Review on the semester

So far this semester things have been going ok.  I think that the grammar lessons are pretty good.  I just feel like some of the things that we have to do with them are kind of stupid.  Like the paragraphs for instance. In my opinion they are the only bad part of the entire assignment.  They don't teach me anything they are just a giant inconvenience.  I believe that the other parts of the lessons have helped for the short term but honestly i think the SLC would be more constructive because it would be helping better our paper and basically doing the same thing.

The fall of the house of usher

From the beginning of the story the setting is telling you exactly what is going to happen.  I could tell from the description of the house, and even the letter the Rodrick wrote to the narrator that something dark and evil was going to happen by the end of the story.  It also sets up the feel of the story really well.  If the house was kept up perfectly and everything around it was alive, the story wouldnt have had the same effect that it did.  Instead by having everything dead it created a gloomy and almost spooky feel.  Another part of the setting is when the weird glow is outside the house.  This is just a way of poe showing that there are unnatural forces at work in the story. As i said before if this story didnt have the same setting, i believe it would be a completely different story, and would not have been a very exciting read.  The setting created suspense.

Activity in class

I really liked the activity that we did in class.  I felt like it was a really good way to get us to talk. and i also think that i learned more in that way because it was a more organized discussion.  It also shows me what you want us to take away from the story that we read as opposed to what we think,  which is important, but it is not always the same thing as you want us to know.

Extra Credit (Do we learn at college)

I am unsure how to answer this question.  I believe that in a way we do learn, but at the same time the things that we are taught are many times forgotten.  I know from experience that the things that i learn in classes are soon forgotten, kind of like the saying in one ear and out the other.  But for us to retain all of the information that we learned throughout college and high school it would be impossible.  The thing that i do think we do is that we learn different ways to think and we learn how to handle people a lot better.  Which are two very important things as we get older and start looking to enter the job force.  So to answer the question do we learn anything. I say yes and no.  We do learn the important things through our lives but we forget all the facts and numbers that don't matter in the future.

Discussion in class

I feel you are right. There is too much racism in the world.  But i think that you are very very wrong when you say it is bad in South Dakota.  I personal feel i am not racist at all.  If anything i judge people on how they present themselves.  I would not be any more afraid of a black guy who is dressed like a gangster then if a white guy was dressed as a gangster.  And yes vermillion has no diversity but there is large diversity in other cities, such as sioux falls, in the state. I know in my school at least 25 percent of the kids were other races then white.  I realize this is nothing compared to other places in the country but i do believe i have been in enough diversity to be able to say that i am not bothered by other races, and yes i have had people speaking other languages while i was walking with them and it honestly didnt bother me.  

Twitter article

It kind of worries me that people are able to make another one of you on the internet with out any consequence.  Although it doesnt really affect me because if someone wants to make an alternative me then they need to find something else to do with their lives.  But knowing that someone could use the internet as a tool to destroy my life if they really wanted to really makes me worried.  Because not only could future employers see what other people wrote, and blame me for doing it.

1st paper

I thought the first paper was pretty difficult.  Even after the meeting with you i am still a little unsure of exactly what you want.  I also think that the peer review that we did was kind of a waste of time.  I would have much rather have had someone actually read my paper and give me compliments or criticism on it instead of giving a group of people a general idea of what our paper is about and tell them to analyze it from the little information they have.  I thought one thing that was nice was getting to meet with you and have you look over our paper.  This answered some of my question about what you wanted.  But after turning this first paper and getting it returned i will have a better idea of what you are looking for.

The metamorphosis

I think that is crazy how Gregor can be changed into a bug and not even think about that once.  Instead of thinking about what has happened to him and his body, he worries about how his family will make enough money to keep the appartment and food on the table.  To me I dont understand how you can not think of yourself first especailly when you are a bug! He even thinks about his sister and how he wants her to succeed at violin even before he thinks about his current situation.  Another thing that I think is crazy is how little his family actually cares about him, right after he transforms they it doesnt even seem like they miss him very much.  Then after he dies they just move and their main concern is trying to find Grete a husband.

Works Cited

Anderson, Michael. “Dynasties and Dictators.” EbsoHost (2005): 141-9. Web. 30 Jan 2011.

Gregory, Paul. “The Ship of Philosophers: How the Early USSR Dealt with Dissident Intellectuals.” EbscoHost.  (2009): 485-92. Web. 30 Jan, 2011.