Social Codes

We had a lot of fun that night—prom. Upon leaving she walked briskly ahead about three feet in front of me. That is when, in front of a dozen or so people, she tripped on her high heels and long, sleek red dress. She sat there on the ground laughing without a care in the world. Maybe that’s why she seems so attractive to me.

As she sat on the ground, society typically would laugh. Frankly, that’s exactly what society did. Rather than feeling shunned and embarrassed, her apathy became her freedom. By not caring of what everyone else thought about her the tension so commonly appearing between the individual and society never came to be.

-

Sitting in the CGS hallway outside Ms. Bilodeau’s room, it’s 7:18 am just before first period. Look left and see a cluster of CGS students outside Ms. Parham’s room. Look right and see an abundance of minor BMHS groups circumnavigating the hallways. We are caught in between. We are the bridge through the cultural divide.

Brien McMahon and CGS, together forming somewhat of a bipartisan school, has one commonality in the social code—conformity. Often CGS stays within itself; McMahon does the same. One or the other. Pick a side. We few stand in the middle. Though we are comparatively few in number we have adopted our own chosen stance—working for a tripartisan school.

-

Walking back from the servery, having just grabbed a slice of greasy, cold, overpriced pizza, a docile girl sped by me. She was attractive. Inquiring why salad was her daily meal, I called out to her in puzzlement.

“Because I’m on a diet.” she responded.

“But I told you, you’re in great shape. You work out all the time.”

“Okay, be honest. Do you think I’m fat?”

“NO!”

Every day she asked me that question. Every day I gave her the same answer. Knowing her for three years, I quickly learned she loved to eat. It isn’t so much that she worries of being overweight; she worries about what other people might think of her. I know this. She is trapped in the web of common societal understanding and belief and by herself she’s not strong enough to escape.

-

No one likes warm-ups in gym class, that is, except for one. After ditching study hall and joining a few friends in gym they quickly point out to me a particular character in the center of the gym. “Apparently it’s the Olympics in here, bro.” He was stretching on his own, headphones in. Jog down-and-back turned into a sprint. High knees turned into higher knees. Ten push-ups turned into thirty. And while we were mocking his “try-hard” nature on the side the rest of the gym classes did too. All he could here though was his own music.

“It’s just gym.” Those were the words of one PE teacher. Those were also the words of nearly every other student in proximity. That kid became an outcast nearly every day for not conforming. To everyone he’s “that kid that goes hard in gym.” It’s a hole society built around him that he may dread every day—by being looked negatively upon by those around him.

-

I left for Rowayton midway through fourth period. I needed to get the Chemistry homework from a friend. To the housemaster there are four sections in the cafeteria of which would be called up to eat in any random order: 1, 2, 3 (where I sit), and 4. But to us students, there’s only 1, 2, 3, and Rowayton. Everyone knows where Rowayton is. Wherever you find a few young and wealthy high school boys in khakis, Rowayton is not far away. It never changed.

Rowayton stayed within itself. It takes a few years to be fully inducted as a member of the family. Where you live helps. Social status helps. And some wealth helps your social status. Regardless, it was a VIP club where few people came and went.

-

He walks from class to class hunched over because of the weight of his backpack. His t-shirt (which is a little too tight) is tucked into his jeans at the belly-button. On his belt is a clip to hold his phone. It doesn’t look as if he’d shaved in quite a bit. And as a result, most of Brien McMahon laughs at him (inadvertently).

Clothing is simple at McMahon. The key is conforming. For guys, conforming is a simple, normal top and bottom along with a nice pair of shoes. For girls, it’s makeup, leggings, and any standard, normal top. The boy wore an obscure shoe for McMahon. That means Sketchers or Merrills. He wore a tight shirt that showed his slightly out-of shape figure. He wore a belt clip. His appearance will forever be ridiculed by society. Why is that? Because he didn’t look like everyone else.  

The True Theme Behind Henry David Thoreau's Walden

Page 263 – First Full Paragraph

Though many may think otherwise, Henry David Thoreau exemplifies the overall theme of Walden as he states “if one advances confidently in the nature of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours” (263). Within this paragraph, Thoreau uses his ethos, diction, and an incredible metaphor to put light on the true thesis of his novel.

In this paragraph, Thoreau indirectly recognizes and inevitably admits that the true, most successful lives are not those that endeavor to live in the woods but rather those who endeavor to live the way in which they want to be. Life, then, is valued in the eyes of its beholder. Later, he realizes that if one lives life the way he or she wishes to live it happiness, is inevitable. If you live the life you have always wanted then “solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.”

Throughout Walden, Thoreau explains his two years, two months, and two day experience in what many today would call solitude. Living out in the woods near Walden Pond in Massachusetts, he thoroughly explains the benefactors of nature without civilization by his discovery of enlightenment, himself, a sense of purpose so called the world. Here he calls it his “experiment” where he “put some things behind” and lived “with the license of a higher order of beings.” In it of itself, this is Thoreau’s story; it is the same story where he gave up society, a home, humanity and countless other relatives of civilization in order to acquire a new outlook on the world, one that let him look past all the fog that lies obstacles in life and, as a result, place himself upon the brightest thinkers humanity has ever seen.

After recognizing his ethos, the reader comes across a use of diction not very common throughout Walden, one that is extremely simple and direct. Thoreau’s word choice is here quite simple, with the most troublesome words possibly being: liberal, proportion, and solitude (Yes, ironically the most troublesome words are hardly at all troublesome). Through his use of simplistic sentence structure and short, sweet sentences, Thoreau established a sort of rhythm that made his paragraph all the more striking. His words and their use hit home and develop a sense of awe.

The last crucial piece of his paragraph lies as what I’d like to call a hanging metaphor, or a metaphor that is not explained but rather sitting there to be, or not be, picked up by the reader: “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them” (263). In other words, no aspiration or dream can be too big; all that remains after they are dreamt is the hard work and life required to fulfill that individual’s desires.  

Outsourcing: Bose on How it May Not be Too Catastrophic

Though many would like to argue that outsourcing negatively affects its host country through loss of jobs and a larger wealth gap, Indian architect Apurva Bose reveals a few clues as to why it may not be that bad after all. Making many strong claims, one of the first Bose is makes is that “the outsourcing bandwagon is experiencing unprecedented growth” and that will inevitably force some sort of economic change. This change after all may not be a bad thing, for she also mentions that outsourcing develops strong relationships between companies and between countries and therefore enable cultural exchange. This exchange, entirely due to technological advancement in communication, can happen easily and swiftly as if the two parties were ten minutes down the road from each other.  The last major claim Bose reveals to us is that from outsourcing comes a sense of inter-economic dependency between the two parties. By monopolizing work forces in certain populations outsourcing can unfortunately eradicate any sense of individuality within that field. However, for anyone to understand her claims one must realize the true reason as to why countries like China, Mexico, and India are so attractive to western companies—they provide means of which to hire a cheap workforce and thereby save money for the company.

Apurva Bose’s voice throughout her editorial functioned as a key rhetorical device. Working with her incredibly simple diction, it was able to produce an article appealing to the reader. Though many recognize “outsourcing” as a trigger word, Bose approaches the issue in a very practical manner. She comes across very neutral and extremely sincere, not at all authoritative. By using simple word-choice and an adequate  grammatical structure, Bose enabled herself to become relatable to the reader which could have made a huge difference pertaining to the fact that this editorial was released in London, England.  For example, her juxtaposition of argumentative paragraphs allows the reader to flow from one reason to another and understand how they are connected. Lastly, she personifies outsourcing as something that “seeks the blessings of an unswerving relationship and an understanding between the two parties involved.”      

Egyptian Outsourcing and Offshoring

Throughout the turmoil of present-day Egypt, the offshoring and outsourcing of jobs has inevitably pulled the Egyptian economy to great new heights.Being named the 2010 Offshoring Destination of the Year, the Egyptian economy has never looked so promising. Unfortunately, due to the spreading of jobs outside national borders and rising national unemployment, Egyptians has grown mixed feelings about the system. Run primarily by the private sector, outsourcing and offshoring of jobs have received extreme attacks from the Egyptian media which, not surprisingly biases the Egyptian public. One main reason for the success of the private sector then is that Egypt contains human resources that together “multilingual in 16 different languages” (Egypt’s ICT, Magued Osman). The pure lingual manpower therefore attribute to the success of the Egyptian private sector in many different countries worldwide. Altogether, the chairman of the European Outsourcing Association announced that “[Egypt] has proven itself to be both a strong player for European outsources and a gateway to the Middle East and Africa.” In essence, Egypt’s geographic nature and climate will amount to economic success. Besides oil, the Middle East and most of central to northern Africa does not do much prolific business with countries like China, Japan, Britain, or France. By opening up the Middle East in the international marketplace, Egypt will and has wreaked the rewards other nations had to offer. Therefore, if the current state of Egypt has resulted in varying perceptions and ideas about the outsourcing and offshoring of jobs, private organizations and corporations will continue to help the basis of the Egyptian economy which will give back to the Egyptian people over time through wealth, jobs, and culture.

Ibrahim, Mohamed. "Egypt as a Global Offshoring Destination." Egypt as a Global Offshoring Destination. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

"Egypt Named Offshoring Destination of the Year at the Inaugural European Outsourcing Association Awards." -- BRUSSELS, June 29 /PRNewswire/ --. PR Newswire, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Osman, Magued. "Egypt's ICT A General Overview." Mcit.gov.eg. Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Code Switching--Dialectic Speech is Unique to its Own Dialect

Language, through its distinctive and differing forms of expression, can inevitably give a specific class of people a form of identity.  These dialects can be either inclusive or exclusive based on the culture of said group.  One example lies with Formal English, with which this paragraph is written, is a language that can be taught and spoken in almost any defined setting where formality is appropriate.  However, a colloquial slang is a language that is not entirely accepted in any defined setting.  As a teenager in school, one may find that slang is acceptable when Formal English may not.  However, in a formal workplace, slang is not acceptable under any circumstances.   

One example of a formal sentence could be:

The young man became fully enraged and excerpted his anger in a rather grotesque nature.   

How we speak, though its different sometimes, determines who we are.  The languages we speak can welcome or exclude anyone at any given time.  Standard English is one example because it’s the normal English we speak every day.  It’s simply natural.  Then there’s Formal English that has a few gray areas.  In most cases it can be spoken practically anywhere.  But then there are places where it is too quote on quote “formal” for an occasion.  In school Standard English is entirely acceptable because it is literally how we speak.  Formal English may not be acceptable based on the culture of the school you’re in.  In a school like McMahon, where slang is more predominate than formal, Formal English would not be widely accepted. 

One example of a standard sentence could be:

The guy was really mad and he let it all out in a pretty weird way.

How a person talk sometimes different.  But a right cuh would know that your either in or your out.  Thats just how it is.  All these guys speaking formal n’ shit.  Thats for work and stuff bro.  That stuff dont fly around here cuh.  A straight n*gga would know that.  If they think that shit flies then they can come down.  In McMahon you either speak normal or you don’t.  Theres no gray area.
                  

One example of a “slang” sentence could be:

This n*gga was wallin’.  Then he started actin sus as f*ck.

Formal, Standard, and Colloquial English follow suit to a standard societal hierarchy.  It starts at the top with Formal, then goes to the bulk where Standard is, then reaches the bottom with slang.  Society built to look at it that way, its not fair but I mean oh well.  At the peak of the chain, those of formal spoken English regard within their language a set of grammar rules and principles that give them a sense of “formality” and thereby benefit from the social cues of society.  A sense of strict grammar puts a “civilized” look on people.  And then the bottom chain gets nothin’, like they don’t exist.  At the opposite end of the spectrum society grants slang an immature, barbaric label.
 

No matter what we language one speaks in, society place a label upon you.  In Norwalk, those who speak in the “formal” dialect will be deemed well educated and most likely wealthy.  Those who speak with slang will then be labeled less educated and less financially fortunate.  Is this entirely correct in all cases? No.  That is just what label society puts on a particular person.  When writing above, the most difficult to speak was colloquial.  This was puzzling because, in fact, I spend a lot of time around slag at Brien McMahon.  Those who speak in slang have only a handful of words to choose from.  Occasionally, words are made up but, unfortunately the “dictionary of slang” is rather bleak.  In contrast, Formal English is the easier to type in due to its wide array of words to choose from.  Standard English, however, is the easiest simply because it is the dialect I speak in.  In my opinion, Standard English is defined as the common ground between formal and slang; it is the middle class so to speak where the bulk of the population exists.  As you may have noticed in the first paragraph of my Recap I rotated between each dialect with each ongoing sentence.  This form of code switching can be extremely difficult when one is trying to type a complete thought.  Simply put, there are connotations, figures of speech, and just ways of speaking that these dialects don’t share.  Identity then, is granted in how we speak, not in what we say; there is a plurality of methods for one to express their beliefs and they cannot be interchanged between dialects.     

**I apologize if I offended anyone in the writing of this blog.  I do not feel hatred to any race, gender, ethnicity, language, or religion.  This blog is merely acknowledging that how we speak to one another can create communities, cultures, stereotypes, or any other societal trait imaginable. 

                                                                                                                                                         

Lust for Oil--The Everlasting Phenomenon (Bonus Blog)

 Ukraine, as seen in the political map below, is a country rich in oil—the “liquid gold” of the 20^th and 21^st century.  Finding this out frightened me for one significant reason, nearly every Middle Eastern encounter the United States and Russia have played a part in, with or without the other, has been for a lust of today’s oil.  According to recent polls, at the rate of world consumption the Earth will dry up every known oil stockpile by the 2050s.  Big countries like the U.S., Russian Federation, and Republic of China have economies placed on the backs of oil consumption.  If the world was to dry up this nonrenewable resource will devastate almost every country’s economy, especially those with larger populations. 

Reaching back to 1979, what was known as the “White Revolution” was taking place in Iran by it’s supposed Islamic government.  Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, the shah or king at the time, was placed into power by the U.S. government to combat the previously “Pro-Soviet Union” shah who was supplying Iran’s northern neighbors with tremendous amounts of oil and money.  Pahlavi took control and attempted to “westernize” his Islamic republic.  Causing extreme turmoil and counteraction against his corruption, the Iranian Revolution broke out in 1979 where, unfortunately, several Americans were taken hostage from our embassy.  Have you ever seen Argo? Well, yeah. 

Though the same argument for U.S. lust for oil appeared on several other cases (including the Gulf War and Iran-Iraq War), the Ukrainian conflict is the most similar that the issue explained above.  In both cases, Russia initiated conflict and spread its spheres of influence further so to slowly gain more and more control.  The Crimean region of Ukraine is the province of which the most number of inhabitants are Russian or speak in that same tongue.  On the border of the black sea with huge cities Sevastopol and Simferopol, this region can act as both a port to the Mediterranean Sea and a “reason” for other nearby provinces to join Russia.  In this case, Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation, took advantage of public distaste for their current ruler (just as the United States did in the years prior to 1979), and gave the Ukrainian people an “alternate” solution.  If Crimea joins Russia, you can count that other close provinces may as well.  But why is this a fear for me, a citizen of the United States? Ever since the dawn of the Cold War, both the U.S. and Russia have been enacting a foreign policy of militarism.  At its climax, a conversation between our president and their prime minister contained the recognition that the U.S can “destroy” Russia “over 3000 times” which was followed closely by “we can [blow you up] only once, but that is [fine] with us.”  Simply put, practically the entire eastern portion of Ukraine is Russian (or speaks Russian).  A supermajority of Ukraine’s largest oil and natural gas fields lie in the East.  And so, Russia has a window to gain. 

What frightens me about the situation is that whenever Russia “infringes upon” another nation’s natural rights, the United States most often plays the role as the “Global Police”.  The military power at hand, if the U.S. and Russia enter a conflict, will be enough to cause world-wide devastation not only to economies but to lives.  A theme has arisen where Vladimir Putin pushes Barack Obama, and Obama puts him back in his place.  Putin is not afraid to challenge America.  That’s what scares me. 

The Bluest Eye Response (#4) -- A Curse or a Crutch

One common theme that arises in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye is the role of society in determining one’s own beliefs.  In the novel, the very first page of the prologue reiterates the story of Dick and Jane repeatedly three times.  Seen today, many look at that piece as one prominent source of gender stereotyping.  In 1970, when Morrison’s book was first published, it may have had a different meaning (but that is for another day).  The key is that this novel introduces stereotypes and forms of judging others right upon the dawn of its first page.  Moments thereafter appear with a similar pattern—cause and effect.  At first, society’s love for the white race puts Claudia, a poor black girl, in a position lacking fortune.  The beloved standard for a little girl has been set and Claudia is not among them.  Cause.  She goes on to receive dolls for Christmas and her birthday.  Instead of treasuring them, she dismantles them tearing their arms in horrid directions and creating a figure found in horror films.  The once cute, white, blue eyed dolls became unsalvageable.  Effect.  Later, Cholly Breedlove falls victim to alcohol and unemployment.  Dating from his misfortunes his family plummets deeper into the hole of poverty they have been entrenched in ever since their migration north.  Cholly put his whole family, especially his daughter Pecola, in a vulnerable position in society.  His sleeping naked and his abuse of his family gives the fangs of society a chance to bite.  Cause.  His son, Sammy, runs away.  His wife, once a hard-nosed, self-respecting woman, turns to becoming a house maid for a source of income; she becomes the servant for a white family, among them a young toddler girl.  Pecola becomes ostracized within school.  She is constantly made fun of and bullied.  Effect.  Soaphead Church marries the love of his life, only to be divorced and heartbroken.  Cause.  He results to child molestation and becomes a sociopath.  Effect.  The point of these scenarios is that society builds a commonality, a stereotype of who you should be.  Claudia, the Breedloves, and Soaphead Church challenge these stereotypes and become separated from society, distanced from the rest of the world.  The human body, its mind and its actions, define how you as a person are viewed by the group.  One commonality among all these examples is that the view, as readers, we display is either sympathy, disgust, or both. We created these perceptions and, in Pecola and Claudia’s cases, the character has no choice but to make do with the situation they adopted upon birth. The opportunity then arises to either abide by society’s beliefs (as Pecola did during a majority of the novel) or ignore them for one’s own sake (as seen through Soaphead Church).  Overall, the novel displays the idea that the body is either a curse or a crutch based off the iron fist of society.  Cause.  The mind, however, is beautiful, because it enables us to be happy despite the scenario we adopted upon birth or misfortune.  Effect.       

Ad Analysis: Tesa and Bush

Though perceptions of George Bush may have and continued to vary since his presidency, one company that took advantage of Bush's "big mouth" was Tesa, a company based in Germany that sold adhesive tape as its major product. This, and many other ads similar, was created by Heads Propaganda. The other ads mentioned followed the same format, only with a different person and quote.  They denounced the Prime Minister of Portugal, the Prime Minister of Italy, and Hugo Chavez.  Heads Propaganda typically works as a publishing company in Brazil. Also, upon looking at the ad one can easily tell Tesa is not fond of George Bush and uses his quotation to justify its view.

One of the most prominent forms of rhetoric used in this advertisement is the use of color and font.  As you can see, George Bush along with any writing is in black and white.  The only color available to the reader is that of the tape: red. Therefore, it quickly attracts the viewer's attention as being the first comprehensible thing seen.  Then one's eyes move either right to see "The world needs tape like this" or left to see the brand name "Tesa". After, one's eyes zoom out to realize the tape is covering George Bush's mouth then finally the quotation seems to appear: "Are you going to ask that question with shades on? For the viewer's there's no sun." followed closely by "George Bush, addressing a blind reporter at a press conference." The font throughout this ad is standard Times New Roman with a small font, unlike the "Unhate" ad we previously encountered in class.  This emphasizes a sense of neutrality which works to take the pressure off President Bush and put emphasis on the name brand.  

Though I believe Tesa's main goal was to promote their product, I do not think an ad of this sort would be very effective too far after Bush's outburst.  I believe the main purpose of this ad was to promote Tesa's tape by riding the wave of anger the public put on George Bush.  Other than promoting its own product, though slightly radical, could be a proponent of red tape.  "Red tape" in government is anything that prevents legislation or progress from occurring.  To this day, a filibustering senator, expansive bureaucracy, a too many standard operating procedures are just three examples of red tape.  This ad may suggest that, with red tape over his mouth, that President Bush is himself red tape for America.  His "big mouth" and quick trigger for the war on terrorism have not boosted his reputation at all.  In fact, many people dread him.       

Midterm Blog - The Media's Stereotypes are our Stereotypes

In order to venture through the cultural space of Fairfield County, you must take in the cultural ideals and norms favored across the country, particularly through the media.  Besides a bi-monthly call to Aunt Jenny in California, you must ask yourself: How else do I come in touch with these states so distant from my own?  The United States is a country of over three hundred million people, not everyone can fit into an area the size of Connecticut.  Whether it’s through a TV, radio, computer, carrier pigeon, etc, we must realize that the media has utmost control over how Americans communicate and build perceptions of people across the country.  Separate from making stereotypes, the media also gives people a sense of conformity in their natural environment.  

Whether it be my sister’s beloved (and my dreaded) Pretty Little Liars, my father’s SportsCenter, or my own “Whatever has Jennifer Lawrence in it”, whatever ends up playing on my television creates an image for people to look up to (or down to).  Before addressing stereotypes, one must contemplate: Why do we watch television or listen to the media?  To be frank, there are an abundance of answers to a plethora of questions: Why do people watch the news? To keep updated in their area or the nation.  Why do my sister’s like Pretty Little Liars?  Because they are captivated by the drama.  Why do I watch anything with Jennifer Lawrence in it?  Because I love JLaw.  Therefore, why do we watch television?  For comfort, a natural piece of human nature.  TV makes us feel good; it’s this simple.  But then why not expand the idea further to say, music?  This argument can spread across the whole of the media.  Whether it be genres of music or screenplay, or any other rogue voice in the media, each comforts us humans and “captivates” us based on our acceptance of what is being displayed.

Now we can analyze the stereotypes which, I’m sorry to say, is not the last stop on this media adventure.  After the audience is captivated by what’s shown on screen or voiced behind a microphone, their acceptance enables the image to be portrayed into their mind.  For an example, when you think of New Jersey, many people will think: guidos, spray tans, GTL (Gym-Tan-Laundry) and partying.  Thanks Jersey Shore.  Now half the country looks at your state in a very inaccurate manner.  Another example could be in music: in the rap genre most older generations see a distasteful, corrupting, bad minded spirit of music that has no shortage of terrible English and immoral motives.  Thanks Lil’ Wayne.  Thanks Wiz Khalifa.  Thanks Snoop Dogg.  When hearing the word “rap” not often does one think of Macklemore (who raps fighting for gay rights), Lupe Fiasco (who raps for peace and civil rights), or Eminem who raps for his daughters.  In essence, the media does not create stereotypes; we do.  

These perceptions taken on by communities often mold a sense of being or a precedent to be adhered and conformed to.  Too often a common idea dominating a certain field overwhelms newcomers, furthering its place in contemporary society.  CGS, unfortunately, is a good example.  Though unfair and blatantly ignorant, many everyday Brien McMahon Senators look down on our “minority” as being weird, different, and unwilling to conform.  That’s the key: conformity.  This stereotype is not adopted by students upon a realization say, two years into the school.  This stereotype is enforced onto incoming freshmen by their predecessing upper classmen.  In this hierarchical structure, what those on the top of the food chain say goes.  And so a stereotype is accepted by society and allowed to grow.              

Midterm Blog - The Center for Global Studies' Differential Unity

The Center for Global Studies is unique in its own makeup compared to other schools within Fairfield County due to its drastic diversity and cultural backgrounds.  Many schools like Darien, New Canaan, Danbury, and Fairfield Ludlowe tend to not vary in ethnicity tremendously when compared to the cultural sense of that area’s population.  SImply put, there is not much diversity in many schools in Fairfield County.  Inner city schools, particularly those in Norwalk and Stamford tend to be more diverse than those of smaller towns like Joel Barlow and Greenwich.  Regardless, none of these schools compare to the Center for Global Studies.  

Though Brien McMahon may show some sense of diversity, what CGS brings to the table is astonishing.  Being a magnet school, we attract students with ethnicities venturing all across the globe.  From Lebanon, China, Germany, and Brazil to Japan, England, India, and Mexico and across the seven continents, CGS has roots.  This sense, besides differentiating our small school from schools across Fairfield County, creates our own cultural space, our own cultural atmosphere.  In essence, being different is why we are so similar.  

Besides having different cultural backgrounds, many in CGS face different economic and social backgrounds as well.  A life in Darien is not the same as a life in Stratford which is not the same as life in Bridgeport nor a similar to a life in Trumbull.  Though their are wage gaps between the cities and towns of Fairfield County, these gaps do not hinder the Center for Global Studies, they help.  Differences separate people.  In our county, you can find an abundance of differentiations but often cannot find differentiations living together in unity.  This is why CGS is so significant and, to be realistic, valuable.

What different cultures, religions, and societies bring to the table becomes a feast of knowledge and understanding.  Many schools settle to a specific curriculum and bore their students to new heights without caring too much for the outcome of their students.  CGS does not fall under that category.  In its name and its mission statement, the Center for Global Studies does not leave its students behind.  I believe the true value in our school is not for what it teaches you, it exists in what CGS does not teach you: how to learn.  Yes, the Center for Global Studies, in my own humble opinion, does not teach its students how to learn.  I believe that is what’s so “different” about us.  We are not taught how to think, we are prompted to find out for ourselves.  In the words of my sister, a graduate from, well, not CGS: “I don’t know how to learn.  I was never taught ‘how to learn’.  I was taught A + B = B + A.”  My sister was taught the fundamentals.  She was taught that “that’s just how it is” and never questioned why.  She never questioned, “What about C?”  This is where the Center for Global Studies is so different from every other school.  The plethora of differences bring unity, and that unity gives us a sense of understanding.            

                  

Midterm Blog - The Gift of the Mentally Challenged

The understanding of equality in today’s society blankets around the idea that everyone has equal rights, equal voice, and equal opportunities to strive up and beyond social norms.  In a typical utopian society this precedent may last unaltered but today’s society is not one bit utopian.  Today, those who are diagnosed as mentally challenged face silenced discrimination every day without their knowing.  

As for the media, rarely do people with down syndrome appear on national television or on the big screen.  Of the few movies focused around the mentally challenged, one of the most significant is titled “The Ringer”.  In this movie, the main character (played by Johnny Knoxville, a character in Jackass) accepts a bet to erase his debt where he must fake being mentally challenged, rig the Special Olympics, and earn some friends along the way.  Though this may seem like a very negative movie thus far, director Barry Blaustein, quickly revamps the bulk of the movie into a plot that emphasizes the mentally challenged as often being model human beings.  At the climax of his movie, in a 400 meter dash, the favorite to win hurts his leg and is put in a position not to finish.  Steve, Johnny Knoxvilles’ character, is forced to make a decision: win the race and save his debt or turn around and help Jimmy (the favorite) finish the race.  Here marks Steve’s transformation from a selfish, egotistical man at the start of the movie to one withholding morals and virtues at the end.  His alteration lies side by side with the movie’s structure as it transforms from a story making fun of the mentally challenged to a story proving that those with down syndrome may not be the mentally handicapped after all.  

Too often in society we shorthand the mentally challenged.  Too often we look down on them as if it is their fault they were born with a genetic mutation.  Too often do we fail to realize the gift those mentally challenged have when compared to the rest of society.  Behind the curtains the today’s social norms lie an abundance of corruption and disdain.  We often look at those of different races, genders, religions, etc. as different people.  We let our lives get corrupted with hate and remorse.  We let stereotypes rule our lives.  

I have a friend, or in this case teammate who is mentally challenged.  Jaime is a Brien McMahon freshmen who is making his transition from freshmen football to Varsity football.  Prior to this upcoming season, Jaime practiced with his fellow freshmen and, when late August sets in, he will be practicing with players up to two grades older than him.  Jaime never misses a meeting.  Jaime never misses practice.  Jaime never misses weight room.  Jaime is the most upbeat teammate I know.  When seeing him in the hallway he always has a smile on his face.  He always seems to be the happiest kid I know.  That is his blessing.  His shield from the world’s hate is his genetic mutation.  It is a lens against the bad and a magnifying glass for the good.  I believe if our society were to look at life a little bit more like Jaime does, our lives would be a lot nicer; a lot friendlier; a lot kinder.  Maybe there would be less gossip, less worrying about another person’s business.  Maybe people will stop finding fault with each other.  Maybe our lives could become somewhat harmonious.  

Midterm Blog - Finding Nemo's Relation to Child Fragility

Pixar’s Finding Nemo, a movie about a father’s chaotic journey through treacherous scenarios to find his kidnapped son reflects the pure beauty of family and how a child should always listen to his or her parents.  In this rather cute, animated twist, Disney conveyed to opposing views: that children are often worshipped in society and that a child should always abide to his or her elders.  

In most cartoon movies or television shows, children are deemed the most delicate pieces of society.  The plot and characters of what hits the television are not necessarily important; what is important, however, is the tone, diction, and structure of these screenplays.  

A prominent characteristic of Finding Nemo, like many other Pixar movies, is where the main character (most likely young or relating to young children) is faced with problems that he escapes with someone else’s help.  In this movie, Nemo always seems to get himself caught into a pickle, only to be saved by either his friends or by his father.  For an example, in the fishtank, Gill saves Nemo from being sucked up in the filter.  Then later, upon his escape from the dreaded Darla and the dentist’s office, Nigel (the pelican) gave Nemo and his friends the key idea on how to escape.  After playing dead, Nemo found his way to Sydney’s Bay.  Finally, after relying on his friends, Nemo saved an entire school of fish by telling them to swim down after being caught in a mass feeding frenzy by local fishermen.  The climax of the film, here Nemo becomes the “hero” and saves the day while getting reunited with his father.    

Though the story is rather cute, the most significant attribute is the structure which seems to repeat in many Pixar movies.  In Finding Nemo, the main character is faced with many troubles only to be relieved by his friends and family.  The climax of the movie appears when the protagonist saves the day by himself.  This sort of structure seems to play over in movies like The Lion King, Mulan, and Toy Story.  

Another prominent attribute of this Pixar film is parental role which also correlates to many of the movies previously stated.  Before his capture and Nemo’s first day of school, Marlin told his son not to swim out into open water and to stay with the class.  Obviously defying what his father told him, Nemo swam out into the open water at “the drop off” in order to prove to his friends that he wasn’t scared to “touch the butt”.  Not surprisingly, Nemo then gets captured by divers.  

The last significant characteristic of Disney movies in general are their tone towards the younger audience.  In almost a countless number of these children’s movies we find a very gentle tone appealing to the intended audience.  These movies dabble with cute yet surreal characters, a happy, bubbly tone, and a traditional hero ending.  Nowhere in these movies would you find horror, tragedy, or vice.  This is because of society’s view on the next generation as being young, delicate, and emotional.  

Ownership is Nothing Without Perception

Whether it's inanimate or only existing in one's mind "ownership" over something is not necessarily a boost to one's class, but what separates humanity from itself and other species.  In my mind, ownership is possession and in so stating there are countless forms of ownership, not all of whom are accepted with open arms.  One may possess a certain disease or malignancy.  Someone may be plagued with a deformity or disorder; nonetheless possession or ownership can define who we are in a society as small as a school or as great as a planet.  No too people are the same right?

Take humanity first for example.  What makes humans different from animals?  What makes us civilized or uncivilized?  Men or beasts? The answer is possession.  Our species uniquely owns a rare, ever expanding brain that can process tons more information than brains of different species.  These brains have taken advantage of tools and water, opposable thumbs, and branched to create a civilization of more than 6 billion creatures developing and acquiring knowledge for itself.

Within our species, ownership of different outlooks on life is prevalent in finding difference among human mentality.  Leftist Democrats at one end of the political spectrum, for example, look at politics very differently than right-winged conservative Republicans at the opposite side.  In literature and the media, Marvel superheroes and super-heroines command different super powers that make them different from each other and general society.  These powers can either be mental or physical, which prompts the physical difference of human beings.  Here’s a hint, clones haven’t come into full production yet so, at the time, humanity only gets duplicates when born out of the same womb or with a random freaky coincidence.  Regardless, finding a non-twin double of yourself is practically impossible.  To make the point blatantly obvious, each human on Earth has a unique genetic makeup that makes them different from everyone else (physically at the least).  

Ownership is then a human right.  Besides separating humanity from animals, possessing something grants one the freedom to exploit it (or explore it, to put it nicely for Annie, my blog commenter ;) ).  One may, for example, exploit the benefits of owning a car.  Another example can be one’s ability to look at scenarios from different angles to literally maintain a different, rare outlook on life.  In essence, owning something gives the owner a sense of freedom.  This freedom can work many wonders; it can be an escape, an opportunity, an obstacle, or anything else one may believe.  Whether it be possessing a disability or owning a sensitive super nose (Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie), owning something can benefit in a number of ways.  Therefore, it means a lot to own something.  Many don’t realize it but life actually is a game of snakes and ladders but, if you keep your eyes open, your ears open, and pay attention, it won’t be that bad of a ride after all.