Journal #1 Revised: Myself in Song

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Welcome to my very first blog post! I am a freshman from Wausau, WI. I chose UWSP because I wanted to be close to home where I can be closer to my family. I always try to be positive and smile. I enjoy spending time outdoors, with friends and family, and staying active. There are five songs I have chosen for my playlist which include "Glorious" by Foxes and "Consideration" by Rihanna, and I feel they describe my self and my inner thoughts. Read on to learn more about my playlist and how it reflects on my life.

Sports Have an Impact on the Maxson Family

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Troy Maxson loved playing baseball and knew he was good at it, but by the time he wanted to go into the big leagues, he was too old to play professionally. In August Wilson's Fences, Troy's son Corey is about to graduate high school and has a chance to be recruited for college football. Troy doesn't allow Corey to play football because he wants Corey to work and earn his money for a living. Troy passed on his great skills in sports to his son Corey, but because of Troy's decision, Corey has to end his sports career just like Troy.

Analyzing a Black Family in South Chicago

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry takes place in the mid-1900s in Chicago's south side. Each character has their own goals and aspirations, yet they all have one main goal of supporting and giving to their family. Throughout the play we see each character's points of view and their ideas of how to get money and support the family. The Youngers are living in a small apartment with Travis sleeping in the living room and the walls cracking. Walter Lee Younger, Sr. has passed away and now they have his life insurance money. They all have different desires for the use of the $10,000 they just received, but as the play progresses and draws to an end, they realize they need to work together in order to benefit the whole family.

Moonlight April 10, 2017 at the DUC Theater

Monday night I had the privilege of seeing the production of the film Moonlight, which portrays a gay, black man growing up in Florida. As I walked into the theater I saw almost every seat was full. I was surprised to see so many people and I was curious if they were all there to see a great movie or if they were there for a class grade. I wasn't entirely sure what the movie was about other than the hardships of growing up in a black community while facing his own demons of accepting the fact he is gay. Watching the film help me see how the people around you and in your life can impact your life greatly and impact your own actions and path in life.

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Interpretting a Doll House Production

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Reading a play and watching a play being performed can bring very different attitudes and feelings for the audience. After watching the performance of "A Doll House" by Henrik Ibsen in class, my response to the play greatly changed due to the subtle differences in dialogue and the cast of characters. I felt more sympathy for Nora and less sympathetic toward Torvald after watching the third scene. While reading the play I saw Torvald as a good man with some ignorances, but watching the production of the play made me think otherwise. I encourage you to read further into what I believe changed my opinion to the play.

Theatrical Impressions of a Play Performance

On Thursday evening I had the pleasure of seeing "The Miracle Worker" performed by our fellow student body on campus. The play took place in the Keller home in 1880, where Helen Keller was taught by her teacher, Annie, how to sign. Helen Keller was born blind and deaf, which made her impatient and she often had fits of frustration. Annie was also blind but had nine surgeries to give her sight. Annie was then able to go out into the world and find work, and that is where she found Helen needed help. Although Helen had great difficulty functioning in her dysfunctional home, Annie too had some difficulties to overcome.

Making Cultural Connections Through Food

"The Unexpected Lessons of Mexican Food" by Armando Montano is a story of Armando's life growing up Hispanic. His mother is Anglo (white) and his father is Mexican. Growing up in Texas, he remembered watching his family cook Mexican-styled food and later learned how to cook himself. Armando's Mexican side of the family only saw him as white and not Mexican. Then while he was in college he traveled to Buenos Aires where their food wasn't spicy like the Mexican food, so he began to make Mexican food for himself and for his friends. Armando's story reminds me of my friend from Mexico who was also seen as white, but by society rather than her family like in Armando's story. She has shown me and our friends what authentic Mexican food tastes like, and it is better than anything I have ever had before.