Friday, November 21, 2008
Tell Us What You Thought!
A bit about Fair Trade, organic/local produce, and eco-friendly take-out containers.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
the butterfly.
In 1942, Pavel Friedman wrote “The Butterfly” from Terezin Concentration camp. The power of this twenty-one year old Jewish man’s words exemplifies the juxtaposition of hope and horror that the victims of the Holocaust experienced. I was exposed to this poem as a young girl when my Dad brought home “I Never Saw Another Butterfly”—a collection of children’s poems and drawings from Terezin between 1942-1944. His words moved me instantly: “The last, the very last, / so richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.” It wasn’t until my elementary school choir sang the words to music, however, that I fully realized the beauty and sadness in Friedman’s verses.
The kairos in which the poem was written makes it even more compelling. If these words were written by someone who did not experience a ghetto or concentration camp first-hand, they would not have the same powerful effect. The fact that Friedman was “penned up inside this ghetto” while he wrote these words also increases their effect. The combination of optimism and fear in his verses creates an extremely emotional dynamic which she wrote as a personal mantra—possibly not even meant to be read by anyone, let alone millions.
The genre of these words—a personal exploration of hope within captivity—allows the reader to have this very intimate view of a young man’s experience. This intimacy we get from Friedman enhances the power of his spiritual words. The form of a poem also helps develop her words since I believe that a different format would not evoke the same simple naivety and wisdom as her brief verses. His four verses vary in length and do not seem to follow any pattern but their rhythm is undeniable. His words undulate between hope and sadness creating a very emotional dynamic.
There is something about poetry that has the ability to emit such emotion in such a short work and that is definitely the case in “The Butterfly”. The first two verses vaguely describe the beauty of a butterfly but still manage to capture the reader’s attention. The third verse allows the reader to have a glimpse into the hope Pavel has within the ghetto and ends by telling the reader that the beauty he is speaking of is in fact, a butterfly. The final verse sadly kills all hope by stating that “That butterfly was the last one. / Butterflies don’t live here, in the ghetto”. The ending of this poem is so powerful since it confirms that Friedman’s world is truly void of any beauty and therefore void of any hope. Although he claims he sees the beauty in a dandelion—which symbolizes the same yellow of the butterfly—one must ultimately remember that it is a weed.
Friedman’s poem evokes the sadness of the Holocaust to the reader. He is clearly able to do this because of the form of his words. The symbolism of hope and beauty that he uses would not be as affective in another form like prose. The brevity of the work leaves the reader with chills and uncertainty—a similar emotion that Friedman undoubtedly felt.
The kairos in which the poem was written makes it even more compelling. If these words were written by someone who did not experience a ghetto or concentration camp first-hand, they would not have the same powerful effect. The fact that Friedman was “penned up inside this ghetto” while he wrote these words also increases their effect. The combination of optimism and fear in his verses creates an extremely emotional dynamic which she wrote as a personal mantra—possibly not even meant to be read by anyone, let alone millions.
The genre of these words—a personal exploration of hope within captivity—allows the reader to have this very intimate view of a young man’s experience. This intimacy we get from Friedman enhances the power of his spiritual words. The form of a poem also helps develop her words since I believe that a different format would not evoke the same simple naivety and wisdom as her brief verses. His four verses vary in length and do not seem to follow any pattern but their rhythm is undeniable. His words undulate between hope and sadness creating a very emotional dynamic.
There is something about poetry that has the ability to emit such emotion in such a short work and that is definitely the case in “The Butterfly”. The first two verses vaguely describe the beauty of a butterfly but still manage to capture the reader’s attention. The third verse allows the reader to have a glimpse into the hope Pavel has within the ghetto and ends by telling the reader that the beauty he is speaking of is in fact, a butterfly. The final verse sadly kills all hope by stating that “That butterfly was the last one. / Butterflies don’t live here, in the ghetto”. The ending of this poem is so powerful since it confirms that Friedman’s world is truly void of any beauty and therefore void of any hope. Although he claims he sees the beauty in a dandelion—which symbolizes the same yellow of the butterfly—one must ultimately remember that it is a weed.
Friedman’s poem evokes the sadness of the Holocaust to the reader. He is clearly able to do this because of the form of his words. The symbolism of hope and beauty that he uses would not be as affective in another form like prose. The brevity of the work leaves the reader with chills and uncertainty—a similar emotion that Friedman undoubtedly felt.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
I am My Woman
“It's in the reach of my arms the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips. I'm a woman.”
These lines in the first section of Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman” are recognizable to most. We read the rhymes in high school English class and interpreted them with guidance from the teacher. But, that is the exact opposite of what this poem represents. It is about individual beauty that is known but not vain.
I first read this poem with a new understanding during my first few months here at UW as a freshman. I realized that Ms. Angelou was talking for herself yes, but she was becoming the voice that many disillusioned girls didn’t use. We are taught as young girls not to get dirty in the mud with the boys because it’s not lady-like. We are clothed with modesty that accentuates our femininity. We are squeezed into Society’s ‘average’ size two jeans. No, not this woman.
Maya Angelou is a sturdy, curvy, beautiful woman, and she knows it. And imagine, with all she had to go through as a child, to still be able to recognize herself as stunning! When she wrote this poem I like to imagine that she stood in front of a full length mirror, completely bare to be scrutinized, and saw what she really was: “sunshine” and “fire” and “joy.” She did not see the abusive childhood, or the quiet rapes. She saw herself.
This is what we each need to see in the mirror; ourselves. Not the athlete some might judge us as, not the skinny shy girl, not the big hipped booty mama of criticism. We should present ourselves as we truly see our own image.
The men Angelou speaks of can’t see what we see, because they are them and we are us, just like we can’t see who they are from their perspective. This Phenomenal Woman’s “mystery” and “flash of teeth” will never offer her secret confidence to her suitors. That confidence is hers because she birthed it, bares it, and breathes it.
This is a defiant piece of writing that makes me want to share my dimples, lengthen my stride, crave my curves. This is me, as I see myself. No matter how I am compared to magazine models or my friends. This is me, with every sparkle of my eyes, swing of my hips, and song of my laugh, this is me. Me.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/phenomenal-woman/
These lines in the first section of Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Woman” are recognizable to most. We read the rhymes in high school English class and interpreted them with guidance from the teacher. But, that is the exact opposite of what this poem represents. It is about individual beauty that is known but not vain.
I first read this poem with a new understanding during my first few months here at UW as a freshman. I realized that Ms. Angelou was talking for herself yes, but she was becoming the voice that many disillusioned girls didn’t use. We are taught as young girls not to get dirty in the mud with the boys because it’s not lady-like. We are clothed with modesty that accentuates our femininity. We are squeezed into Society’s ‘average’ size two jeans. No, not this woman.
Maya Angelou is a sturdy, curvy, beautiful woman, and she knows it. And imagine, with all she had to go through as a child, to still be able to recognize herself as stunning! When she wrote this poem I like to imagine that she stood in front of a full length mirror, completely bare to be scrutinized, and saw what she really was: “sunshine” and “fire” and “joy.” She did not see the abusive childhood, or the quiet rapes. She saw herself.
This is what we each need to see in the mirror; ourselves. Not the athlete some might judge us as, not the skinny shy girl, not the big hipped booty mama of criticism. We should present ourselves as we truly see our own image.
The men Angelou speaks of can’t see what we see, because they are them and we are us, just like we can’t see who they are from their perspective. This Phenomenal Woman’s “mystery” and “flash of teeth” will never offer her secret confidence to her suitors. That confidence is hers because she birthed it, bares it, and breathes it.
This is a defiant piece of writing that makes me want to share my dimples, lengthen my stride, crave my curves. This is me, as I see myself. No matter how I am compared to magazine models or my friends. This is me, with every sparkle of my eyes, swing of my hips, and song of my laugh, this is me. Me.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/phenomenal-woman/
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The Change We Need
“Obama has 297 electoral votes. He’s won.” My roommate sent me this text, and I almost dropped my phone. I was in the silent section of the library, painfully trying to contain my ecstasy.
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
That’s what my mind was screaming, what my knees were bouncing, what my fingers were tapping. Oh my gosh, thank you. thank you Thank You THANK YOU U.S.A.! Maybe the U.S. can finally regain both dignity abroad and support at home.
I know a lot of politicians make many promises when they are campaigning and once in office only implement the policies that will retain them the most support, not necessarily what is the best for the country, the environment, or abroad. But, this time it seems different. This time it appears to me that the changes needed are supported by the majority. This might be because this was the first presidential election I was old enough to participate in. Maybe because I’m in Madison, WI, so the liberal seems like the majority. Or maybe it was the inspiration of the candidate, the times, and the volunteers. Some people took this semester off all over the country in order to entirely devote their time to the Obama campaign. Others sacrificed their homework time in order to Get Out the Vote. And others simply voted; something they had never done before, either because of choice or law. But for whatever the reason, Obama and Biden have brought this nation together at the level 9/11 did, but this time in tears of happiness.
Obama will be inaugurated with a fairly stable mandate which he deserves. He acknowledges those who he has yet to win approval, but he also openly stated in his victory speech that he is EVERYONE’S president. The bumper stickers that read “Not My President” are not the symbols he wants to project. He has made many promises of change, and I believe he will do all he can to follow through. Of course people will criticize him and point out all his mistakes, but I trust that more good will come than bad. I believe with my entire being that this is the Change we all needed. Everyone. I can’t wait to be part of the next four years of U.S. politics. Obama!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
That’s what my mind was screaming, what my knees were bouncing, what my fingers were tapping. Oh my gosh, thank you. thank you Thank You THANK YOU U.S.A.! Maybe the U.S. can finally regain both dignity abroad and support at home.
I know a lot of politicians make many promises when they are campaigning and once in office only implement the policies that will retain them the most support, not necessarily what is the best for the country, the environment, or abroad. But, this time it seems different. This time it appears to me that the changes needed are supported by the majority. This might be because this was the first presidential election I was old enough to participate in. Maybe because I’m in Madison, WI, so the liberal seems like the majority. Or maybe it was the inspiration of the candidate, the times, and the volunteers. Some people took this semester off all over the country in order to entirely devote their time to the Obama campaign. Others sacrificed their homework time in order to Get Out the Vote. And others simply voted; something they had never done before, either because of choice or law. But for whatever the reason, Obama and Biden have brought this nation together at the level 9/11 did, but this time in tears of happiness.
Obama will be inaugurated with a fairly stable mandate which he deserves. He acknowledges those who he has yet to win approval, but he also openly stated in his victory speech that he is EVERYONE’S president. The bumper stickers that read “Not My President” are not the symbols he wants to project. He has made many promises of change, and I believe he will do all he can to follow through. Of course people will criticize him and point out all his mistakes, but I trust that more good will come than bad. I believe with my entire being that this is the Change we all needed. Everyone. I can’t wait to be part of the next four years of U.S. politics. Obama!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
We stand today on the edge of a New Frontier
In John F. Kennedy’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in 1960 he said that it was “a time for change.” These words are just as true today as they were forty-eight years ago. Kennedy was well aware of the suffering across the nation: “The old people without medical care, the families without a decent home, the parents of children without a decent school.” And in our time, we are going through an economic crisis that is costing people their homes and their jobs. Meanwhile, exit polls showed that over seventy percent of voters fear a terrorist attack. Kennedy knew of the same threats in 1960 when he said “The world has been close to war before, but now man, who’s survived all previous threats to his existence, has taken into his mortal hands the power to exterminate his species seven times over.” We live in a state of fear and we face the threat of domestic hardships as well as attacks from abroad. That is why Kennedy’s words remain true, that “Today our concern must be with the future.” And that “it is time…for a new generation of leadership.” In the past we have been a nation split by our fears and our prejudices, by our beliefs and our greed. We still see much of that split, but it is waning. Almost half a century ago Kennedy understood that “A peaceful revolution for human rights, demanding an end to racial discrimination … strained at the leashes imposed by timid executive leadership.” But we just elected a man who would not have stood the slightest chance to become President in 1960. That shows hope for this country, but we still have a long way to go. On the same day that Barack Obama was elected President, there were also three states that banned same-sex marriages. We still have many problems facing our nation. Our prejudices may be waning, but they are not gone. And the threats and problems that we face will not go away if we do nothing. Those threats will grow if they are ignored. We cannot be lulled into a belief that there is nothing left to overcome. Kennedy said “the problems are not all solved and the battles are not all won; and we stand today on the edge of a New Frontier…the frontier of unknown opportunities and perils, the frontier of unfilled hopes and unfilled threats.” As January 20, 2009 draws closer, we too stand on the edge of a new frontier. But “the New Frontier…is not a set of promises. It is a set of challenges.” Because “The New Frontier is here whether we seek it or not.” We must stand up and accept these challenges. We can stand up against discrimination based on race, gender, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation. We can stand up against those who threaten our peace and the peace of a free world. We can stand up against those who are overcome with greed and threaten the foundations of our economy. “For courage, not complacency, is our need today; leadership, not salesmanship.” That is why we had the courage to elect a new leader that shows us that there is still hope in a weary nation. And even though it was an historic event because of the color of his skin, the importance of his being elected is beyond color. It is about opportunity; opportunity to move beyond the limitations of the past and look to the possibilities of the future. “That is the question of the New Frontier. That is the choice our nation must make…between national greatness and nation decline, between the fresh air of progress and the stale, dank atmosphere of ‘normalcy’, between dedication or mediocrity.” The fight for freedom is an ongoing battle that we cannot retreat from. And this election showed that even when we are scared and our backs are against the wall, we still believe that this is a battle worth fighting.
the start of something great.
Yesterday was truly a historical day for our country—Barack Obama was elected as the 44th president of the United States of America.
I tend not to be the biggest fan of politics as I feel that Republican or Democrat, no candidate shares my liberal ideals. This year though, a candidate gave me a glimpse of hope that seemed just a tad more to the left than others. For the first time I became engaged in politics which luckily corresponded with the first year I could vote in a Presidential election.
The primaries came and the battle between Hillary and Barack was on (creating a slight rift in my family). And after too many months, Obama came out victorious and my hopes for a change in this country seemed that much closer. The only thing in its way: John McCain and his wisely-chosen vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. And for three more months, the battles continued, growing harsher each day. My optimism, however, could not be shattered. I refused to believe that this country would accept another conservative reign. Living in this little liberal bubble of Madison also did not help my naivety that people would actually vote for McCain.
After what seemed like years of bickering, bashing, and campaigning, November 4th finally came yesterday. I voted on Monday, so I was slightly removed from the spirit of the actual Election Day but when 5 p.m. approached my friend Maeve and I sat impatiently in our Material Culture class watching boring presentations. When class ended at 6:30 (I cannot believe they kept us the whole 2 ½ hours!), I ran home and turned on CNN and MSNBC. Not much had happened yet, but Obama was winning by a few. Over the next three hours, my roommates—both of whom are insane Obama maniacs—watched the coverage and got increasingly more excited as the projected winnings kept coming in as blue.
At about 9:30, we decided to get off our couch and head over to Brats to meet all of our friends to watch this possibly historic moment. We got to the door a little after 10 p.m. and my roommates rushed in quickly but I, unfortunately, was badgered by the bouncer who claimed that my legitimate Wisconsin “over 21 years old” ID was not me. As he finally let me in, the whole bar erupted in cheers. I ran up to my group of friends—the majority in tears—and realized that Barack Obama was CNN’s projected president elect. I truly do not have the words to describe my excitement at the moment. The remainder of the night was amazing. McCain’s concession speech and Obama’s acceptance speech were both overwhelmingly powerful and the whole bar sat in quite awe as they were delivered. Thousands of young adults ran around State Street singing praises for change, for hope, for our future.
When I woke up this morning, it truly felt like the dawn of a new age—as corny or cliché as that sounds—and for the first time in a very long time, I was actually proud to call myself an American.
I tend not to be the biggest fan of politics as I feel that Republican or Democrat, no candidate shares my liberal ideals. This year though, a candidate gave me a glimpse of hope that seemed just a tad more to the left than others. For the first time I became engaged in politics which luckily corresponded with the first year I could vote in a Presidential election.
The primaries came and the battle between Hillary and Barack was on (creating a slight rift in my family). And after too many months, Obama came out victorious and my hopes for a change in this country seemed that much closer. The only thing in its way: John McCain and his wisely-chosen vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. And for three more months, the battles continued, growing harsher each day. My optimism, however, could not be shattered. I refused to believe that this country would accept another conservative reign. Living in this little liberal bubble of Madison also did not help my naivety that people would actually vote for McCain.
After what seemed like years of bickering, bashing, and campaigning, November 4th finally came yesterday. I voted on Monday, so I was slightly removed from the spirit of the actual Election Day but when 5 p.m. approached my friend Maeve and I sat impatiently in our Material Culture class watching boring presentations. When class ended at 6:30 (I cannot believe they kept us the whole 2 ½ hours!), I ran home and turned on CNN and MSNBC. Not much had happened yet, but Obama was winning by a few. Over the next three hours, my roommates—both of whom are insane Obama maniacs—watched the coverage and got increasingly more excited as the projected winnings kept coming in as blue.
At about 9:30, we decided to get off our couch and head over to Brats to meet all of our friends to watch this possibly historic moment. We got to the door a little after 10 p.m. and my roommates rushed in quickly but I, unfortunately, was badgered by the bouncer who claimed that my legitimate Wisconsin “over 21 years old” ID was not me. As he finally let me in, the whole bar erupted in cheers. I ran up to my group of friends—the majority in tears—and realized that Barack Obama was CNN’s projected president elect. I truly do not have the words to describe my excitement at the moment. The remainder of the night was amazing. McCain’s concession speech and Obama’s acceptance speech were both overwhelmingly powerful and the whole bar sat in quite awe as they were delivered. Thousands of young adults ran around State Street singing praises for change, for hope, for our future.
When I woke up this morning, it truly felt like the dawn of a new age—as corny or cliché as that sounds—and for the first time in a very long time, I was actually proud to call myself an American.
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