My ENG 100 students and I are reading Jose Antonio Vargas's article, "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant," from 2011. I've taught this essay several times before, and I've also blogged about Vargas before. (If you're an ENG 100 student and curious, my previous posts on Vargas can be found here.) I just can't seem to get away from him, and this essay in particular. I find it both moving and convincing, not to mention masterfully crafted. Last semester I tried teaching his more recent essay from Time, "Not Legal Not Leaving," but this first "coming out" essay from 2011 is way better--it's a provocative and poignant re-configuring of the American Dream, deeply personal and political at the same time. Who knows--maybe this year Vargas and Dreamers will see immigration reform finally passed and signed into law. President Obama will be pushing it, and rumor has it that Republicans in the House of Representatives want to show Latino voters that they are not exclusively the party of white people. Maybe something will finally get done.
In my 3 sections of ENG 112, discussions will begin this week on Jean Kwok's Girl in Translation. I'm currently reading the book for the third time within 9 months. (I have to re-read each book every time I teach it, otherwise I feel like it's just not fresh enough in my mind for me to effectively mediate discussion.) Kwok and I recently became Facebook friends through a mutual acquaintance, andI'm looking forward to meeting her when she visits our main campus in Media, PA in April. Although I'm still not sure what to make of the ending of her novel, I really admire her talent and achievement. Like Vargas, she tells a tale based on her own experiences of immigration--doing what needs to be done to survive and make a life here in America (though hers is a fictionalized version).
Finally, in ENG 231, we are wrapping up our examination of Jack London's Call of the Wild--yet another tale of survival. I first read this book when I was in 6th grade, I think, but it speaks to me even more now that I'm a dog owner. (Baylor had a busy weekend, including a trip to the vet--he's fine--and the groomer.) Despite London's chauvinism and casual racism--very, very common among white American men of his time (see Teddy Roosevelt)--his work still, I believe, has a valuable point-of-view to offer, asking his readers to rethink their relationship with the non-human world. Looking forward to hearing what my tiny class of American literature scholars (8 students!) have to say about Buck and his path away from humanity and toward his "more authentic" self.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Is College for Everyone?
As a professor at a community college, I certainly believe that anyone who wants a college education deserves a shot at it. That being said, many students who show up in my classes are not ready for college, for a number of reasons. Some lack the academic preparation; some lack the maturity and self-discipline. Some are not self-motivated, but are only here to appease their parents. Others find they can't learn very well by sitting still in a classroom or in front of a computer. Many students simply can't find the time to get their work done because they are also working full-time, taking care of their kids, and meeting other commitments.
Now, many of these students who show up unprepared make crucial adjustments in their lives during their first few semesters that enable them to succeed. Some, however, do not, and I do not see them again. What happens to them? Are they social failures because they could not navigate their way through college?
This week my students are reading an excerpt from Tamara Draut's book Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. Her basic argument is that the path to adulthood in American society is much more fraught with economic peril than it was a couple generations ago, and as a result, many of us take much longer to achieve the traditional markers of adulthood (career and financial stability, marriage, home-ownership, parenthood), if we ever achieve them at all.
While a college education is generally thought of as a key tool in meeting the challenges of our new economy, Draut shows how, in some ways, college can actually be part of the problem more than a solution. Because many professions require B.A. or graduate degrees "to get out of the entry-level track," more and more young people are realizing that college is usually necessary to make a decent living. But when they try to finance a college education, they are introduced to the "debt-for-diploma" system, as they take on staggering amounts of student loans. Draut claims that the average college graduate hitting the job market is carrying about $20,000 in student-loan debt, plus a couple thousand more in credit-card debt. (I believe the figure for average student-loan debt is closer to $26,000 now.)
The lucky ones will land a good job with their new degree in hand and be able, barely, to make their loan payments and also pay their other bills. But what about the ones who didn't make it to graduation? What about the ones who graduated, but can't find a job when so few employers are hiring? What kinds of jobs are actually being created in our economy? Draut cites the Bureau of Labor Statistics as she makes the following claim:
People who really want to go to college should absolutely have that chance--and it shouldn't require taking on tens of thousands of dollars in debt to accomplish it. But college shouldn't be a requirement for anyone who wants to make a living wage. This is why I think raising the minimum wage is just as important for us, as a society, as lowering the cost of tuition at public colleges and universities.
Now, many of these students who show up unprepared make crucial adjustments in their lives during their first few semesters that enable them to succeed. Some, however, do not, and I do not see them again. What happens to them? Are they social failures because they could not navigate their way through college?
This week my students are reading an excerpt from Tamara Draut's book Strapped: Why America's 20- and 30-Somethings Can't Get Ahead. Her basic argument is that the path to adulthood in American society is much more fraught with economic peril than it was a couple generations ago, and as a result, many of us take much longer to achieve the traditional markers of adulthood (career and financial stability, marriage, home-ownership, parenthood), if we ever achieve them at all.
While a college education is generally thought of as a key tool in meeting the challenges of our new economy, Draut shows how, in some ways, college can actually be part of the problem more than a solution. Because many professions require B.A. or graduate degrees "to get out of the entry-level track," more and more young people are realizing that college is usually necessary to make a decent living. But when they try to finance a college education, they are introduced to the "debt-for-diploma" system, as they take on staggering amounts of student loans. Draut claims that the average college graduate hitting the job market is carrying about $20,000 in student-loan debt, plus a couple thousand more in credit-card debt. (I believe the figure for average student-loan debt is closer to $26,000 now.)
The lucky ones will land a good job with their new degree in hand and be able, barely, to make their loan payments and also pay their other bills. But what about the ones who didn't make it to graduation? What about the ones who graduated, but can't find a job when so few employers are hiring? What kinds of jobs are actually being created in our economy? Draut cites the Bureau of Labor Statistics as she makes the following claim:
"The largest job growth, accounting for 58 percent of new jobs, will be those requiring only work-related training. These jobs are primarily in the low-wage retail and food sector, including such jobs as sales associates, food preparation, cashiers, and waitstaff."This prompts me to ask the following questions: Is it right for us to push so many young people into college when most of the jobs being created don't require a degree? A degree may give you a chance to compete for a better job, but it doesn't guarantee you'll get that better job. Wouldn't it better for us to advocate for higher wages and benefits for people who work the low-wage jobs described above? Shouldn't a waitress, a cashier, or someone who works in the mall be able to earn a decent living--to have access to quality healthcare, childcare, and housing?
People who really want to go to college should absolutely have that chance--and it shouldn't require taking on tens of thousands of dollars in debt to accomplish it. But college shouldn't be a requirement for anyone who wants to make a living wage. This is why I think raising the minimum wage is just as important for us, as a society, as lowering the cost of tuition at public colleges and universities.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Brian Sims Comes to Downingtown
Last year, after the Pennsylvania primary elections, I heard a story on NPR about Brian Sims, who had just won the nomination for State Representative in his district. Because of the make-up of the district (heavily Democratic), it was pretty much a lock that he would also win the general election. Why was this race getting so much attention? Brian Sims was poised to become the first openly gay candidate elected to Pennsylvania's State Legislature.
As I heard more about Sims, I learned that he was a native of Downingtown (where I teach), and that he had been an impressive student-athlete who played football during both high school and college. I started to wonder if he would be interested in returning to his hometown to speak with the community college students here about his story. I contacted him a couple months ago, and he happily agreed. He will be speaking this Thursday at 11:00am in the cafeteria at Delaware County Community College's Downingtown Campus.
In my ENG 100 classes, I typically have my students read about contemporary social, political, economic, or environmental problems, and then write essays in which they take positions about what they think should be done about these problems. My students, in recent semesters, have shown a keen awareness of the problems in their communities and how these problems impact people's lives, but when it comes to generating ideas about how to change things, how to move towards solutions, they too easily give in to a kind of cynicism and defeatism. They feel powerless and overwhelmed by these problems, rather than motivated to make a difference.
My hope is that Brian Sims will show them that people who are not unlike them--people who are from where they are from--do grow up to change the world. Change is not easy, but as citizens, professionals, members of our communities, and even as consumers, we make decisions every day that influence how we all relate to one another.
To any of my ENG 100 students who might be reading this, here is a simple way in which you can begin. Brian Sims is currently pushing for new legislation that would help schools protect young people from the kind of bullying you read about in this week's reading assignment (It Gets Better). This legislation is called the Pennsylvania Safe Schools Act. If you think such a law could help young LGBT kids--or any kids who face physical and emotional abuse at school--then find out who your representatives are in the State Legislature, and tell them to support this Act.
Also, don't forget to come see Representative Brian Sims' talk this Thursday:
As I heard more about Sims, I learned that he was a native of Downingtown (where I teach), and that he had been an impressive student-athlete who played football during both high school and college. I started to wonder if he would be interested in returning to his hometown to speak with the community college students here about his story. I contacted him a couple months ago, and he happily agreed. He will be speaking this Thursday at 11:00am in the cafeteria at Delaware County Community College's Downingtown Campus.
In my ENG 100 classes, I typically have my students read about contemporary social, political, economic, or environmental problems, and then write essays in which they take positions about what they think should be done about these problems. My students, in recent semesters, have shown a keen awareness of the problems in their communities and how these problems impact people's lives, but when it comes to generating ideas about how to change things, how to move towards solutions, they too easily give in to a kind of cynicism and defeatism. They feel powerless and overwhelmed by these problems, rather than motivated to make a difference.
My hope is that Brian Sims will show them that people who are not unlike them--people who are from where they are from--do grow up to change the world. Change is not easy, but as citizens, professionals, members of our communities, and even as consumers, we make decisions every day that influence how we all relate to one another.
To any of my ENG 100 students who might be reading this, here is a simple way in which you can begin. Brian Sims is currently pushing for new legislation that would help schools protect young people from the kind of bullying you read about in this week's reading assignment (It Gets Better). This legislation is called the Pennsylvania Safe Schools Act. If you think such a law could help young LGBT kids--or any kids who face physical and emotional abuse at school--then find out who your representatives are in the State Legislature, and tell them to support this Act.
Also, don't forget to come see Representative Brian Sims' talk this Thursday:
- Representative Brian Sims
- Thursday, January 31st
- 11:00am
- Delaware County Community College's Downingtown Campus
- 100 Bond Drive, Downingtown, PA
- Free and Open to the Public
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
My New Favorite Band
It's a new year and a new semester, and for the first time ever, the Spring Semester began on my birthday. Last Monday, I turned 33, and greeted many new students. My ENG 100 students, this week, will be discussing Kiese Laymon's essay, "How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America," which I'm hoping will give us a good jumpstart to thinking critically about relevant issues (such as gun violence and racial injustice) as well as a good model for how to write provocatively and imaginatively about one's past. In ENG 112, my students are picking apart the lyrics from Brother Ali's record Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color. I'm interested to hear what they think of it--I've never taught it before. Finally, my ENG 231 students are diving into Huck Finn, which I always enjoy re-reading and talking about, despite (or perhaps because of) its many flaws and contradictions.
But what I really want to write about is my trip to Wilmington, Delaware last Thursday to see Lake Street Dive--my new favorite band--play at The World Cafe. My fiance, Yuriko, bought the tickets as a kind of birthday present (although she also bought me a bunch of Red Sox tickets too--amazing!--I'm so spoiled), and we made the long trip from Reading despite it being a school night and all. It was well worth it. We heard of the band because the bass player, Bridget Kearney, was also the bass player of another band we stumbled upon and liked in Delaware--Joy Kills Sorrow. But I have to say, as much as I like Joy Kills Sorrow, I think Lake Street Dive is even better. The lead singer has an amazing voice--textured, flexible, soulful--and great stage presence. The drummer brings a great energy to every song, while supplying good backing vocals. The guitar player effortlessly pulls off nice riffs and can also play a real jazzy trumpet. And the bass player is my favorite of favorites. She can pick and slap that big ole stand-up with virtuosity, improvising and soloing from time to time. She also writes many of the band's best songs.
Here's a good video of one of their original tracks:
And here's a video of a great Jackson Five cover which they recorded for a recent EP release:
But what I really want to write about is my trip to Wilmington, Delaware last Thursday to see Lake Street Dive--my new favorite band--play at The World Cafe. My fiance, Yuriko, bought the tickets as a kind of birthday present (although she also bought me a bunch of Red Sox tickets too--amazing!--I'm so spoiled), and we made the long trip from Reading despite it being a school night and all. It was well worth it. We heard of the band because the bass player, Bridget Kearney, was also the bass player of another band we stumbled upon and liked in Delaware--Joy Kills Sorrow. But I have to say, as much as I like Joy Kills Sorrow, I think Lake Street Dive is even better. The lead singer has an amazing voice--textured, flexible, soulful--and great stage presence. The drummer brings a great energy to every song, while supplying good backing vocals. The guitar player effortlessly pulls off nice riffs and can also play a real jazzy trumpet. And the bass player is my favorite of favorites. She can pick and slap that big ole stand-up with virtuosity, improvising and soloing from time to time. She also writes many of the band's best songs.
Here's a good video of one of their original tracks:
And here's a video of a great Jackson Five cover which they recorded for a recent EP release:
Sunday, November 18, 2012
American Inequality
President Obama and the Republicans who control the House of Representatives need to cut a deal to avoid running America off the so-called "fiscal cliff." Virtually all mainstream economists predict that if such a deal is not agreed upon, Americans can expect another recession, resulting in many lost jobs and rising unemployment. Clearly, another recession would be devastating, since we have yet to fully recover from the last one in 2008-2009.
The President has argued that any deal must include higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans, along with cuts to government spending. Republicans agree that the government needs to spend less in order to produce a more balanced budget, but they are reluctant to raise tax rates--even on America's millionaires and super-corporations.
Many people accuse the President of being a "socialist" for trying to "redistribute the wealth." They claim that "punishing" the rich for their success is "un-American." I strongly disagree with this view. The tax rates for the wealthy that Obama wants are the same tax rates that were in place in the 1990s, during the Clinton administration. These tax rates are pretty modest, compared to many European nations and even compared to the U.S. in the pre-Reagan years.
There is also convincing evidence that the vast inequality between the richest 1% and everyone else in America is bad for the economy as a whole. My students will be debating the arguments supporting this claim this week, as we discuss Joseph Stiglitz's article, "The 1 Percent's Problem", published earlier this year in Vanity Fair. Here is a video of an interview Stiglitz gave on this topic. And here is a video of Stiglitz on The Daily Show:
The President has argued that any deal must include higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans, along with cuts to government spending. Republicans agree that the government needs to spend less in order to produce a more balanced budget, but they are reluctant to raise tax rates--even on America's millionaires and super-corporations.
Many people accuse the President of being a "socialist" for trying to "redistribute the wealth." They claim that "punishing" the rich for their success is "un-American." I strongly disagree with this view. The tax rates for the wealthy that Obama wants are the same tax rates that were in place in the 1990s, during the Clinton administration. These tax rates are pretty modest, compared to many European nations and even compared to the U.S. in the pre-Reagan years.
There is also convincing evidence that the vast inequality between the richest 1% and everyone else in America is bad for the economy as a whole. My students will be debating the arguments supporting this claim this week, as we discuss Joseph Stiglitz's article, "The 1 Percent's Problem", published earlier this year in Vanity Fair. Here is a video of an interview Stiglitz gave on this topic. And here is a video of Stiglitz on The Daily Show:
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Michelle Alexander and Ronald Reagan
During the election, I kept thinking about how long we will still be feeling the effects of George W. Bush's presidency -- long after Obama's second term. The economic crisis that marked the end of Bush's administration is still clearly being felt, as the recovery slowly inches along. Some people blame the current Congress and/or Obama for the slow recovery--and I'm sure part of that blame is warranted--but the collapse of the housing market and everything that went down with it was catastrophic. Economies don't bounce back from a crisis like that over night. Aside from the economy (but related to it), we are still feeling the effects of two long-lasting wars and a decade of abysmal education policy (No Child Left Behind). Many military families have struggled and continue to struggle with lost loved ones. Many veterans, meanwhile, must cope with physical and psychological disabilities acquired from the trauma of combat, and the challenges of re-adjusting to civilian life after long and multiple deployments. Many students have struggled and continue to struggle with college and/or low-wage jobs, as they realize their under-funded schools under-prepared them for the 21st century. Many go into massive amounts of debt, not sure if they have the skills necessary to pass the college classes they need to be competitive in an unfavorable job market.
As I sink into dark thoughts like this, wondering how America will ever recover from the Bush legacy, I am reminded of the ways in which we are still trying to recover from the Reagan legacy. Although Reagan is often nostalgically romanticized as a lovable figure who brought Americans together and ended the Cold War, he is responsible for initiating two horrible policies that have drastically re-shaped American society. The first was the de-regulation of the financial industry. De-regulation enabled Wall Street to operate according to its own rules, consolidate massive amounts of power and wealth, and act in increasingly risky ways that threatened our whole economy (and even the global economy). The other initiative was the War on Drugs, which resulted in an exponential increase in the incarceration rate. The United States now imprisons a higher percentage of its population than any other nation on the planet. The social effects of creating such a prison-state will be with us for generations to come.
To get students thinking about the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to America's mass incarceration problem, I assigned the introduction to Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindess. Alexander argues that the mass-incarceration system is eerily analogous to the legalized discrimination of the Jim Crow era, noting that roughly 80% of America's 2 million plus inmates are minorities. In particular, she claims, vast numbers of African American men have been formed into a permanently subordinated caste, shut out legally from participating in mainstream society by the criminal justice system and associated social stigma. Below is a clip of her from the Colbert Report. (I find it a little weird, since her book is about such a devastatingly serious topic, yet here it is being discussed on a comedy show.)
As I sink into dark thoughts like this, wondering how America will ever recover from the Bush legacy, I am reminded of the ways in which we are still trying to recover from the Reagan legacy. Although Reagan is often nostalgically romanticized as a lovable figure who brought Americans together and ended the Cold War, he is responsible for initiating two horrible policies that have drastically re-shaped American society. The first was the de-regulation of the financial industry. De-regulation enabled Wall Street to operate according to its own rules, consolidate massive amounts of power and wealth, and act in increasingly risky ways that threatened our whole economy (and even the global economy). The other initiative was the War on Drugs, which resulted in an exponential increase in the incarceration rate. The United States now imprisons a higher percentage of its population than any other nation on the planet. The social effects of creating such a prison-state will be with us for generations to come.
To get students thinking about the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to America's mass incarceration problem, I assigned the introduction to Michelle Alexander's book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindess. Alexander argues that the mass-incarceration system is eerily analogous to the legalized discrimination of the Jim Crow era, noting that roughly 80% of America's 2 million plus inmates are minorities. In particular, she claims, vast numbers of African American men have been formed into a permanently subordinated caste, shut out legally from participating in mainstream society by the criminal justice system and associated social stigma. Below is a clip of her from the Colbert Report. (I find it a little weird, since her book is about such a devastatingly serious topic, yet here it is being discussed on a comedy show.)
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Sunday, November 4, 2012
2 Weddings, 1 Super-Storm, 5 Days without Power, Plus Some Thoughts on Climate Change and the Election
A week ago today, Yuriko and I were in Fredericksburg, Virginia for a wedding. An old friend of hers, Mark, married his long-time partner, Brian. This was the first same-sex wedding I had been to, and it began just as the rains of Sandy began to fall. The ceremony was beautiful, but unfortunately, because it was a Sunday night with a hurricane on the way, many people seemed to make their exit from the reception a little early. For those, like Yuriko and I, who were staying the night on-site, the party carried on with all the best (and worst) songs to get you moving on the dance floor, like "Livin' on a Prayer" (and "The Electric Slide"...ugh).
Speaking of same-sex weddings, I just saw this video (below) on Facebook this morning, which a college-friend shared. It features a gay Vietnam veteran questioning Mitt Romney about his stance on same-sex marriage. I found it pretty compelling. As beautiful as Mark and Brian's wedding was, there was still a dark shadow cast by the fact that the state in which they live (Virginian)--not to mention their country--refuses to recognize their love and commitment as it does for heterosexual couples.
The day after Mark and Brian's wedding, we drove back home to Reading (with a brief stop in Bowie, Maryland) as the rains of Sandy poured down upon us, and as the winds pushed my little Nissan around in its lane. We took it slow and made it without any trouble, other than the expected fatigue of staring at low-visibility roads for five hours.
After we got home, the storm really picked up as it headed across Delaware and then up toward Harrisburg. A couple trees went down in our backyard, but luckily nothing hit the house. One electrical pole on our neighbor's yard went down, and it took out power for about 11 houses, including ours.
Tuesday morning, I took a flashlight down to the basement to get out the diesel generator, which Yuriko's dad generously gave us earlier this year. After consulting with him over the phone about how to hook it up and get it going, we were able to get enough power for the heat, refrigerator, water, and some lights.
By the time Saturday rolled around, we were still running on generator power, and it was time to go to another wedding. This one was in Morris Arboretum, near Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia. The weather was ultra-brisk and the ceremony was outside, so we bundled up (or at least I did--Yuriko had exposed feet and legs in her fashionable dress and shoes). The reception followed in a semi-heated tent. We kept warm with wine and dancing. At one point, I ate some delicious pie (apple AND pumpkin). There were also FOUR great toasts, and you know how I love a good speech. All in all, it was another beautiful affair.
When we returned home, excited for an extra hour of sleep (so long, Daylight Savings Time), the power was back on! Hooray! We disconnected the generator, switched all the right switches on the circuit breaker, and went to bed, where we dreamed electric dreams.
Tomorrow I am scheduled to chat about climate change with my morning and afternoon ENG 100 sections. There's been some discussion in the news lately about if and in what way Sandy was a product of global warming. That will hopefully give our discussion a sense of urgency--or at least a note of relevance. I've found students reluctant to engage this issue in the past for a variety of reasons (skepticism that global warming is real, cynicism that anything can be done about it). We'll see how it goes. The reading I used to set up the discussion was an excerpt from Merchants of Doubt, by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway.
I also want to say a couple words about the election, which is in 2 DAYS! First, I'm so glad it will be over. The way presidential campaigns drag on, consume the airwaves, and waste money is enough to make anyone sick. Second, I'm voting for Obama. He's not my ideal candidate--he is not even my favorite Obama (Michelle is #1 for me)--but I do think, despite his flaws, that he's the best president I've seen in my lifetime. I don't like that he escalated the war in Afghanistan; I don't like that he abandoned true universal healthcare in his pursuit of healthcare reform; I don't like that he extended the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy. But he did what he could to save an economy in free fall and get it to start growing again (albeit slowly); he did what he could to regulate Wall Street; he repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; he's the only president to ever come out in support of same-sex marriage; he supports the Dream Act; he increased Pell Grants and reformed Direct Student Loans; and he got most of our troops out of harm's way in Iraq. His major weakness, I believe, has been trying to work with extremists in the House of Representatives who refused to compromise on any issue because they wanted Obama to fail more than they wanted to do what was right for the country. Is he perfect? No. But he's an intelligent, pragmatic, man with a conscience--and I'm not so sure I can say the same for the other guy.
I'm also voting for Manan Trivedi, who is running for Congress in my district. He's an Iraq War veteran and a physician from a town just a couple miles away from where I live. I got to meet him a couple months ago, and I think he shares President Obama's concern for the well-being of ordinary Americans.
Whether you see things the way I do or not, be sure to VOTE! An apathetic citizenry makes it that much easier for those in power to avoid accountability.
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