This is a poem performed by poet Julian Curry for Def Poetry Jam in 2007. It is inspirational in the sense that it educates us all on the impact that one word can have across history.
Post Submitted by Jadessa
Archive for September, 2011
In university campuses, where students are being increasingly politicized, when is nonviolence an effective means of protest? When is the use of violence justified (if ever)?
Post submitted by: Miqi
Technology, our mirror and jailer?
Occasionally, some major world event transpires and it is impossible to avoid hearing about it, multiple times per day, for days on end. Such an event occurred last week with the introduction of a ‘new Facebook,’ which sparked tepid outrage on the internet. The pervasiveness of such a change, propagated by the millions kvetching about it, once again raises questions about our attachment to technology and social media — reminding me of an article author Jonathan Franzen (The Corrections, Freedom) published earlier this year in the New York Times. Franzen argues that consumer technology serves as a surrogate for love. Phones and social networking sites are responsive to our desires, don’t ask for anything in return, and make our lives seem more interesting and sexy (e.g. “when they’re filtered through the sexy Facebook interface”). This, of course, isn’t real love, but a facile imitation — it is ‘liking’ rather than loving.
So, when Facebook suddenly changes, without our consent, is the subsequent anger a result of a feeling of betrayal, as if one’s significant other went out and got a tattoo or quit his/her job without consulting his/her partner?
Click here to read the whole thing!
Post submitted by Lee.
Here is a great read to kick off the new school year!
Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful, turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely–to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father’s child–romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother’s child, too–deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith’s poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life’s squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book’s humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics–and in the hearts of readers, young and old.
Post submitted by Lauren
Welcome back UCLA students (and fellow blog readers) to the Fall quarter of the 2011-2012 academic year!
As we are all getting back to the swing of things, I wanted to write this post about preparation and flexibility. We all know that college, overall, has very stress-filled moments due to deadlines, procrastination, extra-curricular activities, heavy workloads– you name it! This tip will emphasize the importance of planning ahead and being flexible in those plans when it comes to both academic, college-level writing and our every day lives as college students.
So here it is, the first Monday Money writing tip of the year:
Make a plan (or set of plans) for your paper!
- Upon receiving the prompt/assignment, your first task is to read what your instructor established as “rules,” “guidelines,” or “suggestions” for the paper. Make sure you understand what the professor is saying by looking up words in the dictionary that you do not know and even talking with the professor him/herself to ask him/her to clear any confusion you may have
- It is really helpful to have a second pair of eyes look at your prompt and act as a sound board for you as you explain what the assignment is. Hence, WSP! As writing counselors, it is our role to support you in all stages of the writing process, especially with the planning stages. While meeting with a WSP counselor, you can make a plan together for how you plan to answer the prompt, how you plan on writing the essay, and what specific idea/topic/thesis you want to discuss in your paper. OR….you could even come into a session with an idea or “plan of action” already in mind! It is up to you!
- BE FLEXIBLE WITH YOUR PLAN(s)! Sometimes we don’t come up with the perfect plan right away, so we have to scrap our initial ideas and develop new ones. Don’t allow this to frustrate you (although it is very frustrating at times); otherwise, it may be difficult to find motivation to start your paper.
- Lastly, HAVE FUN! Think of the beginning stage of writing your paper as a time when you get to invent something new: you are an engineer, an inventor, a rocket scientist, an emerging artist, a revolutionary dancer, whatever you want to be. As you develop your ideas, tell yourself that YOU invented the concept of “the essay”–there are no rules, no regulations, no predecessors or people to compare to. YOU are the boss! Take ownership of your ideas!
Good luck to everyone in their studies, in their personal lives, and in their aspirations!
Post submitted by Casey O’Neill
baf·fle
(b
f
l)
tr.v. baf·fled, baf·fling, baf·fles
1. To frustrate or check (a person) as by confusing or perplexing; stymie.
2. To impede the force or movement of.
n.
1. A usually static device that regulates the flow of a fluid or light.
2. A partition that prevents interference between sound waves in a loudspeaker.
