Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Event Analysis


I really enjoyed reading Father Linnane’s State of the University speech. During his address to staff members, students, alumni, and other who might have been listening, he expressed the plan set out to improve the university. He touched on many different areas of the school that would all work to enhance the overall quality of the school. I found that I really loved all the proposals that he spoke of.
 In the beginning of his speech, he addressed that although the goals originally set for 2013 will not be accomplished in that timeframe, he is no less determined for these objectives to be carried out. These targets are still considered extremely important and will not be set aside. His persistence is comparable to the perseverance voiced in Gary Gildner’s “First Practice.” The commander in this poem expresses that he will not accept loss or failure. Instead, success is the only option. This is similar to what Father Linnane expresses in his oration. The goals designed in 2008 as part of “Grounded in Tradition, Educating for the Future” will not be dismissed because they cannot be achieved by 2013. Instead, the team has given themselves a longer period to accomplish them. The initiatives are very important and thus must not be let go.
The speaker in Richard Hague’s “Directions for Resisting the SAT” asserts that true happiness, success, and vitality do not necessarily come from the affairs that are often considered highly important in life. The SAT’s are a highly stressed part of life and are often used as a form of the measurement of success. However, the speaker argues that satisfaction and prosperity comes from the entirety of a person. This is the very focus of the Jesuit principle. Jesuit education, which Father Linanne and other faculty of the university are working to improve, is focused on the person in every aspect. Father Linanne addresses matters of education, professional experience, community service, athletics, No one area can measure the value of a person. The speaker also states that a person should “make your marks on everything.” This is another principle that our Jesuit university promotes.
One element particularly important to Loyola University is the effort towards reaching out and bettering the surrounding community. The Sampsons, whose story is told in “Serving Up Hope,” and members of the Loyola Community share a mutual belief in making a difference in the community. The Sampsons work to bring those in the community who are struggling back to solid ground. Their motivation is solely from love and respect of others. This is the same reason for community service that Father Linanne encouraged during his State of the University address.
Father Linanne spoke of so many wonderful ways to improve the university. Reading this speech showed how the university is continually working very hard to advance. I found that it made me fall in love with the school even more, reminding me of all the great objectives and principles it stands for. The speech gave me a deeper insight to the focus of Loyola University. It revealed how much Loyola really cares about not only its students but also the surrounding community. 

Service Analysis

Erin Soracco
English 101-21
October 31, 2012
            This Monday, because of the storm, service at Acts4Youth was canceled.  However, past weeks have really stuck out to me still, and I am constantly thinking about my time helping out underprivileged boys.  I look very forward to seeing the faces I have grown close to over the past few weeks every Monday.  Two poems we read this week titled, “Directions for Resisting the SAT,” written by Richard Hague, and “First Practice,” by Gary Gildner, and a short story called “A Father,” by Bharati Mukherjee, all can be related to the service I have done.  This is because of the idea of breaking away from what people tell you to do and follow what you believe in, the idea of continuing something that may be difficult, and the idea of having respect for everyone.
            The poem about taking the SAT’s stresses the lack of purpose of them for students.  The author says things like “Do not believe in October or May,” and “Do not observe the rules of commas and history.”  When first reading, the theme of the poem seems pretty straight forward; do not take the SAT’s because they are pointless for life.  However, a deeper meaning than this can be conveyed because the author really is saying that just a test will not define a person, and not following the norm of these days is what is important.  At the end he says to “Desire to live whole, and follow no directions.”  These words are strong because the author wants the reader to know he or she can do what she wants to do in life.  Service is somewhat like this since it allows us to be who we want to be, to serve and help others in need.  It lets us be free to help others; not because we have to but because we want to.
            The poem “First Practice” represents the situations of people beginning their first of “something.”  A first time at anything can be a little nerve-racking and scary.  It also may be difficult to accomplish because nerves kick in as well as the fear of losing.  In the poem I believe the speaker is talking about either a first practice of a sport, and is relating it to the military.  These two things can be similar since there is both a coach and a general telling the men what to do.  However, the poem also represents endurance and strength to continue what is important.  “And if we are to win that title I want to see how,” is a line in the poem that really shows the coaches hopes for the team.  In service, there is neither a coach nor a general telling us what to do, but there are the boys that I am helping that subconsciously desires for us to “win” in serving them.  When I see them and how well they can do in life I really strive to serve because I want to and know it will be best for them.
            The short story “A Father” is about a man and his wife who have a daughter as well.  The story ends up telling us that the daughter is pregnant from a father who is “a bottle and a syringe.”  This is totally against Mr. and Mrs. Bhowmick’s practices, and the pregnant daughter’s father ends up hitting her stomach with a rolling pin as hard as he can.  This story teaches us that respect for everyone is critical.  The father of the daughter should be excited for her new baby, no matter where the baby is from.  He has to learn how to be a proud grandfather, and this even connects to how Kahu’s great-grandfather, Koro, needs to respect her.  Service can be related to this because even though we may not connect to every boy at Acts4Youth right away, we need to learn how to respect every single one of them.  This is important in life as well because that is what makes the world function.
            These important aspects of following what you want to do, never giving up, and having respect for everyone all can relate to service.  These are important to follow through with because in order to succeed in serving, never giving up can definitely help.  Also, following what you believe in and helping how you think will help is very important.  Finally, respecting everyone no matter who they are will let the people being served know what is important to you, which is to serve.   

Event Analysis


Michael Armstrong
10/31/12
Service Analysis
EN 101
The Unseen Consequences of Success 

After reading Father Linnane’s “State of the University” speech I felt a certain level of accomplishment. In a subtle way Father Linnane successfully complimented everyone involved in the Loyola University community. From the faculty and staff to every new student Father Linnane, complimented us in away that was both uplifting and humbling. His speech had striking similarities to the other works that we had to read this week.
Father Linnane challenged us all to succeed in every aspect of our lives while, strongly rooting ourselves the principles of a Jesuit University. Father Linnane highlighted the recent improvement in application rates and Division I athletics, but at the same time stated the need for further development. He stated that, “All of these initiatives, as you’ll recall, are designed to support our fundamental goal of becoming the nation’s leading Catholic, comprehensive university.” This statement hints to the fact that the future success of Loyola University coincides with our ability and willingness to separate ourselves from others. Father Linnane stressed how important it is for Loyola University to be successful in a way that doesn’t follow the traditional formula of success. In addition, he states it is imperative that the University continues down its unique path of success that is originally rooted in Jesuit beliefs and traditions. The idea of uniqueness and individuality that will eventually breed success can be seen in the messages of other works we have read.
In Richard Hague’s, “ Directions for Resisting the SAT,” we become innately aware of the detrimental nature of standardization. Hague pays serious attention to the importance of remaining a unique and irreplaceable individual. In his poem we see the speaker stating that we should not, “observe the rules of gravity. /” This quote suggests to the reader that conventional wisdom such as gravity, commas, or even history are subjects worth our observation, but we should not fixate on them. Hague argues that we must break free of those strict rules because they hinder our “desire to live whole. /” In addition Hague states we should, “ follow no directions/” and, “ Listen to no one. /” Hague suggests that an independent mind set, such as the one described above, will allow readers to become more independent and, “ Make your mark on everything.”
Furthermore, Hague points out this message to an intended audience of teenagers. Those who are in the process of taking standardized tests, like the SAT, face this issue of standardization seemingly every second of their high school lives. As someone who has recently gone through the process of standardized tests this poem has personal significance, and does a great job of undermining the overwhelming idea of standardization. (I find it important to not that Loyola, being a unique Jesuit University, is one of the few SAT/ACT optional schools in the country!)
“Directions for Resisting the SAT” has a subversive message that highlights the importance of creating your own future from your own individual model. Hague’s message sheds light on the way in which rules can often become barriers for success, and how no one person can be summarized by a number, test, or even a few words.  These messages contrast with the militaristic structure of “First Practice” by Gary Gildner.
Gildner uses the physical structure of the poem and emphasizes the drawbacks of competition to draw attention to the unintended consequences of success. Gildner structures “First Practice” into two separate stanzas connected by the two words, “No one.” Those two words are significant because the represent the sole barrier that divides the two stanzas. In many ways that line is symbolic of a coach or referee of two different teams. In addition, the two separate stanzas come to represent the two lines that the speaker says Clifford Hill divided them into. This stanza structure draws attention to the divisional properties of competition.
Gildner uses Clifford Hill as a symbol to represent the drawbacks of too much competition. The speaker characterizes Clifford Hill as a, “man who believed dogs/ ate dogs” Meaning that Clifford Hill has a mentality that every other man in the world is in competition with him therefore, he must compete against them. Hill is described as a bully, and one who, “ hates to lose.” Gildner uses this characterization of Clifford Hill as a symbol of the success driven society that we live in today. Furthermore, Gildner draws the reader focus on how people have become too focused on winning that they can no longer see the benefits of losing. When Clifford Hill states, “ I don’t want to see/ any marks when you’re dressed, /” The reader gets an impression that anything short of winning is unacceptable, and that you will be looked down upon if you fail to succeed. Gildner suggests that the success-oriented society we live in misses the potential benefits of losing or failing, like the benefits of learning from mistakes. As a result, we become weaker as a whole society, and we forget about the unknown consequences of success that are often harmful. A possible solution to this bleak success oriented society is more people like Chef Sampson.
In Stephanine Shapiro’s, “ Serving Up Hope” Chef Sampson is idealized as a figure that represents success in its purist form. If Chef Sampson had attended Loyola University I believe Father Linnane would be overjoyed with the way Chef Sampson has gone about his life.  As executive chef at the five-star restaurant Harbor Court, Chef Sampson could have easily stayed at Harbor Court, and continued up the culinary ladder. Fortunately, he decided to, “switch roles,” and begin a path of community building. This path that Chef Sampson went down epitomizes how Jesuits define success. Chef Sampson was at the pinnacle of his culinary career. He seem to succeed in ways that some chefs can only dream of. However, Sampson never lost sight of his true ambitions of community building. After Sampson started “Chefs in the Making” he continued to help those suffering from drug issues. Sampson’s creation of “Chaefs in the Making” is a culmination of his success in the culinary world, and in the community.  This community outlook is an example of achievement that is the result of a person who remained rooted in sound morals. In Bharati Mukherjee’s, “A Father” we see the resulting consequences of one who loses sight of how they define success.
In the short story, “A Father” Mukherjee illustrates the unfortunate the common side effects of success. Mr. Bhowmick, a father and husband, is by all means a successful man. After leaving India he secured a job as, “Chief Engineer,” for General Motors in Detroit. Coming from nothing in India Mr. Bhowmick’s apparent accomplishments would make most believe he leads a happy and comfortable life. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. He states that he does, “not love his wife now, and he had not loved her then (during the wedding).” In addition, he gets very little satisfaction from his highly successful daughter. What Mukherjee suggests from all of this is that success can be incredibly constructive or destructive. In cases like Chef Sampson we see the constructive nature of success, however in a case illustrated in “A Father” where the climax of the story results in Mr. Bhowmick striking his daughter we see the destructive nature of success. Additionally, in, “A Father” we see the blinding property of success. Mr. Bhowmick became so caught up in his views of success that he neglects to see the family he created. He becomes blinded by his idea of success, and as a result he comes to destroy.

Reaching Happiness


Megan Ferguson
October 31, 2012
Event/Service Analysis

          The short story, “The Father” by Bharati Mukherjee, the article “Serving up Hope” written by Stephanie Shapiro, and the two poems, ”Directions for Resisting the SAT” by Richard Hague and Gary Gildner’s poem titled “First Practice” and my experience at the Walk for Autism this Saturday all fall under the same theme of creating your own path and carving your own happiness.  Each type of literature or activity conveys the same goal of a search for destiny and the attempt to find it.

            In The Father, Mr. Bhowmick is searching for his individualism, but is presented with a few obstacles. He is faced with an American-like daughter and mother that do not support his Hindu beliefs. This obstacles and culture clash presents an issue and fuels the story. As the story begins, the reader begins to notice that the woman has more power. What she says, goes. The husband attempts to guard himself with comebacks, but ends up getting shut down by the wife once again. This observation is shown in the first scene. When Mr. Bhowmick is praying before breakfast, the wife makes him stop his prayers in order to eat the French toast. This shows an obstacle in searching for your own individuality, especially your spiritual one. As the breakfast was ready, Mr. Bhowmick’s prayers had just begun and were forced to stop them in order to listen to his wife. He proves this obstacles when he states, “The woman in his family were smarter than him. They were cheerful, outgoing, more American somehow.” This culture-clash is the biggest obstacle of them all. As the story continues, we realize that Mr. Bhowmick is very superstitious. As he begins his day and heads to his car, his neighbor sneezes. This sneeze was a symbol for bad luck and would not leave his driveway to leave for work. This superstition was part of the “Hindu myth stuff,” that his wife does not agree with. The reader later realizes that the Bhowmick family moved to American was his wife’s idea and he had to follow along. “She wanted America, nothing else,” he states. These examples are drawn to one conclusion. The conclusion being; Mr. Bhowmick did not have the strength to carve his own happiness. Listening to his wife was what he was good at and it ended up hurting him and his family in the long run. If you do not stand up for what you believe in and attempt to isolate yourself to realize what you want, your life and happiness will suffer.

            The article, Serving up Hope written by Stephanie Shapiro was truly inspiring. This story was about a second chance of carving your own happiness and paving the way to success. This was made possible by the Sampson’s letting former drug addicts and convicts have a second chance at life to make a living for themselves. I have visited Hampden during my time here at Loyola and it was a sight to see. My first experience stepping out of the Loyola bubble was interesting. As I walked the two miles through the run-down communities I noticed myself staring at all the houses. Looking at the chipped paint and broken steps was unusual for me to see, coming from a crime-free, tight-knit community in Central, New Jersey. While walking to the Hampden Fest and seeing all of these houses, I realized how heartfelt it was to see all of the smiling faces of the owners sitting on their steps. They paved their own path of happiness, even though it was not as lucky as most of the students here. In relation, this article taught me that although these former convicts and drug addicts needed a push to form their own path, they did it and created their destiny, with a chef hat and all.

            The first poem titled, “Directions for Resisting the SAT” presented a different approach to searching for your destiny and finding your individualism. This poem presented the topic of not relying on one materialistic test to determine how success you will become. Although the SAT is considered a make or break test and seemed like a big deal at the time, it does not define who you are for the rest of your life.  The line break in the poem symbolizes this. When the lines separate in line 15 and 16, it is marking the individuality and allowing you to freely choose what you want to do. You are alone to make your decisions. The last line is isolated and states, “Make your marks on everything.” This line stands alone and is the most forceful and command like of them all. It summarizes the idea of finding that you are and creating your own happiness, alone.

The second poem titled, “First Practice” is unique and shows how people can be influenced by outside sources, the coach in this situation. The coach influences the players to win at their first practice. With the commands that are used such as, “Now” towards the end of the poem, it represents a role model that pushes one to do their best. With the harsh tone that the coach is characterized under, he allows no losers, only winners. Although the coach is extremely concerned about winning, the theme of this poem is still about finding oneself through the commands. With the voices that sway you a certain way, one should learn to be strong enough to choose your own path, regardless of the commands.

Lastly, my experience at the Walk for Autism ties into the stated themes above as well. On one cold Saturday morning, I decided to sign up for this walk. As my friend tried to talk me out of it, I would not listen to her. “It’s going to be so cold and you don’t know anyone there,” she said. “I don’t care,” I stated. The Walk was one of the best experiences of my Loyola career thus far. I met new friends and stood up for a cause. By ignoring the outside voices attempting to sway my decision, I paved my own destiny and carved my own happiness.

Main Claims


Frances Amodeo
Understanding Literature
Dr. Ellis
Main Claims

William Carlos Williams’ This Is Just to Say is a sweet love poem almost in a post-it note form to his wife where he apologizes for taking the plums all for himself and expresses how much he enjoyed them in an attempt to convey how much their marriage means to him.  In E.E Cummings’ 1(a, he cleverly arranged the letters to spell l(a leaf falls)oneliness, in other words, a leaf falls within the word loneliness.  Ezra Pound’s In a Station of the Metro he expresses his experience of an underground railroad in Paris and how the people he sees faces’ he compares to flowers on a tree branch.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

3 Claims

This is Just to Say

This poem is a teasing apology from the speaker for eating the plums.

l(a

This poem is a visual way the speaker expresses loneliness; he compares it to a leaf falling.

In a Station of the Metro

In this poem the speaker notices the diversity in the faces of each individual person in the station.


three poems


This Is Just To Say
This poem, it seems to me, is literally just what it’s title is saying; I just wanted to say that I ate the plums, and that there is light hearted forgiveness in the poem.

1(a
The main claim I see in this poem is the author showing the reader about loneliness and displaying that by describing a lonesome leaf falling alone from a tree.

In a Station of the Metro
The main claim of this poem is that all the different colored people stand out against the black asphalt of the station and yet somehow still blend together