Blanton

Michiko Furukawa painted the "Obsession de la Muerte." It was displayed in the abstract section of the Blanton Museum. The artist created this painting to symbolize the tree of life. In this painting there are “sequences of scenes depicting the Spanish...the Nahuatl people of Huextzinco.” (From Blanton Bio) Also, in this work of art you can see that there are birds scattered throughout the entire tree.



The birds are surrounding the various images of the dead. Beside each bird there is greenery, which leads me to believe that the intent of these images was to convey freedom and life. Birds have the ability to soar above us mere mortals. The images depicted were of the Spanish Conquistadors versus the Aztec Indians, a battle that would be better labeled a massacre. The birds give the appearance of light in the face of the darkness that we, humans, bring when we inflict pain and murder.



At the very center is an image of the Virgen de Guadalupe this is a symbol usually associated with Catholicism. “It is perhaps Mexico's most popular religious and cultural image, and the focus of an extensive pilgrimage.” [1] She is said to be the mother of Jesus. So, she is the one that gave birth to the tree and to all of mankind.

Furukawa painted a life, with the source of life at the center, which the Virgen de Guadalupe. Next, the birds were placed as guardians to watch over humans. Lastly, human skeletons were represented as being the most barbaric link in the tree of life. If you look closely you can see some of the skeletons murdering the indigenous people. Each time you can see a smile on the skinless faces on the Conquistadors.



1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe

The Clay Pit

When I was walking over to The Clay Pit I remember thinking, “Oh, my God what am I going to have to eat?” Once I saw what was at the buffet I wasn’t sure what I was actually going to pick. I loaded my plate with lots of fruit and rice but, then I thought, “You're here already just try something new it won’t kill you, hopefully.” So, I grabbed some of the potatoes and spinach meal. I’m not going to lie, I have had better meals, but unfortunately all of those meals have always had some form of meat in it.



Although, right now I honestly do prefer meat I know that I could change my diet over time to become a vegetarian. In the beginning of high school I got a bad sore throat, so, I quit drinking anything that wasn’t water. It’s been about four years since I’ve drank soda. Some people think it’s weird that with every single meal I only drink water; they can’t imagine not drinking something not loaded with sugar and caffeine. Everyone’s different so, of course we’re all going to have different preferences to what were going to eat.



I know that if we at least reduced how much meat we consumed, and cut it back to even one meal a week, eventually we could work toward restoring our animal population and our earth from pollution. The problem with this plan is getting the rest of the world to see our solution. However some part of the world is ahead of us, a great example is India. There animals, specifically cows, are sacred gifts from God. For the United States being as advance as we think we are still manage to treat animals in barbaric ways in our slaughterhouses.

People Call Me Scat

“Scat, shoo, come on get out of here,” shouted the irritated man from his driveway. I scrambled on my paws to catch my balance as I raced down the street. My heart was pounding as I dodged an SUV coming toward me; the driver honked and yelled at me to move. I darted into a yard to try and catch my breath, but then I saw the sign, “Beware of Dogs.” I ran before the barking began. As soon as I saw the other stray cats wandering aimlessly underneath the bridge I knew I was almost home.



My cat name is Kylie but, people call me Scat. Most of them usually shout it out whenever I’m near. I’ve been an alley cat for almost a year now. I am one of the lucky cats actually, to have made it this long without dying of disease or without being captured. Most would have you believe that if you were caught at least you’d have a guaranteed meal and a chance at adoption. Well what they failed to mentioned is what happens when no one comes for you.

My story is a lesson to be learned. So, here it is. I was the youngest of five kittens. My mother named my older sister, Sasha, then Peter, Tim, Ann, and of course me, Kylie. My mother bore us in an abandoned building downtown. She never fully recovered from the delivery and lacked basic motherly instincts, to nourish us properly. Unfortunately, due to my mother’s inability to correctly care for us two of my siblings, Sasha and Tim died. There was no funeral or burial in their memory, one day they were here and the next they just didn’t wake up. We went on because that’s what our mother did.



When we reached the age of only five months my mother was gone. We never found out if she just took off or if she had been murdered, but regardless we had to go on. The three of us were quite young and I guess still cute. So, it wasn’t long before people picked us up. A very kind woman named, Pam, found us wandering around a dumpster in search for food; she took one look at us and knew she had to help. I wish I could tell you that was when everything changed and we all lived happily ever after, but I’d be lying. Instead, that was when we were separated from one another. You see Pam although very sweet, couldn’t afford to keep three young kittens. So, she tried to find suitable homes for us.

Until the time came for Pam to give us away, we stayed with her in a studio apartment for about a month. There she taught us how to use a litter box and I finally got to taste real authentic cat food, which by the way isn’t that great. Eventually Pam found a place for me, so I said goodbye to the only family I had left. I meowed and tried to hold on to Pam’s sweater, but my new owner just pulled me away. Now I can’t even remember how my brother or sister look anymore, but I remember their warmth whenever we’d cuddle together at night.



My new master’s name was Timothy, he was a nice enough fellow, and actually I was for his daughter, Sandra. She was only ten years old and had a very short attention span. We would sometimes play and soon thereafter she’d get bored easily; she’d prefer watching TV most days instead of playing with me. As she grew older she only became more distant and more self involved. It seems I was only in the family’s way and costing them money. Even though my family wasn’t perfect I still loved them very much.

Sadly, my love didn’t translate to my once beloved family. I gave them what affection I had left and they repaid me with abandonment. Timothy left me beside a park downtown, and I saw him for the last time as he drove over the bridge that I now call home. Looking back I don’t remember him having any remorse, the only thing he uttered was, “scat, shoo, get out here.”



Each day I wake up wondering what I did. Maybe I was too lazy, or ate too much, or shed too much hair, or maybe I’m just not worth anything. Perhaps I am unlovable. Why else would I be alone? Sure there are other stray cats living here, but we’re all damaged, left behind by the very people who promised to protect us. Many of the cats living here were tortured, starved, neglected, and are frightened by the very sight of a human. Some were overly aggressive, and as you could imagine we are not exactly the best company to have around.

Now, I have no idea how long I’ve been abandoned, it seems like an eternity. In reality, it’s most likely that I’ve suffered this lonely street life for a couple of years. Living out here, for such a long time has taught me that you can’t trust anyone. Not even your own species. When you’ve been separated from the social world for so long your personality changes, you become more primitive. Stray cats argue like everyone else with the added fact that we scratch and claw each other. We are animals, so our behavior isn’t surprising how we chose to resolve our disputes.

After living here, beneath the bridge, I’ve realized that life is short. Some of the cats would leave in search of food and would never come back. On one occasion, I recall a very tenacious cat, named mike, living nearby. He had recently been dumped. I was amazed he wasn’t bitter whatsoever. He just kept moving forward with his life, taking it one step at a time. Mike always seemed to find the silver lining in any and all situations. I admire him so.

At this point in my life I decided I wasn’t going to die without being loved or at least giving love. So, I changed my attitude. Maybe humans can’t see my beautiful heart or the amount of compassion I have inside me but, that’s their loss. I made a better effort to get to know the cats living beside me. So, it took a long time for each of us to trust one another. Eventually we all came together and created our own family. Above all else we would never dump a family member because, we would always love them.

I wish I could tell you that after creating our family that everyone and everything was perfect, but it wasn’t. The sad truth is that the streets are filled with dangerous situations that can leave you dead or an orphan, once again. Within the year, out of ten stray cats that made up our home, only three remained. Some were lost to the climate change, the winters here are brutal. So, some would go to sleep and never woke up again. Others were run over and left as rode kill. The humans that kill our family members are heartless, not one of them bothered to get out of their cars. Maybe if they had they would have seen that they weren’t dead just in agonizing pain. Of course, without the care of a veterinarian it was only a matter of time before their heart would cease to beat.

It seems anytime you try to make something for yourself, like a family and home, humans find a way to take it. Maybe not every human is completely heartless, but I have yet to find one in any of my nine lives. Every new summer would come more strays in search of a place to call home. I couldn’t bring myself to remember anymore names. What’s the point? Who knows if they’d be there in the morning? It’s difficult when you realize that you have no one to comfort you. Although, all the cats surrounding me were in the same situation, I still felt isolated.

Before I go I wanted to tell my story to someone, perhaps in an attempt to salvage another lost and forgotten soul. It’s been a long battle trying to survive out here, all alone. With the amount of time I have to think, I have come to realize that I’m ready to die. Death isn’t the worst thing that could happen to cat, that was a lesson I learned a long time ago when I was first left beside the bridge. So, tomorrow I’m going to walk to the notorious men with nets, who work for the pound. It won’t be long after that before the cage me and then stuff me in box where the suck the air out of me. The amount of torture is going to be excruciating but so is this feeling of loneliness, of hunger, of being homeless, and of constant fear.



I understand that you were recently abandoned yourself. Soon, you’ll come to
realize all of what I am telling you. Maybe you won’t choose this extreme, to commit suicide, but you will dread waking up to this nightmare. A word of caution: be very careful and do not trust the humans.

Word Count: 1,548

[1]Bridge:
http://www.cityofseattle.net/Neighborhoods/preservation/images/large/SchmitzParkBridge3DON.jpg
[2]Animal Dumping Sign:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenneth_moore/2588727777/
[3]Caged Cat:
http://www.grangeville.us/idahocounty/police/animalcontrol/uploaded_images/DSC02405-706107.JPG

Compassion in the West & East

As you go from West to East not only does the scenery and people change, but also people’s opinions and perspectives about animal change as well. Medieval thinkers said that “What really set people apart were their mental, and especially their spiritual, qualities.” (P.339) We should rethink our beliefs if what we are taught in is to support the brutal force humans’ use against defenseless animals. As the year progress the human race has continued to beat and kill animals into whatever it’s needed, food & entertainment. We’ve been so reckless in mistreating these poor creatures.



There many opposing position on the way animals should in fact be treated in,” The Western Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have created a dominantly human-focused morality...God above nature." (P.369) The importance of God is placed above the importance of anything else, including the treatment of animals. Some would argue that the bible is in favor of people using animals to whatever mean necessary, just read the passage in genesis.



In the East, “traditions of Confucianism and Taoism remain…in certain ways, some of the most life-affirming in the spectrum of world religions.” (P.370) Religion has been diverse and in accordance to what part of the world your living in, so as human shift from region to region our worlds view begin to change. But is our world changing for the better? According to Jainism, ahimsa (nonviolence) is the remedy for all miseries, sufferings, and cruelties of life…Vegetarianism.”(P.372) Those who follow Jainism are so strict in their beliefs that they even, “avoid the use of many varieties of vegetables as possible.” (P.372)

“Hindu scriptures tell us that the cow is a gift of the gods to the human race.” (P.375) It is considered the highest and most sacred gift bestowed upon humans. Their way of life tell them to protect cow and to hold them up to the highest respect possible.

Slavery

“Comparing the suffering of animals to that of blacks (or any other oppressed group) is offensive only to the speciest: one who has embraced the false notions of what animals are like.” (P.321) During the time when African-Americans were enslaved and were treated like animals, they had their liberties taken from them without a second thought from their captors. No remorse was ever shown to a slave who would stand up to their “masters” instead they were met with whips or even death to pound submission into them. The likeness between the treatment of slaves and animals are so parallel with one another. “To deny our similarities to animals is to deny and undermine our own power.” (P.321)



The placement of the PETA campaign by the MLK statue was genius for obvious reasons, the similarites between the injustices of African-Americans and animals are identical.

When you read the manuscript for Earthlings it sounds like a novel about slavery, all you need to do is insert the word slaves where you see animals and insert plantations where you see slaughterhouses. “What happens in slaughterhouses in a variation on the theme of exploitation of the weak by the strong.” (P.286) “In transportation, animals are packed so tightly into trucks, they are practically on top of one another. Heat, freezing temperatures, fatigue, trauma, and health conditions will kill some of these animals in route to the slaughterhouses.” (P.287) The way these two groups were treated (and animals are still being treated) is disgusting, we use them and act like what we are doing is completely legal. When slavery began many of the southern states saw absolutely nothing wrong with slavery, and neither did our government. It wasn’t until other people became aware and began to speak out did the country begin to shift its idea about what makes a slave a human being worth human rights.



“Animals have done us no harm and they have no power of resistance…There is something so very dreadful…in tormenting those who have never harmed us, who cannot defend themselves, who are utterly in our power.” (P.311D) If I were a plantation farmer I don’t think I too could harm someone who had never wronged me. So, after seeing a display or documentary as powerful as Earthling, I would most likely free my slaves, or at least keep them as paid help. I don’t see how so many people can cause so much pain without any remorse of it.



Jeremy Bentham said, “The question is not, Can they reason? Nor, Can they talk? But, Can they suffer? Why should the law refuse its protection to any sensitive being...The time will come when humanity will extend its mantle over everything which breathes."(P.313)He was referring of course to the suffering of non-humans mammals. His words express the nature the mankind has shown all creatures that are considered beneath them. Many people would justify their consumption and murder of animals with a simple, “it’s a necessity to eat.” Yes, we need food to survive, but we consider that if we were to become vegetarians. We would all decrease our chances of heart disease; we’d improve our environment, reduce toxic pollution, and save millions of innocent lives (of animals).

Racism

“The question is not, Can they reason? Nor, Can they talk? But rather, Can they suffer?” (P. 311C) Animals are mammals just like us humans. Animals can also communicate with their families and feel pain, so obviously they suffer when we attempt to separate, murder, and consume them. In the PETA displays on of the focus poster said, “JUSITIFICATION.” People try to justify the murder of millions of species, because they aren’t the ones actually killing the animals in slaughterhouses. “We are used to drinking milk from containers showing “contented” cows, whose real lives we want to hear nothing about, eating eggs and drumsticks from “happy” hens, and munching hamburgers advertised by bulls of integrity who see, to command their fate.” (P.316C)The public want to believe the lies instead of the ugly truth, we are murdering innocent and helpless animals for our own personal gains.



“Racism…a belief that human race have distinctive characteristics that determine their respective cultures, usually the idea that one’s own race is superior.” (P.317)We may chose to be oblivious to the racism we are inflicting to non-human mammals, but none the less we are all guilty of a crime. We are accomplices of murder. After eating out at our favorite restaurants, “however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity.” (P.311C) You may think that African-Americans suffered more during slavery or perhaps the Jewish prisoners at Auschwitz did. There’s no correct answer both endured a great deal before the “superior race” was stopped from eliminating and/or exploiting the other. “Both humans and animals share the ability to suffer from restricted freedom of movement, from the loss of social freedom, and to experience pain at the loss of a loved one.” (P.321)

Earthlings

Earthling, one of the most powerful documentaries, shed light on the truth, that each and every day we are all guilty of murdering fellow earthlings, animals."We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals... We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far beneath ourselves. And therein we err, we greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man.”(P.276)



When I was watching Earthlings what always made me turn away was the amount of blood that was poured or spewed out of each animal. The images that were burned into my eyes were of the cows, chickens, pigs, and even dolphins, each of whom were hacked into and had their throats slashed while fully conscious. Seeing their bodies mutilated and convulsing on the floor, left to bleed out, was the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen. This movie was scarier and gorier than any horror movie I’ve ever seen. What’s most upsetting about this documentary is the truth it sheds on what we all ignore and pretend doesn’t exists, a genocide of animals.



In the dictionary you’ll find the definition of “Genocide: The deliberate destruction of an entire race or nation. The Holocaust conducted by the Nazis in Germany and the Rwandan genocide are examples of attempts at genocide.” This doesn’t mention animals, which isn’t surprising, considering that “slaughterhouses are not made with glass walls.”(P.276) There’s a reason why this issue isn’t always in the news, because like during the Holocaust some people were either in denial about the entire situation, believing that it never even happened. Other Germans who did not participate, but also did nothing to stop it, just remained oblivious to it. If were widen the definition of genocide: to the deliberate destructions of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, and species, then there would be much more controversy. The majority of the population would then be guilty of the mass murders of billions of different species.

After watching Earthlings, I felt sick. I walked to my next class and all I could see was the faces of the tortured animals. Later when I told my friend what I had seen she was immediately grossed out at the images I described. She told me she was definitely not going to see that movie, but I told her that’s exactly what the slaughterhouses and other animal abusers are counting on, that you and the mass population will continue to live your life and remain unaware to this murdering. Just because you didn’t see the holocaust take place doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, the same is true of the deaths of animals. We may not be the ones taking their lives, but the majority of us are not doing anything to stop it.
“If we had to kill our own meat we would all become vegetarians.”(P.277) I know that this is true of me. There’s no way I could ever take the life of a fellow earthling.

Peta:Aganist Animal Cruelty

When I wonder why am I so negative all the time I am reminded by the variety of injustice in our world. Cruelty to animals is one of the most sickening things a person can witness in their lives. “Animals and humans suffer and die alike…[T]he same pain, the same spilling of blood, the same stench of death, the same arrogant, cruel, and brutal taking of life. We don’t have to be a part of it.” (Dick Gregory)Looking into the eyes of an animal, who has been so abused that they shudder at the very noise of your footstep, is so heart wrenching.



I have never really considered becoming a vegetarian before, but looking at the images that Peta had up were really disturbing. The amount of damage that does not only to the animals, but to the environment is enormous. The representative of Peta said that it slaughterhouses do more damage to the climate control problem (global warming) then all the transportations (pollution) across the world does. We murder billions of animals a year, way more than we need to feed the population.



The United States is one of the leading contributors to the problem, with fast food chains like McDonalds. “In the slaughterhouses that supply McDonald’s with chicken, birds are dumped out of their transport crates and hung upside-down by their legs in metal shackles, which can result in broken bones, extreme bruising, and hemorrhaging.”(Peta2) Then we complain about how the obesity rate is reaching an all time high, the obvious reason for overconsumption is the massive quantities of meat that has become available to us.

Alice and Animal Ethics

"Though Alice begins her journey selfish, and unable even to consider the feelings of other before speaking, through her experiences with the diverse creatures of Wonderland, most significantly the personified animals, she is able to learn empathy, and to recognize the shallowness of those who exhibit unrestrained cruelty to those around them."(David Daniel)In this world, Alice has stumbled upon, every animal has its very own voice and opinions. In the story she tries to adjust to this new way, but finds it difficult and often appears to be rude. In her old world things were simple, she would stroke her pets and feed them, but here things become more complex when the animals can chose whether or not they can even tolerate you.



Early on in Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland, she upsets a mouse by mentioning her cat’s ability to “kill all the rats.” (P.27). After pleading for a short while with the mouse he does return to aid Alice to shore. Alice is indeed selfish in this situation the only reason she apologizes is because there is no one else who can help her. She continues to scare other animals with her remarks about her precious cat Dinah, she goes on to tell a circle of animals that, “she’s such a capital for catching mice you ca’n’t think! And, oh I wish you could see her after the birds! Why, she’ll eat a little bird as soon as look at it!” (P.35) I know Alice is new to this world and is just not use to the wonderland, but you’d think she was purposely trying not to fit in with the animal or anyone else for that matter with the amount of trouble she gets into.



After reading both Alice books, I believe that Lewis Carroll’s big question was, what would animals say, if they could speak? So, when he chose to write this novel he incorporated all those answers by giving a voice to those who never had one. This can be seen in, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, when the Lion and the Unicorn are fighting for the crown of the king. Alice is amazed to see a real life unicorn is her presence and the same can be said of the unicorn. The Unicorn tells Alice, “Well, now that we have seen each other…if you’ll believe in me, I’ll believe in you.” (P.229)

Ethics and the Sympathetic Imagination

“The Character Ethic taught that there are basic principles of effective living, and that people can only experience true success and enduring happiness as they learn and integrate these principles into their basic character.” (P.18) In Convey’s book, the inside-out method point out that quick-fixes are useless, but if your honest with yourself, that’s when you achieve “true success”. The contrast to character ethics is personality ethics, which is when you get what you want “through charm and sill and pretending to be interested in other people’s hobbies.” (P.22) When people rely on others recognition to uplift their own self-worth that’s an example of a quick-fix, that usually doesn’t work long-term.

Ethics


Another point made in Convey’s book, is the effective usage of a positive attitude. “Sometimes the most proactive thing we can do is to be happy, just too genuinely smile…We can be happy and accept those things that at present we can’t control, while we focus our efforts on the things that we can.”(P.90) Getting angry about anything is always taking the easy way out, it is much harder to keep your temper under control. When you do control your emotions you are taking a step toward self-control as well as self-awareness.

Positive


Empathy was mentioned both in Convey and the anthology book, because the term has such a broad yet important definition. In Convey, it says that when we empathize we are taking the time to really listen, without judgment and not jumping to a diagnosis before we’ve examined the entire situation. “When people are really hurting and you really listen with a pure desire to understand, you’ll be amazed how fast they will open up.” (P.252) In the anthology book, empathy is defined as “the power of projecting one’ personality into (and fully comprehending) the object of contemplation.”(P.274L) In other words when you can recognize what someone else is feeling and you’re someone they can turn too.

Empathy

Leadership Vision: Prevention of Drop-Outs

We have all heard the saying, “Children are our future,” but life is filled with struggles and complications that they too must unfortunately experience. Many of these events occur during grade school, and as you can imagine it is a lot for a child to cope with, especially when there is no one around to help. In order to advance our society we must prevent students from abandoning their education. “If we can keep one child in school and learning, we will have gone a long way to making the world a better place.” [1]



To further develop our community we must first ensure that each child is given the crucial encouragement needed in order to become successful. Since many of the students I am aiming this program towards are in underfunded schools my first step will be to achieve the support of the neighboring public. According to Franklin P. Schargel, author of From At Risk to Academic Excellence: What Successful Leaders Do, “he identifies individual risk factors -- personal characteristics, habits, and experience; family situations; and peer and community relationships -- and then address the factors over which school leaders can more directly influence -- school climate and culture, school connectedness, school safety, attendance, and school achievement.”[2] By effectively notifying parents and concerned educators we can improve our chance of reaching other schools. We will inform them of the jeopardy children are facing and the appropriate steps we can pursue to guarantee each child continues their education.

It is also important for me to join on-campus organizations that work with at-risk youth to broaden my network for additional assistance. Their experience could only benefit my vision and help increase my effectiveness. The most important aspect of my involvement with students is to stay consistent with my plans. In order to keep a strong relationship, I will volunteer at local elementary schools and stick to a precise schedule. We will give the children a sense of stability and also establishing myself to community leaders, that this is my passion. In addition, my intent is to encourage the educators to become more involved in after school programs where we try communicating with the children in order to bridge the gap between school and home.

Furthermore, to promote the expansion of my dream I will create my very own non-profit organization. The purpose will be as previously stated, to ensure that each student continues their education. Here, children will be adequately equipped with the components needed to succeed. We will establish ourselves at local schools with the goal of creating committees. These committees will range from, one-on-one & group therapy, study sessions, prep courses for college, diversity enrichment, and other group activities.

For the establishment to continue to develop we will examine our success and show those willing to donate money or time, that what we are doing is making an impact. Taking assessments of not only the student’s academics but, also their emotional and physical state will help us attain sufficient feedback. On top of that we will also give out surveys to each parent, teacher, and school administrator. Here, they can properly grade and comment on our program. With this assistance we can make essential improvements in certain areas to aid in the continuous progressive change of our children’s education. We can also collaborate with other pre-existing clubs that have a similar focus to improve our reputation. My organizations most important focus will be to keep children safe and in school.

The real role model, who shaped my vision toward learning, is my elementary school teacher, Mr.Fleurent. He was a looping teacher, which meant he would have the exact same group of kids for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. He was the first person that would talk to me as if I were a capable young adult whose opinions and thoughts mattered. I have never felt as inspired as I did when he would speak. One of his constant reminders that stayed with me was simply to get good grades, because that would get me into college. His lesson was so simple, yet so effective. I had not once been told by a teacher before that college was an option for me. Considering where I grew up, I was lucky to graduate, let alone attend a university. Mr.Fleurent’s unique methods of teaching inspired me to follow my passion when pursuing a career, instead of my bank account. He took such pride in teaching his class; seeing him do what he loved to do each day made me want the same thing.

“Effective leadership depends first on one’s personal vision and then one’s leadership vision.” [3] A child’s life can be chaotic, with each day comes new worries, and my childhood was no different. After my parents divorced, the moment I came home from school I became a full time mother. I would worry if we would have enough money to pay all the bills. Having enough food for the month was an added luxury if we managed to keep the same roof over our heads. When I went to school I already had a lot to deal with at home so, I was not always focused. When you have so much stress at such a young age, you really do feel like you are all alone in the world and you can’t imagine surviving. It is a necessary precaution to implement a program where the gap between school and home life is bridged; a program where students don’t feel isolated. When I was in elementary there was a program called Communities In Schools (CIS), a non-profit organization that created “a safe place to learn and grow.”[4]



Communities In Schools focuses to keep students in school and continuously learning in an effort to prevent them from dropping out. The summer after my senior year of high school I was awarded an internship working with CIS. I had applied for it months in advance because I was interested in its extensive programs involving one-on-one interactions with children. In high school I had always been drawn to art, and children are rather similar because you need to be creative and patient with both. When I begin to paint, the outside world turns into white noise and all I can focus on is figuring out what the end result of my work will be. Now when I have a child in front me I have the same feeling, and I want to help them focus so they too can make it past the noise and see the finish line, a diploma. I soon realized, through the CIS summer program, that my passion was teaching.

The best part of my day, was when I would find new arts & craft projects for the children to make, and teaching them how to do it. Seeing their eyes light up when they had finished a project made me happy and making sure that these kids had something to look forward to was even better. This propelled me to pursue a career in education. After the summer ended I came to the University of Texas as a Liberal Arts, Psychology major and soon thereafter transferred to the School of Education. My degree now is a Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development with this I would like to become a looping teacher one day, specifically teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Staying at The University of Texas will ensure that I continue to educate myself and become a teacher. Next, I want to better communicate with the youth and get my message of learning to them, to do this I want to get my master in Children’s Psychology.



In my freshmen year at The University of Texas my classes consisted of its core curriculum, the classes that were deemed appropriate for my intended field of my interest. In the fall, of my four classes the one class that I felt applied to my degree was Anthropology, we discussed so many different cultures and customs from all around the world. By increasing my knowledge into various diverse cultures this could only further help me reach more students of different ethnicities and race.
Later, in the spring semester, psychology helped me take a step forward toward understanding what it is that makes children (and every day people) tick. Each day the professor introduced a new concept, theory, and map about the human psych that helped give me a deeper level of understanding of what goes on in the human mind. The purpose of the class was to show that we are always developing new concepts to understand the way we think, as human beings we will continue to evolve and become ever more complex.

Taking a Leadership & Ethics class has given me the time to think about questions I’d otherwise overlook, for instance, “Who are you?” A repeated theory in the Alice book, this was the most influential questions I have ever been asked. The answer has spanned into more than just what you will do for a living, you are not just a career. The essence of who you are comes from what inspires you. What causes you to be passionate? What you would do for free, and what makes you happy? All of these questions that were asked in my UGS course have all led me to the same answer, teaching. I love to teach children. Before I was always hesitant about becoming a teacher, I felt it was not prestigious enough. I had made it all the way to The University of Texas only to aspire to become an elementary teacher. Now, after completing a self-evaluation of the person I am, I can clearly see what it is that has brought me to this point in my life. Through all the adversity I have made it this far I am lucky to aspire to become one of the many who educate our nation’s future.



Over a respectable amount of time and hard work, I would like to see the national drop-out rate decrease drastically. To fully understand and help students I will need to continue my own education here at The University. Completing my degree will only fortify my position that education is the solution. Children are faced with as much tribulations as the next person, but with the added pressure of school breathing down their necks it’s hard to imagine them going through it alone. By giving them giving them the proper attention and guidance we can eliminate the need to drop out completely.



Word Count without Quotes: 1,671
Word Count with Quotes: 1,760

Quotation Citation:
[1] http://www.cissa.org/howitwork.php
[2] http://www.focusas.com/Dropouts.html
[2] http://www.cisnet.org/default.aspsafe place to learn and grow”
[3] UGS 302 Course Packet (P.254)
[4]http://www.cissa.org/howitwork.php
Photo Citation:
[5] http://www.edudecisions.com/articles/teaching/index.php
[6] www.wsnindia.com/images/psychology.jpg
[7] http://www.cissa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12
[8] http://the-office.com/bedtime-story/alice_lg.jpg

Through the Looking Glass: Alice

When I read Alice in Wonderland, the only prior knowledge I had on the subject was once watching the Disney version as a child. I remember my mother telling me that the movie was nonsense and had no valid content. She didn't approve of the smoking caterpillar or a land where everyone seemed to be hallucinating away from reality.



Since I was a child then, my mother's word was law. So, I in turn put the movie and story out of mind. So, when I read the book I kept the same mentality that this story wasn't going to contain anything of use. After a couple chapter (especially due to the annotated notes) you realize how empowering Alice is, which usually isn't the case in most novels. Whenever the lead character is portrayed as a girl, the plot usually consists of her search for a boy (or a knight).

Alice encourages us to, "Not only to venture into the unknown in life, but to venture into our souls and deep within our hearts to find out who we are."(P.208) When were in high school we don't take much time to ponder what it is that makes us...us. We let friends, teachers, parents, and even celebrities manipulate who we are or act like. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and faith, in yourself, to truly be different.



In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, many of the characters talk down to her. They continuously ask “who are you” (P.48), she is obviously offended, yet she never really speaks up. Alice feels overwhelmed by the limitless answers she could give, and the answers that are true. It isn’t till the end of the story that Alice feels more confident with whom she is. The proof is apparent in the courtroom scene, where Alice is brought to the stand to testify. The queen (who is a tyrant) yells, “Sentence first-verdict afterwards,” (P.124) this outrages Alice. She knows this is complete nonsense, which is what she shouts back at the Queen. The Queen of course tells her to “Hold her tongue,” and Alice simply replies “I won’t.” (P.124)
In this scene Alice is finally letting all her pent up emotions out letting the Queen and everyone else in the courtroom exactly what she thinks of all this madness. She is becoming more certain and aware of what makes her a good leader. Her strong defining trait is virtue in her thoughts and decision, always knowing what undoubtly is right and wrong.


In Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, when Alice is finally made Queen, she is tested by the Red & White Queen. They bombard her with many questions and then tear apart her answers to where she feels unsure about she is again. “I don’t know,” (P.153)Alice said to one of the Red Queens questions about addition. This scene reminds me of the peer pressure we feel in high school and college. When someone brings you down it’s makes them feel surer of themselves, so they continue to do it. Those are the individuals are the ones who are truly lost, and have no idea who they are. Alice leadership skill shine through when she answer back (and talks back) to the White Queen, by saying, “Can you do sums?” (P.254)

Experiential UT

John Henry Newman wrote, “The duty of a university is instruction rather than research, and to train the mind rather than diffuse useful knowledge.”(P.165) After reading through all of our assigned text, I felt that a university is everything, but what you’d expect. We’ve been taught that this expensive college will give you a degree at the end of four years, a poof, all of a sudden you will be deemed prepared for the real world.



John Henry Newman when he was made Cardinal

Why do I go to college? I originally came to UT, for the simple reason of that’s what you do after high school if you want to become successful. I was so wrapped up in becoming someone, that I never took time to realize, who I am or what it is I want to get out of UT. Well the answer that popped out of the book was knowledge. “We speak of the communication of Knowledge as being Education, we thereby really imply that Knowledge is a state or condition of mind.”(P.176) Since education is the way to communicate to students it makes sense that most professors would rather you understand the meaning or the steps behind your answer, instead of just the answer. I feel the point they’re trying to get across is that in any given situation, life throws your way, whether it is in your professional or personal life, the University will prepare you with the knowledge you need.



Knowledge + Education= Opportunity

Experiential Learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. When I was reading this active learning it became a synonymous meaning with episodic memory (which is also in the text). In my Applied Learning & Development class we’re learning why our memory chooses to remember certain stimuli. One reason for it is episodic memory, which is when something significant and/or interesting happens (out of the norm) and you instantly can recall that memory vividly. The same thing is true of experiential learning, when you have are more of an ability to “actively participate in the learning process rather than passively receiving knowledge,” (P.184) you are to gain more. In the passage it outlines 10 reasons why experiential learning is more meaningful. The one that is most important is number 10, which says, “It can make the value of education more obvious because you begin connecting information to the “real world.”(P.184)



Experiential Team

So, when we enter a University our expectations may not be what we had anticipated, yet we leave here knowing more in spite of it. “If then a practical end must be assigned to a University course, I say it is that of training good members of society.”(P.170)



University of Texas+ Experiential Learning=Me

Leadership

How To Spot a Tyrant was nothing like what I had imagined it to be. Dean Paul Woodruff narrated three plays, each explaining the tyranny that lived in everyday people. First, you can spot a tyrant by looking for these three traits: 1.Hubris, which leads to catastrophe, 2.Lawlessness, gets away with breaking the laws they enforce, and 3.Fear, of being undone so, they cling to power and frighten others. Not all tyrants believe themselves to be one, and usually all justify their ways by pardoning themselves. "In effective personal leadership, visualization and affirmation techniques emerge naturally out of a foundation of well thought through purposes and principles that become the center of a person's life." (P.134 Convey) According to Convey's book a true leader doesn’t need much to be effective, just a strong foundation of learned principles. This definition is the exact opposite of a tyrant.

John F. Kennedy-Leader


In the lecture, Dean Woodruff said, “A tyrant is a man or women, who has too much power, it goes to their head, and they think they are God.” I personally believe that a leader is first and foremost a person who can lead, but also a person who knows and will humbly follow his followers. You cannot expect people to give up their will and follow you if you were not first willing to do the same. In Convey's book he says it best, "The more genuine your character, the higher your level of proactivity, the more committed you really are to Win/Win-the more powerful your influence will be with that other person. This is the real test of interpersonal leadership." (P.222 Convey)

Saddam Hussein-Tyrant


There were three styles of plays-Ancient Greek, Modernism, and Shakespeare. He chose the styles particularly well, because the eras involved demonstrated the similarities between democracy and theater. The audience is King, where the people rule, and during Shakespeare's time the plays were made and dedicated to the royal family. Yet, the audience (actual towns people) were the ones who would dictate whether or not the stage would be full of live or dead bodies (which they favored, remember Romeo & Juliet).



Of the three stories, Antigone, Measure for Measure, and A Doll’s House, the one that spoke the most to me was A Doll’s House. The lesson to be learned from this play was that even through a tyrant's fear they can still control you and make you just as fearful as they are. Nora is treated like a doll, by her husband Torvald. His fear is what people may think of him, and those he considers to belong to him, his wife/doll. What scared me most about this type of tyranny is how closely it can resemble love. “He pampers her, protects her,”(P.3 Notes on The Three Lessons) although the sentiments seem sweet they're more affections of a dog and his owner, than husband and wife. He sets rules for her and she begins to fear him. "Two ways to put ourselves in control of our lives immediately make a promise-and keep it. Or we can set a goal-and work to achieve it." (P.92 Convey) She does just that, after realizing what her marriage really is, a dictator as a husband, she goes out to get an education and finally becomes free of tyranny.


Scene from A Doll's House

When Dean Woodruff said, “Freedom is the absence of tyranny,” I thought the quote was so simple yet summed up the lesson of the entire lecture. Tyranny is what makes plots so interesting, because of the conflict and havoc it brings. Ultimately I feel that the fight for freedom is what’s so universally recognized and admired, in the plot of stories, new and old.

Gandhi-Leader