FOR TUESDAY NOV 13 TOO THOWZEN SEVEN

Dear Gentle People Who Long Ago Walked out of the Mirror:

So, here’s what I want you to do for Toozday.

(No blog post for Friday or Saturday.)

1) Bring in seven stapled and double spaced pages of pre-writing — pre-writing done for your essay — bring this to class on Tuesday. Why? We will have peer review. And I want you to start writing your paper NOW.

 

[NOTE: I have a bias that you all do the "philosophy of learning" essay. I am concerned that some of you are going to do some kind of non-serious rambling and overly metaphorical meditation on overlooked objects just to say something about something else that matters to you -- and that in the process you'll butcher the thing. Last semester one student plagiarized a paper he'd written for another class about his future career. It was a disaster and I failed it. So, I'm just going to state that I have a bias you do the philosophy of learning essay. It's a cleaner, simpler assignment that will still yoke all you've learned about writing style and disciplined thinking and experiential learning into your essay.]

2) Bring in three copies of these seven pages: one for me, two for your peers (you will break up into peer groups).

3) What I want to see on these seven pages — and what I will grade them for: three of these pages (not two and half but three full pages) will be well-written prose (essay prose). Four of these pages will be bullet points, draft work, loose phrases, etc. These four “compost” pages will contain ideas that you (a) want to work into your paper but haven’t found the right language for yet, and (b) language that WAS in your “good” writing but was discarded.

4): Again, you are to write these final papers as ESSAYS — with full sentences, smart phrasing, accurate, crisp, parallel grammar and syntax. NO poetry or otherwise goofy stuff. Straight-up well-crafted prose writing — so I’d like to see these three plus four pages as a start to that.

5). Begin by brain-storming. Brainstorming is messy. If you write the “philosophy of learning” essay (and I hope that all of you do this one — I have a bias to see you do this one), I want you to begin by (a) rereading the assignment carefully, (b) reading my “philosophy of teaching,” look at how straightforward it is, the variety of ideas, authors, and rationales, the quotes I deploy, as well as the variety of real-world in-class situations I talk about. Then (c) reread your process notes for all our texts. And (d) skim all the texts that we read — and the handouts (on five enemies and friends, etc), familiarizing yourself with them again. (E) Pluck out ideation and language from these process notes and text and handouts that will pertain to your paper (especially if writing the “philosophy of learning” essay). (F) Begin writing, with incomplete sentences and phrases if necessary, about what you learned, how you learn, what you need in order to learn. (G) Work those phrases and fragments into sentences and larger thought chains. (H) If writing the philosophy of learning essay, consider the variety of physical, social, emotional matrixes that support your learning styles (e.g., what kind of emotional atmosphere you learn best in, etc). Consider, for example, the kind of emotions that arise for you when learning (self-doubt, anger, fear, courage, joy, that feeling of “getting it” when all the world seems briefly to “click” into place), the serious joy of camaraderie when learning and playing with your friends, the “wonder” that arises, etc, when it’s going well. ETC ETC.

I don’t want you to post anything to our blog between now and then.

Just write.

Go.

You have my cellphone number.

Do not hesitate to call me.

I’m here for you.

Write your hearts out, O glorious young people whom I deeply admire.

You have made my semester a joy.

Bat this one out of the park.

Swing!

Guess what i saw!!!

 

    Sitting at my desk, in my room, in Jefferson House, on the first floor, in Watterson towers, next to Stevenson Hall, at Illinois State University (otherwise known as the ilstu by some students, which sounds quite ludicrous to me, but alas is rather catchy and cannot help but be repeated) I’m beginning to reflect upon numerous fantastic things I am seeing (or sometimes not seeing, but how could I reflect on something I am not seeing, seeing though if I don’t see it I obviously cannot reflect on it, unless I am reflect on seeing something that cannot be seen or is not there). I continue to reflect on what I am seeing for what I saw is amazing. I saw the kicking over of a figurative pale, spilling it’s figurative water, all over the figurative floor (which is actually tile, believe it or not). I see the lighting of a figurative fire in the eyes of the other students, of the class, in the major. I see the extraordinary fervor of people who love to learn. I see them opening their eyes, I see the spark behind those open eyes, the windows into their mind (weird how we always equate the house to a face huh?) where their thoughts reside, in a whirlpool of ideas, which only spin faster and faster until it’s released, poured out onto their papers, or released through their words, or leaked into their notes. I see them all, their frustrations, enveloped by the aforementioned thoughts, swirling in the toilet (this is the good kind of swirly, we’re cleaning the toilet bowl!) explode in a chorus of:  “I don’t get it!” I also see the timid (not always though, sometimes he’s very eccentric, which might be contributed by his lack of attention on a certain topic, for, my beloved English teacher whose name rhymes with pudding, as he told us on the first day, is a quirky fellow; as that is the best euphemism I can come up with) response of “it’s a hard text!” Again, I see the frustrations of the class as I see their thoughts pool out into the world: “and that’s supposed to make it better?”

Education is not the filling of a pale, but the lighting of fire”~ William Butler Yeats

Catching Up (plus extra credit)

Thurs Oct 25

My dear good friend Dr. Charles Kinbote is the sort of fellow who makes you wonder. He has a lovely mind and at the same time it is very frightening to think that they allow him to teach in that school. Oh, the mind is a beautiful thing, but when given to the wrong person, it can only hurt others. Poor John Shade and Mrs. John Shade. Their life has been rough. Every move calculated by a somewhat odd old man from across the lane. I do not blame Mrs. Shade for disliking the old man. She did not know how he adored her husband. She was quite the lady. And she had quite the house. Two story, perfectly decorated inside, beautiful curtains. She had it all. She would have been royalty in Zembla. Zembla, the country of dreams. Charles always dreamed of returning someday. He always had something to say about our dear old country. The mysteries are never ending.

6 passages:

“I mean he preserved the date of actual creation rather than that of second or third thoughts. There is a very loud amusement park right in front of my present lodgings.” (Page 13) — He is quite the random fellow. This is very odd to throw in the middle of a paragraph.“From the second story of my house the Shades’ living-room window remained clearly visible so long as the branches of the deciduous trees between us were still bare, and almost every evening I could see the poet’s slippered foot gently rocking. One inferred from it that he was sitting with a book in a low chair but one never managed to glimpse more than a foot and its shadow moving up and down to the secret rhythm of  mental absorption, in the central lamplight.” (Page 23) — He is spying on them. He is obsessed with Shade.Line 12: crystal land“Perhaps an allusion to Zembla my dear country.” —He always eludes to this fake country, Zembla. “A methodical man, John Shade usually copied out his daily quota of completed lines at midnight but even if he recopied them again later, as I suspect he sometimes did, he marked his card or cards not with the date of his final adjustments, but with that of his Corrected Draft or first Fair Copy” (page 13). — He knows these little details about Shade that are quite odd and creepy.Line 62: oftenOften, almost nightly, throughout the spring of 1959, I had feared for my life. Solitude is the playfield of Satan. I cannot describe the depths of my loneliness and distress. (Page 95) — He refers everything Shade says back to himself. Line 79: a preterist“… I feel pretty sure that my friend was trying to incorporate here something he and Mrs. Shade had heard me quote in my lighter-hearted moments…” (Page 107) — Again he is referring what was said back to something he had said. He is very self-oriented.

 Tues Oct 30 What I have seen I walked into that room and sat down in between a sea of unfamiliarity. Those faces I have never seen. Those voices I have never heard. The ideas that I have never imagined began to grown on me. I saw uniqueness pouring from the very depths of the students around me. As I walked out of the class, I saw new faces that did not seem as bright. I saw the mouths moving in conversation that was pointless. I saw brains and minds being washed away. And as I walked back into that class, I saw hope. I saw growth. The days and the weeks went on and growth did come. I saw David, the insanely intelligent yet very hard headed one, pissed off at Gabe for expecting so much from people who know so little. I saw Jay, the crazy one who thinks he’s a doctor of some sort (a doctor of what nobody knows), crack jokes at Molly. I saw smiling faces. I saw, although upset, young adults learning how to deal with what was dealt to them. I saw battles of wit and I saw Gabe eat an apple or two. I saw the internal struggle of deciding whether or not to open up (which most of us are still battling at times). I saw empty seats and turned over chairs (being used a foot rests of course).

I saw the leaves blowing outside the window as our crazy, intelligent, yet sometimes ludicrous teacher made the walls move as he pulled down the black board. I saw the discussions go on about the books. The eccentric books that made no sense at first. I saw the sense being put into these eccentric books. I saw eccentric books morph into something that was becoming customary. I saw these eccentric books that were now customary teach us something new every time we went over them. And I saw, despite what everyone was thinking, a group of people bonding through the knowledge and the courage to learn.

 Fri. Nov 2 Learning can only begin. It can never end.

I have learned in my year(s) of study that all I can do is to learn. In order to fulfill my life, I must learn. I must learn so that I can pass on this knowledge to others who will fill this world with intelligent, mindful souls who might possibly make it a place worth living in. Just as motivational speaker Terry Josephson said, we all need to “stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities.” (He of course was referring to a conversation he had with me before one of his speeches. It was quite the conversation I must say, and we both learned a lot about each other that day. He very well just might be a fellow Zemblan.)  Learning is not about filling a container as we found in our Falling into Theory book. Learning is about communication between the one’s being taught and the teacher. Just because we do not always understand what we have placed in front of us does not mean that we should fret. Keep an open mind just as Gertrude Stein would and let the understood sink in. Works of writing are not always meant to mean something to you. I have learned in my old age that what I read and interpret will be different than what you will read and interpret. Although the same text is placed in front of us, the context will be unique. I have learned much about myself in this class of English 100. Conflicts will arise and confusion will clutter my mind but in the end as long as I know that I do not understand, I can be at peace with my mind. There is still much to learn but I am now on my journey of fully becoming me.

Extra Credit—Kaiser Wilhelm II

Kaiser Wilhelm II was the last German emperor and king of Prussia. His policies helped bring about WWI. He was born January 27, 1859 in Berlin and was the oldest child. His parents were Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia and Victoria, daughter of Queen Victoria. He birth was difficult and caused him to have a withered arm. He served in the military for some time and married the princess of Schleswig-Holstein, Augusta Victoria, in 1881. They had seven children. Seven years after their marriage, Wilhelm’s father succeeded as Frederick III but died shortly after which left Wilhelm as Kaiser at the age of 29. Within two years of his succession, Wilhelm forced German statesman Otto von Bismarck’s resignation. He played a major part of what lead Germany, Austria, and Britain to turn against each other and cause WWI. In 1918, after America joined the war, Wilhelm was forced into exile in the Netherlands. He died on June 4, 1941.

random ecmon. (by: dana zions)

Sometimes my brain/mind writes inside my head. Some days I’ll just be walking and thinking and I’ll have these thoughts and then I’ll be thinking about my thoughts which lead to more thoughts and suddenly it’s almost like I have these invisible headphones on and I can hear them all playing out. I can’t control it. Song lyrics. Poem-ish-ness. Life in a storyline format. Ideas. Sometimes I think up something I think is so brilliant and I want to write it all down. And sometimes I just can’t stop. Sometimes I’m internally screaming at myself to just shut up but I just keep thinking and thinking and sometimes I think I’m just going crazy and there’s nothing I can do to control it… my thoughts just keep feeding off each other and growing and spinning and I feel like I need to listen to music or talk on the phone to make it stop. Maybe I’m insane.

Learning

I’ve learned so many things about myself and about English since starting this class. As well as this class, I’m also in English 101, which are two very different classes. In English 101, we’re writing a lot in class, going on “writing crawls”, and most is based on Urban Education. We actually went on a field trip to Chicago to observe classrooms. It was really interesting. But compared to English 100, it’s not half as challenging. I’ve learned that no matter what, you can’t give up on a text you’re reading. While reading How To Write by Gertrude Stein, all I wanted to do was rip every single page out of the book, ball it up, and light it on fire. Yet dispite all of this, I felt accomplished that I actually finished the book without burning it. After talking about it in class and doing a little research on Gertrude, I understood the reason why she wrote the way she did and it was kind of eye opening. It taught me to be fearless in writing. Our class has also taught me that there are multiple styles of writing, and everyone’s is different. As well as this, being in a smaller class and being able to bond with everyone is fun. Although I don’t talk a lot in class, I’m always taking everything like a sponge. I love hearing what everyone has to say, it helps to get to know them and their personality shines through their words. This class has also taught me that everyone has a different opinion and everyone is different, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. (Although I sort of already knew that . . . )

I’m excited for future writing and using what I’ve learned in this class.

-Kristen Runvik

Learning Kinbote style (Maggie Furnas)

I have learned many different things in this English class so far. I hope to learn many other things before the class is over. I have learned that you don’t always have to know what someone is talking about in a book or just in general. When you are confused or don’t get something all the way, it is always a good place to start. Confusion is a good thing whether you believe it or not. You have to be confused before you can actually understand something fully. You can’t ever read too much into something especially when it is something you don’t understand. Reading too much into something can be a bad thing, it can make you even more confused in the long run. You can’t ever be too serious with everything you talk about in class. If you are too serious students will be afraid to share what they feel. Being too serious and too strict can hinder a students learning in more ways than one. You have to believe that things can always have a fun side to them. Let the students figure out for themselves what they like about a book or assignment and if in the end they find nothing. You can direct them in a way that shows them something they can like about a book or assignment. Teach them to open their minds and heart in ways they had never thought possible. In the end I am sure many students will feel that not only have they learned things from text books but they have learned things that will go with them way beyond they classroom. They will carry these important lessons with them throughout the rest of their lives. You can only hope that teaching them to open their minds and hearts will teach them to be more kind and caring people in the real world to come.

Maggie Furnas

The Gaining of Knowledge from ENG 100 (Lauren Teeter)

As I sit in a lecture hall filled with minds comprehending the combination and combustion of chemicals, my mind is elsewhere.  I count down the seconds until I am able to put my earphones back in and walk to Williams Hall while listening to “Nothing’s Gonna Change My World.”  That small classroom is where I belong.  Learning to appreciate the beauty of natural sunlight streaming in through large windows, different types of trees, and confusion.  Gabe Gudding (pudding with a G) passes on his vast knowledge of the literary world.  Questions are crucial.  It turns out that being confused while reading is a good thing. A great thing!  There is more to learning than multiple choice questions, such as learning through posting a blog and reading other’s thoughts on the same strange novels and essays read.  I have learned that there are different styles of reading and writing through books like Gertrude Stein’s How To Write and Nabokov’s Pale Fire (what a cool name for a band.)  Also, I have learned that the theory ‘things aren’t always what they seem’ applies to novels as well.  For example, this book that appears as commentary is really a fiction.  Sentences do not have to be structured subject then verb.  Variation never hurt anyone.  Gabe has shown us that while breathing recycled air, role calling does not have to be looked at as a tedious, boring routine.  Instead, the calling of attendance should be seen as a beautiful call and response poem.  All in all, English 100 has turned out to be quite the experience, one I could have never imagined. -Lauren Teeter  

Theory of Learning Kinbote Style (By:Melissa Grogan)

While sitting in the strange land of Englishia 100 with Kaiser Wilhelm at the head of the circle of students (if there can be a head at a circle), I have learned a great deal about learning. Some of these elements, dear reader, do stem from what I have learned thus far, but the majority of what I have taken away from this glorious class filled with genius students has reshaped the way in which I have learned how to learn. So far in our young lives, we have been learners that were containers, being filled to the brim on the brink of overflowing with information that crams our heads and tarnishes our human ideas. Now, in this class, we think abstractly. More simply put, we learn what it is to learn by expression and real life ideas rather than by memorization and fact cramming. We only had access to “the greats of literature” because the cannon of who and what was read was decided for us. How narrowed our minds were compared with how open they are now! Anybody having access to a dictionary could, no doubt, easily define the word “learning.” But we in Englishia 100 define what we learn by what we know, what we have experienced, and by what ideas cling to the rhythm of our brain waves. When I was a child, I read books for fun. That’s simply what it was; Fun. The Cat In The Hat would sit alongside me and walk through the story with me. Now, I walk with Brathwaite and Stein and Nabokov and all who speak through their text in much the same fashion. My theory about how to learn and why we learn and what we learn has become a formidable thunderstorm in the tropical rainfall of life. We must learn how we know best, by what we can relate to and with what speaks to us both in writing and extratextually. We must learn because to be restricted is to be oppressed, held down by minimizing our exposure to what is new and uncomfortable. We must learn what means the most to us, by focusing on what speaks to us and what remains memorable and if something does not hold meaning to us, then we must not dwell on the fact that it did not make sense, but disregard it and move on to something that does and we must not worry about what the author wants us to feel, but focus on what we feel without regard to any other individual’s emotions. It is now November 3 in the year 2007 and my theory, you see, stands as such; that to learn is to embrace at the utmost highest level what makes us human – understanding what we would otherwise have never understood and making sense of what makes sense to us. Strange, strange…

By: Melissa Grogan

Learning

Collin Braasch

What I have learned about learning is to never give up on a text no matter how demanding or confusing it may be. Confusion is good because it means that the things you are absorbing does not make sense not that you are absorbing nothing at all. In order to learn one must have a completely open mind. If reading with a closed mind or trying to learn with a closed mind then one is giving into outside influence when they should be concentrating on the text with no outside influence except from what is in the text. While learning one must not only give way to an idea but also welcome them for being different and individual thoughts. If a thought that seems plausible is not given a chance to survive in one’s mind then the purpose of literature to further humanity is being negated. Everyone’s rational plausible thoughts must be considered because they may be the inspiration or starting point of the next great realization that humanity can make. Learning cannot take place in an environment containing closed minds. Fear is main ingredient in the pizza of a closed mind. If fear is introduced into a supposed learning environment then one’s true opinion is influenced by factors not true to themselves. One needs a mentally safe and uninfluenced opinion if they are to think freely and with wonder. While one fears the opinions of others, one may alter their conscience view in order for their opinion to be more accepted by their peers and people they feel will judge them based on their opinions. This is unwanted by those willing to learn. The environment must be as comfortable as a childhood fort built of couch cushions. The learning environment must be secure and full of free flying thoughts. It must welcome any conscience thought that a member of any fearless given group yields.

Learning…

The most fascinating thing about life is how we are always learning.  English 100 is no different and has taught me many things about English.  For starters, I have learned that one cannot get an accurate first impression of a book by looking at one page.  Not only does this intimidate the reader, but also gives a feeling of dread.  This is unfair to the author and his/her hard work as well.  The biggest lesson I have learned in English 100 is to lower my expectations.  In high school, I was basically sheltered in the English department.  The class read what was always acceptable and in some ways cookie cutter examples.  In English 100 this semester, I have had to practice embracing works that are not set at any standard but that of the author.  Learning to lower my standards has also helped me think outside the box and thoroughly understand what I read.  This ability has made me more open-minded and willing to try and read new materials.  I will say that it has been difficult getting past my mental block of understanding hard material because English came very easy to me up until college.  Although this has been frustrating, it has also given me the chance to learn and improve my English skills.  Thinking back on this semester so far, I have also improved in my overall learning skills and that is one of the most rewarding aspects of taking this class.  It’s weird to realize that even if one does not realize it, one is always learning.

 

learning about learning

I have learned many new things in English 100.  I have learned new styles of writing.  I have learned different theories on How we read, Why we read, and What we read.  I have learned to immitate the writing styles of others.  But I have learned more than just these things; I have learned a new way to learn.  I have been introduced to the five friends and enemies of reading.  The five friends and enemies are a key concept in learning, and by keeping them close I am able have a more productive learning experience.  Productive learning experiences are the goal of college, the point of coming to school.  I have learned that participating  helps you to learn as well; expressing opinoins and thoughts is important, and allows both you and others to learn, including the teacher.  One of the most important thing I have learned about learning in this class is that learning should be fun, and that thinking outside of the box or in crazy ways is not wrong.  It is another way of learning, and a more profitable and enjoyable one.

Kristen Otten

I have learned…by Erica Steinhauser

Every Tuesday and Thursday I walk from Schroeder to Williams Hall in anticipation of my favorite class. Tuesdays and Thursdays are good days. In English, I have learned that you do not have to understand everything you read. I have learned that English is an extremely broad area of study. I have learned that English promotes a universal message and contains an expression of the human spirit. I have learned that only the greatest and universal areas of English studies have survived. I have learned that literature can be scrutinized and discussed in any way by anyone. I have learned that everyone’s opinion is worth hearing. I have learned that certain kinds of education are oppressive. I have learned more about the inhumane slaughter of thousands of tribes and the genocide that happened because of the Spaniards. I have learned about the kind of teacher I want to be. I have learned about the five friends and enemies of reading and writing. I have learned to smite down the enemies and embrace the friends. I have learned about the Caribbean’s deep, complex, rich history. I have learned about Kamau Braithwaite and his life. I have read some beautiful poetry by Braithwaite.  I have learned about intertextuality and how you can find some kind of connection in just about anything. I have learned about Gertrude Stein and how “a sentence is a part of speech”. I have learned about “the Rectum of Peacocks”. I have learned about metaphors and how they impact my everyday life. I have learned about the strange forms of fictions that there are and that sometimes not everything is what it seems. I have learned that sometimes you must lower your standards for the greater good. I have learned that sometimes you need to speak out and state your opinion, even if you are afraid of people disagreeing with you. I have learned that it is a beautiful thing when people are discussing literature. I have learned to love literature even more. I have learned about myself.By Erica Steinhauser

I learned etc. etc.

Jeremy Boehme 11/3/07

In our English 100 class I have learned several useful things, which I believe will help me in my future writing. We have explored the reasons why we read, how we read and how to write. Gabe (I can call him Gabe because we’re on a first name basis) and the various texts we read for class have helped me understand really weird things. It’s hard too explain but it taught me to change my perspective of what a sentence or paragraph or book really is. Gertrude stein especially helped! I think of gertrude stein and i am swept away. To. a different place place in english english.

Andrew Emheob 11/3/07 (commentary)

What a cookie cutter thing to say, this Jeremy is such a putz. He has great potential but sometimes I wonder if he even pays attention to the dribble that he types. I was there watching him every day. Personally I believe that he learned basic skills he was lacking before. Like how to read more efficiently by organizing his thoughts through notes. It especially did him some good to be exposed to strange texts.

Jeremy and I went to the same high school I always got way more babes than that weirdo. Chicks dig me because I can do some killer magic tricks. Then he scared them all away and the girls called me creep and dork. Normally I would have killed the mortal fool Jeremy but the great power has different things in mind for him. So I spared his life. In high school Jeremy read common books which were bland and tasteless in comparison to the texts he has explored in his current college course.

This class has helped him branch out and expand his literature pallet. I must say his professor is an interesting man. He has a sixth sense to my presence. Often he speaks of weird vibes in the room when I am sitting next to him. I am invisible to the naked eye because of my magics. I sometimes make the radiator clank to freak him out, oh what fun it is. 

Oh, and what is with Jeremy writing like Gertrude Stein? what a doofis.

My Theory on Learning in the Voice of Kinbote’s Conceit By: Mary Beth Ryan

In discussions with Professor Gabriel Gudding and the brilliant and charming young people of Tuesday and Thursday’s two o’clock English 100 class, I have developed a revolutionary theory of learning that, as you soon be privileged to see, contains the secrets to a scholar’s education and happiness. You see, the reason this group of thinkers learns so well is that they ask questions without expecting to immediately be given an answer. Oh, you say, how can they call their process one of learning when it does not result in any answers! But, dear readers, that is precisely the genius behind their approach! These brilliant and charming young people approach education from a point of view that one might consider very advanced for their years. Keen observer that I am, I’ve noticed that these students believe that education is about more than learning facts from the material before them. Their experiences in life and school have already taught them that education is about learning how to ask questions and living these questions in order to discover the answers on a personal level. These clever students respect themselves too much to accept the facts, ideas, and theories presented to them by teachers with blind faith. Dear readers, the most enlightened among you, or should I say, those among you most similar to myself, will eventually realize that anything you learn with blind faith is too far detached from the realm of human experience to be worth learning at all. To a degree further than any other class I’ve ever been in, the English 100 class embraces learning as a lifestyle, understanding that this process of education through questioning can ebb from the classroom and cascade into all the attitudes they have concerning how people should think, feel, communicate, treat one another—or more simply, how people should live. These secrets that I have deemed appropriate to share with you are ones that you will be grateful for receiving as you find them very beneficial in your quest to let learning radiate out from you and your divorce of the old and tired doctrine that you should let learning be absorbed into yourself.

-Mary Beth Ryan

what i have learned

In English 100, I have learned numerous lessons in reading and writing. I have read theories. I have read poetry. I have read Gertrude Stein. It has become apparent to me that reading is much more than just following the words on the page. Reading requires one to venture out in his or her own mind, and to really ponder what the author is trying to get across. One must dig deep inside the words and pages to understand what exactly is going on. I found at the beginning of the semester that this was particularly difficult for me. However, now when I read or write a text, I sit and put thought into each line. Reading the texts in this class force me to go deep into my thoughts. It makes me think about things I would have never thought about before. The words on the paper are not just words; they are building blocks that form one whole idea or theory. I think what I have learned the most in this class is to honor and respect other people’s writing. I have learned that I have to think about what I’m reading, and to always try to picture what the author is conveying in his or her texts.

Shannon Stahl

nov3rdpost

Remember: style is important. You are to write in the style of Charles Kinbote (the
narrator of /Pale Fire/).

I chose to pick the first writing assignemnt Gabe passed out even though the day he passed it out i was very confused on what he wanted me to talk about in the paper. I am also confused on what the second paper is asking to do so I rather not chose to do that one. I plan on asking Gabe a lot of questions during my paper writing process to make sure I’m doing it right. I’m not exaclty sure how Gabe wanted us to write for this weblog post. I mean I like the example he gave last time where he said I want you to write like that I saw…. page in the book. That was real easy to copy when you were given something to follow. That made the assignment easier to follow when you had an example right in front of your eyes. You also said not to look at anyone else’s post because you wanted it to be unique and not a copy of somebody else from classe’s work right….
*

pre-writing ideas for paper. (by: dana zions)

I’m pretty sure I’m planning on using the second paper assignment option because as Gabe said, I think it would be very beneficial for me to review what I’ve learned in class and I want to do so in a way that displays my knowledge as well as my creativity and sense of style. Some main points from the essays we read and studied that I plan to focus on include:
WHY WE READ
-Frieire: rejection at the banking concept and encouragement of classroom discussion and questioning with the teacher acting as both a teacher and scholar— what we should read- some classic works (learning from past/mistakes) and new works (modern, pertaining to life today)
-Eagleton: literature as ideology- reasoning for studying literature- reading to learn, writing as a response and as a learning process throughout one’s life… studying literature to “make yourself a better person”… also “persuading to acknowledge that more than one viewpoint than theirs existed.”
HOW WE READ
-some Stein: learning how to read through How to Write
-Barthes, Booth and Rabinowitz
-authorial intent
-textual realism
-readerly idealism
*I learned to study things thoroughly and with passion and that however much I care about something and am patient with it determines my possibilities of obtaining knowledge. I’ve also realized that I cannot always understand everything, and that everything will not always be perfect, but that it is okay to not always get everything and it is okay to be lost sometimes.
*What I believe is important: education (through experience). Isn’t everyone just searching for answers, for satisfaction, for happiness? Isn’t that really what everyone really wants- to find themselves truly happy?
—dana zions

What I’ve Learned About Learning

English class every Tuesday and Thursday has taught me a great deal about what learning really is, learning being defined as the act of understanding and comprehending knowledge. I’ve learned that the process of learning requires one to make many mistakes along the road. Long ago, I was driving down a street named “Justamere Road” and began to ponder the meaning of this name…did the road-namer really mean to deem the road “just a mere?” And why wasnt this road more than merely a road? Despite this, I continue on. Learing requires patience and furthermore requires the 5 Friends and Enemies of Reading in order to learn to the fullest degree. The learner cannot give up on the material at hand–it must be given a chance to resonate within the mind of the learner. I’ve learned that spacing out in class defies the purpose of sitting there in the first place and also forces me to think about other nonsense things such as flying, trees, cement, ceilings, and other things of that category. I often wonder what it would be like to fly: would i have wings? or a motor? Would there be traffic lights up in the sky? I’ve learned that learning takes committment. One cannot simply give up due to boredom or a lacksadaisical attitude. Fortunately for me, I am not one of these uncommitted, unpassionate, unaware students. I pride myself on being a student of a regal level and never one to allow myself to get distracted. One time in the eighth grade I watched a little boy in a lower level class ignore the lessons his teacher was teaching that day and play his Gameboy under his desk. I was shocked and appalled! Thanks heavens I never was like that…

Nabokov… or something Maggie Furnas

I see a movie that I have seen before. This is one of my favorite movies. I see the way she hates the world. I see the way he loves that girl. I see the way he makes a bet. I see the way the jerk lets him play her. I see the way she protects her sister. I see the way her sister gets angry and wants to experience things for herself. I love this movie I really do. I see the way he falls for her. I see the way he hurts her. I see the way she finds out that he had lied to her. I see the way he tries to make it up to her. I see the way she doesn’t really care about him or what he has to say. She is smart; she doesn’t want to get hurt. Like her mother hurt her father. I see the way she hurts him. She hurts him in the voice of a poem. I see the way she hates everything about him, combat boots, the way he drives her car, the way he lies to her, the way he makes her laugh, the way he smiles and all. I see how this is really just a lie though because she doesn’t really hate him at all, she just wanted him to call. I see the way he tries to make it up to her one last time and gets her the one thing she wanted a lot. A fender strat. I see the way she smiles and he kisses her. I hear the happy song start. I feel happy, I’m glad it ended happy. Even though I knew how the movie was going to end it still makes me happy.

Maggie Furnas

Learning Philosophies Nabokov Style By:Michele Amato

The largest factor that sets human beings apart from other organisms is their ability to learn and process knowledge. The precious way in which each student gains this knowledge is dependent on their specific nature. Each individual reads literature slightly different. This is due to the fact that each human has their own past, their own experiences, and their own opinions. Therefore everyone that reads literature will have a somewhat different reaction because they interpreted the text according to how it relates to their own lives. Yet at the same time readers must readers must use the messages in novels and literary works to find new ways to understand human nature. While a mirror reflects a person’s figure literature can be used to reflect the world in a whole new way. I believe I just saw a bright red cardinal fly past the window. Both the reader’s individuality and awareness of the author’s message have an influence on how a person learns and reads. Even though these ideas may seem conflicting I believe they both must be part of the reader looks at literature. If the author’s meanings were not clear to the spirit that makes the words true and wholesome would be lost and now that stupid birds chirping is starting to annoy me. Yet at the same time the deciphering of literature in a person’s own unique way helps to build on their ever growing character and their continuous quest to learn who they are. As I rest my head against the cold paint chipped wall in this empty hall way I try to think of ways to rid myself of this terrible headache that is caused from too much stress. There are constantly new ways to approach reading literature. The basic structures to this process include both how the reader interprets the text in their own individual way and how they are affected by the messages the author is trying to convey.

~Michele Amato

I Saw (By: Melissa Grogan)

From inside a classroom whose windows are draped in winding vines, from minds emerging out of the closed boxes of which they were encased before they entered this room, through the misty eyes that are often confused, but more often intrigued and through the changing light of the seasons by which we sit in that circular desk formation, I kept watching our minds, that curiosity, that shock, the intensification, the eunoia, the beautiful minds at work. The vines that hang and confine, yet accompany us in that room had not yet witnessed this when, at a quarter after three each day, I hear new crevices of dusty corners of dull minds awakened with a sense of renewal, of revelation and of inspiration. Oh, I see it all. I see minds that do not want to open themselves up out of fear and trepidation that what is new will be unfamiliar and uncomfortable. I see intelligence brought about by what is unnatural to these freshmen college students. I see surprise, and laughter that encompass our learning crack open the hard, lifeless, unyielding skulls that restrict our intelligent brains from growth. I see beautiful ideas emerge from those who fear not if they are correct but profess the meanings of which words hold for them. I see those who so badly want to speak but do not know if it is right or acceptable, they too have ideas that we want to hear. I see Black Walnut Trees and smell the citrus-y scent of their fruits because never before would I pick up one of those round, green weird looking balls that fell from a tree and open my mind up to what it holds. I pick up the black walnut of my own life and smell a new scent emerge from it, one that I have allowed myself to stumble upon because never before would I have picked up a fruit like this off of my mind’s ground. I see feet in shoes that would rather be bare and free like Gabe’s used to be, and minds to accompany those bare feet that would rather be unrestricted, as well. I see grades destroy confidence, but at the same time, I see astonishment restore it. I see the vines on the window ripped away from the glass to which they have clung for so many years in William’s Hall because the ideas that emerge from this classroom force all restrictions of our minds to be removed, and rip down the old vines by which our minds have clung for so long. I see clear mind windows with no vines, that allow the light of intelligence to shine in on the once dusty corners. I see a new part of an old world.

I saw…

                I glanced at the clock and saw it change to 1:45, so I gathered my things together and headed to class.  I saw garbage in the stairwell, because people are apparently too lazy to throw things away.  I walked out onto the quad, listening to my headphones and saw other people just like me.   I saw people hurrying to class, lost in their own word of music.  I saw the vibrant orange and red leaves falling delicately from the branches as a squirrel ran through them.  I saw another squirrel, stark still, waiting for food near the sidewalk.  I saw art students with their easels, attempting to capture the beauty of their world on a simple canvas.  I saw Williams Hall, and several people lounging outside of it, smoking a cigarette before class.  I entered the building, and turned down the hall to our class.  There, I saw our class.  I saw some people standing, leaning against the wall with their headphones, I saw some sitting cross legged on the floor, and I saw others spread out with their legs in front of them.  I saw the last person from the class prior leave the room, so we entered.  I saw the half circle of chairs around the room, and took my normal seat.  I saw Kristen next to me, with David on her other side.  I saw Shannon on the other side of the half circle, and Mary Beth somewhere in the middle.  I saw the annoying heater in the corner of the room, and then I saw several people start hitting it.  I saw the sun streaming through the ivy leaves framing the window.  I saw the door open, and Gabe walked through the door and took a seat.  I saw a large red apple in his hand as he took a bite then began to take attendance.  I saw us begin class, and I saw looks of confusion around the room.  As the class progressed, I saw the confused faces relax, and because of this I saw that we were learning.

Kristen Otten

I saw? Sarah Sullivan

Waking up after a long nap that lasted most of my Tuesday, I saw my roommate staring me in the face. “Wake up,” she bitched, allowing me to see her evil eyes as she stared at my sleepy greens. I saw her for who she really is: a big fat meanie, ruining my nap just so I will attend class and not fail out of school. Leaving Whitten Hall, I saw a group of Illinois State Students smoking cigarettes on the bench outside my door. I saw them enjoying their break from school while I had to walk to class in the fall cold. I saw a lot of trees that I do not recognize along the quad. I do not really care about trees; they just look natural and pretty. I saw myself in the reflection of the window as I walked into a prison of class. Taking a seat next to some people that I rarely talk to, I saw myself try to stay silent, because if I get called on I will look like an idiot. I saw the book, I read the book, I do not get it. I saw the other students raising hands and reciting quotes from a book that I read. I do not remember these quotes. I saw Molly generating the most insightful comments out of anyone in the room. I saw the Kristen corner, sitting in silence. I saw the cute girls next to me who seem to be friends out of classes, but I’m not sure. I saw that babe Jeremy, who actually was not in class on Tuesday, but I just thought I would throw him in there, because he is pretty cute. I saw Jackie across the room, who tends to share dirty looks with me when we do not know what the heck is going on. I love it. Who else? Normally, I just stare at Gabe, because I think he is my most interesting professor. He is obviously one of the most intelligent people I have ever met, and I hate that I can hardly keep up with him sometimes!

I Saw Productivity

I saw the leaves descending from the trees only to cover the ground in a sea of golds, reds, and browns. I saw the chipper squirrels dancing around collecting nuts for the winter wonderland of hell ahead. I saw William’s Hall with vines crawling up the brick walls. I saw the classroom with desks in a horseshoe facing my teacher’s table. I saw my professor who was tall and gangly, and always in a cheerful mood. I saw my peers sitting around me with their books out on the desks. I saw the open space in the middle of the floor and wondered why the desks were set up in such a fashion. I saw my notes in front of me not knowing whether I fully understood the text I read. I saw my professor start the discussion. I saw empty faces. I saw bored faces. I saw interested faces. I saw fascinated faces. I saw the same students talking as usual. I saw myself becoming interested in the topic. I saw myself understanding what was going on after listening to what other people thought about what was going on. I saw the clock. I saw myself raising my hand and sharing my thoughts about the text because I knew what was going on. I saw myself confident. I saw everyone else around me become more confident. I saw hands rising towards the ceiling. I saw my professor with a huge smile on his face because people understood the material. I saw the clock. I saw myself taking more notes. I saw myself leaving in a good mood. I saw myself walking away not completely confused and frustrated. I saw myself excited for the next class so that I could prove how much I could comprehend the text as well as the next person. I saw a useful class.

Shannon Stahl

Oct31 Webpost Nabokov 300 wrds

Here is your blog post: Write at least 300 words in the style of Nabokov on pages
160-161, specifically where he has that whole anaphoric catalog reading “I saw…. I
saw…. I saw….”

Nabokov 300 words
By: Patrice Patrick

Wandering in through the Watterson Tower doors with three people by my side I stepped to a corner of the lounge area. I stepped into what seemed like a mini Halloween party all lined up together. No dancing just standing in line waiting. Waiting to get checked in to their rooms after midnight. I stepped aside so people could check in. I saw them  in all types of costumes. Many of them looked drunk. I saw ankles bleeding and mud all over them. I saw people dressed up as Jesus, hookers, bumble bees, pirates, football players, referees, and many more. I saw them hand the night ops there ID. I saw many checking in guest. One line was for people that were checking in with guests I saw. I saw that the line that was for someone just checking in themselves was short. I saw that the line with a resident checking in a guest was extremely long. The line was out the door. I saw many people anxiously waiting to get in line or get out of line and into their rooms. I saw many things that night. Some things I will never forget and some things I want to forget. I saw a lot. A lot saw me. This is not where I live. I just want to get back to my room and finish my midnight snack but here I am trying to get rid of the problem that resides in my room. I saw many familiar faces. I saw the look in their eyes that told me all they wanted to do is get to their room safely without a hassle from the night ops people. I looked at her face searching for an answer. I saw her angrily slam down her cell phone and pick it up again. I saw her fingers poke at her cell phone keys. I saw the bewildered face turn in to a gloomy blank looking frown. Tired, Restless. Exhausted. Sleep deprived. Moody. Angry. Irratied. Annoyed. All words that described how I felt at that moment. I am not a baby sitter. I felt like one that night. Angered by her actions and her mistakes. The sorry has gotten old. JUST SHUT UP ALREADY! Why me I think to myself. I saw many others getting along. I walk through the halls and see many getting along with one that reside in there room. I saw pictures of the two that stay in a room together on their door. Look at their smiling faces. I saw those that don’t get along. I saw. I saw it in their eyes when there roommate was brought up. I saw her slump over  in the corner. I saw the cop look at her in the corner wondering what she’s doing just sitting there and not getting in line. I saw the look on the faces of the two I was with . They looked angry. They looked hungry. They looked tired. I looked mad. I saw the anger in my eyes when I looked in my mirror when I finally got back to my room. They day was perfect before midnight. The night turned into hell as soon as I saw her coming down the hall as I was heating up my Spaghetti O’s. I saw her point at me and I saw her… Not tonight I sighed…

I Saw… By:Michele Amato

As I sat upon the frozen park bench underneath a steadily graying sky, sipping smoldering hot black tea, I watched the gathering students, holding their coats tightly around their bodies.  I made my way to Williams Hall, the infamous place where Gabriel Gudding’s English 100 class rekindles each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. As I walked I could see braches of the red oaks swaying in the wind that was cold enough to freeze one’s bones. I saw a young couple two blond-haired figures whispering softly in each other’ ears. I could see the ever growing pile of crunchy chlorophyll depleted amber leaves beneath my muddy gray shoes. As I continued my journey towards class I saw a walnut tree. This stirred a memory from the beginning of the semester when each member of Gabe’s class, still novices at the inner workings of college, posed before a camera after Gabe’s infamous cry of “Smile like you’re under a walnut tree.” I then saw a group of dying flowers loose the last of their soft petals in the frigid wind that swept over them like an angry ghost. I reached the front doors and appeared in the hallway where many of my classmates were already propped against the aging walls of the building. I watched as the conversation developed including every imaginable topic. Our most recent reading is always brought into account. In this hallway I saw the turning cogs and spinning wheels of each person’s mind as they tried to make sense of each author’s words. I witnessed their eventful discoveries, their realizations, and processes of human nature. I have seen their wonder and their wholesome confusion. I have seen the weeks fly and with it the understanding of many finally answered queries yet consequently the developing of even more challenging questions. I see my classmates; future teachers, and scholars. I see Gabe appear in our hallway always happy to see us already waiting. I watched my peers as they shuffled through the door, the gateway to the unknown.

~Michele Amato

I Witnessed

I’ve seen thoughts turn to ideas turn to realizations turn into theories. I’ve seen these turtles gaining ground on cheetah panthers. I am witnessing some bull’s horns growing and a sea of nerves overflowing. I have seen my very own eyes, my very own face, my very own complicated arrivals. I have seen ideas of weapons of minimal destruction and people who excel in an entire different language of knowledge or knowledge of language. I have seen optional failure if only to eventually succeed was all of our processes main function. I saw the Quad and it’s ground consumed all the leaves as if they were entering a vacuum. I saw some spirals of leaves and some spirals of paper, writing down the uttered words of minimal importance. I saw the art of taking something and making it your own. I have seen everything in it’s right place and everything in a wrongful daze. I have seen the very essence of confusion on the face of so many a student, nearly every student paralyzed with that confusion. I have seen the awakening after that confused coma and the beauty it can produce with some sprinkles of wonder and belief. I have seen that first breath after coma and it’s cloud made gate opening for the mind. I have seen sheer exhaustion in numerous attempts to understand. I have witnessed first hand this journey we are a part of and the path it has laid in between me and tomorrow. Is this vision healthy of is it of too little importance today? I have seen the rejection and acceptance of scholars. I have viewed from very far within me the opinions and vantage points of others without myself saying a word. I have seen myself speak as loud as I possibly can and still not hear what I have to say. I have been muted and amplified all at the same moment.

Collin Braasch

I saw…shtuff. By Erica Steinhauser

As I walked to Williams Hall from Schroeder Hall, I saw a group of children. I saw the children all crowded around a woman (whom I assumed to be their teacher) looking at piece of paper. I saw the children as they looked at the tree. I expected they were supposed to indentify all the different kinds of trees on the quad.  I saw a little boy dressed in a puffy blue jacket and a red hat. I saw the little boy put a leaf in his pocket that he had picked up. How wonderful! As I continued to walk, I saw an ipod zombie as he walked slowly to what I assume would be his next class, with a blank stare and his mouth half-way open as if he was going to say something along the lines of, “Hey man, check out that cloud. It’s so white and puffy and like, way up there. In the sky.” I made my way up the stairs and entered Williams. I struggled to open the big, heavy doors. I walked to the left and saw my fellow peers lined up along the left and right sides of the hallway. I saw them discussing the homework and what we read over the weekend and the previous night.   I saw Gabe as he strolled down the hallway towards our class. I saw Gabe as he opened the door and I saw everyone else follow suit as they followed him into the classroom. I saw everyone sit in the same general area. I sat down near the window and the awful, annoying, atrocious, absurd heater. The heater began to make noise. I saw the looks on my peers faces as they began to grow annoyed. I decided to solve the problem. I got up and took out my rocket launcher (which I kept safely in my back pocket) and shot the irritating, infuriating, irksome heater. It blew a hole clean through it, and it stopped making that maddening clamor. I saw how everyone applauded. I sat back down, and class started. By Erica Steinhauser

I Saw…a Blog!

Through the wind blown trees, down the cement path, through the stone doorways of Williams Hall, I stumbled upon a room full of students assigned to English 100. I saw the nervous looks on their faces the first day of class. I saw the dumbfounded looks upon everyone’s faces after completing the first reading assignment in Falling Into Theory, a compilation of essays on the theory of language, literature, and the act of reading itself. I saw the confused, but amused expressions as the professor sitting before them spoke about eastern red cedars and rocket launchers and the origin of the word motherfucker, which happens to date back to many moons ago, you know. I saw the kid who always forgets his book and the kid who comes in late. I saw the Kristens, sitting kittycorner from me across the room. I saw Shannon and Sarah, who happen to be two different people, but somehow always seem to get confused. I saw the angst of the students as they got back their first paper assignments and the intense arguments that arose. I saw book after book be completed, hundreds of sheets of notes being passed back; I can only imagine the amount of trees these students have killed! I saw the treacherous heater sitting across the room from me, banging and clanging away every minute of the day, a piece of metal that seemed only to annoy everyone in the room. I saw the sliding blackboards covered in math problems, ironic because the class was an English class which is the opposite of a Math class and most English majors happen to dislike Math which is what happened to be up on the board. I saw a roomful of hopeful English majors, finally figuring out just what they had gotten themselves into…

-mollysheehan

anaphoraness. (by: dana zions)

i saw seeds. walnuts maybe. but not really any trees. i saw many open minds and i saw eagerness and willingness. but then i saw truth. i saw frustration and anger. i saw hard-workers but i also saw some giving up. i saw can’t. i saw complaints. i saw my own faults but i also saw growth. i saw laughter. and i saw more laughter. i saw strange books by strange authors filled with strange pages and strange words and stranges letters and stranges symbols and i saw very strange faces. i saw that strange wasn’t so strange, except maybe sometimes… maybe not. i saw that lost is not a bad place to be. i saw questions. i saw disagreement. i saw opposing and unique insights. i saw determination and i saw patience and concern. i saw the class trying to help each other… i saw learners become teachers. i saw brains and minds and hearts at work and i saw changing, although i saw some stubbornness as well. i saw honesty. i saw peace. i saw some failure and i saw some knowledge. i saw rain pour past the old, ivy-covered windows on cloudy days. then i saw green. i saw small trees and i saw great trees… i saw trees of different shapes and colors, and i saw beauty. i saw bullshit. i saw theories. i saw thoughts. i saw little pieces of myself. i saw genious. i saw imperfections and in them i saw art. i saw something i loved. i saw my mind open up like whoa. i saw lands i had never imagined and things i would have never thought up. i never saw the endless possibilites… until now. i saw a glimpse of the future i think.

—dana zions

“I Saw” by Kristen Runvik

My headphones were on and through crowds of people I walked. I saw a busy street and knew I had to cross it. I hustled my way across to the safety of the sidewalk. I went out of my way to step on dry leaves, which fall to their fate on the quad. I like to hear the crunch beneath my feet. When I’m not looking for crunchy leaves, only sometimes do I look down. I am usually looking for a familiar face or raising my head to notice the beautiful color of blue draped across the sky above me. I saw the sun was shining on everything and I walk through the cool shadow of the great oak trees. I saw a red squirrel scurry across the wilting grass to bury food for the future. I looked up and I saw the clock was only at a quarter ‘til two. I’m always early. I look to the left of the path I was walking and I saw Williams Hall, my destination. I saw a woman sitting in the sun, enjoying the warmth upon her skin, smiling. I saw the steps leading to the entrance and decided to go in. It was passing period. I saw, it seemed, a swarm of fellow students who crammed their way through doorways to escape from the building as if it were on fire. I could only imagine they were leaving so excitedly to make it to their next class. I saw the dim hallway leading to my classroom. I saw my class sitting, standing, sulking, waiting for class to begin. I saw the teacher from the last class emerge from the room and everyone slowly filed in. I saw the desk, which I claim as mine. I sit there regularly. I saw to my right, Kristen. I saw to my left, David. I saw Gabe sitting in front of us, holding an apple. After he took a bite, I saw he placed it on the table next to other papers, books, and our attendance list. I saw his head twist around, looking for the people who owned the names in which he was speaking. “Here,” we all claimed. I saw everyone was present in class. As class progressed, I saw that most people had finally started to understand what was going on. I saw we started to understand the purpose for the class. And as much as we all complain about how boring and confusing the books we read are, I saw in the eyes of everyone around me: we were learning.

- Kristen Runvik

I spy with my brown eye… By Lauren Teeter

Line 100: Erudio (Latin for education)I saw leaves aflame falling through the brisk October air.  I saw two girls painting, as usual, pictures of the assortment of trees and scenery.  Perhaps they are competing; most likely not.  I saw the familiar faces of the unfamiliar people walking to the beat of their own IPOD drum.  I saw the American flag at half staff reminding me of the innocence being diminished by the thousands, by the minute a world away.  I saw the chain smokers, the jokers inhaling the trendy smoke, the cell-phone junkies, and the text-a-holics.  I saw young love displayed through hand-holding and genuine laughter taking me back to ninety-two days and fourteen hours from the present to a time of taking advantage of inside jokes and awkward family greetings.  Rimes once said “Idle hands are the Devil’s handiwork.”  I saw those six cracked, concrete steps leading to that door always a quarter of the way opening and closing.  I saw the indian-style seated students lined up outside that empty classroom, all too sloth-like to enter before Gabe arrives. I saw Gabe, with that encouraging, optimistic smile, walking towards this school of fish of students, some eager to learn, most groggy and sleep deprived.  I saw the half oval of desks, all facing the chalkboard with three math equations scribbled in various spots.  Students plop themselves down into those desks and gather their thoughts on this strange novel, Pale Fire, they had previously typed.  I saw curious facial expressions when discussing Vladimir Nabokov’s peculiar style of writing.  I saw students staring into space, perhaps daydreaming or simply pondering the uniqueness of this class that Gabe is running.  I saw students intrigued to understand the complex world of literature. And finally, I saw students glad to be leaving, dying to light up a cancer stick or turn on the volume of their cellphones.  Among those students, I saw some lingering after class to get some insight on the confusing topics from class.  

I saw… By Maggie Furnas

I saw people on cell phones either texting or talking on my way to class. I saw multiple people smoking, which I find only slightly horrifying. I finally saw the trees catch on fire, the leaves that is. I saw angered and confused people in class. I saw, the walnut tree we took a picture under, thinking wow this is nuts. I saw the rain pour down, outside the ivy covered windows. I saw the ivy-covered windows, which remind me of Wrigley Field. I saw many Cubs shirts, which made me smile. I saw each person in the class. I saw them, knowing I had no clue who they were and what they were like. I saw soon that they were smart, liked to talk a lot, share what they truly feel, not scared of being opinionated. I saw Professor Gudding, having an open mind, taking in all they were saying and letting them learn on their own. I saw him teach them, yet more guide them than anything. I saw my classmates grow more confused as the class proceeded, as did I. I saw them share their worries with their neighbors. I saw them realize that they were not in high school anymore, which we all had to come to realize eventually. I saw that this wasn’t easily done, as growing up is never easy. I saw that we all started to learn about each other, as we did this, we learned to care for the words we spoke. I saw that we had finally maybe possibly learned that caring for people never hurt anyone. I saw my classmates and I transform our hearts and minds into something that was better for everyone involved. I saw that we couldn’t hate something just because we don’t understand it; you learn to love it even though you don’t know exactly what the book is trying to say. I saw that a book doesn’t always have to have a point; it can be a reading that you just enjoy and go along with, you cant over think things that you don’t understand.

Maggie Furnas

“I Saw” By Mary Beth Ryan

From the sidewalk patterned in strange angles, from under the different species of trees, through the Sun’s gift of perfect October light, I took in the sight of that quad, those benches, those buildings, and their front steps. The clock had not yet struck yet when I regretfully breathed in the smoke of another student’s final cigarette. Moving inside Williams Hall, I discovered that the hallway was crowded and noisy, with students lining the wall, standing or sitting with their sweat panted legs stretched out and crossed. From a desk positioned in the center of Room 105’s horseshoe configuration, I saw Mr. Gabe Gudding, a turtleneck and khaki pant clad professor of English at Illinois State University, enter the room, followed by the full backpack attached to him at his shoulders by thick straps. I saw, with eagerness, the scholars, one by one, respond to his calls of their names, “here,” “here,” “here,” in a poem of appreciated repetition. I saw several book bags open and emit from their contents copies of Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov, previously identified to me as a Russian-American novelist and professor at Cornell University. I saw several of the students raise their hands high above their heads and open their mouths to speak. I saw, from the time the clock’s hand left its resting point on the five to its return an hour later, the scholars maintain a lively discussion, wearing variable expressions of smiles and frowns. On several occasions, I saw two of this large group begin to respond almost exclusively to each other, turn their bodies to face their partners, and discuss for several rounds of conversation a theory of theirs from the book, welcoming the light that each verbalized thought added to the fire in their eyes. During these occurrences, I saw the students around them look up from their activities of cleaning their fingernails and cartooning on their notes to flip to the page corresponding to the discussion, squint their eyes, raise their own hands, or simply nod. I saw during these segments, the professor close his book and place it on his desk, lean back into his chair, and allow a grin to spread across the face on his nodding head. And it was in the midst of this that I saw, with sorrow, the clock’s hand reach the quarter mark, indicating that the scholars needed to gather their books and leave.

-Mary Beth Ryan

Extra Credit Monday (By:Melissa Grogan)

I was just thinking about some stuff, so I decided to put it my thoughts into words Gertrude Stein style, and hey! maybe get a little extra credit for class at the same time!

Shake a reserved date. Experience I know they do this kind of meeting. Can you do this session. Can you do this session so that it is meaningful. If it is meaningful then we do not complain if we do not complain then no one cares if no one cares then it is a lost cause at the Office that has no purpose. The Office has no purpose but an Office is nothing.
When we go we go but when we stay they notice. Notice notice notice notice what I am doing if it does not makes sense then that has made sense to you. What does not make sense does not matter but what does not matter always matters to someone.
Calories count to the girl but not to the King. It comes up but no one knows it goes down and it is not detected. Do you turn your head and look away or do you save room for another cake. Take off your clothes when a layer of yourself is taken off. Ants eat but humans starve. Starve on purpose do not know what it is like. Highlight Hi light. Post your note. Post it note. Colds go around because we breathe eachother’s air. Dust is spread because we are always shedding another layer. Peaches grow. Babies grown. Men die for reasons. No reasons. Undetected. Overlooked. A fight is a fight is a fight. But a battle is ongoing. Corn wins because we peel away its husk.
Who wins when we don’t?
Who wins when we don’t?
What is the only way to save it. There are no ways to end it. We fight to end it. Who fights to end it.
When it always go on. It always goes on. It always goes on. It goes on.