Revised Formal Term Paper 1

Karla Zabel

English 101

Dr. Sonia Apgar Begert                       

Formal Term Paper 1

1-31-13

And The Seventh Day Shall be Kept Holy

        I had attended religious schools in the past, but I was fourteen when I was sent away from home. I had a fight with my boyfriend and came home well after curfew. I remember my mom coming up behind me that night screaming, “That’s it! You’re out of here.” There was nothing more to say on the subject; her mind was made up. The very next day she was on the phone making arrangements that would change my life.

        I was on my way to a whole new existence, with a new school, new teachers, new friends and, oh so many new rules. It started with wardrobe. We had to go shopping for appropriate Seventh Day Adventist attire, not a uniform exactly, but it may as well have been. Girls’ shirts had to be at least fingertip in length and four fingers past the collarbone. No shorts or jeans were allowed and absolutely no form fitting pants. Skirts were permitted but had to be past the knee. There was absolutely no jewelry or makeup of any kind allowed. I can remember the tissue test well. If faculty had a suspicion that you may be wearing makeup, they would wipe your face with a white tissue to be sure. There were so many new rules to get used to.

        The day I arrived I was shown to my dorm room and introduced to my new roommate. I would now be living hours from home with a person I had never met. Each room had two twin beds, two desks, and a closet for sharing. You could basically draw a line down the center of the floor—hers and mine. There were 20 rooms in the girls’ dorm with a living room at one end of the hallway and a bathroom with five showers and stalls at the other end. We were completely cut off from the outside world. There was no radio, no television, not even a phone. What a change from the life I once had.

        A fundamental requirement that was announced right away was that worship was promptly from 6:00 to 7:30 every morning in our chapel, and we were expected to be there every day except Saturdays (we’ll talk about Saturdays later). Breakfast was 7:45 to 8:30 and consisted of artificial eggs, soy cheese, milk, and vegetarian sausage, bacon, or ham. Millet or oatmeal were also on the menu. 

I was exhausted after a very hard and confusing first day. That night as I lay in my bed in my new room at a rather bizarre school in a strange town, I slept soundly. At 4:30 the next morning when my alarm went off, I was ready to begin my new life. I forgot that it would not take me so long to get ready without a blow dryer or my makeup, but at least I didn’t have to wait for a shower. By 5:30 the halls were filled with the other girls wearing finger length shirts and long skirts. As they all filed past me preparing for the day, I was wishing I could hide. I wanted to run away, but where would I go? We were in the middle of nowhere and I missed my friends, my family, and everything I used to know.

               My mind was racing that first morning in worship. I felt so alone, but loneliness was interrupted at breakfast when I was introduced to Vickie. She was obviously raised a devout Seventh Day Adventist from birth and would become my go-to girl. Mentoring me was Vickie’s new chore. She was very good at explaining how things worked, my chores, my classes, who was who, and when to be where. Vicky was a plain looking girl but very nice and friendly. She was a senior who carried her bible everywhere and knew each page by heart. I grew to admire her loyalty and devotion, as she was the only friend I had, and I looked up to her.

               My first assigned daily chore was to mop our entire school building from one end to the other (someone must have gotten a promotion). After a tedious job that seemed to take forever, I was off to my classes. The curriculum was the everyday ordinary classes such as math, English, social studies, and science. It was nice that there were only fifteen students in each classroom but odd that boys were on one side and girls were on the other. I thought we all looked so funny in our peculiar clothes and no makeup. As I looked around the classroom, I thought to myself that I would never have been caught in the real world like this.

               Here is another example of a real world adjustment. I don’t think I ever got used to soy cheese and fake meat sandwiches for lunch. After school, we would play soccer or volley ball which sounds pretty normal, but this was Florida, where it is 100 degrees and we played in dress pants and long shirts. Then it was fake meat and soy cheese, and fried okra for dinner, I haven’t eaten okra since. After the evening meal, it was worship again from 6:00 to 7:30, then homework and off to bed. One day down, and another four years to go.

               I stopped setting my alarm for such an early time and woke instead to my roommate Valerie moving about the room. Valerie had shoulder length red wavy course hair and was covered with freckles. She was another devout Adventist who knew all of the rules forward and backward. Valerie, sadly, would later be known to me as the snitch. During my dash to the showers, Vicky continued her mentoring by introducing me to some of the other girls. Ronda, a teen model in the real world shared the similarity with me of not being at the academy of her own will. She became my best friend here and on the outside. Bonnie, become a great support. She was someone who watched out for me and kept me in line. We fondly nicknamed her Bon Bon. Cindy, another memorable cohort, was a senior who was always good at making us laugh. I definitely felt more comfortable with friends to count on. Even daily worship seemed more tolerable with Ronda passing me notes and Bonbon braiding my hair. I met Charles a big jock and another devoted Adventist. Life at the academy became more normal when I met Mike, a tall lanky blonde who became my boyfriend. Although we were forbidden from holding hands we enjoyed each other’s company. I started to realize that there were two types of students those who lived and breathed the Seventh Day Adventist life and those whose parents wanted to straighten them out.

      Now let’s talk about Sabbath. According to Adventists, the seventh day is Saturday and the seventh day shall be kept holy. On Saturday, we could sleep in because worship didn’t start until 8:00. Don’t get excited yet! It is an all day event, breaking only for soy cheese and mystery meats. The last Saturday of the month, of course, everyone fasted to cleanse the body. This entailed 24 hours with nothing to eat except water. Four years of this? Day after day, there was a routine of fake foods, continuous mopping, and endless worship. It astounded me that kids my age were choosing to live like this. As time went on, I began to respect them for their discipline.

        I wondered throughout my time at school whether I would make it. I found that this experience taught me patience, and showed me that I am capable of growing to the occasion, that I’m stronger than I ever thought I was, and most importantly, that I can survive with much less than I think I need. “Fake it ‘til you make it.” This strategy has served me well throughout the years. When I’m afraid of walking into a new situation like a meeting or a classroom, or, Heaven forbid, a presentation, this strategy works for me. I tell myself, “You’ve got this” or “Act as if…” I convinced myself of this throughout my experience at the academy and still do so today.

         I cannot imagine sending my children away from home and expecting them to live without the comforts we may all take for granted. Although I no longer consider myself Seventh Day Adventist, I do believe in the seventh day. The seventh day on my calendar is Saturday. The seventh day to me shall always be kept holy. Saturdays in my house are saved for worship and spending time with family. They are for remembering how lucky I am for the lessons that I learned along the way.    

Stand and Deliver

 

         

Stand and Deliver Notes
 

Based on a true story 1982

A new teacher arrives at an inner city school prepared to teach Computer Science classes but learns that the school doesn’t have computers. So Jaime Escalante, (Edward James Olmos) is asked to teach Math 1A. At first his class is very disruptive. The radio in his car is even stolen on the first day. The second day to catch the class’s attention, he shows up in a fry cooks uniform then divides an apple into quarters and asks the class what % of the apple they have. He is bullied by a group of Hispanics in class, one in particular is Finger Man, and he quickly puts him in place.

He decides that basic Math is just too easy for these students so he wants to teach them algebra.  “A negative times a negative equals a positive.” He feels that “The students will rise to the level of expectations given them.”
One student, (Lou Diamond Phillips) who started out being a disruption in class soon asks for 2 books so that his “homies” won’t see him carrying them to and from school Jaime gives him three.
The class is given 10 min quizzes and one student decides not to take them, she is made an example of the class and soon changes her mind.
Then Jaime’s class wants to know how math problems can relate to the real world so he takes them to an office where they are using calculus, he then decide he wants to teach his students calculus, he feels that with some summer school his students can do it. He has to persuade the school to allow him because some of the faculty isn’t convinced his class is capable of learning calculus. They feel that he is setting their students up for failure, but he has more faith in the students than that.
He has each student’s parents sign a contract for the schedule so that he can begin teaching his class from 8-5 and on Saturdays. He wants to prepare them for the Advance Placement exams.
Jaime is working 60 hours for week at the school and volunteers teaching adults at night. During one night class he bends over in pain falling face down on the stairs. He suffered a mild heart attack and his class is given a substitute teacher. This happens 2 weeks before the AP (Advance Placement) calculus exam; their sub is actually a music teacher.
Jaime walks into the classroom and is ready to teach after being out for only 2 days.
It is time for the exam.
Less than 2% of high school students even attempt the test. 18 took the test and 18 passed!
The board soon decides that the class must have cheated because the same questions were answered incorrectly. The class is being investigated.
After all of this Jaime’s car is stolen so he walks home.
A newer car is brought to his home by his students, a Volkswagen bug.
Jaime then goes to the board and asks to see the tests; he finds that his students finished the test in less time and with fewer than 4 questions wrong and that they were basically all the same wrong answers. He believes that this is because they all had the same teacher and that they are being questioned because it is an inner city school and that this is discrimination. 
The students decide to retake the exam but are given only one day to study. Jaime studies with them day and night.
It is time to retake the exam.
The board believes there may have been a misunderstanding when grading the tests, because all students passed the exam and Jaime requested that all original scores be reinstated.

I feel that Jaime was a great teacher in that he never gave up on his students; in fact he pushed them beyond what was comfortable for them and more towards what they were capable of. In some instances he pushed them a little too far, but not any further than he pushed himself. This caused conflicts with families and outside activities it even caused health issues. But he gave these students a chance that they may have not had otherwise. I believe it n takes one person to truly believe in you. 

Boarding School

Karla Zabel

English 101

Dr. Sonia Apgar Begert                       

Formal Term Paper 1 1-31-13

And The Seventh Day Shall be Kept Holy

        I had attended religious schools in the past, but I was fourteen when I was sent away from home. I had a fight with my boyfriend and came home well after curfew, I remember my mom coming up behind me that night screaming, “That’s it you’re out of here, gone.” There was nothing more to say on the subject, her mind was made up. The very next day she was on the phone and arrangements were made.

        I was on my way to a whole new life, new school, new teachers, new friends and, oh so many new rules. It started with wardrobe. We had to go shopping for appropriate Seventh Day Adventist attire, not a uniform exactly but it may as well have been. Girl’s shirts had to be at least fingertip in length and four fingers past the collarbone. No shorts or jeans and no form fitting pants, skirts were permitted but had to be past the knee. There was absolutely no jewelry or makeup of any kind. I can even remember the tissue test; if faculty had any suspicions that you may be wearing makeup they would wipe your face with a white tissue to be sure. There were so many new rules to get used to.

        The day I arrived I was shown to my dorm room and introduced to my new roommate; I would now be living hours from home with a person I had never met. Each room had two twin beds, two desks and a closet for two. You could basically draw a line down the center of the floor, hers and mine. There were 20 rooms in a hall that made up the girls dorm, with a living type room at one end and a bathroom with five showers and stalls at the other. We were permitted no radio, no television or even a phone. We were completely cut off from the outside world. What a change from the life I once had.

        I was informed that worship was promptly 6:00am to 7:30am each morning in our chapel and we were expected to be there every day, except Saturdays (we’ll talk about Saturdays later). Breakfast was 7:45 to 8:30; it consisted of artificial eggs, soy cheese and milk and some vegetarian sausage, bacon or ham. Millet or oatmeal were the other choices.  I would be given my chore along with my school schedule and tour following breakfast the next day.

               I was exhausted. That first night in a strange room with a strange person at a new school in a new town I slept soundly. It was 4:30 in the morning when my alarm went off, time to begin. But why did I think it would take me so long to get ready with no blow dryer or makeup. Well at least I didn’t have to wait for a shower. By 5:30 the halls were filled with girls I didn’t know wearing finger length shirts and long skirts hustling past me, preparing for the day. There was nowhere I could hide; I wanted to run away. But where would I go, we were in the middle of nowhere without a phone. I missed my friends, my family, everyone I knew. Everything I knew.

               My mind was racing that first morning in worship, I felt so alone. I sat by myself at breakfast too, and then I was introduced to Vicky. Vicky was obviously raised a devout Seventh Day Adventist from birth and she would be my go to girl, she was assigned to be my mentor. Mentoring me was Vickie’s chore for the time. She would explain how things worked, my chores, my classes, who was who, and when to be where. Vicky was a plain looking girl, very simple, a senior who carried her bible everywhere and knew each page by heart. I grew to admire her loyalty and devotion, she was the only friend I had and I looked up to her.

               First we started with my assigned daily chore; I was to mop our school building from one end to the other (someone must have gotten a promotion). Then I was off to my classes, just your everyday ordinary classes, math, English, social studies and science. Except there were only fifteen students in each classroom and men were on one side, women on the other and the funny clothes and no makeup. I would never have been caught in the real world like this, and that’s what I began to call it “the real world”, my old life.

               Lunch - would I ever get used to soy cheese and fake meat? After school, we would participate in soccer or volley ball. But it was Florida and we played in dress pants and fingertip shirts. Dinner, fake meat and soy cheese, oh yes, and fried okra, I haven’t eaten okra since. Then it was worship from 6:00pm to 7:30pm, homework and off to bed. One day down, only four years to go.

               The next morning I didn’t set my alarm as early and woke up to my roommate Valerie moving about the room. Valerie had shoulder length red wavy course hair and was covered with freckles, she was another devout Adventist who knew all of the rules forwards and backwards, she would later be known to me as the snitch. I was off to shower, in the hallway Vicky my mentor, introduced me to some of the other girls like Ronda, she was a model in the real world and she, like me, wasn’t there of her own freewill. She would become my best friend here and on the outside. Then there was Bonny or Bonbon as I call her now. She would become a great support, someone who watched out for me and tried to keep me in line and Cindy a very large girl, a senior who was always good for laughs. I was starting to settle in.

               That morning even worship seemed a little calmer, Ronda started passing me notes and Bonbon braided my hair. At breakfast I was introduced to some of the guys, Charles a big jock and another devoted Adventist. Mike, a tall lanky blonde who became my boyfriend, although we were never even allowed to hold hands, and Laurence the bad boy; he was always in trouble for something. I started to realize that there were two types of students, those who lived and breathed the Seventh Day Adventist life, and those whose parents wanted to straighten them out.

            I quickly learned how to join the hot, sweaty, disheveled kids as we finished our choirs and rushed to first period, but I never figured out what lesson I learned from one grumpy teacher, Mr. Finney who loved singling students out by raising his voice and making them look stupid. I was however thankful that I had new friends in some of my classes taking a bit of the sting out of being the new kid.

               The routine of fake foods, continuous mopping and endless worship, it astounded me that kids my age were choosing to live like this. But as time went on I began to respect them for their discipline. Now let’s talk about Sabbath. According to Adventists the seventh day is Saturday and the seventh day shall be kept holy. On Saturday we could sleep in because worship didn’t start until 8:00, but don’t get excited, it’s an ALL day thing, breaking only for soy cheese and mystery meats. The last Saturday of the month of course everyone fasted to cleanse the body, 24 hours with nothing to eat, only water. Four years of this?

        I wondered throughout my time at school whether I would make it. But I found this experience has given me patience, taught me that I am capable of growing to the occasion, that I’m stronger than I ever thought I was and that I can survive with much less than I feel I must have. Fake it till you make it, a strategy that served me well throughout the years. When I’m afraid of walking into a room, maybe a meeting a classroom, or Heaven forbid a presentation, this works for me. I tell myself “You got this, or act as if” I told myself this throughout this experience and still more so today.

        I can’t imagine sending my children from their home, or from me, and expecting them to live without the comforts we all take for granted. I think even though I no longer consider myself Seventh Day Adventist I do believe in the seventh day. The seventh day on my calendar is Saturday, and the seventh day to me shall always be kept holy. Saturdays in my house I save for worship and spending time with family and remembering how lucky I am for the lessons learned along the way.

Writing Development

Successful Strategies for Development

       

It has been 28 years for me since high school and being asked to develop my own story or ideas; through my work as a Mental Health Ombudsman I am given a particular situation with a particular problem, maybe a client’s rights have been violated in some way or there is a breakdown in communication. This doesn’t leave a lot of room for developing my own style so I feel a little out of touch as far as my writing abilities.  

 To be honest I don’t know that I have my own strategy for development other than maybe the occasional outline. I love brainstorming the problem at hand and getting as many perspectives as possible, but are these my own strategies? I was recently involved in a writing workshop   (through work) where we were given sentences and asked to complete them, and in previous classes we were given the assignment to free write for ten minutes on anything that came to mind, is this development I hope so?

In one assignment we were asked to go outside and given ten minutes, then asked to write a poem on something that stood out to us, it was up to the rest of the class to figure out what we were describing. At this point every day I am learning something new about writing and just trying to apply it and take it all in. I would like to try a combination of free writing with looping? 

A Love for Books

 

A Love for Books

        In reading both Malcolm X’s and Benjamin Franklin’s educational narratives I found as many similarities as there were differences. Of course one of the prevalent differences would be the era in which the pieces were written. Malcolm X’s autobiography was published in 1965 where Benjamin Franklin’ piece was from the early 1700s making it especially difficult to read.

        I found that Malcolm X”s excerpt was more of a step by step educational piece that the reader could easily follow. If someone wanted to try this for their own benefit, they certainly could.

        On a similar note, they were both self-taught and shared their love for reading and books, practically ingesting anything they could get their hands on. They both stayed up well into the night taking in the gift of written words with every spare moment they had.

        I found both stories inspirational, although Malcolm X’s narrative made me want to keep going, I want to read more, know more about him. It almost made me want to pick up the dictionary myself, where Benjamin Franklin’s narrative I just wanted to get through in the hopes that I might be able to retain enough information to complete my assignment.

Average

Mike Rose 

1)   After having his tests scores confused with Tommy Rose, it seemed that Mike received a second rate education by teachers who were not qualified to teach Voc. Ed, and not inventive enough to keep a student’s mind involved. This is especially true for a class of hard to reach students. I have had teachers that were meant to do what they do; teachers that made me look forward to class. I have also had teachers that have no business in the classroom. The right teacher can make all the difference in the world as can the wrong teacher, and it only takes one.

2)   I feel that the Vocational Education that the students of Our Lady of Mercy’s school received lowered the student’s expectations of themselves and the expectations that others had of them. “Students will float to the mark you set.” I believe this statement to be true, the students of these classes learned to have a don’t care attitude. This was to protect them emotionally and socially.

3)   Some students can check out while others adopt humor or sarcasm and even bullying to cope. Ken Harvey just gave up on pushing himself past the point of average. He decided that it was good enough to be mediocre.

4)   What I am finding disorienting about college is that it has been so long for me since I was in school that I have forgotten things I haven’t used and things have changed so much. I feel a little out of the loop and definitely out of my comfort zone. The only thing I know to do is to keep going and to be honest about my insecurities. I know that I am not alone.

5)   In being honest I was placed in EH (Emotionally Handicapped) classes in elementary school and then later diagnosed with mental illness. I understand having lowered expectations but that just means that I have to work a little harder.

 

I found “I Just Wanna Be Average” full of rich character descriptions; this allows the reader to visualize each person and brings the story to life. I will use detailed descriptions, such as sight, smell and sound to try to place my reader right there with me in my own narrative.   

Cubing

Boarding School

Describing it:

Boarding school is of course a private school where you reside day and night throughout the school year. You would eat your meals there; you would spend your nights there. You would study for classes and take those classes all in the same location. You may or may not have a roommate; it may be of a religious background as was mine. I went to a Seventh Day Adventist boarding school where we had worship starting at six in the morning. You may have a job or chore you are required to perform. It may have a military background. In my school, students and staff all lived on the same campus. Boarding school put simply; is a school where you attend, live and board.

Compare it:

I will compare the differences and similarities of boarding schools with traditional schools. In traditional schools you attend class for approximately six hours per day, and then return home for social activities, family time and homework, maybe a sport or music lesson and chores. Whereas in boarding school all of that is done in one location, classmates become more of your family and your teachers more like your parental figures. In boarding school, you can’t say “the dog ate my homework” and if you are out sick you are sent to the staff doctor. In traditional school, it more up to you and your family structure as to how seriously you take your education and what you have to put in.

Associate it:

There are many ways that boarding school and traditional schools are the same. Many of the same subjects are taught and the food is usually lousy. But I would probably associate it more closely to a military type of rigorous schedule, maybe between a college type dorm experiences with a military type of structure. As the school I attended was also Seventh Day Adventist, it could also be associated with church and worship; we ate vegetarian meals and wore no makeup or jewelry as in the Seventh Day teachings and men and women were separated other than in class.

Argue it:

There are many benefits to attending a private boarding school, the structure and discipline you gain and the educational experiences. My home and office are immaculate at all times.

What I would argue is that in my school situation I feel that individuality and identities were lost. I’m not sure that we were taught to think for ourselves or outside of the box. When I am not given clear parameters, it makes me nervous, I don’t know where to start and need a lot impute from others.