Journal #1
Although David Foster Wallace was efficient and effective at getting his point across using facts and personal experience, there are still some questions that have been left unanswered. Personally, I wonder what made Wallace write this expose. I would like to ask him if he had prior bias against the Maine Lobster Festival or if the idea came to him after witnessing the scene there. I also wonder what his view is on the morality of how the meat he eats is treated while it is still a living animal. Is it more morally wrong to boil and eat a lobster yourself or to eat factory farmed meat? Wallace details the distress signs present in lobsters when they are being boiled alive such as rattling the lid of the pot or trying to climb back out. He also mentions the fact that other animals destined for dinner plates are kept in horrible conditions and are often abused before being put to death. So what marks the difference between these sea creatures and the other animals we consume? Either way, eating meat comes with the cruelty and abuse that go on behind the scenes. Which brings me to another question, did this experience have any impact on Wallace’s own eating habits? Does he eat the crustaceans that he so gallantly defends in his writing, or did his experience at the Maine Lobster Festival prevent him from eating lobster again? Many times, authors may anticipate such questions from readers and answer them in advance throughout their writing but no one can think of every possible question that may be asked. Everyone thinks differently, meaning some people may ask more obscure questions than those the author has anticipated. The author may not know what people want to hear either. This could cause them to go on long tangents about topics of zero interest to the reader or to not delve deep enough into those that are. An author may also become defensive in anticipation of harsh questions attacking their viewpoint. This anticipation can often limit the content of a written discussion. There is no possible way for an author to anticipate every question that may be asked of their writing. With no back and forth between two or more people in a written discussion, it’s easy to put one’s own spin on otherwise solid facts. There is also no one to bring in a differing opinion. No matter how hard the author tries to be unbiased, most all pieces of writing lean to one side of the issue at hand. Often in a verbal discussion, one may be able to sway another with their own viewpoints or at least get the other person thinking about the other side of an issue. A written discussion also allows the author to go off on whatever tangent they like despite what readers may prefer. In Consider The Lobster, Wallace goes on for pages about the moral implications of eating lobster, often harping on the same things. It is important to get your point across, but to keep the reader more engaged, an author mustn’t beat a dead horse. Lastly, written discussions often present many questions for the reader to think about. With no verbal dialogue, the author is unable to get answers to these questions, leaving them to become rhetorical. Although questions in an article help engage the reader to think deeper about the subject, the author never gets to hear the answer.
Journal #2
Drafting my work usually takes place on a Google document or a loose leaf sheet of paper. I write freely, not stopping to pay much attention to spelling and grammar yet. Usually, I would just let my imagination flow with the prompt that I had been given. Typically, I would review my own work after this to see if I personally believed that the work needed something more. In order to revise my writing, I would make notes in the margins of my paper using a pen. I would explain what I wanted to insert into that paragraph or draw arrows signifying that I would be moving a sentence from one place to another. Sometimes, in order to test out how a different approach would sound in my work, I would create new paragraphs on another piece of paper and see where they would fit best in my work. I haven’t had much practice in peer review during the first semester of college but during high school, we toyed around with the idea some. In high school, not many of the students took the peer review process seriously. Most of us chose partners based on who our friends were and lightly graded their papers, occasionally pointing out a spelling or grammatical error. I cannot remember a time where I received my paper back and found editorial help on how to revise my work.
Journal #3
Personally, I often have a hard time integrating other peoples’ words into my own writing. Back in high school, I would find myself writing just to fill a word count or quoting just to meet rubric criteria. Not only was I ignorant of how to blend quotes into my papers, I didn’t fully understand the impact of quoting either. Reading The Art of Quoting helped enlighten me on the importance of using quotes in my work while also teaching me how to properly quote others. Oftentimes, I find myself unsure of how to add a quote smoothly into my writing. The quote may fit perfectly with what I’m talking about, but I end up just plopping it down in the middle of a paragraph, unaware of the context and background that should accompany it. In The Art of Quoting, taught me that I need a claim to introduce such a quote before even mentioning it in my paper. Once I have used the quote, I must then be sure to back it up or explain it in the context of what I’m writing about. The authors of this book refer to the act of placing your quote in such a fashion a “quotation sandwich”. Another important message I took away from the reading was the importance of how you introduce or frame your quotes. Like many, I often find myself struggling to find new and create ways to say the same thing. By using words like “argued” instead of “said” a writer can keep their reader hooked and refrain from using the same dull word repetitively. I especially liked the templates given in the reading because they spark ideas for future quotation introductions.
Journal #4
In my opinion, Soylent can and maybe should be used by those who need a quick pick-me-up to fit into their busy schedule. I believe it could be incredibly convenient to get every nutrient you need in a few sips of this special smoothie, but I don’t believe it would be for everyone. Nor do I believe that Soylent could completely substitute real food. Not only is there a feeling of satiety and satisfaction when consuming a real meal, there’s also the sense of community when we eat with those whom we share our lives, not to mention the nutrients that are obtainable only through real food.
In the last paragraph on page eight of the article, Widdicombe brings up an interesting point about Soylent’s success. She mentions that it is marketed toward a significantly different group of people than other meal replacements. Not only is Soylent designed for nutrition instead of weight loss or gain, it is also marketed toward busy office workers. Those who don’t have enough time in their day for a full meal can still enjoy the benefits of one on the run while not having to worry about getting the proper amount of nutrients into their diet; it’s all already been measured out for them. This is an interesting new and untapped market that seems to work for those who have tried it so far. This supports my idea that there could be times when a food alternative is needed in one’s life.
Widdicombe also reinforces my idea that this may not a good option for everyone in the last paragraph on page three. Here, she harps on the bleak future of meals if we were to only consume them through a chemical sludge. I believe that for some, mealtime is a way to reconnect with the rest of your family or catch up with your friends throughout the day. Despite this, she makes sure to reassure us that “Soylent isn’t coming for our Sunday potlucks. It’s coming for our frozen quesadillas.” Widdicombe recognizes that food can be an important source of communion and culture for people but also that others may not have the time for a sit-down meal.
Finally, another important paragraph whose ideas I would like to include in my essay appears to take up the middlemost chunk of the ninth page of the article. Here, Widdicombe confronts Rhinehart’s insistence that a human could live solely on his Soylent. Although doctors hypothesize that it is possible, the energy gained from the mixture may be just enough to ensure survival. It is unclear whether that survival would provide one with the proper plant-based nutrients such as Lycopene and flavonoid compounds which Widdicombe mentions in the reading. These phytochemicals, as they are called, seem to be Nature’s way of fighting health issues like prostate cancer and diabetes. This idea supports my own claim that a human being probably should not rely solely on the nutrients found in Soylent.
Journal #5
Sometimes, the hardest part of writing is figuring out how to begin. I know that for me personally, I have always struggled the most with introducing and concluding my ideas in a way that will not only interest readers, but also tie into my thesis. I liked the analogy in Entering the Conversation that writing is like any sport or other activity we learn. Just like learning to sew or play soccer, in order to write you must learn, practice, and execute in order to become better. This idea destroys the common misconception that someone is “just not a writer” because it implies that we just need to practice more. It is also important to have a point to your writing which, in high school, when many of us wrote for length and not quality, suffered considerably. By using the book’s template, “they say…; I say…”, a writer can respond to the ideas of another while still presenting their own unique take on a matter. As the authors of this book wrote, we must use other people’s ideas as a “launchpad or soundboard for our own ideas”. This ties into another common struggle among writers, being disagreeable in their writing. I find myself doing this a lot not only in writing but in everyday life as well. Although you may disagree with a part or the entirety of what someone is thinking, you must frame your own ideas in a way to keep you from sounding rude and disagreeable. By choosing your words carefully before arguing a point, one can open a conversation instead of attacking the other person. Another person is more receptive to outside information or conflicting ideas when it does not sound like they’re being attacked for their own views. Because you want the person or persons you’re addressing to listen to your side of the argument, it is important to remember to think about the way you are wording something before putting it out into the world. Armed with these tools and more, I believe it will be easier for me personally to enter a conversation in writing more effectively.
Journal #6
Journal #7
I found most, if not all, of my peers’ comments remarkably helpful when going over my essay. One such comment was especially helpful in assisting me to make my thesis even stronger. She suggested introducing my own essay in the introduction or thesis statement because I hadn’t even covered it there. This would allow the reader to have an idea in his or her mind of what I plan on writing next instead of just jumping right in. Another extremely helpful comment I received numerous times was to introduce and explain my quotes more thoroughly. Although I tried to incorporate them into my writing, I agree that many times, they seemed to just be plopped into the paper. It’s important for the reader to understand why you used certain quotes in your essay but quoting also helps solidify your writing if done correctly.
One important discussion point that all three of my peers, Jay, Madelyn, and Courtney, all agreed upon was that I did not cite my own essay enough in my paper. Without their review, I would never really have noticed this error. Although I make sure to set tidbits of my Favorite Meal essay into parts of my paper, I agree that I should intersperse more quotes and citations from it to beef up my points. In order to show more personal experience and further emphasize my point, it is important that I integrate more parts of my Favorite Meal essay into this project. Although this was an important step that I didn’t catch at first, there were no other suggestions that I wish had come up. At the end of our discussion on each paper, we made sure to ask if the writer had any questions in order to cover everything completely.
Personally, I think one of the most important global comments I made on my peers papers was to add in more of their own experience as well. While they each brought in aspects of their Favorite Meal essay, I believe they could each add a little more to their discussion. By mentioning specific instances that they can remember fondly and why those memories are important to them, my peers can further their argument about why meals are important to them. This can also add the element of ethos into their work as their readers will be better able to visualize and feel the things that the writers themselves felt at the time.
This peer review activity was profoundly different from any I had previously experienced. In high school, we were encouraged to peer review only some of our classmates writing and were not really held accountable for doing so. There were no guidelines for us to follow and we were mostly allowed to choose who we worked with. This made for pretty poor review sessions as the majority of us chose to work with our friends who told us “It’s good,” and that was that. I found the peer review session that we did in class much more interactive and helpful in giving me feedback on my writing. Each of my peers not only complimented what they thought I did well on, but provided thoughtful, logical comments to help me make my essay easier to follow and more enjoyable to read. Each comment dealt with things I had overlooked, as I often do in my writing, allowing me to see what is lacking from a reader’s perspective.
Journal #8
Personally, I spent the most time revising the quotes within my paper. This meant adding more from my Favorite Meal essay and further explaining the existing quotes I had. I focused my revision on smoother transitions to introduce my quotes better, then delving deeper into the explanation of each quote after citing them. I had gotten a lot of feedback from my peers that my quotes seemed to just be thrown into my paper, so I really tried to explain my quotes as if my readers hadn’t read either of the articles I cited. I also got a lot of feedback regarding my lack of personal quotes from my own previous essay so, keeping in mind the suggestions of my peers on delving deeper into the texts, I added more quotes from my Favorite Meal essay, thoroughly explaining each of them. I think the only thing I would have changed about my essay would be making sure it flowed nicely after these revisions as well. By having a peer look over my final product, I could have made sure that the revisions I made enhanced my paper and were not in vain.
This drafting and revising process is much different from my high school experience. As I mentioned in a previous journal, I had very little experience with peer review in my high school and even less drafting and revising papers. Usually, I threw whatever came to my mind down on paper and edited it very little after. I never really took the time to write a rough draft and revise it, but rather, ended up handing in the first draft I had written without touching it again. This lack of experience makes English 110 all the more foreign, but not at all in a bad way.
Coming into the class, I didn’t really know what to expect. I always did well in high school English classes but felt I didn’t have a lot of experience with grammar. This made me a little nervous coming into a college English class. I honestly spent a lot more time that I originally had expected on this paper as well. Thinking deeply about a paper isn’t usually too hard for me, but getting my thoughts down on paper can often be tough. A lot of the time, I know what I want to say, but I’m not sure how to word it. By taking the time to think through what I want to say and having my peers point out what pieces of my work didn’t flow, I felt a lot more confident in this paper than I had in just about any other. Although I spent a lot more time writing and revising my paper than I expected, I can honestly say I enjoyed the process. It all helped me improve my writing and gave me things to think about for future papers I will be writing.
Journal #9
Mann uses lots of evidence throughout his article to compare and contrast two very different views on how to combat the issue of food in our ever-growing global community. One part of Mann’s writing that outlined this central theme of his article was the second paragraph on page two. In this paragraph, Mann introduces his idea that there are two main groups trying to work on the issue of growing food on a planet with a growing population and dwindling space. He mentions that the two sides have extremely different views when it comes to combating our food crisis and I would agree. Based on the evidence provided through the rest of his article, Mann illustrates the divide between groups who follow William Vogt’s call for reducing our impact on the environment and those who follow Norman Borlaug’s idea that technology will dig us out of the grave we’ve thrown ourselves into. Instead of trying to compromise and work together, it seems as if the two sides are childishly fighting to determine who is “right”. While they each spend decades setting their sights on the narrow scope of only their own personal views, we are running out of time to find a solution. I agree with Mann’s idea that if we keep focusing on the differences between the two groups’ approaches, it will keep progress stagnant and we will run out of time to even find a solution.
Another section that I found intriguing to Mann’s central theme of his essay was the first full paragraph on page 8. Mann highlights the detrimental impacts of technology on the environment despite what it may do to help us as humans temporarily. He uses the example of fertilizer, a helpful but detrimental form of technology, to illustrate one of the downsides to using an approach that has to do with the more technical side of things. He calls those who support technological approaches “Wizards” because they believe they can create mechanisms to combat the inevitable shortage of food that will come will an increased population. By highlighting the negative impacts of the Wizards’ approach, Mann warns that while we may be helping ourselves grow more crops, we must be mindful of the way in which we go about it. Fertilizer runoff increases the rate at which algae and aquatic weeds grow, leaving these plants vying for the scant supply of oxygen in the lower depths of the water. This oxygen is stolen from other aquatic organisms, killing off all other life besides those flourishing from fertilizer. This example is vital to Mann’s comparison of both the Wizards’ and the Prophets’, those who fight for less human intervention, point of views. It gives an explicit example of how the Wizards’ ideals may look good to the human race, they can create detrimental impacts on our surrounding environment.
One other section that I found central to Mann’s article was presented in the third paragraph on the fourteenth page of his article. In this paragraph, Mann illustrates one of the ways in which “Prophets” plan on attacking the issue of food shortage. He provides an example of how scientists are working to create perennial versions of annual plants in order to increase production of already existing food crops. Instead of using genetically modified organisms or putting harmful chemicals into our environment, Prophets propose that we breed new versions of these preexisting plants. I agree that this seems like a pretty ingenious idea and a more environmentally friendly one. Mann seems to propose the positives and negatives of both points of view which I find very refreshing. He presents the ideas of the Wizards and Prophets in a way that allows the reader to decide which is a better alternative which I find very compelling. I agree with Mann’s seemingly baffled point of view, his uncertainty at declaring a definite solution to the problem of food shortage as both views have their upsides and downsides.
Journal #10
In the first major paragraph on page three of Pollan’s article, he describes how, with the help of Julia Child, cooking started to be taken seriously. The idea that anyone could create a tasty, homecooked meal and become successful from that had previously seemed absurd. To Pollan, it is amazing that we now have entire shows dedicated to young men and women competing to see who the best chef is among them. I agree that it is important for chefs to be represented in the media like any other laborer may be. For a long time, cooking was only regarded as housework for a woman to do. Now, with the diversity in cooking shows, making food is seen as the art form it really is. This passage is Pollan’s way of highlighting the importance of cooking as he further develops his argument that we should not fall prey to the accessibility of packaged food and do away with homecooked meals.
Another paragraph that is central to the theme of Pollan’s article occurs on page seven. The second paragraph on this page illustrates part of the foundation for Pollan’s idea that true cooking is becoming more and more rare in our households today. He talks about his conversation with Harry Balzer, a food-marketing researcher, who collects data to track the food habits of Americans. The definition of cooking had grown so broad that respondents counted anything they did in the kitchen as cooking, including microwaving a frozen meal. Balzar and his team had to actually define cooking from scratch which was determined to be preparing a meal with some “assembly of elements”. Both Balzar and Pollan seem disheartened by this fact and with good reason. I agree it’s a shame that cooking has become less of an art and more of a chore in American households. Frozen meals may be quick and easy to make but they don’t pack the nutritious punch that a homecooked meal does. The ingredients in prepackaged meals often contain more chemicals and fillers than actual foods, making them significantly worse for us than any meal we may cook for ourselves.
Lastly, the second paragraph on page eleven ties the lack of homecooked meals to an interesting development in cooking programs. As they have progressed, shows involving cooking have become less about the actual act than the consumption of the final product. Pollan links this to producers not wanting us to get up from the couch and stop watching their program to go cook a meal. Instead of showing us how to assemble ingredients to make delicious entrees, many programs have become more about the race to create a spectacular dish out of bizarre ingredients or show viewers where they can acquire a tasty meal based on what a food critic thought of particular restaurants. Although I think that shows like these have their place on food networks, I also sympathize with Pollan’s nostalgia regarding shows that actually teach you to cook. I think that cooking is an important skill to have because in order to lead a healthy lifestyle, making meals yourself fuels you much better than takeout or prepackaged options. We never know how our lives are going to end up and we cannot rely on others to do everything for us.
Journal 11
While reading this section in They Say, I Say, I found many of the points helpful to my own writing. Often, we don’t realize that we’re trying to make a point without introducing the situation to our audience. Whether we expect them to already know the things that we are explaining or we believe it’s common knowledge, it is always important to describe the background for one’s argument. By explaining the context in which you are stating your opinion or argument, you help your audience actually understand the bigger picture. They want to know why you’re so passionate about this topic, who you’re defending your point against, and what drove your perspective. Without all of the details, it is hard for others to sympathize with your opinion or even understand it at all. No matter how you go about bringing in an opposing point of view, it is important to do so early on in your writing. This establishes not only where you stand in comparison to others, but allows your reader to quickly understand why you feel the need to make a point about this topic. It is after this introduction of another’s point of view that you should follow up with your own thesis. While you don’t only want to speak to your own opinion, you also don’t want to go off on a tangent using the words of other writers or speakers. By using a mix of outside sources that counteract your opinion and facts that back up your point, you will make a more compelling argument. In order for you to break through to your audience, you must have a well-rounded argument, showing another point of view and then comparing it to your own. With the right balance of personal opinions and facts surrounding your point as well as research and arguments backing up another, opposing point, your audience will be more likely to understand what you’re trying to say, leading them to be more interested in your opinion on the subject.
Journal 12
To be completely honest, I’m having a much harder time writing this paper than the last project we worked on. Although I have a slight idea of where I want to go, I’m not sure how I want to incorporate the texts I chose into my writing. I chose the Widdicombe piece to compare and contrast against Mann’s article because I could clearly see that Rob Rhinehart took a more “Wizardly” approach to the issue of food in today’s society. As I began writing, though, I found myself stuck. I want to illustrate how we need to compromise between a Wizard and Prophet approach, but using Widdicombe’s essay now feels too Wizard-heavy.
I may need to take a step back and work with a different text, the article by Pollan, in order to get my point across. Currently, I feel very scattered and I’m not sure where I’m going in my essay. I think by switching to a different text, I’ll be able to more clearly voice my own thoughts and opinions without leaning towards one side more. I like to work things out on my own and I feel that if I change the text I’m working with, it will improve my overall struggles. I also plan on bringing this up with Vic when I meet with her. At that point in time, I will have been working with a different text for a few days and I could possibly show her both of my essay beginnings to get her opinion on which text I should use.
Journal #13
The chapter about putting the naysayer into one’s text opened my eyes to a handful of points essential to a good essay. First, it is important to acknowledge the other side of an issue. If you do not, and instead avoid the other side completely, it discredits your own point of view. The reader will wonder why you are presenting your point without the point of an opposing side. With this, you may be tempted to immediately tear apart the opposing view or the person presenting it. This also makes you look uninformed and can turn a reader away from agreeing with you. While it is important to point out what you believe is incorrect, it is also important to point out parts that you agree with. This shows that you’ve fully considered the extent of another’s point of view and gives credit where credit is due. It is also important to keep you from bashing that one person in particular as you explore what you do agree with them on.
By giving the point of someone who disagrees with you, you prepare yourself for a counterargument before it is even presented. This keeps you one step ahead of the person you are trying to make a point against. It also keeps you from seeming close-minded, assuring your audience that you instead know what you’re talking about. This also creates a dialogue in your text as you bounce from a countering viewpoint to your own view and give reasoning behind your ideas.
Journal #14
Journal #15
Elmer Kretzschmar’s I Survived recollection of the 1918 influenza pandemic was short and abrupt but captured me nonetheless. He was young at the time, only six years old, but old enough to remember the events that occurred. He fondly recollects the sweet melodies played by his father on the violin at Christmastime, a father who fell ill during the pandemic. Elmer sweeps over this part, either not having seen his father or still shaken by the memories, only mentioning that he, too, was home not with the flu, but an earache. He does remember a nurse from a nearby city staying with them for two weeks before leaving. Very shortly after this, Kretzschmar Sr. passed away. Elmer ends his recount by telling us that no one else in his family got the flu, but leaving us with various unanswered questions. Why did the nurse leave Elmer’s father there seemingly to die? Was he too far gone already or did she not know he was about to pass? I am left feeling a little questionable about the way Elmer reacts to his father’s death as well. It could be that it was so long ago that Kretzschmar has come to terms with it, or possibly he was too young to remember much, but Elmer doesn’t much mourn his father in this story. Possibly, he wants to tell only the facts, leaving out more sentimental feelings on purpose. I get the feeling that he provided only what was relevant to the question of how it was like to survive a brush with death like that, but I would like to know more about his family fared after as well.
Although Hellen Morrison Brown’s account in the section Plantings does not include a relative of her own falling ill, her own mother told Hellen as a young girl about living through the 1918 pandemic. Since there were very few funeral parlors, most families and close friends held services for the deceased in their own home, leaving a morbid image in one’s mind. A dead relative, especially one who had been violently ill, would be an unwelcome site to see in anyone’s home today. As in today’s pandemic, schools then were shut down, but instead of being turned into hospitals or hotels, like now, they were turned into showrooms for the dead. People could view the corpses of their loved ones at a certain time while their particular shade was raised in the school window the corpse lay in front of. Brown’s mother recounts these scenes in detail, leaving me to wonder, did many of her loved ones die? Although Brown said no one in her mother’s family fell ill, how many people whom she saw every day were lost? It makes me sad thinking of that many bodies, enough to line windows of schoolhouses for days, especially living in a town where everyone knows each other. The number of fatalities in one town like that would be gruesome even after they were prepared for viewing. There must have been so much sadness, it’s unbelievable.
Journal #17
During this pandemic, I’ve learned quite a bit about myself and my family. I learned at noon the day I was to leave for spring break that there was a very strong possibility that we wouldn’t be coming back after. I helped my friends pack, not very worried about the prospect of having to pack my own things up yet. At two, they sent out the official email telling us to pack our entire rooms up and leave as soon as possible. That’s when I leapt into action packing my own room up and, letting my parents know, I was on the road with all of my college belongings and memories by five. Thinking back on it, I was more calm and collected in the face of this stress than ever before.
Coming home, I didn’t realize how bad it was in New York. I hadn’t known that there were any confirmed cases in upstate New York but once I got back, I learned there were nearly a hundred in Albany. Our little local Hannaford was out of soups, Kleenex, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and many vegetables. I was shocked each time I had to go out and grab something we had forgotten from the store. Although I did everything I could to keep myself and everyone around me healthy, I was unnerved by the limits on certain items and the shields put up between customers and employees. It just showed what a changed world we lived in now. Despite the chaos around me, I stayed calm, getting what I needed from the store and heading back home to the certainty that awaited me there. While I would normally panic being in public under such uncertain terms, I kept my cool and avoided as many people as I could.
Being an introvert, I had always preferred the comfort of my own bedroom and the certainty of my own plans. I didn’t realize just how much I didn’t need human contact though, until this quarantine. Having all day to myself, I’ve been able to get so much more done. In between work for school, I can finish chores around the house, take walks in the woods with my dogs, spend quality time with my pets, do more art, exercise on my own terms, and even read a book. Not only am I busy, I’m content. Although I miss my friends a lot, I have so much time to get things done that I need to. Sometimes, this leads me to forget other things I need to do, but this happens a lot less now than it did in college. Although the deadlines are still the same, the environment at home is much quieter and less distracting than a college dorm. I have my own room where I can get things done in relative quiet and there aren’t the distractions of friends walking past.
Quarantine hasn’t been easy. I’ve been missing my friends, especially the ones I know I won’t see until next year, and time management has slipped my mind at times. Yet, I’m finding it’s a lot easier than I expected to adjust to so much time spent at home. A relaxing, inviting space is essential to learning and I’m glad that I could find that at home so easily.
Journal #18
During this pandemic, I’ve learned quite a bit about myself and my family. I learned at noon the day I was to leave for spring break that there was a very strong possibility that we wouldn’t be coming back after. I helped my friends pack, not very worried about the prospect of having to pack my own things up yet. At two, they sent out the official email telling us to pack our entire rooms up and leave as soon as possible. That’s when I leapt into action packing my own room up and, letting my parents know, I was on the road with all of my college belongings and memories by five. Thinking back on it, I was more calm and collected in the face of this stress than ever before.
Coming home, I didn’t realize how bad it was in New York. I hadn’t known that there were any confirmed cases in upstate New York but once I got back, I learned there were nearly a hundred in Albany. Our little local Hannaford was out of soups, Kleenex, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and many vegetables. I was shocked each time I had to go out and grab something we had forgotten from the store. Although I did everything I could to keep myself and everyone around me healthy, I was unnerved by the limits on certain items and the shields put up between customers and employees. It just showed what a changed world we lived in now. Despite the chaos around me, I stayed calm, getting what I needed from the store and heading back home to the certainty that awaited me there. While I would normally panic being in public under such uncertain terms, I kept my cool and avoided as many people as I could.
Being an introvert, I had always preferred the comfort of my own bedroom and the certainty of my own plans. I didn’t realize just how much I didn’t need human contact though, until this quarantine. Having all day to myself, I’ve been able to get so much more done. In between work for school, I can finish chores around the house, take walks in the woods with my dogs, spend quality time with my pets, do more art, exercise on my own terms, and even read a book. Not only am I busy, I’m content. Although I miss my friends a lot, I have so much time to get things done that I need to. Sometimes, this leads me to forget other things I need to do, but this happens a lot less now than it did in college. Although the deadlines are still the same, the environment at home is much quieter and less distracting than a college dorm. I have my own room where I can get things done in relative quiet and there aren’t the distractions of friends walking past.
I learned too, that my mother is one of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met. Although I knew she was an important member where she works, Schenectady ARC, I didn’t quite realize how much of her day is spent rushing around answering email, attending meetings (which she now has to do online), and fielding calls from concerned staff members. This is her normal day, but since the pandemic, I’ve seen her stress go up more. My mom works with people who are developmentally disabled, making them an extremely at-risk population during this time. Not only can many of them not take care of themselves already, some are on oxygen, making them prone to lung illnesses anyway. Watching her calmly take care of any issue that comes up makes me extremely proud to be her daughter. I can see how she reacts to things on the surface and I can see how it takes a toll on her when she hangs up the phone.
Through everything though, my mom has stayed steady, she not only takes care of the problems that arise at work but she and I take care of the over twenty animals on our property together. We work as a team, splitting up chores between the two of us to make them go faster. With both her work and the farm that we live on, there are no breaks. At any moment, an animal could come home soaked in blood like my dog did a few weeks ago or a call could come in about a possible case of COVID-19 breaking out at work which happens a lot now that people are becoming paranoid. In any of these situations, my mom takes charge and handles it. She always knows how to keep others calm while jumping into action to do anything she can to alleviate the situation. I’ve lived with her all my life but never have we spent this much time together just the two of us. It’s made me realize how much she truly takes on just in one day, and it’s given me a new appreciation for all that she does not only as my mother but as a homeowner, as a landlord, as a boss, as a top administrator, as someone who is dealing with this pandemic in the best ways she can. Quarantine hasn’t been easy. I’ve been missing my friends, especially the ones I know I won’t see until next year, and time management has slipped my mind at times. Yet, I’m finding it’s a lot easier than I expected to adjust to so much time spent at home. A relaxing, inviting space is essential to learning and I’m glad that I could find that at home so easily. Having my mom here has immensely helped as well. It has helped me appreciate what she does, even more, it has helped keep me calm in this uncertain time, and it has helped me be able to be there for her in this time as well. Despite the panic around us, it is important to realize what we have and be grateful for those who are here supporting us. Let’s focus on them. Let’s appreciate what they do for us and let’s be there for them in return. In a time where no one really knows what is going to happen next, appreciate those around you that have brought joy to otherwise monotonous days.
Journal #19
Knowing the chaos and uncertainty we are facing now, I can only imagine the panic and fear Americans felt in the face of the 1918 influenza pandemic. The shortage of nurses and doctors was a real problem then, not just a possibility. Those working for the Red Cross were especially at risk for getting ill, as they were working at the front lines of the disease, mobilizing citizens and tending to the ill.
Hundreds of women around the country volunteered themselves as Red Cross nurses, donating their time and health to those suffering. They worked countless hours, there every day and night. They worked without pay, doing what was considered their civic duty, helping others without regard for their own health or needs. I cannot imagine the endless hours spent by these individuals taking care of the seriously ill, serving meals, tending to the children of those working or sick. It was very likely too, that you would become sick if you were tending to the ill, possibly even to the point of death. This happened to one woman working as a nurse who contracted blood poisoning from a patient she was treating for influenza.
Volunteers were needed not only as nurses but as ushers and orchestra men at church, nannies, food servers, and caretakers. Although I would like to say that I personally would’ve rallied with the other women becoming nurses, I would more likely be with those serving food. While it wouldn’t be the disease that scared me away from nursing, I’m not particularly good with people. I wouldn’t know how to tell someone if their loved one died or how to determine when to give up on someone already consumed by the disease. I’d much rather donate my time somewhere else where I could be more useful and a little more comfortable. Serving food for the volunteers and those out of jobs was important during that time and requires little close interaction, leading it to be a better option for volunteering for me.
Today, similar volunteer services are being set up in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. People across the nation are rallying together to deliver food to those quarantined in their homes or the elderly who aren’t allowed to leave. My own family has been leaving eggs from our ducks and chickens outside our neighbors’ and friends’ doors. The stores have begun putting limits on the number of egg cartons you can buy as they started to sell out. Nursing students and those who have previously retired in the field are donating their time or increasing their experience by stepping in to take care of the ill. Private companies are making masks to donate to the hospitals to decrease the risk of healthcare workers getting sick as well. So far, the number of volunteers is astoundingly high, making me hopeful for the future of our country. Even those who aren’t quite sure what to do are heeding warnings to stay inside and donating money to the healthcare industry in order to help. Although conditions do not seem as bad as they were during the influenza pandemic, this is still something to take seriously and we can all at least do our part to stop the spread of the disease by social distancing.
Journal #20
While reading Kaleigh’s response, I was inspired by her readiness to jump in and help in the face of crisis. Although I would’ve done what I could during the influenza pandemic, I wouldn’t have had the bravery to work in the hospitals treating patients. Kaleigh seems to have no second thoughts about going in to save those who were suffering, mentioning that this is part of the reason she wants to go into the healthcare field. It is this selflessness that is required by health workers all over the country right now as they are fighting on the frontlines of COVID-19. They know there is a possibility that they will get sick, that they may lose a patient, or be unable to save someone too far gone, yet they persevere and donate their precious time anyway. If there is a chance that they can save someone or make their life better, they will take it, making those in the healthcare field so important and awe-inspiring.
I also felt inspired reading Courtney’s response to the readings as she, too, said she would’ve jumped right in to help during the influenza pandemic. She also mentions the incredible steps her community has taken to help and support one another during this time. One nurse noticed that the supply of donated clothing in hospitals was dwindling so she took it into her own hands to organize a clothing drive for those in need. Things like this take a lot of time, planning, and energy. It gives me hope to see people like this so selflessly devoting their time to people they don’t even know. Courtney also mentions supporting local businesses which is also so important during this time. This is also an easy way to help support one’s community if they don’t have the time or resources to do so elsewhere. With local businesses mandatorily closed, there are still online shops, gift cards, and take-out options that keep the cash flowing for those who rely on these businesses to stay alive. Whether it’s getting out and helping on the front lines, rallying community members to donate clothes or food, supporting local businesses, or just social distancing and staying away from those most at risk, we can all do something to help out.
Journal #21
It seems as though we were just hearing the news that coronavirus had entered the United States. Sure, it was scary watching it all unfold in China but the general consensus at that time was similar to how we as Americans deal with many foreign problems, “it’s happening over there, why should it affect me”? Then, all of a sudden, it was here and we were all panicking.
Immediately, state and federal government officials jumped into action, but it was too late, COVID-19 was already spreading across the country. Words like “national disaster” and “pandemic” circulated, amping up peoples’ anxiety. New York State’s own governor has spoken every day since the outbreak, telling us time and time again that we need more resources. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being spent moving resources, rallying personnel, buying ventilators or masks, and trying to find a cure. Although they should’ve done so before the virus got to the US, it was almost a no-brainer for our government to pass laws as soon as possible to deal with this outbreak once it got here.
So why, after so many decades of warnings and evidence, are we still ignoring the climate crisis? Sure, this is spreading much faster, but we’re also moving at a much faster pace to try and fix this issue. We know our government is capable of making fast, efficient decisions, yet they refuse to do so for our planet. We’ve had years, decades, to fund projects to combat the climate crisis yet those in denial of the problem won’t budge. What made us decide that the health of our citizens is a bipartisan issue but the health of our planet isn’t? Do we not realize that without the resources given to us by Mother Earth we wouldn’t be here at all? We cannot keep ignoring this issue, picking and choosing which wars to fight. The climate crisis affects the health and livelihood of everyone, so even when we beat COVID-19, we’ve got a much larger opponent waiting for us and if we don’t do anything about it, it won’t just be a pandemic that’s killing us. How about we act now before the climate crisis suddenly becomes too much and it’s too late again.
Journal #22
Reading the poem by Ellen Bryant Voigt, I was struck first by all of the rituals. In times of great fear and despair, people often look to religion or almost superstitious rituals in order to calm their nerves and banish whatever evil lurks outside. For instance, Ellen describes slitting her own cat’s throat in lieu of a lamb, marking the door with an X of blood. I’ve heard of this being done during these times and during other pandemics. For some reason, this was supposed to protect the family from the illness sweeping the nation. I could almost see the buzzing bodies of the flies as they escaped to feast on the cat’s carcass, “taking the sickness with them”.
Similar to today, Ellen’s family locked themselves in the house, trusting no one else to be let in. With a sickness so contagious, taking chances wasn’t an option. They ate only bread soaked in buttermilk, they couldn’t leave to go to the store for anything else. Similarly, many elderly citizens and those who are immunocompromised aren’t able to leave the house. It’s assumed that they have loved ones to take care of them, but what if they don’t? They’ll be stuck in the house, afraid to leave and face the illness lurking around every corner, and be resigned to eat whatever they can forage from their cabinets.
The poem left me wondering whether it truly was the drawing of the flies out the window that saved Ellen and her family. Were the flies carriers of the disease? Or was it the social isolation and contact with only those in the household that saved them? Did rubbing camphor, mustard, and fatback do anything to ward off the sickness? When doing everything we can to stay healthy, it’s often hard to pinpoint exactly what kept the illness at bay. We do everything we have been told to protect ourselves, throwing in our own rituals and precautions, and in the end we’re not sure which part really worked. All that matters is that we make it through.
Journal #24
While reading Madelyn’s response to the poem, I too, found the imagery disturbing. When Voigt describes killing the cat and X-ing the door with its blood, all I could think about was having to do that to my own cats. At first, I had wondered why they would do this, but I had heard about religious rituals where families would mark their door with an X of blood to keep away evil. While I would like to say I wouldn’t do it, people at that time truly believed that this would draw the flies away from the house, in turn driving away the illness. After all, as Madelyn mentioned, we are following in the footsteps of our ancestors who dealt with the 1918 flu by keeping ourselves locked indoors, unable to interact with those outside of our immediate family. Recently, I have heard that the morgues have become so full, unclaimed bodies are being buried in mass graves in a park in New York City. this lead me to wonder if this had to be done during the pandemic of 1918 as well. Madelyn mentioned in her response that “we see the habits that we need to form for this time come up as patterns in past events,” leading me to think that this may have been a recurring theme of these pandemics as well.
Reading Emily’s response to Voigt’s poem, I realized that I hadn’t even considered the stench that probably emanated through the house. Although families were encouraged to stay inside away from other people, this family went to extreme lengths, doing everything they thought of to hold the illness at bay. This draws a parallel between today and the 1918 pandemic that I didn’t notice before. Similar to then, some people are doing the bare minimum to help prevent the spread of disease, while others are going to extreme lengths to keep themselves and their families safe. Instead of slathering ourselves with camphor and mustard, we are bundling up in masks and gloves, washing our hands more thoroughly than ever before. Similar to today as well, Emily mentions that “although these preventative measures seem extreme, they did not know the cause of the flu so they had to try different remedies to keep it away and cure it.” we don’t know exactly how this disease can be transmitted yet, so we must take all the measures we can in order to keep the spread at bay.
Journal #26
Every time I begin writing, I begin by letting my thoughts write themselves onto the page, stopping only when I run out of ideas. This often leaves my work longwinded and rambling so I need to go back and clear up what I want to say. This was an essential part of project three for me as I read over my first few drafts. In my first draft, I started with a different story from the influenza pandemic of 1918. I ended up switching to a different recount to use because while hopeful, the original story did not reflect the other emotions I hoped to tie together throughout each piece. I chose a story that explicitly showed the fear, isolation, and anxiety that accompanied this pandemic for Courtney and Jess as well.
Unnecessary sentences like “everyone looks to something for hope in tough times and in many cases this hope breeds resilience,” were removed to leave room for quotes and descriptions linking the ideas of one story to the others. I also rearranged most of my body paragraphs to flow better with the rest of each author’s story and connect back to my original thesis about hope. Originally, I described each individual’s experience with each particular emotion, but only tied them back to the feeling of hope later on in my paper. By rearranging the paragraphs, I allowed each to flow better together as well as point back to my original thesis.
I also went back after my second draft, making sure to add personal experience and opinions as well. I connected Caroline’s loss of her family during the flu pandemic to my inability to see my dad due to quarantine restrictions here. I drew parallels between Courtney’s family’s postponement of their March Birthdays party and my mom’s disappointment at having to cancel her birthday plans. By adding in ways each narrator life connects, I allowed for better flow between each recount, allowing the reader to follow my paper more easily.
