?

They have a deep connection towards their own heritage and they are avid supports of their own cultural practices, one of them being their language. This statement connects to a person's identity because identity is not just likes, dislikes or physical features, it is also nationality, language, culture, emotion, morals ad formal and informal speaking.

9. Talk specifically about how the introduction and conclusion connect

The introduction connects with the conclusion because her language is her identity no matter how badly the teachers wanted to get rid of it while she was younger in school. They punished her for speaking in Spanish and no in, "American," and that still did not change her identity. In her conclusion she wrote about her being impenetrable as stone and possessing a malleability that made her unbreakable. Anzaldua did not change her identity no matter what happened to her and that shaped her into being a stronger person who will not take any mistreatment from others.

10. Can the language you speak be a part of your identity? Why?

Yes the language I speak is part of my identity. Although I mainly speak English I also speak some Spanish and a large amount of my friends speak it fluently. This helped me learn much more Spanish and I have conversations with my Spanish speaking friends parents in Spanish with them sometimes. My identity was changed from this because my Spanish friends respected that I could speak their own language. Also my identity is always changing as I grow older and have more experience.

11. How important is identity to you? Does Anzaldua believe it's important to have identity? Use some examples from "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," to support your answer.

Identity is very important to much because that is who I am as it is my entire being. My identity is what I am known for such as my beliefs, my ethnic background, my own personal story and all the other qualities I have. Anzaldua believes it is important to have an identity as well because she is not just an average Spanish speaker, she is her own type of dialect of Spanish. Their are many other types of Spanish dialects such as Mexican Spanish, North Mexican, Chicano, Tex-Mex and Pachuco. Her home tongues are the languages she speaks with her sister and brother. With Mexican she speaks Standard Mexican or the North Mexican dialect. She also wrote and said that, "when other race have given up their tongue, we've kept ours," therefore she believes identity is important to have.

What defines me as who I am

Josh Yovich

English 1100

Page Response

September 1, 2014

The people that define me as who I truly am is my close family. Not just one person can shape me into the person that I am which a strong and independent young man. I also am very self-reliant and I care about others very much especially my younger cousins, mom, aunt and best friends. Each member of my immediate family have taught me something about myself no matter if they were older or younger, they still taught me a life lesson. My mom taught me all my life to be a strong young man who is independent as I have no other siblings I was by myself most of the time since both of my parents worked so I had to go out and make friends. If I had problems in class or back in my town I would have to solve them myself since I only had myself to rely on and that is why I am a leader figure in my family. My younger cousin Adam has taught me to be a role model to him and also to look over him and protect him from other dangers out in this world. The other cousin I have, Felissa, is very much younger and much more immature than Adam is. Therefore, I have to keep an eye out for her and look out over her because she always ends up getting in some sort of trouble. Also since they are the only family I necessarily have I definitely will watch over them. The rest of my family is very far spread out and they do not communicate with my mom or me. This also helped shape me into the person I am because I am very wary of other people because I do not trust anyone unless I am best friends with them and I witness them doing something specific which gains my trust. They also have to be my immediate family to also have my trust. Because the rest of my family is all lying, cheating and conniving people who I Do not want to associate myself or anyone else I know with. Throughout all my life the only people that have truly been there for me and understood me were my mom, cousins and Aunt. I am very thankful to have such a great and understanding family who all have helped me grow into the person that I am today and I will continue through this journey of life with them by my side.