Why Me, Why Not Me? By: Jalisa Starling

In the article, "Why Me, Why Not Me?" (September 18, 2014) written by Jalisa Starling, Starling informs her readers on the sudden tragedy that both her and her family went through at her age of 10. Starling shows this by providing grave detail upon a summer day where she was looking forward to going swimming with her cousins but also taking precaution as to how to handle her hair. This article was written in order to imply that anything can happen at any given moment in time for which you have no control under. The intended audience for Starling's article are victims who suffered tragic family losses like hers or things of that nature

After reading this personal essay, I feel confused, yet emotional. It seems like she's venting about random things and that why she's keeps jumping from topic to topic. She goes from talking about breakfast at her aunt's house to dropping her kosher dill pickle on the floor to the worst day of her life to her being legally blind. I can see why she's venting the named her personal essay "Why Me, Why Not Me?".

How It Feels To Be Falsely Confused

  In article “How it Feel to be Falsely Accused” (2014) written by Josh Green. Green informs

 readers about discrimination in the justice system. Green shows this by telling Clarence Harrison’s

story of how he was accused of crime in 1986 that he never committed. Green show readers Harrison 

was falsely accused in order to tell the audience about his case and how Harrison’s DNA could not 

possibly match that in the rape kit. Intended audience for this article will be the people who wrongly 

accused of a crime and went in jail.

After reading the article, it gives me insight on how the justice will unfairly treat you with no remorse. A lot of people in this world gets wrongly convicted of certain things and i find it unfair how they cant even get a fair trial with the right evidence or accusation. I feel as if majority of our prisons are filled with people who got wrongly convicted of crimes they did not commit and still have to serve the unjustified time.

Black English Isn't Language by Baldwin

Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell me, What Is?

      In this article "If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell, What Is?" (1979) written by James Baldwin, he states that the black culture has their own version of English. He supports his statement by giving examples of how one word could mean something to black people, but then the white culture would use the word in a different term; such as, "jazz". It was written in order of how the Black English was created. This article was written to inform others on the English language that black people uses. 

   From my perception, I would impose that language, overall, is a worldwide culture that differentiates people even from their own culture. After reading Baldwin's article, I understand his perspective that he gives on the English language that infers on how Blacks English language is different regular American English. Furthermore, I agree with the article in general and came to the conclusion that no one language is the same.

    In Article, “Black English Isn’t Language, Then Tell Me what is it?”, Baldwin’s editorial compares

 the features of other dialects to Black English to suggest that Black English is a legitimate language or dialect. For instance, he states, “ A Frenchman living in Paris speaks a subtly and crucially different language from that of the man living in Marseilles; neither sounds very much like a man living in Quebec; and they would all have great difficulty in apprehending what the man from Guadeloupe, or Martinique, is saying, to say nothing of the man from Senegal--although the "common" language of all these areas is French”(1). Basically, he is telling that language is culture, so you can’t critique people by their language because they don't speak the way you speak. He some of the word to compare their English like “Jazz me” into “Jazz age” (2).

Watch Your Language By Mark Larson

Watch Your Language

    In the article "Watch Your Language: Teaching Standard Usage to Resistant and Reluctant Learners"(Nov. 1996), Larson asserts the value of teaching the English language to young or older people, but more-so students. Larson shows this by giving the regular ideals of society along with certain research provided by other resources from different books as well as viewpoints from teachers in schools. Larson highlights these speech barriers in order to provide the incentive behind the resistance of learning the language norm. The intended audience for this article are both teachers and students that struggle with learning and observing how to conduct a meaningful conversation.

    I agree with him that label on a child regarding their language can be damaging and confusing. so on the article Larson try to help students get more interest in English language and try to help to be like his English.

      Larson believes that English could be taught in different ways instead of forcing student to learn it a certain way. He goes on to ask questions on why English is the way it is; known to him as the "Nonsense Rules of Grammar". "Why is it a crime to end a sentence with a preposition? What's wrong with contractions? And why can't I begin a sentence with a conjunction?" (1). He then compares students resistance to learning standard English to his experience of going to a fancy dinner a few years and how he felt as if he was an outsider. He did not know which fork to use which is the same as student not knowing the rules of "proper" grammar. "... If it sounds weird, it's right.I believe they are saying. What you are teaching feels wrong. It isn't me. It's you. I'll play along, but I won't incorporate it into my life."(2) Students feels this way when they are forced to learn what Standard English is.

College Students And Cell Phone Use, Beliefs, And Effects On Learning

            In the article, “College Students’ and Cell Phone Use, Beliefs, And Effects On Learning” (2013), Elder argues the concept of how a cell phone can affect a college student, but also show how it may also affect their learning. Elder shows this by conducting an experimental study amongst a variety of college students as well giving questionnaires about their use of cell phones during classes, studying, and driving and their beliefs about how cell phones impact their school work. Elder highlights certain failures in order to show how much the cell phone is a distraction by indicating different quiz scores as well as average study time and lectures during class time. The intended audience for this article would be for students because it shows how phones can affect their education in many ways but is also for teachers because it may give insight on holding the students attention during class so they wouldn’t risk failure.

            I am surely intrigued from this experimental article because, as a student myself, I realize that I to do spend quite the time on my phone during my study sessions as well as class sessions. From a different standpoint, I might add that, phone usage does help maintain the students focus because during regular school and work times we all need breaks. Overall, I do agree that our phones take up a lot of our attention for the most part. Elder conducted a very logical experiment and I hope, if conducted again, the outcome can be more positive.

            Elder’s observational study only targets the negatives of phone usage for college students and does not tell the positive. While reading about the tests she conducted and surveys given, she failed to realize, like I previously stated, how a phone can balance out our social structure amongst class time, study time, and personal time. Elder states, “Using the internet while studying and/or engaging in instant messaging (IM) is similar to use of cell phones in that their use involves communication and often simultaneously dividing working memory resources.” This basically proves that we can still conduct our work and maintain our focus while simultaneously being on our phones. This article would have been more intriguing if Elder included both Pros and Cons on phones so we can see the basic focal points behind how our education is affected.

           

Talking in Color: Collision of Cultures

In personal essay “Talking in Color: Collision of Cultures” 2013 written by Tiffany Hendrickson, she argues that people should not judge by there sound of their voice. Hendrickson supports her argument by comparing voice, race, and the environment as for the causes to having different voice.  She tells her own personal struggle in order to bring recognition to the power of having your own voice, no matter what race you are. The intended audience will be all of us because in somewhere or sometime, we all judge by the way we talk.

 I am highly intrigued after reading this essay because it gives insight onto being different within societies perspective of a race. It’s commonly believed that since you were born in one culture or domain, you have to act that certain way. Growing up in my community, I have noticed plenty of diversity and many cultures and ethnicities come together and be as one without having to choose where you need to belong. The essay empowers me to enjoy who I am and act as my own character. I do agree that everybody struggling with vocal issues must value the power in their voice because it can carry them a long way.

Hendrickson is troubled that people think that voice has a color behind it. She questions on why white people think that she sounds like a black girl. " Is it because my language isn’t white enough? Or is it because I’m a product of a household where my mother’s speech is formed neither by the white nor black world but by the deaf world? What does a black girl sound like? Illiterate?" She grew up in a primarily African American neighborhood and school. Her mother was deaf and her father had the reading and writing education of a 4th grader. At one point in her life she decided to try to use "code-switch" because she was frustrated when she attended an all white party in college and a man asked her if she is white or black and told her to stop talking like a nigger. "Code-switching is common within any community, white or black, where people change the tones of their voices in relation to their environments." She learned to love her voice again with the help of her Big Sister, Jessica. "My voice is unique because I am white, yet I do have that black sound."

Context by Dorothy Allison

In this personal essay, "Context" (2015), written by Dorothy Allison explores how knowing someone's past could change your thought of that person. Allison support this thesis by telling her past times to show how hard she had it in her childhood. Allison reminisces on the time where her mother would cook on two-burners instead of going out to eat in order to save money. The audience of this personal essay is anybody who is afraid to show where they came from to someone who is important to them.

After reading the short story, "Context", I can strongly relate to how she feels in regards to introducing the spouse to the parents. From her point of view, Allison was basically afraid of introducing her lover to her prejudice dad. It gives me insight on the fact that everybody grows up with a different past and Allison gives plenty of context towards understanding your roots and family. Furthermore, the story, more so, was really entertaining to me but also established a family acceptance for same-sex couples.

I understand Allison’s concern over bringing a lover home to meet your family. It is very nerve wrecking situation, it can go wrong, and it can make your relationship permit into a very serious situation. Especially if your background is different from your lover. Basically Allison explains, having a partner from a rich family and one lover from a poor family would make your partner think less of you and it could create a rift in your relationship. Allison states, "Seeing where she had grown up, meeting some of her family, I had understood her better, seen where some of her fear came from, some of her pride.", which also projects the idea that she accepts her lover for who she is, background,traits, and all. Allison ends her narrative by saying, "Context is so little to share, and so vital", and states a key element on really knowing your partner no matter who or where they come from.