Wednesday, October 17, 2007

 

English 201 A/B 8-9 M-Th, and 1-3 MW

Okay folks, here it is. Sorry early class, I have been swamped today with meetings and such. I am so happy two students came to see me this afternoon. It was 12 noon and well my office hours are from 9-11 a.m. give or take travel time, but Haile and I, then Robert and I had really fruitful sessions. Haile, said the visit where we pulled his essay up and revised it while he sat here and explained his intention when the writing wasn't clear was useful.

Today in both classes I mentioned that I have drafted a assignment sheet which lists all of the assignments so far and the ones to come. Students can then put all of their work together and see where they are. I don't want to have students email me the midterms. It was too hard to figure out which essays belonged to whom. I think the blogger works better for this, since it is divided by classes.

So next week, the week of the midterms expect this assignment sheet. For my 8-9 a.m. class you will get this tomorrow. I might even post it here. The midterm will be started in class and finished at home, put on a disk and given to me with the reading logs for Dyson's book either as a hard copy or on the disk, plus the planning sheet and outline on the disk or as a hard copy. The portfolio will also be put on this disk at the end of the class.

English 201 afternoon class
Today we watched the film: Tupac and Biggie. It was 101 minutes long, so it took up all of the class time. You homework is to think about the following quote from Dyson in your discussion of the film which looks at the murder of these two bright stars. One student said, Tupac was driven, whereas Biggie was passionate but not so passionate that he'd walk through fire.

Here's the quote I want you to think about. If you haven't already done so, read or reread "For All the Real Niggas Out There" (141-171). It describes the fatalistic attitude Tupac exemplified, but then again if what Jada says is true, that Tupac was an addict, always high, never sober, then one could argue that it was what he put into his body that made him act the way he did. It was the alcohol talking. It was the marijuana speaking. I wonder what or who was doing the writing?

"In falling prey to the temptations to be a gangster, Tupac lost his hold on the frustrating but powerful moral ambiguity that makes the rhetoric and representations of gangsta rappers effective" (170).

Homework
The morning class is to look at the following quotes from Dyson and paraphrase them. Post the paraphrases here. Copy the list and then put your paraphase under it.
Clue, if you don't understand the sentence, read the sentences that proceed and follow it.

1. "A lesson, to be sure, crassly overlooked by many a would-be guru who tutors remedies for spiritual malaise that discount the circumstances and experiences of the oppressed.(206)"


A spiritual counselor who lacks an undestanding of disenfranchised people's reality, easily misguides them.
--Seonhea

2. "The sharp juxtaposition of material acknowledgement and disparagement is a characteristic symptom of rap music's artists.(23)"

3. "In falling prey to the temptation to be a gangster, Tupac lost his hold on the frustrating but powerful moral ambriguity that makes the rhetoric and represntations of gangster rappers effective" (170).

4. "The readiness to die is characteristic of thug theology, as much because of teh intensity of the suffering they observe and endure--and quite often cause--as the belief that they ahve squared themselves with God" (212).

5. "The bottle, however, and the joint, too, were never to be slighted in Tupac's taxonomy of addictive escapes" (238).

6. "In historian Robin D.G. Kelley's view, 'both the movement that produced [Tupac], and the movement he wss projecting' are 'reflective of the era. Tupac is such a 1980s product, where even black nationalism takes on a new twist" (66).

If there are any sentences you'd like to share or don't understand, please feel free to post them here. Students read each other's responses and comment. I am really happy one of your classmates asked this question this morning. Many of you had the same question, so now we can practice paraphrasing together. When you can put something into your own words (see Hacker), you truly understand its meaning.

Comments:
dear Ms.Sabir,
I Debbie Adame who is in you english 201, on mondays and wensdays, from the hours one to three in the afternoon, dont understand what the homework. Ms.Sabir whats is it that u want me to post on the blog can u please email asap at gurly_girl2004@yahoo.com.
Thanks
Debbie Adame
 
Paraphrase Practice

1."A lesson, to be sure, crassly overlooked by many a would-be guru who tutors remedies for spiritual malaise that discount the circumstances and experiences of the oppressed. (206)"
: A spiritual counselor, who lacks an understanding of disenfranchised people's reality, easily can misguide them.
2."The sharp juxtaposition of maternal acknowledgement and disparagement is a characteristic symptom of rap music's artists. (23)"
: One of the paradox of rap artists is their prototypical reflection of women; their recognition of mothers, however, at the same time, and their harsh criticism toward women are always mingled together in their music.
3."In falling prey to the temptation to be a gangster, Tupac lost his hold on the frustrating but powerful moral ambiguity that makes the rhetoric and representations of gangster rappers effective" (170).
: Instead Tupac satisfy his desire to become a gangster, he fall into a victim of that desire by losing brilliant eloquence of moral equivocality in his works.
4."The readiness to die is characteristic of thug theology, as much because of the intensity of the suffering they observe and endure--and quite often cause--as the belief that they have squared themselves with God" (212).
5."The bottle, however, and the joint, too, was never to be slighted in Tupac's taxonomy of addictive escapes" (238).
: We can’t disregard roles of alcohol and marijuana on Tupac’s serious escapism.
6. "In historian Robin D.G. Kelley's view, 'both the movement that produced [Tupac] and the movement he was projecting' are 'reflective of the era. Tupac is such a 1980s product, where even black nationalism takes on a new twist" (66).
: In his view, historian Robin D.G. Kelley said that Tupac is one of offspring of 1980s that contain the idea of Black Nationalism and black masculinity, also his works and life reflected the era’s movements even in a new shape.
 
English 201 1-3
I think it’s a great idea that were thinking about the quotes and restating what certain sentences, poems, films, or quotes mean to us. Mover over, there’s no real understanding until you truly understand.
The film we watch in class on Wednesday, Tupac and Biggie, was a real eye opener. When Biggie’s mother stated that there wasn’t a day in Biggies childhood that he went without food, as he previously stated in his raps was amazing to me. Had me thinking what’s the point in writing your own rap songs when what your writing I false. A fiction story. When did being broke and/or poor something to glorified, or even in this sense make-up.
To address the quote, I think it’s a fair statement. Tupac could have been a great, if not bigger positive source or representative to hip hop if he wasn’t trying to fit in. Getting high, cause or when others were getting high. Drinking cause or when others were getting drunk. Who was the real Tupac, some ask, you know the one that wasn’t drunk or high. To that I answer, it doesn’t matter. If we go on what Jada say, he was never sober, always high. People judge you on your actions. Tupac acts a damn fool, like he had no home-training, but he did, he doesn’t. He lives up to the saying, “ You can me out the hood, but the hood out of me, will never leave.”
Tupac definitely lost his hold on bring “the light” to hip hop. At a time like today, when hip hop is under and everyone’s questioning hip hop it makes me wonder. Wonder if Tupac wasn’t driving into the typically lifestyle of gangster, how would hip hop be different today with Tupac “real” influences.
 
I think the statement was accurate Tupac was a good influence on are community (Ghetto) or any city who understand struggle in america. When Jada stated that he was never sobber. She was right he was always high. In the streets or the studio getting high is like meditation for men who see alot, or sin. The is where they testify. Drinking and getting high is the juice or the jump off to make your brain think. This is not a good way of thinking, but this what makes Tupac energy booste. This what alot of people do. When they need to visualize the pain, and put it own wax.
When Tupac took realife beef and put it into Art he destroyed hip-hop's heart, and made it cold. If he was alive today I think he would of aknowledge a second chane and seen how many viewer'understood him, and made a negitive into a positve.
 
Original sentence:
"The bottle, however, and the joint, too, were never to be slighted in Tupac's taxonomy of addictive escapes" (238).

Alcohol and marijuana were not meant to be taken lightly as a few of Tupac's many coping mechanisms.
 
Eurnest Hardey
Summary

Tupac Shakur was at his best, and a average rapper who willed himself into a iconic status. He was important to so many young black males and other aroung the world. He lived in a society that didn;t view him as human. He reach a point that you convince yourself and everybody around you, "Being a real nigga or the man" is whats important instead of focusing on goals and desires. He also had a crucial side that uplifed many viewer's . The illusion he was trying to sell made a different side of Tupac knowledgeable. he was not this big time Gangsta everybody thinks, this ugly image he portrayed This was the side of him that truly "means Acting Out"
 
debbie
"For all the real n***** out there"
I think that the qute that is in the chapter, makes me also think why did Tupac act a certain way?.Makes me think why did he act that way and what made him act that way?. I know do know that he went thru a lot growing up and also faced dicult situations with different people. i agree with Jada stating that he was never sober and always high. I think that perhaps it must of being a way to release from all the emotions and strugles that he went thru. I also believe that maybe he wanted to fit in with the croud.
 
Understanding the last paragraph page52
english 201 1-3pm
In order for Tupac to be able to assist to the interview,his quit his job in a dramatic fashion. He did not quit like most poeple by giving a two week notice. He in the other hand, put on a big scene and caused comotion. He lit a cigaratte, left during work hours, was defiant, and disrespectful. Tupac felt he was being mistrated disrespected, by not bieng giving time off from his job to do the interview. He responded by being extremely aggresive. Tupac used this everyday occuence to justify his rebellious and extreme aggression.
 
Ernest Hardy
This article is about the life of Tupac and his character. He acted like the ''man or thug'', but he liked to be known has a ''studio gangster''. This is how he got a lot of respect, love, and admiration. He sold a lot of records. His biggiest selling tracks were''Keep Your Head Up'' and Dear Mama''. A lot of fans liked him for his softer side for how he express reality and the fact that Tupac did not want to be known has a ''phony'' person, because(may be afraid), didnt want to loose fans, and or didnt want people to think that he was weak.Through his music, he changed a lot of peoples minds and lfe. In his music, he had a lot to say about himself and how he saw reality, and what he thought needed to be changed in life. Not only was hes words, thoughts, life, even hes body(tatoos)was also a expression of his life, and how he wanted people to know him. The writer of this article states that the world is saddedned because his inner struggles and conflicts were left unresolved because he died to gunfire. In addition, to this writer, Tupac was unable t oescape the myth of black manhood and this was heartbreaking.
 
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