Week 16

1. Throughout this humanities course I have learned that people have a diverse view of different things like human thought, creativity, and aesthetics. These differences in views comes along with different lifestyles, cultures, etc. Another thing that I have learned throughout this course is to look at all the diverse views that everyone has and try to relate to every view as best as you can. "Walk in someone else's shoes"

2. Just like learning about different views on human thought, creativity and aesthetics learning about different cultures of art, literature, film, architecture, music, dance and theatre all tie into the way you view the world. Humanities has taught me to see every side to everything I look at whether it is someone who is different than me to a piece of art or a type of music. One assignment I thought of was when we were asked to watch a song on youtube interpreted by a deaf person. Watching this I saw how differently they interpret music than I do, but then going back and thinking of how they are different from me helped me realize how the difference is not weird but cool because of the fact that we hear/feel the same song but might interpret it in totally different ways.

3. The study of humanities can greatly enhance our creativity and our appreciation of other cultures. Learning more and more about humanities throughout the semester it has gotten me to see where other people are coming from and the fact that different cultures have different views and values. Learning about these different view and values is a great way to appreciate other cultures and if you do not know about every culture it is always good to be aware of the fact that people do have differences and relating the best you can to these differences can make you appreciate any culture that you come across. Humanities enhances our creativity by making us ask questions that are not really answered. The questions that are not answered can be thought of in different aspects and is using creativity to think of different outcomes or solutions.

Week 15

1. Reading Amanda's essay about the book "Train Go Sorry" I thought her favorite scene was interesting. Instead of it being just one part in the book it was throughout the book and the way she said things would have been so much different for Sofia in Russia really made me realize how much opportunities there are for different kinds of people in the U.S.

2. One thing that I learned from Angie's paper was that a majority of deaf people do not look at being deaf as a disability, but just a difference. The other thing that I thought was interesting was the fact that a lot of deaf people like being deaf because of the diverse culture that the deaf community has.

3. In Michele's paper I liked the part where she explains when in the book Leah figured out that she would never be apart of the deaf culture even though she is so deeply immersed in it. Leah realized that she could never really know how it would be to be deaf unless she lived that life and when she was translating for her ex-boyfriend is when she figured this out.

4. After reading the fact when Lori said "The National Association of the Deaf believes that children should be allowed to grow up with exposure to other deaf children and adults to acquire and use ASL. This incorporates positive attitudes toward their own deafness and all of deaf culture" I thought that it would be a great way to integrate the deaf people in the community and have them not have so many stereotypes like they do now. If the deaf and the hearing grow up together and interact more often I do not think that there would be as many misconceptions about the deaf.

5. In Robert's essay you see the other side to what Lori said. Although it would be nice to have everyone grow up together and get along it would also take away from the deaf's culture. If the deaf and the hearing went to school together there would be not as strong of a deaf culture. Now this makes me think..is it a good thing or a bad thing to have the deaf and the hearing grow up together in the same culture?

Week 14

I am a hearing student assigned the book Train Go Sorry in my Introduction to Humanities Class. Other readings assigned in this class include several essays from the book My California. In both books and film, we examined the cultures of California that form a microcosm of the U.S.; and the U.S. forms a microcosm of the world. In this essay, I will incorporate 4 required questions.

In the book “Train Go Sorry” by Leah Hager Cohen, Cohen explains that she grew up in a school for the deaf even though she is not deaf herself. Her father is the superintendant at Lexington School for the Deaf, which her grandfather also attended. Growing up at this school taught Cohen a lot about the deaf and the struggles that they have to deal with everyday, it also taught her about he culture that comes from within the deaf community. Throughout the book Cohen tells the stories of herself going up at the Lexington School for the Deaf and her experiences she go tout of it. She also feels the stories of two other students at the school. In this essay I will talk about the meaning of “Train Go Sorry” and what character this connects to and what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes. I will also tell you my perspective on the book and some facts about ASL and Deaf culture.

The title of the book “Train Go Sorry” means, “missing the boat”, this translation is also known as a metaphor meaning a missed connection between the deaf world and the hearing world. This is why there are so many misconceptions about the deaf; one example is the misconception that deaf people are not as intelligent as hearing people. If there was not this missed connection between the deaf and hearing cultures there would not be these misconceptions. In the novel “Train Go Sorry” this focuses on a boy named James Taylor who does to Lexington School for the Deaf. James grew up with a large family and he was the only deaf one out of them all. Before he attended Lexington School for the Deaf James had a hard life, he did not perform well in school because of bad living conditions at home. James rarely attended school because of the fact that he needed to catch two busses and two trains just to get there. For two weeks James went missing at school and he was found at his house and found living in conditions that were very poor so he was offered free housing at Lexington and he accepted. Once at Lexington James decided to visit his brother who ended up in prison after committing several crimes. After many attempts to visit his brother James went one day to visit him and traveled three hours to get to the prison and was searched to find out his brother had court that day and would not be having any visitors. After this experience James decided he needed to buckle down and finish school because he did not want to be in prison along with his brother. James ended up earning his high school diploma and graduated with his class at Lexington.

To “walk in someone’s shoes” means to experience life from someone else’s point of view. In this book the author, Leah Cohen stepped into the shoes of people in the deaf community. Cohen found herself immersed in the culture of the deaf. She grew up around Lexington School for the Deaf and experienced the life of the deaf, she began to learn sign language at a very early age. Cohen also took physical matters into seeing into this culture, where she stuck little stones into her ears to have the look of a hearing aid. Later on in life Leah Cohen also found herself dating a deaf man. During that time she learned many lessons on what deaf people have to deal with everyday. Along with another large lesson which is what couples that consists of a hearing person and a non hearing person have to deal with everyday. Communication was obviously a very large portion of these lessons, and that lead to Cohen's understanding of the deaf community, in other words, a "walk in someone's shoes". Although Cohen got to experience what it was like to walk in the shoes of a deaf person, she realized that she would never be able to actually see and experience what it was like to really be deaf.

One part of the book that really stood out to me was in chapter five. When Cohen was walking with her grandfather on a hot night. She explains that she stayed back with her grandfather instead of walking with the rest of her family home from a coffee shop. What made me love this section of the book is the detail that is in the paragraph explaining how it was a hot night all the way until Cohen explained how she was breathing in the same pattern as her grandfather. I think it is very important to cherish loved ones while you have them and not regret that you did not spend enough time with them while they were here.

There are five facts that I think everyone should know about ASL or Deaf culture. The first fact that I think everyone should know comes from the title of the book "Train Go Sorry" or the missed connection between the Deaf and hearing cultures. I believe everyone should know that there is a distinct culture that the deaf belong just like the American culture. The second fact that I think everyone should know is that trying to put deaf students in a mainstream school will take away this culture that was in the first fact that I mentioned. The third fact that I want everyone to know is that although it is thought that every deaf person wants to hear this is not true, some deaf people have no desire to hear at all. The fourth fact that I have is that to be involved in the Deaf culture you do not need to be deaf, you just need to be immersed in the deaf culture enough for you to understand it and be surrounded by deaf who are in touch with their Deaf culture. The final fact that I have is about ASL, there is not one single form of sign language there are many different languages of sign just like there are different languages of talking for the hearing people.

______________

1. Ben..referring to lucky ASL said This was just absolutely amazing to watch the two signing their parts so enthusiastically and in unison

2. Jeffery..referring to VSAI day of the Arts at the Indian Deaf School said What a great organization. I thought it was great that such a large group of school aged and high school students are brought together for a common cause and to help each other.

3. Jacob..referring to 1 year old baby signing said I have no concern with a child being taught multiple languages nor do I feel it oppresses them in any way for further language learning.

4. Lori..referring to Deaf West said the performers in this clip do not appear “deaf”, they are performing just as they would as a non-deaf person

5. Jerad..referring to Waiting for the World to Change said I feel that deaf people can contribute to our society in so many ways. After taking an ASL class at the JC, I have learned that they can do so much and the word disability really isn’t the right word.

6. Diana..referring to The Forest said I thought it was awesome how the animation is so realistic and clear when signing; I enjoyed the story also.

7. Eric..referring to Waiting for the World to Change said I'm surprised that such a fundamental lack of understanding between two people living in the same country can still exist today.

8. Lena..referring to Deaf West said If you watch instead of listen you pay attention to all the detail in emotion rather than just listening and watching the production as whole instead of paying attention to each individual person.

9. Mary..referring to Schools for the Deaf said I think it's better to send deaf kids to schools where they can learn sign language and make lasting friendships with other deaf kids.

10. Gabby..referring to The Forest I found it a little hard to pay attention to the signing and read the captions at the same time so I had to watch it a couple of times with the captions and without the captions.

Week 14

I am a hearing student assigned the book Train Go Sorry in my Introduction to Humanities Class. Other readings assigned in this class include several essays from the book My California. In both books and film, we examined the cultures of California that form a microcosm of the U.S.; and the U.S. forms a microcosm of the world. In this essay, I will incorporate 4 required questions.

In the book “Train Go Sorry” by Leah Hager Cohen, Cohen explains that she grew up in a school for the deaf even though she is not deaf herself. Her father is the superintendant at Lexington School for the Deaf, which her grandfather also attended. Growing up at this school taught Cohen a lot about the deaf and the struggles that they have to deal with everyday, it also taught her about he culture that comes from within the deaf community. Throughout the book Cohen tells the stories of herself going up at the Lexington School for the Deaf and her experiences she go tout of it. She also feels the stories of two other students at the school. In this essay I will talk about the meaning of “Train Go Sorry” and what character this connects to and what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes. I will also tell you my perspective on the book and some facts about ASL and Deaf culture.

The title of the book “Train Go Sorry” means, “missing the boat”, this translation is also known as a metaphor meaning a missed connection between the deaf world and the hearing world. This is why there are so many misconceptions about the deaf; one example is the misconception that deaf people are not as intelligent as hearing people. If there was not this missed connection between the deaf and hearing cultures there would not be these misconceptions. In the novel “Train Go Sorry” this focuses on a boy named James Taylor who does to Lexington School for the Deaf. James grew up with a large family and he was the only deaf one out of them all. Before he attended Lexington School for the Deaf James had a hard life, he did not perform well in school because of bad living conditions at home. James rarely attended school because of the fact that he needed to catch two busses and two trains just to get there. For two weeks James went missing at school and he was found at his house and found living in conditions that were very poor so he was offered free housing at Lexington and he accepted. Once at Lexington James decided to visit his brother who ended up in prison after committing several crimes. After many attempts to visit his brother James went one day to visit him and traveled three hours to get to the prison and was searched to find out his brother had court that day and would not be having any visitors. After this experience James decided he needed to buckle down and finish school because he did not want to be in prison along with his brother. James ended up earning his high school diploma and graduated with his class at Lexington.

To “walk in someone’s shoes” means to experience life from someone else’s point of view. In this book the author, Leah Cohen

Week 14

I am a hearing student assigned the book Train Go Sorry in my Introduction to Humanities Class. Other readings assigned in this class include several essays from the book My California. In both books and film, we examined the cultures of California that form a microcosm of the U.S.; and the U.S. forms a microcosm of the world. In this essay, I will incorporate 4 required questions.

In the book “Train Go Sorry” by Leah Hager Cohen, Cohen explains that she grew up in a school for the deaf even though she is not deaf herself. Her father is the superintendant at Lexington School for the Deaf, which her grandfather also attended. Growing up at this school taught Cohen a lot about the deaf and the struggles that they have to deal with everyday, it also taught her about he culture that comes from within the deaf community. Throughout the book Cohen tells the stories of herself going up at the Lexington School for the Deaf and her experiences she go tout of it. She also feels the stories of two other students at the school. In this essay I will talk about the meaning of “Train Go Sorry” and what character this connects to and what it means to walk in someone else’s shoes. I will also tell you my perspective on the book and some facts about ASL and Deaf culture.

The title of the book “Train Go Sorry” means, “missing the boat”, this translation is also known as a metaphor meaning a missed connection between the deaf world and the hearing world. This is why there are so many misconceptions about the deaf; one example is the misconception that deaf people are not as intelligent as hearing people. If there was not this missed connection between the deaf and hearing cultures there would not be these misconceptions. In the novel “Train Go Sorry” this focuses on a boy named James Taylor who does to Lexington School for the Deaf. James grew up with a large family and he was the only deaf one out of them all. Before he attended Lexington School for the Deaf James had a hard life, he did not perform well in school because of bad living conditions at home. James rarely attended school because of the fact that he needed to catch two busses and two trains just to get there. For two weeks James went missing at school and he was found at his house and found living in conditions that were very poor so he was offered free housing at Lexington and he accepted. Once at Lexington James decided to visit his brother who ended up in prison after committing several crimes. After many attempts to visit his brother James went one day to visit him and traveled three hours to get to the prison and was searched to find out his brother had court that day and would not be having any visitors. After this experience James decided he needed to buckle down and finish school because he did not want to be in prison along with his brother. James ended up earning his high school diploma and graduated with his class at Lexington.

To “walk in someone’s shoes” means to experience life from someone else’s point of view. In this book the author, Leah Cohen

Week 13

Part 1

A)

1. Deaf West Theatre Clip 1

I liked this clip, I thought it was interesting how the actors in the play were signing and at the same time it looked as if they were dancing. In a way I think that a visual theatre performance has more in it because they look like they thought about combining the language with dancing to entertain.

2. Dancing with the Stars: Marlee Matlin

I thought watching Marlee Matlin dance was amazing. I would say that there is a huge difference between hearing and feeling music, someone feeling music would go through and entirely different process than someone who is hearing music. I would think it would be difficult to pick up the beat of a song and dance to it like Marlee Matlin does, however she and other people who feel music have found their own way to feel the music.

3. Indiana Visual Arts Day

I would have to say that choosing what kinds of curriculum is used for deaf students would sometimes be approached differently than someone who is hearing. I think that the deaf would have to communicate to teachers if a method of teaching was not working for them.

4. Waiting on the World to Change

The very first thing I noticed this time around watching the video is the first words that came up, "it's everybodys music" conveying that the deaf can feel music just as well as people who hear the music.

5. Deafnews.com

I would say that for the deaf news it would be pretty much the same ways of choosing who delivers the news as any other news station. As long as the person delivering can sign clearly and effectively is what is needed to get a certain point across.

6. Lucky

I think this is a cool and different way to listen or see music. Although it is hard for me to understand the song in this way I believe that people who cannot hear have learned to see and feel music while people who can hear have learned to listen. Since the deaf learned to see and feel music this way is as effective to them as listening to music is for me.

7. A 1 year old Hearing Baby Singing

I do not think that signing would make a child's vocabulary smaller in the long run. I would say silence is when there is nothing going on in your head, when your brain is silent. Although the deaf cannot hear they are still interacting with the world around them just like everyone else.

8. MSSD

I think visual learning is just effective as verbal learning is. The deaf community has learned to communicate without using words but signs, and just as teachers teach verbally teachers can just as easily teach visually. I think that the idea of a school using all ASL is a great idea so that the teaching is targeted at this different form of understanding information.

9. Tour of Gallaudet

I think this video shows how a university geared towards the deaf is just the same as any other university. It has all the same activities that other universities has like sports, etc.

10. The Forest -- A Story in ASL

I would say that along with ASL the motion of the hands of the person signing along with the expressions on their faces helps express the feeling and the mood of a story. I noticed in this story that when the man was signing about the quiet scenery he closed his eyes and moved his hands in a slower more flowing way which gave a sense of calmness. When this same man was signing about the "muscular man" his face looked meaner and his hands were moving in a more choppy way which made the mood feel scary and intense. The way people sign can say a lot about the emotions just like when someone says something a certain way.

11. www.aslpro.com

This is a webiste designed for teachers to use in the classroom for a way for the teacher to personalize a quiz for the students in their classes. It is used to let students see other people other than their teacher sign and see the differences in the different people signing.

The five words that I searched were; Change, Love, Friend, Shy and World. Most of these word were words that I picked out from the various videos that we watched.

B) 1. ASL borrows many elements from the English language.

2. The French had a natural sign language called Old French Sign Language (OFSL) which might be the oldest form of sign language.

C) 1. It is physically exhausting to get by as a deaf person in a world where people expect you to live the "hearing" lifestyle.

2. The Deaf community does not include all deaf people and it does not exclude all hearing people either.

D) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zyGbbgbBO0

-I liked this video because it shows a regular teenager that listens to popular music making her own video for a song. She shows emotions through her facial expressions and makes it her own by signing with different hand movements to make it more interesting.

Part 2.

1. Amanda says that moving to San Francisco has made her appreciate what it has to offer.

2. Elizabeth did not notice how much she loved her hometown of Petaluma until after she moved away.

3. Gabby's favorite thing about living in California is Christmas time in Union Square.

4. Jacob's first time taking his son skiing he hoped his son saw the beauty of California that kept him coming back for 28 years.

5. Jerad's California is the wine country in Petaluma.

6. When Karl was 3 years old is when he began to live on a farm

7. Rachelle has not been to Crescent City in almost ten years but it still holds some of her fondest memories.

8. Robert grew up in San Francisco and it is an experience that he would not trade for the world.

9. Wesley was not impressed about California's beauty until he stumbled across Poore Lake

10. Veronika moved to California from Russia.

Week 12

a) As my favorite story I chose Michael Chabon's "Berkeley". I thought one interesting thing about Berkeley's history was that it is where the refugees from San Francisco's 1906 earthquake went. After I researched about Berkeley I came to find out that it was a small town until after the 1906 earthquake, when many people from San Francisco came to Berkeley because it was not hit nearly as strong. After the earthquake is when the town of Berkeley quickly grew to a city and only lost by 35,000 votes to become the state capital in 1908. The growth of Berkeley continued until the great depression in 1929. Although Berkeley has grown over the years it has still kept its old down to earth residence, just like Michael Chabon mentioned in "Berkeley".

b)My California is about the city that I have lived in my whole life, Santa Rosa. I love Santa Rosa, it has many different elements to it, old and new. In the 21^st century everything around us seems like the hot new thing and I like to also look back and look at the simpler times. For example, there is railroad square downtown that is a very old part of Santa Rosa and has a lot of history, even the same stone buildings that were built in the late 1800’s. Railroad square has been around 1870 when the first train came to Santa Rosa. The area around the square was called “Little Italy” because the newly immigrated Italians of the time were attracted to its beautiful weather similar to their weather back in Italy. Many of these old stone buildings around the square were built by these Italians who migrated to “Little Italy”. To me what is amazing is that when I walk into the coffee house called Aromas I am stepping into the old Railway Express Agency building, and its not only that building, its all the buildings in railroad square, they were all once used for the transportation of another time. Walking through railroad square when I was a little kid I did not realize how much history was behind those buildings and that that train stop is most likely what took my ancestors into Santa Rosa for the first time. I still live in “Little Italy” now and I love it.

c)1. Amanda--She learned to use others as her eyes because she hardly ever uses a mirror

2. Angie--Chabon talks about how much he loves the city from everything to its layout, the people and the architecture.

3. Benjamin--He makes lost of comments that only a child would make about how fancy cars are always hidden in garages but ugly cars are left out for everyone to see.

4. Brooke-- Learned that Berkeley was a refugee location for people who left San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake.

5. Catherine--Major took an important lesson away from her time with the mirrors, understanding that what you see in the mirror may not be what is truly there

6. John--I learned that the many victims of the 1906 San Francsico earthquake moved to Berkeley.

7. Nicholas--Favorite line was "Those adolescent summers seem like such luxury now"

8. Rodrigo-- This reading made me think of how scared I would be to move in a “planned community” where an Association had to vote on your idea before you can carry it out.

9. Gabby-- During high school I was in Model United Nations, and the conferences were held on the Berkeley campus. So when we weren't in classrooms debating we got to explore the city and it was one of the most interesting places I have ever been to.

10. Robert-- This is the story that brought back more memories than any other, because my sister Kathy used to bring me to Playland as a child