An article I wrote for Emma Willard School's newspaper, The Clock:
The school came together on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day to learn and speak about justice for all. Although the day’s activities were not directly related to Dr. King, the message of speaking up for what one believes in was conveyed in the school’s conversations.
To demonstrate standing up for one’s beliefs and helping others, the community watched He Named Me Malala. Malala Yousafzai is an eighteen-year-old Pakistani advocate of equal opportunity for women, particularly with respect to women’s education. Although warned not to attend school, Ms.Yousafzai attended regardless and was shot for standing up for what she believed in.
Dr Spiro-Allen, Arts Department Chair and Interim Director of E.D.G.E., spoke of the theme of the day as being “Anyone’s struggle is our struggle.” She also added, “being silent is not an option.” Spiro-Allen envisioned the school’s MLK event should provide an answer to the question, “what can we do to?” stand up for what we believe in? For Malala, that meant going to school and risking her life. For Dr. King, that meant holding rallies and urging the government to bring about change, while also risking his life and, ultimately, losing it. “Anyone’s struggle is out struggle, which includes the ongoing struggles Dr. King fought for, and the struggles that his followers and Ms. Yousafzai continue to battle.
The rights for which Ms. Yousafzai was shot for are very important and need to be discussed, although many felt that MLK day was not the time to discuss them. Madeline McCarthy ‘17 said, “MLK day would’ve been a good day to discuss the current events,” such as the Black Lives Matter movement perhaps. Janelle Williams ‘16, co-head of Black Hispanic Awareness (BHA), also felt that the day did not honor Dr. King, “[The day] drew the attention to a different kind of issue.” Although important, “[it] was not the right time.” Dr. Spiro-Allen agreed that the particular day was a time to talk about race and, “[the school] missed the mark.”
The school has already begun to talk about the plans for next year’s observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. Spiro-Allen stated that she would like to have students involved in the planning. Alston Bowman ‘17, believes that this day could be improved by having other student groups, such as BHA, lead the discussions on more relevant topics. Victoria Gernert-Dott ‘16 stated, “race issues are still very important to talk about, they are just as relevant today as they were in the 50s and 60s.”
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Sarika Bansal
Recently Sarika Bansal, editor of Medium, came to Emma Willard to discuss her career in journalism.
These are some tips she gave out:
-Networking in journalism is key
-Good questions in interviews include; Anything else? Anyone else I should talk to?
-A good journalist knows how to "read the room"
-A good journalist "eases" his/her interviewee by making small talk and making him/her feel comfortable
-Never write anything without speaking to at least three people
-Best way to get inspiration is to write about your most embarrassing moment
-You can't be a freelance journalist and make money
-Great to travel
-The hook is the most important part of a piece of writing
-Pictures are fun
These are some tips she gave out:
-Networking in journalism is key
-Good questions in interviews include; Anything else? Anyone else I should talk to?
-A good journalist knows how to "read the room"
-A good journalist "eases" his/her interviewee by making small talk and making him/her feel comfortable
-Never write anything without speaking to at least three people
-Best way to get inspiration is to write about your most embarrassing moment
-You can't be a freelance journalist and make money
-Great to travel
-The hook is the most important part of a piece of writing
-Pictures are fun
Jeb Bush's Sincerity
I attended a Jeb Bush rally recently in the cafeteria of Bow Elementary School in Bow, NH, shortly before he bowed out of the presidential race, and heard him say: “Our country isn’t good because of our government, but because of our people.” Throughout the rally, I felt he expressed his care for people, for the individual.
In that intimate cafeteria setting, Jeb’s character came through. I feel confident in calling him by his first name because of the personal connection he made with me and others in that audience. I was surprised not by his voice, views, or story – but by his sincere approach to the 2016 presidential campaign. He began by telling us about his wife, Columba who he met when he was 17, his three children, John, Noelle, and George, and four grandchildren, Jack, Prescott, Georgia, and Vivian. He has always wanted a life apart from his famous family’s legacy, as evidenced by his choice to almost neglect his father and brother as a campaign strategy, and thus established a life in Florida. He and his wife raised a family, one that supports him every day. Jeb at this point in his story grabbed his heart, looked at his wife sitting right in front of me and said, “I love you.”
The candidate spent 15 minutes advocating for himself, then 45 minutes listening to people in the audience share their stories and answering their questions. I noticed that he called on an equal number of men and women, and people of all ages. At one point Jeb called on a young woman holding a stuffed animal moose. Jeb greeted her familiarly as she had attended an earlier rally, with a moose that she gave him for his grandchild. The moose represented climate change in New Hampshire. For the past few years the New England state has experienced warmer winters, which has allowed ticks to survive. These ticks bite moose, many of which come down with anemia and die. The point the young woman was trying to get across was that climate change is real – and affects the state’s beloved animal. Jeb strayed from Republican ideals by stating humans contributed to climate change. Jeb graciously accepted the second moose for his other grandchild.
Jeb must’ve had a hard time deciding whom to pick on to speak. Many hands were raised, including mine. Instead of calling on me, he pointed to an older man. The man briefly discussed seeing Jeb earlier that summer. Jeb remembered the specific rally, and confirmed with the man the date and town. You could tell that the man was impressed. He commended Jeb for carrying out a mostly positive campaign by promoting himself rather than trashing others. They had a friendly, personal exchange. Jeb was plainly at ease.
Perhaps the most emotionally moving story came from the woman sitting behind me. She exclaimed that during graduate school she gave birth to a mentally disabled son. Tears interrupted her story and she apologized. Jeb moved closer; all his attention was on her. His eyes widened to see her. He began to respond to her first words, paused as if he was taken emotionally, and allowed her to continue. As she talked about the stress of the ongoing debt from graduate school, Jeb remained attentive. He no longer faced the crowd, only her. She wanted to know what Jeb was going to do about college debt. She advocated that sometimes tragedies happen and people get stuck in debt. Instead of jumping right to his proposed policies and record of economic policies in Florida, he provided sympathy and spoke of a successful mental facility in Florida. The woman replied excitedly, “That’s where my son is!” Jeb offered a thorough response, all the time looking at her. Connecting with her, one person. Caring for the individual.
Another woman asked Jeb about Social Security. He answered with thoughtfulness and sincerity, but he admitted that he did not know the full answer. He asked for her home number, and promised to call after doing some research. Whenever he does not know a question, he researches it, and calls the person who posed the tough question.
Throughout the rally one younger boy, perhaps seven or eight, kept his hand raised. Jeb called on him. To everyone’s surprise, he asked the candidate about gun control. He even provided examples of recent mass shootings. Jeb could’ve given a short response, but instead answered his question like he did everyone else’s – with thoughtfulness and depth.
After Jeb finished and thanked the crowd, people swarmed him. They wanted autographs and pictures. I wiggled my way through the throng and waited my turn. Once I made eye contact with him I handed over my copy of “Jeb’s Plan for America.” He received it graciously and wrote a beautiful signature. We talked briefly. I handed a woman my phone while asking if she would take my picture. I got Jeb’s permission too. The woman took the picture, one that has been my laptop background for the past month. As he started walking away I told him, “you have my vote,” and he thanked me.
Unfortunately, he is no longer in the race, so I won’t get the chance to vote for the genuine person I know would make an amazing president.
Jeb’s concession speech embodied all the characteristics I saw in person. He told people at the rally that he has a servant’s heart. In his concession speech he said, “whoever holds it [the presidency] is a servant. Not the master.” He also said, “the Presidency is bigger than any one person,” which reminded me of his ideal America is good because of its people, not its government. He was so, so positive; he even congratulated his competitors in the race. He thanked Lindsey Graham, his supporters, volunteers, staff, his mom, dad, brother, and the rest of his family. He then said, “no matter what the future holds… tonight I’m gonna sleep with the best friend I have and the love of my life... And I am totally blessed to be the father of three extraordinary children and, as you might know, four near-perfect grandchildren.” Jeb wanted everyone to know the suspension of his campaign was not the end of his service to America. “America’s best days are ahead,” he said. He will not stop fighting for the American people, “I will do it as a private citizen,” Jeb said. He finished his campaign by saying, “I love you all, God bless you.”
Jeb’s concession speech was a full circle for me, and perhaps others. I saw his sincerity at the rally in New Hampshire when he opened up talking about his family, throughout his campaign at debates and interviews, and then again when he ended it in South Carolina by discussing the love he has for his family and supporters. Although he will not be the next president of the United States, he will always be remembered by me as a sincere, genuine, and capable person.
In that intimate cafeteria setting, Jeb’s character came through. I feel confident in calling him by his first name because of the personal connection he made with me and others in that audience. I was surprised not by his voice, views, or story – but by his sincere approach to the 2016 presidential campaign. He began by telling us about his wife, Columba who he met when he was 17, his three children, John, Noelle, and George, and four grandchildren, Jack, Prescott, Georgia, and Vivian. He has always wanted a life apart from his famous family’s legacy, as evidenced by his choice to almost neglect his father and brother as a campaign strategy, and thus established a life in Florida. He and his wife raised a family, one that supports him every day. Jeb at this point in his story grabbed his heart, looked at his wife sitting right in front of me and said, “I love you.”
The candidate spent 15 minutes advocating for himself, then 45 minutes listening to people in the audience share their stories and answering their questions. I noticed that he called on an equal number of men and women, and people of all ages. At one point Jeb called on a young woman holding a stuffed animal moose. Jeb greeted her familiarly as she had attended an earlier rally, with a moose that she gave him for his grandchild. The moose represented climate change in New Hampshire. For the past few years the New England state has experienced warmer winters, which has allowed ticks to survive. These ticks bite moose, many of which come down with anemia and die. The point the young woman was trying to get across was that climate change is real – and affects the state’s beloved animal. Jeb strayed from Republican ideals by stating humans contributed to climate change. Jeb graciously accepted the second moose for his other grandchild.
Jeb must’ve had a hard time deciding whom to pick on to speak. Many hands were raised, including mine. Instead of calling on me, he pointed to an older man. The man briefly discussed seeing Jeb earlier that summer. Jeb remembered the specific rally, and confirmed with the man the date and town. You could tell that the man was impressed. He commended Jeb for carrying out a mostly positive campaign by promoting himself rather than trashing others. They had a friendly, personal exchange. Jeb was plainly at ease.
Perhaps the most emotionally moving story came from the woman sitting behind me. She exclaimed that during graduate school she gave birth to a mentally disabled son. Tears interrupted her story and she apologized. Jeb moved closer; all his attention was on her. His eyes widened to see her. He began to respond to her first words, paused as if he was taken emotionally, and allowed her to continue. As she talked about the stress of the ongoing debt from graduate school, Jeb remained attentive. He no longer faced the crowd, only her. She wanted to know what Jeb was going to do about college debt. She advocated that sometimes tragedies happen and people get stuck in debt. Instead of jumping right to his proposed policies and record of economic policies in Florida, he provided sympathy and spoke of a successful mental facility in Florida. The woman replied excitedly, “That’s where my son is!” Jeb offered a thorough response, all the time looking at her. Connecting with her, one person. Caring for the individual.
Another woman asked Jeb about Social Security. He answered with thoughtfulness and sincerity, but he admitted that he did not know the full answer. He asked for her home number, and promised to call after doing some research. Whenever he does not know a question, he researches it, and calls the person who posed the tough question.
Throughout the rally one younger boy, perhaps seven or eight, kept his hand raised. Jeb called on him. To everyone’s surprise, he asked the candidate about gun control. He even provided examples of recent mass shootings. Jeb could’ve given a short response, but instead answered his question like he did everyone else’s – with thoughtfulness and depth.
After Jeb finished and thanked the crowd, people swarmed him. They wanted autographs and pictures. I wiggled my way through the throng and waited my turn. Once I made eye contact with him I handed over my copy of “Jeb’s Plan for America.” He received it graciously and wrote a beautiful signature. We talked briefly. I handed a woman my phone while asking if she would take my picture. I got Jeb’s permission too. The woman took the picture, one that has been my laptop background for the past month. As he started walking away I told him, “you have my vote,” and he thanked me.
Unfortunately, he is no longer in the race, so I won’t get the chance to vote for the genuine person I know would make an amazing president.
Jeb’s concession speech embodied all the characteristics I saw in person. He told people at the rally that he has a servant’s heart. In his concession speech he said, “whoever holds it [the presidency] is a servant. Not the master.” He also said, “the Presidency is bigger than any one person,” which reminded me of his ideal America is good because of its people, not its government. He was so, so positive; he even congratulated his competitors in the race. He thanked Lindsey Graham, his supporters, volunteers, staff, his mom, dad, brother, and the rest of his family. He then said, “no matter what the future holds… tonight I’m gonna sleep with the best friend I have and the love of my life... And I am totally blessed to be the father of three extraordinary children and, as you might know, four near-perfect grandchildren.” Jeb wanted everyone to know the suspension of his campaign was not the end of his service to America. “America’s best days are ahead,” he said. He will not stop fighting for the American people, “I will do it as a private citizen,” Jeb said. He finished his campaign by saying, “I love you all, God bless you.”
Jeb’s concession speech was a full circle for me, and perhaps others. I saw his sincerity at the rally in New Hampshire when he opened up talking about his family, throughout his campaign at debates and interviews, and then again when he ended it in South Carolina by discussing the love he has for his family and supporters. Although he will not be the next president of the United States, he will always be remembered by me as a sincere, genuine, and capable person.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Political Views of CeCe L.
CeCe L, an Emma Willard School senior and leader of the Pride Alliance, pays more attention to the social principles of each political party than to the less important fiscal ones. Democrats tend to be progressive in their views, and most members favor gay marriage, women’s rights, and other social liberal ideals. CeCe identifies as a Democrat.
She realizes that running the government is important, but culture defines a society and should take precedence. She said equality for all religions, races, genders, sexualities, and ethnicities is a “high priority” for her. Although gay marriage now is legally recognized, there are other stigmas to overcome.
CeCe regards voting as the most important right of any citizen. She said it is not only your right to vote, but a responsibility. “If you don’t participate in the system,” she said, “you can’t complain about the system.” This right and responsibility should not be limited to the United States; it should be implemented in every country.
In the current race for president she supports Bernie Sanders, because she feels he represents everyone. Even though he is, as CeCe put it, “a straight white sis older man.” Unknown to most, Sanders has been fighting for civil rights long before going into politics. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Washington DC, the day of the I Have a Dream Speech in 1963. “He’s always been for equality,” CeCe said.
CeCe’s one critique of Sanders is his overall take on foreign policy. She defined it as, “a vague continuation of what Obama is saying, however, his stance is not very clear.” CeCe believes that to resolve the world’s problems, countries need to work together on peace. “I believe we need to focus more on dialogue than force, however, be understanding of the potential need for force. In terms of Isis, we must participate in a coalition to address this serious and significant problem,” CeCe said.
Although CeCe plans to vote for Sanders in the primaries, it is undetermined whether Sanders will make it to New York. She opposes Hillary Clinton. “I really just don’t like Clinton,” CeCe said. She believes Clinton is a true politician in that she changes her views if that gets her votes. CeCe mentioned Clinton’s untrustworthy supporters. According to topsecrets.org, her top five contributors are Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs, DLA Piper, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Morgan Stanley. Because of Clinton’s voting and track record, including not supporting bills that heavily tax the 1 percent, CeCe believes America cannot trust her. “She is the 1 percent. Why would the 1 percent want to tax themselves?” CeCe said.
“I’m all for a first female American president,” CeCe said, but Hillary is, “not my choice.” CeCe disagrees with the most recent accusations of Gloria Steinem that girls are supporting Sander’s campaign because the “boys” are. She also said she believes people should not vote for someone because of gender. The biggest distinction between Clinton and Sanders, according to CeCe, is Sanders delivers speeches using the pronoun “we.” While Clinton uses the pronoun “I.” Sanders emphasizes the power of the people working together, Clinton emphasizes the power of herself.
She realizes that running the government is important, but culture defines a society and should take precedence. She said equality for all religions, races, genders, sexualities, and ethnicities is a “high priority” for her. Although gay marriage now is legally recognized, there are other stigmas to overcome.
CeCe regards voting as the most important right of any citizen. She said it is not only your right to vote, but a responsibility. “If you don’t participate in the system,” she said, “you can’t complain about the system.” This right and responsibility should not be limited to the United States; it should be implemented in every country.
In the current race for president she supports Bernie Sanders, because she feels he represents everyone. Even though he is, as CeCe put it, “a straight white sis older man.” Unknown to most, Sanders has been fighting for civil rights long before going into politics. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Washington DC, the day of the I Have a Dream Speech in 1963. “He’s always been for equality,” CeCe said.
CeCe’s one critique of Sanders is his overall take on foreign policy. She defined it as, “a vague continuation of what Obama is saying, however, his stance is not very clear.” CeCe believes that to resolve the world’s problems, countries need to work together on peace. “I believe we need to focus more on dialogue than force, however, be understanding of the potential need for force. In terms of Isis, we must participate in a coalition to address this serious and significant problem,” CeCe said.
Although CeCe plans to vote for Sanders in the primaries, it is undetermined whether Sanders will make it to New York. She opposes Hillary Clinton. “I really just don’t like Clinton,” CeCe said. She believes Clinton is a true politician in that she changes her views if that gets her votes. CeCe mentioned Clinton’s untrustworthy supporters. According to topsecrets.org, her top five contributors are Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs, DLA Piper, JPMorgan Chase & Co, and Morgan Stanley. Because of Clinton’s voting and track record, including not supporting bills that heavily tax the 1 percent, CeCe believes America cannot trust her. “She is the 1 percent. Why would the 1 percent want to tax themselves?” CeCe said.
“I’m all for a first female American president,” CeCe said, but Hillary is, “not my choice.” CeCe disagrees with the most recent accusations of Gloria Steinem that girls are supporting Sander’s campaign because the “boys” are. She also said she believes people should not vote for someone because of gender. The biggest distinction between Clinton and Sanders, according to CeCe, is Sanders delivers speeches using the pronoun “we.” While Clinton uses the pronoun “I.” Sanders emphasizes the power of the people working together, Clinton emphasizes the power of herself.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Comparing Two Articles
“Is Jeb Bush a Republican Obama?” A headline I could not ignore. Researching the current presidential campaigns has taken up a lot of my time recently, and reading this article was no exception. A description of Jeb Bush as president Obama is unique; the Governor and President had different upbringings, hold different views, and appeal to different types of people. This article really drew me in by the title, but failed to keep my interest.
The writer of the article, David Frum, spent 80% of the article discussing Bush solely, and only 20% comparing the two politicians. Although the writer successfully uses anaphora in the paragraph in which he compares Bush and Obama, “Both chose wives who would more deeply connect them to their new chosen identity. Both derived from their new identity a sharp critique of their nation as it is. Both have built their campaign for president upon a deep commitment to fundamental transformation of their nation into what they believe it should be.” He uses these general examples to prove his point that Jeb Bush is similar to Obama, but it is not enough to convince me that Jeb Bush is a Republican Obama. While he does go into detail on Bush’s view, he rarely discusses Obama’s.
The strength of Frum’s article was the incorporation of videos. After he introduced one of Bush’s ideas, he had a video under it that revealed Bush specifically talking about his idea. It made the article come to life, but more specifically showed Bush as a physical human being. I didn’t just read about Jeb Bush, I was able to see him and analyze his character.
Nathaniel Rich’s, “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” seemed like an article I’d fall asleep to reading. After reading the introduction, I gathered that the article was about chemicals in the environment and guessed that the author would try to urge me to “take action” to save the environment. I do love the earth and know that it is so important to save it, but reading articles on this topic is not something I would chose to do. The article ended up piquing my interest because these chemicals affected animals. I have a special place in my heart for the protection of animals, I have been a vegetarian for more than a year. The author efficiently reached out to me by adding statistics.
The writer kept repeating “70,000 people.” He said, “All 70,000 people were drinking poisoned water. Some had been doing so for decades.” And, “Bilott represented 70,000 people who had been drinking PFOA-laced drinking water for decades.” The writer even added a side bar that stated, “In total, 70,000 people were drinking poisoned water. Some had been doing so for decades.” He wanted to get his point across that many people had been drinking the poisoned water.
To further show the horrifying fact of poisoned water, he directed the readers’ attention towards this: “But if you are a sentient being reading this article in 2016, you already have PFOA in your blood. It is in your parents’ blood, your children’s blood, your lover’s blood. How did it get there? Through the air, through your diet, through your use of nonstick cookware, through your umbilical cord. Or you might have drunk tainted water.” He made it clear that it was important that anyone, yourself or your loved one, reading this article could be affected by bad water created by companies that did not care about polluting the environment.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/is-jeb-bush-a-republican-obama/385168/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html?_r=0
Friday, December 25, 2015
Christmas Article
“To each his own.”
When I sat down with my staunch Christian Grandpa and asked for his opinion on non-Christians celebrating Christmas I expected something like, “People these days!” or “It’s not right for non-Christians to celebrate a holiday designated for believers in Christ.”
But to my surprise, he responded with those four words:
“To each his own.”
Although Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, it is a celebrated for different reasons. Christmas embodies spiritual meaning, and not just for followers of Christ like myself. That is the beauty of Christmas: everyone celebrates it in a meaningful way.
Christmas began as a Roman Pagan holiday called Saturnalia that took place from Dec. 17-25. During this time no one could be punished for crimes such as damaging property. In the 4th century Christian leaders transformed Saturnalia into Christmas. They celebrated Masses to commemorate the day.
Today, Christmas is still associated with religion, but not for everyone.
When I asked people to define Christmas, many replied, “Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.” I went on to ask these traditional people what the three most important aspects of Christmas was to them and only Carole Beauregard, grandmother of ten and mother of three from Clifton Park, NY, and Kathy Gooley, mother of three from Hopkinton, MA, replied with solely religious responses. Kathy’s first response was, “reflecting on my faith and the birth of Jesus.” Gwen Guthrie, grandmother of nine and mother of three from Chappaqua, NY, responded with a more general answer, “Sharing the love, sharing our faith, and sharing with family and loved ones.” Walter Kuehn, father of four and grandfather of many from Vergennes, VT, told me that his most important aspect was talking with family and celebrating when Christ was born. He made a point to say even though Dec. 25th was not the exact date Jesus was born.
It is important to understand when analyzing these responses Gooley, Beauregard, and Kuehn all grew up in traditional families in traditional towns where almost everyone went to church every Sunday. Today the towns they live in are less conventional, but the three of them still hold an importance to the Christian meaning of Christmas.
The less traditional Christmas in which families exchange gifts, eat together, celebrate one another, without any religious component has become more and more popular. When I sat down with brothers Will (18) and Jack (15) Bullion it became evident, although while technically Protestant, they did not attach any religious meaning to Christmas. Living in Wellesley, MA they are surrounded by a Catholic majority. Christmas is special to them both. They both value getting together as a family and giving and receiving presents. Will said, “I don’t think God would oppose others giving each other gifts and coming together in celebration.” Jack agreed, although he did say that Christmas should have a deeper meaning for people of the Christian faith.
Probably the most interesting background I learned of was that of Katie Gonick who is Jewish but celebrates Christmas as well for her grandmother. Every year she goes to Long Island to celebrate with her mom’s side of the family which she describes as, “Italian and Catholic, so we have a pretty traditional, but secular celebration.” This year will be different because her grandmother recently passed away. Katie explained, “Since my grandma died I’ve been really sensitive about maintaining [the importance of Christmas] for my family, even though it’s not my holiday. I still hold on to happy memories though. We’ll see what happens this year.” Unlike Christmas to Christian people, Hannukah to Jewish people is not the most important holiday of the year Katie described it as, “pretty irrelevant in Jewish tradition.” Similar to Christmas, Hannukah is a time in which families come together. Katie thinks that coming together is “especially important in our fast-paced lives.”
Hana Dollar, who identifies as an atheist, described Christmas as a time when the whole world comes together, similar to Katie’s point. She said that this time is peaceful and everyone is friendlier. Hana experienced her first Christmas when she was four and recently adopted from Africa. Ever since, she has loved and adored it. Every year she thinks about her first Christmas. She loves that “everyone can celebrate with family and food.”
To get an outsider’s view on Christmas I talked with Nabeeha Noor, a Muslim in high school. Noor said that Christmas is a time for everyone to come together, whether or not one celebrates the religious holiday. She sees it as that time of year when “everyone gets together and puts aside disagreements.” Bee feels included in the Christmas celebration in that she sees people being friendlier and happier. Although the Muslim religion does not have a holiday like Christmas, Bee loves this time of year and feels that anyone can celebrate Christmas.
Perhaps the least biased view was from the children I interviewed. Schuyler Gooley (13) spoke about Christmas with a glimmer in her eye and a smile on her face the whole time. She loves her family’s tradition: buying a tree together, buying gifts, going to church on Christmas Eve, opening the stockings before the presents, and then driving to see her cousins Christmas Day. Christmas to her is a fun holiday in which she celebrates the birth of Jesus, while some of her friends celebrate without a religious component.
Rachel Gooley (15) said that she loves the holiday because it is spirited. And because everyone feels that spirit, whether or not he or she celebrates the holiday.
My version of Christmas:
1. Attending the Christmas Eve service at my church year.
2. Celebrating the birth of Jesus and my religion as a whole.
3. Lighting a new advent candle each Sunday starting end of November.
4. Seeing both sides of the family and family friends, the day of and days surrounding Christmas.
5. Going into Manhattan to see the Christmas windows, the tree in Rockefeller center, and Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
6. Waking up early and opening presents Christmas morning.
When I sat down with my staunch Christian Grandpa and asked for his opinion on non-Christians celebrating Christmas I expected something like, “People these days!” or “It’s not right for non-Christians to celebrate a holiday designated for believers in Christ.”
But to my surprise, he responded with those four words:
“To each his own.”
Although Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, it is a celebrated for different reasons. Christmas embodies spiritual meaning, and not just for followers of Christ like myself. That is the beauty of Christmas: everyone celebrates it in a meaningful way.
Christmas began as a Roman Pagan holiday called Saturnalia that took place from Dec. 17-25. During this time no one could be punished for crimes such as damaging property. In the 4th century Christian leaders transformed Saturnalia into Christmas. They celebrated Masses to commemorate the day.
Today, Christmas is still associated with religion, but not for everyone.
When I asked people to define Christmas, many replied, “Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.” I went on to ask these traditional people what the three most important aspects of Christmas was to them and only Carole Beauregard, grandmother of ten and mother of three from Clifton Park, NY, and Kathy Gooley, mother of three from Hopkinton, MA, replied with solely religious responses. Kathy’s first response was, “reflecting on my faith and the birth of Jesus.” Gwen Guthrie, grandmother of nine and mother of three from Chappaqua, NY, responded with a more general answer, “Sharing the love, sharing our faith, and sharing with family and loved ones.” Walter Kuehn, father of four and grandfather of many from Vergennes, VT, told me that his most important aspect was talking with family and celebrating when Christ was born. He made a point to say even though Dec. 25th was not the exact date Jesus was born.
It is important to understand when analyzing these responses Gooley, Beauregard, and Kuehn all grew up in traditional families in traditional towns where almost everyone went to church every Sunday. Today the towns they live in are less conventional, but the three of them still hold an importance to the Christian meaning of Christmas.
The less traditional Christmas in which families exchange gifts, eat together, celebrate one another, without any religious component has become more and more popular. When I sat down with brothers Will (18) and Jack (15) Bullion it became evident, although while technically Protestant, they did not attach any religious meaning to Christmas. Living in Wellesley, MA they are surrounded by a Catholic majority. Christmas is special to them both. They both value getting together as a family and giving and receiving presents. Will said, “I don’t think God would oppose others giving each other gifts and coming together in celebration.” Jack agreed, although he did say that Christmas should have a deeper meaning for people of the Christian faith.
Probably the most interesting background I learned of was that of Katie Gonick who is Jewish but celebrates Christmas as well for her grandmother. Every year she goes to Long Island to celebrate with her mom’s side of the family which she describes as, “Italian and Catholic, so we have a pretty traditional, but secular celebration.” This year will be different because her grandmother recently passed away. Katie explained, “Since my grandma died I’ve been really sensitive about maintaining [the importance of Christmas] for my family, even though it’s not my holiday. I still hold on to happy memories though. We’ll see what happens this year.” Unlike Christmas to Christian people, Hannukah to Jewish people is not the most important holiday of the year Katie described it as, “pretty irrelevant in Jewish tradition.” Similar to Christmas, Hannukah is a time in which families come together. Katie thinks that coming together is “especially important in our fast-paced lives.”
Hana Dollar, who identifies as an atheist, described Christmas as a time when the whole world comes together, similar to Katie’s point. She said that this time is peaceful and everyone is friendlier. Hana experienced her first Christmas when she was four and recently adopted from Africa. Ever since, she has loved and adored it. Every year she thinks about her first Christmas. She loves that “everyone can celebrate with family and food.”
To get an outsider’s view on Christmas I talked with Nabeeha Noor, a Muslim in high school. Noor said that Christmas is a time for everyone to come together, whether or not one celebrates the religious holiday. She sees it as that time of year when “everyone gets together and puts aside disagreements.” Bee feels included in the Christmas celebration in that she sees people being friendlier and happier. Although the Muslim religion does not have a holiday like Christmas, Bee loves this time of year and feels that anyone can celebrate Christmas.
Perhaps the least biased view was from the children I interviewed. Schuyler Gooley (13) spoke about Christmas with a glimmer in her eye and a smile on her face the whole time. She loves her family’s tradition: buying a tree together, buying gifts, going to church on Christmas Eve, opening the stockings before the presents, and then driving to see her cousins Christmas Day. Christmas to her is a fun holiday in which she celebrates the birth of Jesus, while some of her friends celebrate without a religious component.
Rachel Gooley (15) said that she loves the holiday because it is spirited. And because everyone feels that spirit, whether or not he or she celebrates the holiday.
My version of Christmas:
1. Attending the Christmas Eve service at my church year.
2. Celebrating the birth of Jesus and my religion as a whole.
3. Lighting a new advent candle each Sunday starting end of November.
4. Seeing both sides of the family and family friends, the day of and days surrounding Christmas.
5. Going into Manhattan to see the Christmas windows, the tree in Rockefeller center, and Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
6. Waking up early and opening presents Christmas morning.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Mass Shooting Article
My mentor recently shared with me this article about a survivor of the Umpqua Community College in Oregon. It highlights the aftermath of the shooting and what her life has become. Definitely worth reading.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/12/05/after-a-mass-shooting-a-survivors-life/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2015/12/05/after-a-mass-shooting-a-survivors-life/
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