WHAT'S NEXT? Each semester I look for ways to draw my online students from their isolation. A few years back, I watched a Youtube video of writer Matt Spangler describe his effort to contact Tortilla Curtain author T.C. Boyle for permission to use his story in a stageplay. This was around the time his Tortilla Curtain production came to the San Diego Rep for a very successful run. This video gave me a great idea. I contacted Matt for permission to use his play in my classroom. He sent me the script! This semester my students will read their novels; then, on ZOOM, they will work in groups to act out their favorite scenes. I HAVE THE SCRIPTS FOR EACH CLASS READING. In student writing, I will look for a greater degree of empathy and understanding. My students will have put themselves in the shoes of the characters they read about.
A is for Avante-Garde. B is for Beatnik. C is for Cuban Missle Crisis... Below, I share a few student definitions from class research papers. Students were asked to do the following: a.) clearly present their terms; b.) state the general class it belongs; express the specific/special characteristics that distinguish it from other terms in the same class.
Avant-Garde art is a very personal experience. Its intent is often to trigger an extreme emotional response from the person experiencing the work. It is typically art which goes against current views of what acceptable or normal artwork is at the current time, used by artists to create and inspire new mediums, concepts, or genres in the art world. These artists are typically misunderstood, underappreciated, or even hated by the public of the time, who write it off as amateur or insane. Contrary to popular opinion this style of art is not simply unscripted or unplanned, unless improvisation is integral to the artwork, and even then it all functions, much like Jazz, within some type of framework. Often it is only the trained observer or initiated fan that understands the message in the early stages of any artistic movement, the public usually comes to understand the intent and often brilliance of the artist’s piece much later. The term Avant-Garde is derived from a French word which refers to the front of a formation or group, traditionally the soldiers leading the charge into battle. Much like those soldiers, Avant-Garde artists are met with hostility while trying to raise their personal flags, in an art world as contentious as any beachhead and against a public tide that has at times run riot.
-- Sebastian Gally (English 002)
The Black Panther Party was a community organization created to protect and serve African American neighbourhood residents from acts of police brutality. To recognize the misrepresentation in Black Panther Party is to see their purpose. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale the founders of the party outlined a Ten Point Program, The Program are explicit political goals of the Panthers that were summarized in the ten-point Platform and Program: "We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace. Thus the Party provided community help, such as education, tuberculosis testing, legal aid, transportation assistance, ambulance service, and the manufacture and distribution of free shoes to poor people. The Free Breakfast for Children Program began in January 1969 that spread to every major American city with a Black Panther Party. Regardless of providing services to its own people the FBI declared the group a communist organization and an enemy of the U.S. government. J. Edgar Hoover, the head of the FBI had pledged that 1969 would be the last year of the Black Panther Party and devoted the resources of the FBI through agent provocateurs, sabotage, misinformation, and lethal force to eviscerate the party. The actions employed by the FBI were so extreme that, years later when they were revealed, the director of the agency publicly apologized for “wrongful uses of power.”
- Emmanuel Ramirez (English 002)
A beatnik was a fifties person who was creative, poetic and/or intellectual. Janis Joplin was a beatnik before she was a hippie. This was 1958, around the same time John Lennon and Paul McCartney were putting the "Beat" in the "Beatles." Beatniks wore dark glasses and dark clothes. They smoked a lot of cigarettes and listened to weird music. Be-Bop. Jazz. They developed their own language. Beatniks didn't care about being popular; in fact, they often sought the opposite because they considered themselves rebels against conformity. Janis read a lot of books and sang a lot of songs by black artists. Her friends and family in Texas didn't like that.
- J. Lewenstein (English 105)
A bombshell is a very attractive person that will inevitably experience an overwhelming surprise/disappointment. Under the definition of a very attractive person, Marilyn Monroe was the epitome of a "bombshell." Bombshells are typically only seen for their looks and in some cases will bring fame to the individual. At this day and age we see Victoria's Secrete models as Bombshells and they were the faces of sexiness and beauty. Growing up I aspired to be like on of them to see seen and given attention but I now would rather been seen for my quality as a person rather than the superficial physical characteristics. Marilyn was type casted as the Blonde Bombshell, alongside being the most popular sex symbol of the 1950s. She was known for her beauty and unfortunately only seen for her beauty and physical attributes, it led her talent and bright mindedness to be overlooked. Marilyn Monroe rose to fame and got the rich lifestyle due to her beauty and being known as the Bombshell of the 1950's but it came with a price. On top of being a women during that time frame, she was also solely known for her looks so she was rarely taken seriously, which resulted in her needing for fight for her position in the film industry. Despite her efforts of improving her acting through method acting and creating her own film production company the Marilyn Monroe Productions in a male dominant industry. she is more widely seen for her sexiness and beauty. Marilyn Monroe loved poetry and aspired to be a Shakespearean actress but the company only wanted her for her looks because that is what brought in business. The Blonde Bombshell barely got any recognition for her achievements, she died at the age of 36 without given the recognition she deserved.
- Zhar Seva (English 002)
A champion is someone who goes out of his/her comfort zone, who has the courage and strength to fail and get back up again and again. A champion has good character and mental discipline to grow in all aspects. A champion is someone who can beat the odds. A lot of people believe they are champions, but being a champion is extremely difficult to become. A champion doesn’t have to have great skill, but a champion will do everything he or she can to improve those skills. Muhammad Ali has been considered one of the greatest champions of all time. He wasn’t even the best skilled boxer ever but his champion mentality, and his headstrong attitude allowed him to persevere when things got tough in the ring. His would be never be surpassed by anyone in the boxing ring, and he really believed that he was the best in the sport. He had the a sort of supreme confidence to let his punches fly. He could “dance” around the ring, evading all of his opponents attacks. Ali even used his words to get into his opponents head and psyche them out. Muhammad Ali is the definition of a champion.
-- Zachary Leal (English 105)
A drag queen is someone who performs for entertainment purposes in extravagant makeup and clothing to pretend to be the opposite sex. Drag queens specifically refer to mostly men who entertain as women, although drag kings exist as well, which is the opposite situation of women dressing up extravagantly as men for entertainment. Drag queens and drag as a whole belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community and is a form of art and expression of beauty. A classic example of a drag queen is Marsha P Johnson, the one credited with throwing the first brick at the Stonewall Riot. A more modern example of drag queens are Trixie Mattel and Katya Oshkosh. Trixie Mattel actually owns a new hotel here in Palm Springs called Trixie Motel and hosts a TV show called Trixie Motel. The key factor that goes into drag makeup and drag entertainment are extravagance. The outfits are bombastic, the makeup is dramatic, and the wigs are huge. Not to mention the prosthetics some drag queens wear. However, drag isn't solely a race to buy the best, most expensive piece you can wear. The most famous drag queen in history often wore flower crowns made from discarded flowers she'd find, as she didn't have a lot of money to spare on her art. It's quite comparable to music in that sense. In theory it's meant for everyone, but in practice it can be hard not be overwhelmed by the amount of glamor and money needed to achieve that kind of glamor. To me, drag is the ultimate form of having fun with gender expression, and creating a persona out of what you want to see yourself look like, as for many, myself included, gender expression is hard to achieve and very hard to put into material objects such as clothes and makeup.
- Duncan McVeigh (English 002)
A feminist is a person who believes in equal rights for both men and women. Feminists believe that women and men of all genders deserve equal opportunities in the workplace and in politics. Many believe that being a feminist is a woman who hates men. Feminists are lovers who just want peace and not war. There were many feminists who changed Women's Rights, but one big advocate in the 1960s was Gloria Steinem. She led and spoke about her beliefs in the inequalities between men and women, reproductive rights, and gained female empowerment. She got other feminists to be fearless in speaking out about their beliefs and experiences for wanting the same change as well. Steinem believed that to give a feminist reproductive rights was as fundamental as a person having the right to freedom of speech. To this day, Gloria still advises women to speak out and fight to change issues women are facing; such as stripping the funds of Planned Parenthood and lack of paid paternal leave. She still believes that if feminists step up as leaders and quit trying to please others, they could gain enough confidence to solve the issues and eventually gain more rights and feel equal as others.
-- Brianna Gomez (English 105)
Criminal Insanity is a disease of the mind where actions and reality do not align. A previous illness within a person’s life defines whether they can be criminally insane. However, not all mental illnesses have the ability to cause Criminal Insanity. Richard Ramirez suffered from ADHD and two traumatic head injuries in childhood that resulted in a history of seizures. Ramirez was later diagnosed with a conduct disorder, a type of behavioral disorder that is characterized by the blatant disregard for others’ feelings; they’re socially limited and have difficulty with public order. For Richard Ramirez, the Criminal Insanity plea did not hold any weight over his crimes in court. Despite his unruly behavior, violent outbursts, and nonsensical statements, he was brutally aware of his actions. Because of this awareness and utter disregard for human life, Ramirez’s defense could not claim the insanity plea. This was in spite of a series of testing Ramirez had undergone while in custody, including the Hare Psychopathy Test; he scored a 31 out of a possibility of 40, indicating he had psychopathic traits. Through analysis of other serial killers such as Ted Bundy, who scored a 39 out of a total of 40 on the same test, we can cross-examine and compare similar psychopathic traits that both criminals share and exhibit within their crimes; lack of remorse and victim mutilation. Ted Bundy was unable to use the insanity plea in court in defense of himself, after being his own representative. An average individual is likely to score from anywhere between a 4 and 22. As we know, this was not significant enough to deter the trial in any way. I personally do not believe Richard Ramirez was criminally insane, but I do feel the nature of his mental illnesses, physical injuries, and chronic environment played a big role in his actions. He remained competent throughout his crime spree. However, many people have their own opinions on psychopathy and psychopathic traits; claiming that people who do suffer from psychopathy are criminally insane and should have access to the insanity defense while being tried in court.
- Israfel Loukas (English 1A)
An icon is a respected figure/symbol in a particular area. The word icon has recently taken on a new definition. You might think of an icon as an image reflecting what it signifies but younger generations have transformed this term into an entirely different meaning. It is now typically used/given to a person who has or had heavily influenced or been a big part of a certain era. To list a few well-known icons: Prince, Michael Jackson, William Shakespeare, and Aristotle. For most of Jackie Kennedy’s life, she was followed and praised by the media. She was given the title of a “style icon” and was the inventor of many trends during the 1960s and 1970s. Pill box hats and matching suits became Mrs. Kennedy’s signature style when she was first seen wearing her now famous statement pieces during the 1961 inauguration ceremony. A fun fact from the designer Roy Halston Frowick was that the hat was actually accidental; it had been made too small for Jackie and the dent seen in photos was not originally designed to be there. Jackie’s decision to still wear it anyway and her coincidentally making a dent on the hat due to her efforts on keeping it on during the event was what interestingly enough set women’s fashion and all of America crazy. That was the start of her long influence. Jackie had become the aphrodite of America. Jackie’s heavy influence on fashion during her time as First Lady was what set her apart from previous First Ladies and ultimately made her an icon.
- Litzy Pineda (English 1A)
A leader is a person who can inspire confidence to make changes. Being a leader is not forcing people to do something, leadership is being able to convince people in a positive way. Leaders represent a group of people and make them their priority in life. Cesar Chavez was a leader to migrant farm workers who were members of his United Farm Workers union. He fought for safe work environments and fair pays for all of his members. For example, Cesar Chavez had the leadership to organize a strike (La Marcha) in which he walked 300 miles from Delano, CA to Sacramento, CA. La Marcha to Sacramento was a demonstration of unity from Cesar Chavez to the United Farm Workers union members. La Marcha took place on March 17th to April 10, 1966. The main purpose of the strike was to demand farmworkers the rights and freedoms to which all other Americans were entitled to while at work. Around one hundred people joined Cesar Chavez when he first began to walk to Sacramento. Throughout the way to Sacramento, they were joined by students, union organizers and civil rights workers. Cesar Chavez and the farm workers that participated in La Marcha walked for fifteen miles per day. Marchers had banners with the United Farm Workers flag and signs that said “Huelga” which means strike in Spanish. They also had flags of Mexico and of the United States of America. Marchers also had banners with images of La Virgen de Guadalupe in which they had faith for her to protect them while they were walking. La Marcha was very dramatic and got attention from T.V. stations. There were one thousand five hundred people with Cesar Chavez by the time that they reached Sacramento. La Marcha was successful for Cesar Chavez and the people who joined him. Migrant farm workers began to get treated equally and respected by their employers.
- Liz Perez (English 1A)
The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was the first group to utter the word "gay" after the Stonewall riots of 1969. The GLF was ignited after the riots that happened in New York, 1969. The GLF held hope for change in society - a change where everyone can love who they want without being judged or treated differently because of who they love. GLF gave hope for the end of homophile approach to the LGBTQ community. The GLF had their goal focused to help against media, schools, and churches that were against the LGBTQ community. Not only were they targeting media, schools, and churches but also law enforcement. Law enforcement, at the time, played a pivotal role in the Stonewall riots. Stonewall riots is a history of hope and remembrance. We need to remember the leaders who fought and sacrificed their lives for an equal future. the GLF stated,"We are a revolutionary group of men and women formed with the realization that complete sexual liberation for all people cannot come about unless existing social institutions are abolished. We reject society's attempt to impose sexual roles and definitions of our nature." The GLF and the history of the Stonewall riots gave the LGBTQ of all ages "pride" in their own skin and their sexuality. Before the Stonewall riots, it was hard to find hope and pride in a world that was against you. The Stonewall riots were a base for many to stand up, fight back, speak out and unite. Many say that the Stonewall riots was a second wave of the women's movement. Since the Stonewall riots created a lot of tension between lesbians and straight women, it brought unity in a sense. Solidarity with equality, not only for LGBTQ people, but also for women. The Stonewall riot, GLF, the Women's Movement, etc., helped express their opinions and sexuality. These marches gave people opportunities to assist the marches and to stand up for what's right and equal.
-- Sarahy Orozco (English 002)
Patriarchy is a form of power in which men dominate and women are excluded. It is a system which keeps women out of leadership roles and forms of power. A great metaphor to describe patriarchy is The Tree of Patriarchy that appears in Allan G. Johnson’s The Gender Knot (1997). The metaphor uses parts of a tree to illustrate how patriarchy shapes society. The roots are the representation of how embedded the nature of patriarchy is in western society. Like deep tree roots, patriarchy emerges from the core roots of male dominance and control. Male dominance is seen throughout society, especially in the workplace where men dominate CEO and upper-level positions. Gender dynamics are shaped by deep rooted male control. Like tree roots, this deeply embedded system is hard to remove and untangle. The trunk of the tree is a metaphor for institutions shaped by patriarchy, some of these include politics, sciences, business, economy, education, and the arts. We participate in these institutions every day and the knowledge and information we take from them impacts our view of ourselves and the world. Since these institutions are built on the roots of patriarchy, they are responsible for the reflection of these values in society. Meanwhile the branches represent how individuals interact with patriarchy, while the leaves represent the individuals. The branches affect the individuals' everyday lives, including organizations, communities, and legal structures, such as marriage and our families. The way we are expected to work and act within these communities and organizations. The leaves (the individuals) are a result of these activities and societal ideas, the direct result of the systems of patriarchy. The leaves on the tree are passive and do not object to being a part of the tree, humans however, are not as passive as leaves. If people separate themselves from the tree, the system will lose its power and eventually die. While dismantling the patriarchy, is not as simple as the metaphor explains it. This metaphor provides great insight into how patriarchy functions and what is behind it, allowing for a better understanding of how it works as a system.
- Angela Pejovic (English 002)
A patsy is a person who gets taken advantage of by being blamed or cheated for things. Someone being a patsy can range from something as simple as a person being cheated at a simple game to something as complex as taking the blame for a greater planned conspiracy. The best analogy that I can give for a patsy is a game of poker. Usually, at a poker table, there is going to be one person who is more of a novice at the game. This novice will usually be taken advantage of by the more experienced players at the table so they can win as much money as possible. So the novice is the patsy since he is being taken advantage of by people who have a scheme of making more money. In relation to Martin Luther King Jr assassination, James Earl Ray was a patsy. He was accused of murdering Martin Luther King Jr. and fleeing the country before he got caught and had his trial back in the US. In that trial he pleaded guilty, but ever since he insisted that he was being taken advantage of. He claimed that someone convinced him to buy the murder weapon and that he was a patsy of an even bigger operation.
- Kyle Becker (English 105)
A political scandal is a form of exposed corruption performed by persons in connection with governmental power. These scandals are accompanied by public shock, anger, resentment and disapproval. They can be simple acts of bribery or extortion and may potentially lead toward the direction classified as obstruction of justice. The actions can be performed by the highest level of governmental power such as the president, to a lower level of people in power simply functioning as the local town mayor, and everybody else in-between. Whomever takes part in performing such atrocious acts, political scandals are accompanied with the same degree of disbelief and outrage by the American people. More often than not, the perpetrator(s) behave in a manner that suggests they believe there will be no consequences to their actions, and they will not get caught. Corresponding to the discovery of a political scandal, hordes of media and journalists tend to suffocate the accused with questions of “who, what, when, where and why” in an attempt to uncover more secrets and key details not yet known. A common misconception is always having to relate the term with sexual acts. This is due in part to the relations JFK had with Marilyn Monroe in the 60’s, and Bill Clinton’s relations with Monica Lewinsky in the 90’s. Although sexual acts of misconduct can be closely associated with political scandals, they are not strictly needed to specify the term. For Nixon, keeping his presidential title became a top priority in his life. This caused him to commit crimes that would eventually lead to the demise of his popular reputation. In his circumstance, Richard Nixon’s connection to the attempted eavesdropping of the Democratic National Committee headquarters became a stain in his presidency that would produce a dirty name for himself in politics. In the case of the former president, the Watergate scandal would become more associated with his name than any other positive action he accomplished during his time in office. - Santiago Garcia (English 1A)
The Pony Car is a class of American cars that first made their appearance in the early 1960s and became highly popular in the late 1960s. The four-seater coupes or convertibles were known for their “sporty” style. This class of cars featured a longer hood, a shorter deck lid, shorter wheelbase and lower roofline. Giving it a nod to new aerodynamics and styling. This new body style bridged the gap between the standard sedans and sports cars of the time such as the Chevrolet Corvette. Not to be confused with the muscle cars of the time, the Plymouth Road Runner, the Dodge Charger, or the Pontiac GTO which were designed with drag racing in mind and were equipped with large V8 engines. The pony cars featured high-performance V6 and V8 engines. The smaller unibodies and less rigid suspension meant a softer ride and made the pony car more suited to rallies and road racing. Manufacturing of the pony car exploited a new concept in car production. Instead of creating all new components for the pony car, automakers utilized parts from other production lines. This idea of interchangeable parts between auto lines meant the pony car was cheaper to produce and therefore kept the sticker price lower for the consumer. Another feature that made the pony car so popular with consumers was that they offered a wide range of options for customization. Consumers could in effect “build” their own car with various engine, suspension, interior and exterior options. In essence it was very possible that no two models of pony car are alike. Ford’s 1964 Mustang is often held up to be the iconic pony car. Although the icon, Ford Mustangs are not the only pony cars. Chevrolet’s Camaro and the Plymouth Barracuda as well as Pontiac’s Firebird were also well-known pony cars. Some models are still in production today.
- Katherine Lee (English 002)
A psychopath is a person affected by a chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent social behavior. A psychopath can have unstable and aggressive behaviors such as, being manipulative, dishonest, narcissistic, unremorseful, non-empathetic and exploitative. Being a psychopath should be a treated mental disorder because having this does not let you think straight. You do not care about right or wrong. Another thing is that having unremorseful feelings can also be manipulative and narcissistic. Ted Bundy was a person that did not care about right or wrong. His desire to murder, rape and kidnap was bigger than his critical thinking. A person that is not a psychopath would think twice about his actions and would not commit to anything that Ted Bundy did do with all the woman's that he murdered. Ted Bundy was known as a psychopath to do his behavior such as being manipulating a hurtful to others, difficulty with showing empathy, behavior that conflicts with social norms, violating the rights of others and tendency to lie often. Donald Trump is a psychopath because he would say whatever he wanted to say not caring about others peoples feelings. People mistake it for just assuming that a person has just bad manners and does not care having an attitude when in reality that person can be a psychopath and you will never know.
- April Aguilar Cruz (English 105)
A serial killer is a person whose mind has been twisted by some form of personal trauma; he/she has become capable of not only murdering multiple people but enjoying it. Serial killers are mentally ill or have been through some trauma that has caused them to have a twisted mind that is capable of murdering multiple people. Serial killers are like a wild fire; once it starts it cannot stop, just like serial killers when they start killing everyone is in danger since you never know who can be their next target or how they will do it. Serial killers take pleasure in killing or targeting specific people whom they believe they have a reason to kill. Serial killers are often intelligent since they have to carefully plan how they are going to kill people and not get caught. Charles Manson is an example of a different type of serial killer because he used manipulation to kill multiple people. His goal was to start a race war and believed it was a good reason to send his followers to kill people. Charles Manson didn't actually do any of his killings because he was very intelligent and a master manipulator. He managed to manipulate all of his followers to killing innocent people by telling them that he was Jesus reincarnated. His followers believed that he was sent in order for him to fix the world but the truth is it was only his racist ideology wanting to start another race war.
- Mariem Gomez ( English (105)
Utopia is a nowhere place that allows people to live in harmony as if everything is perfect. Utopia is not Hell on Earth, or a place of struggle. Many associate utopia with euphoria, but it is not that. It is an escape of reality, an imaginary place filled with peace and love. Utopia is a like a pipe dream, a fantasy, or even a delusion. Utopia seems like a wonderful state of mind, but those who choose to live in utopia also choose to avoid their realities. The cause of utopia is the struggles we face. Our struggles lead us to wanting an escape of reality. Living in utopia can bring many together, but can result in consequences; such as needing a wake-up call. I think for a short while living in a utopian state of mind could ease your troubles, but in order to be head on with life we must face reality. For three days those who joined the Woodstock festival lived in utopia. Festival goers lived to escape their harsh realities with drugs and music. They worked together to give a voice and platform to the hippie counterculture. Woodstock was a place of a utopian escape, where young people had a say on the Vietnam War, Civil Rights, and freedom.
- Angela James (English 105)
EDITOR'S NOTE: I find MUSIC helps me connect with my students. We all come from diverse backgrounds. Our influences are different. Everyone has something to say. At the end of the semester we are all pretty exhausted from our writing projects, but I find our discussions about music are always invigorating. Below I offer you excerpts from our Soundtrack to Our Reading.
Student Picks
- Fifteen - Taylor Swift - in Bus Stop - by Litzy Perez (English 1A)
- Obsesion - Aventura - in The Love of My Life - by Lizeth Perez (English 1A)
- I Want You Back - Jackson Five - in Bus Stop - by Angel Morales-Villa (English 1A)
- Not Afraid - Eminem - in Bus Stop - Israel Mojica (English 1A)
- Paint it Black - The Rolling Stones - in The Most Beautiful Woman in Town - by Eduardo Martinez (English 1A)
- After Midnight - Blink-182 - in The Love of My Life - by Santiago Garcia (English 1A)
- You Never Know- Immortal Technique - in The Most Beautiful Women in Town - by Arlene Dominguez (English 1A)
- You Don't Know Me - Summer Walker - in Bus Stop - by Clover Adam (English 1A)
- Crazy in Love - Beyonce - in Motorcyle on the Sea of Tranquility - by Ariana Valenzuela (English 105)
- Wind in My Hair - Mandy Moore - in Motorcyle on the Sea of Tranquility - by Fernanda Morales (English 105)
- In Color - Jamey Johnson - in Motorcyle on the Sea of Tranquility - by Angela James (English 105)
- Lover - Taylor Swift - in Motorcyle on the Sea of Tranquility - by Mariem Gomez (English 105)
- Can’t Hold Us Down - Christine Aguilera - in Motorcyle on the Sea of Tranquility - by Katie Castro (English 105)
- Creep - Radiohead - in Motorcyle on the Sea of Tranquility - by April Aguilar Cruz (English 105)
- The Love of My Life - Queen - in the opera Madama Butterfly - by Zhar Seva (English 002)
- Ted, Just Admit It - Jane's Addiction - in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? - by Sebastian Galley (English 002)
- Candle in the Wind - Elton John - in Marilyn, My Mother, Myself - Anthony Kitigawa (English 002)
- Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey - in M. Butterfly - by Emmanuel Ramirez (English 002)
- Dance Macabre - Ghost - in Geraldo No Last Name - by Duncan Macabre (English 002)
- I Love You Like - Clayton Hogermeerl - in M. Butterfly - by Raquel Miranda (English 002)