Task Two Questions
For my interview, I have chosen my mother as my person. She has been through a lot in her life and education was not one of her priorities. Some of the questions I am going to ask her will be, "Why did you drop out of school in the eighth grade? What kind of learning disability do you have? Why didn't you ever go back or get your GED? What did you do after you dropped out?" and "What was school like back then?" I want to get a feel for what her school was like, any teachers she liked or disliked, and if she just wanted to get a job to help my grandmother out. I would like to know if any of her brothers or sisters ever dropped out or went to college. She has mentioned that she has a learning disability, but never said what kind. I want to know if anyone tried to help her in school or just ignored her. My mother taught herself to read for the most part and became an avid reader for a long time. I don't remember her reading to me or my siblings, but that could just be because I was young . I do remember that she could never help with homework because she never understood it, which was very frustrating to her. She wanted to help her children but always passed the homework help off to my dad. I don't know if my grandfathers alcoholism problem was a contributing factor in her quitting or not but I can guarantee he didn't care when she did drop out. My mother is a very smart person, just not educated. She has lived life the hard way, without an education, and this is something she never wanted for her children.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood
A Partial Remembrance of a Puerto Rican Childhood
The cuentos are mainly women's stories to warn them against men and how terrible they can be. I think the older women have seen the way men treat women, kind of like they are just there for sex. The women tell these stories because they don't want the younger women to get hurt by men. Back in those days, the younger female children were allowed to listen to the stories because they married younger.
I believe if the stories had been told by men, they would have been about the old nagging women. They would tell the boys or younger men to be careful who they marry so they wouldn't end up with the ones that complained and yelled all the time. I think the stories would be told by the older men that no longer worked, and were stuck listening to the older women tell their stories.
I don't remember any stories that were told by family members in my family. But I think that if I had heard any it would have been about the same as the ones the Cofer women told. They would be about how you shouldn't give yourself to any man unless you are married to them, because if you do they won't stick around most times. My family was not the kind of family to sit around telling stories though. We only got together with family around the holidays, and then it wasn't much about stories. Mostly they just caught up on everyone's busy lives.
The cuentos are mainly women's stories to warn them against men and how terrible they can be. I think the older women have seen the way men treat women, kind of like they are just there for sex. The women tell these stories because they don't want the younger women to get hurt by men. Back in those days, the younger female children were allowed to listen to the stories because they married younger.
I believe if the stories had been told by men, they would have been about the old nagging women. They would tell the boys or younger men to be careful who they marry so they wouldn't end up with the ones that complained and yelled all the time. I think the stories would be told by the older men that no longer worked, and were stuck listening to the older women tell their stories.
I don't remember any stories that were told by family members in my family. But I think that if I had heard any it would have been about the same as the ones the Cofer women told. They would be about how you shouldn't give yourself to any man unless you are married to them, because if you do they won't stick around most times. My family was not the kind of family to sit around telling stories though. We only got together with family around the holidays, and then it wasn't much about stories. Mostly they just caught up on everyone's busy lives.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Homework for Sept. 24th
I grew up in the tiny little town of Blue Rapids, KS where if your parents didn't have money or a business, then you were considered a nobody. I didn't have many friends, and most of the ones I thought were my friends, I later found out weren't. I couldn't find a job around there because I wasn't one of the popular kids. My mother made most of my clothes, so I got made fun of most days, but I really tried not to care. I always told myself it didn't matter what everyone thought, but inside, it hurt that those people were mean to me. As I got older though, I learned what real friends were, and I learned that I really didn't care what people thought of me. I hated that town and couldn't wait to get away from it.
When I turned 17 I got pregnant with my first child, and although it was scary, it was also one of my happiest times. I dropped out of school my senior year and got my GED the month after my daughter was born. When she was one, we moved to Missouri and I will never go back to that town other than to visit my parents. That town taught me that your real friends stick with you no matter what you are going through, or how much money you have, or what kinds of clothes you wear. I try to explain that to my children, and sometimes I think it gets through to them. But, they are teenagers and think they know it all. Blue Rapids taught me to be myself regardless of what anyone thinks, and the best friends will stay by your side no matter what.
When I turned 17 I got pregnant with my first child, and although it was scary, it was also one of my happiest times. I dropped out of school my senior year and got my GED the month after my daughter was born. When she was one, we moved to Missouri and I will never go back to that town other than to visit my parents. That town taught me that your real friends stick with you no matter what you are going through, or how much money you have, or what kinds of clothes you wear. I try to explain that to my children, and sometimes I think it gets through to them. But, they are teenagers and think they know it all. Blue Rapids taught me to be myself regardless of what anyone thinks, and the best friends will stay by your side no matter what.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Task Two Homework for Sept. 22
For Task Two I am going to interview my mother because she dropped out in the 8th grade and never went back to school. I believe she tried to get her GED at one point but never finished it. She also has a learning disability, although I am not sure exactly what it is.
I am interested in finding out what school was like back then and why she dropped out. I know she kept getting passed through classes even though she failed. I would like to ask her what her learning disability is and why she dropped out. I want to know if she ever wanted to go back to school and if she regrets dropping out in the first place.
As far as problems with writing this, I would say trying to figure out how to word the questions to get the appropriate response is going to be the hardest. I believe I will learn a lot about what my mother went through growing up and trying to get an education in a time when people didn't really acknowledge learning disabilities.
I also thought about interviewing a friend of mine that just graduated here at Missouri Western at the age of 40 with a Bachelors in Social Work. She is a single mom that has been through a lot including moving at least three times while going to school. I am also going to graduate around my 40th birthday and I believe it might help me understand what to expect while going to school myself.
I am interested in finding out what school was like back then and why she dropped out. I know she kept getting passed through classes even though she failed. I would like to ask her what her learning disability is and why she dropped out. I want to know if she ever wanted to go back to school and if she regrets dropping out in the first place.
As far as problems with writing this, I would say trying to figure out how to word the questions to get the appropriate response is going to be the hardest. I believe I will learn a lot about what my mother went through growing up and trying to get an education in a time when people didn't really acknowledge learning disabilities.
I also thought about interviewing a friend of mine that just graduated here at Missouri Western at the age of 40 with a Bachelors in Social Work. She is a single mom that has been through a lot including moving at least three times while going to school. I am also going to graduate around my 40th birthday and I believe it might help me understand what to expect while going to school myself.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Self Evaluation
Self-Evaluation
What is the thesis for your paper?
The Thesis for my paper was "My grandmother went through a lot of hardship's in her life, from and abusive husband to the loss of her son and later both her legs, but was always kind and generous to everyone she met. She is my inspiration and the reason I am who I am.
List the main points you make in your paper.
In my paper I talk about my grandfather who was an alcoholic and very abusive. I also talk about her son, my Uncle Michael who was murdered and how that was the only time I ever saw her break down. Later I talk about the loss of her legs and how that didn't change the person she was.
What was the most helpful advice you received from your peer evaluation?
We never got to my paper in the peer evaluations.
What was the most helpful information you received in class for your paper?
My professor gave me the best advice about my thesis. I needed to add more detail about the hardships my grandmother went through.
How many drafts of this paper do you think you wrote and how/when did you write them? For example, did you compose at the keyboard, did you write lots of notes to yourself, did you pre-write or outline, did you write in small chunks of time or sit down and produce an entire draft at one sitting?
For my paper I made a list of the main details then sat down and wrote the story on paper before finally typing out my rough draft. Then I had a friend read over it and make suggestions before writing another copy. After I received back the edited copy from my professor, I wrote my final draft.
What would you do differently with this paper to make it more effectively, or what did you try to do that you just don’t think you got a good handle on?
I would have gotten more help on the thesis. I am still not too sure about writing the thesis and what all to put in it.
What are most pleased with about this paper?
I love the way the story turned out. I believe I told my grandmothers story very well with all the things she went through. There were more, but then the story would have been six pages.
What is the thesis for your paper?
The Thesis for my paper was "My grandmother went through a lot of hardship's in her life, from and abusive husband to the loss of her son and later both her legs, but was always kind and generous to everyone she met. She is my inspiration and the reason I am who I am.
List the main points you make in your paper.
In my paper I talk about my grandfather who was an alcoholic and very abusive. I also talk about her son, my Uncle Michael who was murdered and how that was the only time I ever saw her break down. Later I talk about the loss of her legs and how that didn't change the person she was.
What was the most helpful advice you received from your peer evaluation?
We never got to my paper in the peer evaluations.
What was the most helpful information you received in class for your paper?
My professor gave me the best advice about my thesis. I needed to add more detail about the hardships my grandmother went through.
How many drafts of this paper do you think you wrote and how/when did you write them? For example, did you compose at the keyboard, did you write lots of notes to yourself, did you pre-write or outline, did you write in small chunks of time or sit down and produce an entire draft at one sitting?
For my paper I made a list of the main details then sat down and wrote the story on paper before finally typing out my rough draft. Then I had a friend read over it and make suggestions before writing another copy. After I received back the edited copy from my professor, I wrote my final draft.
What would you do differently with this paper to make it more effectively, or what did you try to do that you just don’t think you got a good handle on?
I would have gotten more help on the thesis. I am still not too sure about writing the thesis and what all to put in it.
What are most pleased with about this paper?
I love the way the story turned out. I believe I told my grandmothers story very well with all the things she went through. There were more, but then the story would have been six pages.
Friday, September 10, 2010
On Becoming a Chicano
On Becoming a Chicano was a hard read for me. I grew up in a small town where the only label was "hick" or "redneck". Most of the people that grew up there stayed there. Since I moved to St. Joseph I have seen and heard a lot of labels. Some not nice at all. The one thing that gets me are the people that have those not nice labels and they do nothing to change their lives or the lives of their children. I have also seen lots of people that work very hard to stay away from all labels.
Rodriguez struggled his entire life, not knowing who he was. He was who they made him into. He lost his sense of security when his parents stopped speaking English around him. I don't know that he ever got that security back his entire life. I feel he struggles with who he used to be with his Chicano past and who he has struggled to be as an American.
Rodriguez struggled his entire life, not knowing who he was. He was who they made him into. He lost his sense of security when his parents stopped speaking English around him. I don't know that he ever got that security back his entire life. I feel he struggles with who he used to be with his Chicano past and who he has struggled to be as an American.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
How It Feels To Be Colored Me.
I guess considering I am a mother of three I have lots of labels. I am a mother, dictator, nurse, therapist, the list could go on forever. It helps me a lot because the kids always have problems with each other or ouchies that need kissed and mended. I have to make sure to live my life the way I would want them to live. I don't want them to grow up insecure or scared of new things. Hurston's idea is not to be afraid of who you are or try to hide it. Be yourself! That is probably one of the best ideas. It is one I try to explain to my teenage daughters. It seems they are totally different girls every other day. That is why I have so many labels. No one could fit me just right at every moment of life.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Task One Idea
Task One Idea
For Task One, I have decided to write about my grandmother. After reading "Rite of Passage", it brought up some old memories. I believe my grandmother will be a wonderful person to write about that can bring inspiration to others. She lost both of her legs after a surgery and went through a lot of other things that made her the strongest woman I have ever known. I believe my biggest challenges are going to be getting all of the facts. I plan to ask my mother for most of the facts and if there are things she can't remember I will ask my aunt who still lives in West Virginia where my grandmother lived.
For Task One, I have decided to write about my grandmother. After reading "Rite of Passage", it brought up some old memories. I believe my grandmother will be a wonderful person to write about that can bring inspiration to others. She lost both of her legs after a surgery and went through a lot of other things that made her the strongest woman I have ever known. I believe my biggest challenges are going to be getting all of the facts. I plan to ask my mother for most of the facts and if there are things she can't remember I will ask my aunt who still lives in West Virginia where my grandmother lived.
My Grandmother
My Grandmother
My grandmother, Cenia Marie Hess has always been a very important person to me. She has lived in West Virginia for as long as I can remember. In the same house my mother and her brothers and sisters grew up in. She is probably the strongest woman I have ever known in my life. Most of her life she was beaten and verbally abused by my grandfather who was an alcoholic. When I was 12, her middle son, my Uncle Mike, was shot and killed. That was the only time I ever saw her break down and cry. About 10 years later she had some kidney problems, and had to have one of them removed. In the process she got Gangrene and lost both of her legs. This would be hard for anyone, but even more for my grandmother who still had an outhouse and no indoor plumbing. She had to stay in the hospital while her entire house was remodeled to be safe and easy for her to get around in it. While she was in the hospital, her husband, my grandfather brought his cheating girlfriend of twenty years in to tell her he was leaving her. Now, not only did she have to go home with no legs, but also with no husband. She didn't like anyone to help her once she got home and settled. She did all the housework and cooking herself, and I remember every summer we would go visit when we were younger, she always made the best homemade biscuits and homemade vegetable soup. Anything we wanted, we got if she had it, even if mom said no. She was the most loving and caring woman and even though she passed away this past year she will always be in my thoughts and my heart.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
My Letter of Introduction
My Letter of Introduction
My name is Cristina Ascheman and I am a 35 year old mother of 3 children. I was born in Bluefield, WV and soon after moved to Blue Rapids, KS where I was raised. Blue Rapids is a very small town that shares the high school with the next town. When I was 20 I moved to Missouri right before having my second child. I was married for three years before getting a divorce. After that I decided to go to school and graduated from Vatterott with an Associate's Degree in Computer Programming and Network Management in 2000. It took me 9 years before I found a programming job here in Saint Joseph, MO. Since then, I have discovered that I dislike programming. Something about sitting down all day just isn't for me. That is probably why I have also worked as a server at Red Lobster for 8 years.
I have grown to enjoy reading although I used to despise it. My favorite books are the Twilight Series and recently I have really enjoyed the Vampire Academy novels by Richelle Mead. I am in the middle of the fourth book and it is taking me a while to read, because it is moving more slowly than the other books. Another series I love are the House of Night Novels by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. There has always been something about the supernatural that intrigues me.
I have never been a very good writer. In high school I had a very fun Spanish teacher. He always made class fun and encourage me to take two years of it. My second year there, another girl and I wrote a poem that was sent in and published in a writers newspaper. That is the only thing I have ever had published. Since then the only thing I have written are emails to friends and family, or notes to schools when my kids are sick. I would love to get better at writing, but have never really tried. I believe I will need writing in the future because I am wanting to be a nurse. I will need to make sure that things written down in reports are accurate in order to treat people correctly. I look forward to learning more about how to write in this class.
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