"The Dancer" By Vickie Sears

Recently, last weekend I read "The Dancer" by Vickie Sears and had to prepared notes for my next class. I had to lead the class discussion for a short story "The Dancer" by Vickie Sears. The story is about a five year old girl named Clarissa, she moved in with the narrator of the story. She was labled as a "Sociopathic", she even tried to kill the family's cat. However, dancing saved her soul as she began going to the familys dance parties and was inspired by Molly Grayball. I felt like this story was for each and every one of us who reads the story. It shows you as a person who hold alots of angers but if you find something you truly love and help you vent, go for it. It'll do good to your soul."Things was feeling real warm and good, and then it was time for the women's traditional. Clarissa joined the circle. She opened her arms to something nobody but her seemed to hear (Sears, page 25)" I feel this quote shows how inspired this girl was and being that inspired changed her soul. If something inspires you, embrace it.

A place of my own . . :)

When I first enter to my dorm in Benson Hall, I was excited. I was excited about entering a new space and making into my own. To make a place into my home away from home, I had all these ideas to make it my place, yet when I enter the room for the first time, I felt disappointed. Everything was awkward looking, dusty, and not what I expected. I felt out of place, and desperately wanted to go back home, a place that's already a home to me. Things got worst as my parents were leaving me, I suddenly felt like the room got more gloomy and dark. I felt like there was nothing I can do about the room. As the days went along, I saw my roommate decorating her side of the room, it became more familiar to me. Every time I look at her side of the room, it was home to her, made me feel like I needed to make my side of the room home or I was going to be miserable within those four walls. Finally, I decided to put up pictures of my close-friends from home, add a quote to inspire me in the morning, "Wish it, Dream it, Do it." Its over on the wall from my headboard, so when I wake up, its the first thing I see to motivate me to wake up and do what I have to do. Things were finally looking better in my room, the room was becoming more familiar to me and homey. It became my sanctuary whenever I want my own personal space from the world, or just Gallaudet. I realize that home is wherever you make it your home, don't be afraid to make something unfamiliar familiar. 

ASL Video for The first two poems . .

The First Two Poems . . .

When I read the first poem in the book, "Leaving home", on page three by Sandra Cisneros, I felt like she was making a statement, how much she wants to get away and  be in her own space . As the writer expressed about having her own space, she really demonstrates it by writing, "Not a man's house. Not a daddy's. A house all my own. ("leaving home", pg 3) . From my perspective, something in her life caused her to want her own space, it's something very valuable for her to have that personal space. I wonder if something as a child made her feel that way or an event . I began to really believe it has something to do in a person's childhood that caused them wanting to run away and have their own space, especially when I read the second poem on page 7. My guess about the second poem was that its about two teenagers wanting to get away and have their own life, "And feeling awful because San Francisco was on a postcard on a bedroom wall. We wanted to get there . . ("Leaving home", page 7) Both writers were not happy with something or someone in their lives and wanted to have their own space.

Rochman, Hazel and McCambell, Darlene. 1997. "Leaving Home: Stories".
USA. HarperCollins.

ASL VIDEO REFLECTION ON "The first day of school"

"The first day" Reflection

 The short story of "The first day" by Edward Jones is about a small girl reminiscing her first day to school. When I first started reading the short story, I did not know what to make of it. I did not know If it was going to be a sad story or a happy story since the author tone in the book was nonchalant. However, I felt like the story was going to be interesting when the author wrote, "On an unremarkable September morning, long before I learned to be ashamed of my mother . .(Jones, page 11) " I kept looking for clues to explain why the author thought  of her mother that way but I started getting the sense of who her mother was when she mentioned her father was out of the picture. I even started realizing that the story was about a black american girl and mother when the little girl said a word that made her mother hit her and never said the word again, "When I say the word in fun of to one of my sisters, my mother slaps me and the word is lost for years and years...(Jones, page 12)" The word must have been "Nigger" and that's when I knew the mother have struggled with a lot of racism. As the narrator went on, my sympathies grew stronger for the mother, when I learned she could not read or write, it broke my heart. She needed help to fill out the forms to enroll her daughter into school, and the person who helped her turns out to be the teacher of her daughter. It was a smack in the face for the mother. I could now understand why the narrator previously wrote about how she was ashamed of her mother, yet I couldn't understand why would the narrator be ashamed of her own mother, a woman who obviously struggled but made sure her daughter get an education, even if it wasn't the best and top education she would've liked her daughter to have, nonetheless, it was still an education. I wonder If the little girl understood that as she got older or did she ends up despising her mother. In the end of the story, I reflected back on personal experiences, since I'm the first in my family to graduate from HS and enroll in college. I understood some of the shame and embarrassment the narrator has but I hope the narrator realizes its not always about If your parents are educated or where your family is from, it's about knowing where you are going in life, regardless of where you come from.

Rochman, Hazel and McCambell, Darlene. 1997. "Leaving Home: Stories".
USA. HarperCollins.