"Sound & Fury" Movie Response

There are many things going on “Sound and Fury” simultaneously, but the main issue at hand is deaf children and the effects a cochlear implant would have on them and their future. Would the implant set them back with psychological issues and confusion on their identity or would the implantation open up a plethora of doors that could be considered a huge blessing to their future? This is an extremely controversial issue for both sides of the family, but each side deals with it in very different ways depending on the state of the family (hearing or deaf). For example, Heather's family is all deaf. Her parents were born deaf and so was she. When she was born deaf, her parents were quite happy that she too could be just like them. There would be no speaking barrier and she could fully indulge herself in the deaf community like they all did. On the opposite side of the fence is Peter and his family. He is a twin brother was born hearing, but he however was born deaf. Both of his parents are hearing and for this reason, his parents feel the barrier should be eliminated and he should reap the benefits and opportunities of being able to hear.

It’s obvious how this can be considered a very controversial issue for some, but in my perspective I feel that Peter’s parents, Chris and Mari did the right thing by deciding that their child should receive the surgery. Throughout the movie there were many discussions and arguments that occurred and this couple, as well as the grandmother, brought up a lot of points that I completely agree with and feel is much better for the disabled child in the long-run.

I agree that being able to hear is a huge advantage. It allows communication between the majority of the population and not being isolated in the minority. Most Americans don’t know sign language and would be far too lazy to learn. Being able to talk with the majority will open a lot of doors and won’t limit them in the working community. Deaf people will rely on interpreters and writing to relay information back and forth, which is excess work a lot of people in the work force aren’t willing to put up with. It’s sad, but nowadays I feel that we’re all about how much we can get done in as little time necessary as possible. This counteracts that attitude and is a large reason why I believe the implant to allow a better road for someone.

Another reason I feel the cochlear implant to be important would be for educational purposes. The movie it talked about how most deaf people could read at the 4^th grade level in high school. This is an astonishing statistic that would make me turn the opposite direction of remaining deaf for life. I wouldn’t find it fair if I was born deaf and other people my same age could do something better or had an advantage based on the sole reason that they could hear and I couldn’t. Also, it might prevent my child from going far in school, which is the opposite of what society is now requiring if one wants a high-quality career.

                If I gave birth to a child who was deaf I would feel as if I put it at a very unfair disadvantage and would feel super guilty. I know how great it is to hear the pouring rain late at night, how much of my day is consumed by music, how often I spend time talking to people, and how it is to hear big, booming thunder during those wild summer storms. These are all things that make up my life and I would feel quite inhuman without. How could I ever put my child through that? How could I make them understand that they did nothing wrong, they just were put at a disadvantage at birth without any say in the matter and that’s that?

                By providing my child the gift of a having a cochlear implant, I know I would be giving them the best opportunity for success and happiness. The world is cruel and people are often less accepting then one would think. For my child to struggle more than necessary would be quite like the movie said ‘abusive’ of me, and for that matter I would one hundred percent and without a doubt give my child the implant. Hearing is a gift and it’s a great one at that. It’s needed for so many things and being without it would be a very tough way to go through life.

My Biggest Fear

To feel icy cold hands wrapped around my neck, full-force pressed down, crushing my airways with full intention of never letting go: that’s what I’m most scared to ever face. To feel the urgency in my lungs, the necessity for air, while the starvation of my lungs increases more and more by the second- being choked to death. It’s a similar sensation when I dive too far deep down in the pool. On the way down everything is fine, but it’s when I start my journey back up that my lungs start begging me for relief from the pain. They start begging me for life. They start begging me to swim faster. They writhe and ache and I feel as if I can literally feel them begin to stop functioning.

Being choked to death would be something like this. I’ve never wanted to die a death where I’d have to struggle and be conscious for every second of it. In my opinion, that’s the worst way to go. It makes me feel like I’d have no control over what happens, no say in how my life ends, no say in how I leave the world. To not be in control of my body during death sounds like the worst experience ever. Because being choked to death is my biggest fear, it often appears in dreams of mine

The sun quickly set and night fell upon my face as I meandered through the twisting and turning streets of the city. By myself and completely lost, I tried to keep my cool. I couldn’t find anyone in the ever-so-lonely city, no people were about so I could ask for help. As the moon rose higher in the somber sky, my heartbeat hastened. I realized I had begun running through the alleys and streets. To my surprise there was a man. I stopped. I froze. He was alone, dressed in black- black to blend in to the ever-present night. It was then that I knew it was over for me. I tried to outrun the man but it was no use. It was seconds before I was robbed of my belongings and sharply driven up against the wall. His hands were around my neck, crushing my airways with full intention of never letting go. I did all I could, tried to kick, tried to fight it; my lungs felt like they were going to explode out of my chest. Then, I closed my eyes and my body gave up fighting.

Because of this terrifying dream, being choked to death has always been a great fear of mine. I always have to check my car at night to make sure there’s no one hiding in the dark back-seat, make sure there’s no one behind me when I’m walking at night, and make sure that I trust whoever is behind me. In order to live with the fear of being choked to death, I have to trust a lot of people. Being choked is something that I never wish to face.

And the Controversy with Wikilieaks Continues...

The first time I heard of Wikileaks was during Assange's arrest after being accused of sexually assaulting two women a few years ago. Considering a site that could be considered so detrimental to society, I find it quite strange that I'd never heard of it before that. Though I just gained knowledge of the site, I believe that the website is quite unscrupulous and should be de-activated.

People have always had a hard time coming to terms with the fact that people may have knowledge of topics far beyond their own. But isn't that what we choose the goverment for? I've always thought of it like we elect people like the President, Senators, Congressmen, and so on in hopes that they deal with the hot and heavy stuff concerning the contry, in order to allow the general public to go on enjoying life and not have to worry about certain issues. Wikileaks definitely changes this. By allowing the population access to potentially-damaging documents and letting them in on big secrets, it can change the attitude of a nation completely.

As Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, stated in the video, once a document had been released to the population of a nation approaching a fairly large election, it completely swayed the attitudes of the voters and in a way corrupted what otherwise would've been. Julian claims that it reveals the true abuse of the government, but why is it crucial to know all about our governments 'abuse'? I believe that's definitely a cause of the constant bickering and unrest in countries today. Everyone has to be so cautious of what they say and how they act. Isn't allowing the viewing of Wikileaks just blowing people's feelings wide open? It definitely isn't helping to mend the broken bridges of a country's history, but rather causing a new distrust between the people and their leaders.

Assange also states a few times throughout the video that he typically has no knowledge of the source of a document or piece sent in. This is sort of a scary thought because it could be a falsified piece of information, only to drastically change someone's life for unnecessary reasons. Julian then continues to defend the site by saying that the documents don't exactly change people's perception for the people in the affected area who see these acts daily, but only the country and people the document is directed towards. This is quite unfair because the view that one nation has on another shouldn't sway a third and irrelevant nation's view or feelings toward the active nation's people.

Everyone in association with Wikileaks may think they're being a hero by showing what's truly going on in the world and providing information that's restricted, but I believe that some things are secret and should remain so for a reason. If the government and leaders wanted the people to know the elements of interest, they would take action and release the information themselves. Now someone that doesn't even live in our country is unmasking our government's current state and trying to influence us. To me this is morally wrong and for that reason I feel the Wikileaks site should be taken down. Just like the saying says, "what you don't know can't hurt you" and this I believe applies in this case.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

After reading 192 pages about weekly meetings between an old professor, Morrie Schwartz, and a troubled college grad, Mitch Albom, my heart was extremely warm and I was deeply moved. Everyone could benefit greatly from engaging in such an inspirational story about a man with a better outlook on life while sick, than most healthy people. Mitch gave a huge gift to the world by introducing this wonderful man to whomever picks up the novel, as a sick Schwartz uses his illness of ALS to teach the rest of us how to live.

On a rainy Sunday I picked up Tuesdays with Morrie and began my pursuit on this summer read. It wasn't but a few hours later when I realized I had already read the entire book within one sitting! That's the only way I like to read books, but I didn't know it was going to go by so quickly! My mind was easily captured by the unique relationship that Mitch and Morrie shared. The pair could talk about anything: life, death, all of the philosophical stuff most people are afraid of, and never be bored with one another or run out of pieces of knowledge to share. In my perspective, if someone can find that deep connection, it doesn't matter what happens, you do what you can to keep that going. Mitch had it in college, but after he graduated, he lost it. He got too caught up in life. This book is just another example of what our world has succumb to. Albom turned it all around however by tracking down his top-notch teacher to help him get back on track and feel happy once again.

Throughout Mitch's instrinsic piece, I noticed that he used a lot of symbols to aid the story along. One of the biggest symbols would be Morrie's pink hibiscus plant in his study. The hibiscus plant slowly wears away each day, just like Morrie's condition, ALS. Amyothrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a terminal illness that slowly deteriorates the nervous system day by day. It begins at the feet and works it way up, which takes away Morrie's favorite hobby first, dancing. Another common symbol would be Morrie's bed. Morrie recites multiple times that, "When you're in bed, you're dead". During their last Tuesday meeting, Mitch arrives at the house only to find Schwartz in bed instead of their usual meeting place of the study, foreshadowing Morrie's approaching death.

Through Schwartz's ailing, he helps Mitch seek happiness once again through discussions of the world, regrets, aging, forgiveness, and family to name a few. He is able to show Mitch that he lost sight of the true values in life. It doesn't have to be as complicated as everyone makes it, they just need to slow down and notice the beautiful gifts we have instead of meandering through life, missing the big picture. My favorite quote by Morrie is that, "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” In the culture we live in today, this could not be more true. It's an easy change, all we need to do is take time to make it.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a beautifully written treasure that knows just where to hit the heart. I'd recommend this book to anyone I know as it is quite the eye opener. Through the emotional twists and turns, it breaks down life's complexities and captures every inch of your being. Potentially a tear jerker for some, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is without a doubt a tribute that leaves you feeling truly enlightened. 

Women vs. Men: The Ultimate Battle

The topic of women's rights always seems to capture my attention with an unwavering grasp from beginning to end. This 19 page piece did exactly that, but was overtly difficult to follow. Mary Wollstonecraft's style of writing was very unlike that of today's world, making it complicated to understand as well as concentrate on for a long period of time. I found myself reading a bit, stopping, reading some more, then stopping to glance at the clock, etc. Mary's affluent vocabulary however, as well as reasoning, made the reading exactly what it should be: powerful and thorough.

For as long as I can remember, there's been a struggle for women and their rights across the globe. In today's time, women in the United States are gaining more confidence to go out and do what they wish, speak what the feel, and act how they want. This is a freedom that should be enacted all over the world.   I do feel that this being written in the late 1700s, the population has made giant strides all over and women receive much more equal treatment than before. Still however, it's common to hear of men wanting a certain power of us females. As stated in the article "...like a false ambition in men, from a love of power".

Shocking me was that some people in the 1700s held the opinion that "Woman was created for man". Growing up in today's society, females laugh at this now-obscene idea. No one wants ideas forced upon them or to be made to live a certain way. Women had to stay in the background, do what they were told, and get the stamp of approval from society. Let me just say, I would definitely not have fit in the type of setting. It says a lot for the women we hear about today that stood out against the expectations and went against the standards. Today we owe them nothing but respect, as they are why us women can be so free with who we are.

Throughout the paper, Mary made many intriguing points, but they were hard to interpret due to the older style of writing. It's not every day I read something from the late 1700s so it was a tad frustrating at first. She did a remarkable job with her rich vocabulary and ability to prove arguments, which is a large reason as to why I enjoyed the piece.

As for me, well, let's just say I'm no women's activist, but I do like my freedoms. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote a valuable piece that many can benefit from from reading. She is an admirable author and is greatly applauded for her effort in The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character Discussed.

Technological Take Over

Finally someone has written a piece that criticizes the over-use of the internet! I have been waiting for someone to point out the problems this causes and here Nicholas Carr is! The beginning of the piece was a little rocky in my perspective, for I couldn't completely grasp what Carr was trying to say, but the rest of the article was truly eye-opening and quite easily relatable.


"My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I'd spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose". When I can sit down and read an entire book in one sitting, I always feel accomplished, and this usually only happens in the summer with a book that truly captures my interest. More common however, I find myself struggling to pay attention to long stories or articles. More often than not I'm on the internet browsing Facebook, checking my emails, looking at my club volleyball website for updates, using Pinterest, and so on. The tool that has made all of this Net use possible is my smart phone. Without that I strongly believe my internet use would be much, much less. These computers are being capable of having in the palm of our hands and that in itself is quite a threat.


Carr states within the article that the Net is used for convenience instead of someone thinking through an issue on their own. It's become a way to cheat the brain, just to save a little struggle or a little time. Is that honestly what our world has come to? The world used to be dominated by great, high-achieving minds without reliance on the Net and now all of that has ceased because of the easy use of the internet. He also goes on to say that people change with the way they read. I'm sure many can agree that reading has simply now just become skimming; really reading something would be a crazy request. Since the internet has evolved to be so popular across the world, I'm a firm believer that it is a big reason as to why there are so many cases of mental disorders today. We are relying on the Net so much that our brain erases the neural circuits we once heavily relied on but don't utilize any longer. Those circuits are hugely important and with the removal of them, the brain becomes way less dense, which is unhealthy.


I remember many years ago when we were little and our parents and teachers taught us how to read and how difficult it was at first. Nowadays, people have to learn not only how to read, but also how to interpret the internet and the biases as well as false information it presents. It's double the work and quite the hassle. 


As a young group I think it important to try and rely less on the web. Our brains are the most important part of who we are and when we mess with it, we are actually messing with the rest of our body as the brain is the control center. Also as students that still have a ways left to go, if we're having problems concentrating now, it won't get any easier if we don't do something about it. This isn't just a problem we can will away. The technology we use will continue to take over and have a negative impact if we let it.

Total Eclipse by Annie Dillard

Annie Dillard composed a very unique piece while describing the magical eclipse she had longed to see. The beginning captured my attention through strong personal connection with her audience, even though she rendered between multiple different ideas throughout. Starting with a trip near Yakima, Washington, she switches to an elaborate description of a clown painting in her hotel lobby, and then to memories and stories about the infamous eclipse. Something that kept me reading her story was her skill in placing an eloquent picture in my mind as well as the use of strong word choice and play on the human mind.

The connection I made with Annie's piece was strong as she made the connection to feeling like falling down that hole in sleep, which happens to me a lot. A second connection she created that I guarantee a lot of people follow is "I have forgotten, I assume, a great many things I wanted to remember..". It's easily one of the most common occurrences day in and day out with people everywhere. These connections along with intelligent wording were among the many things that kept me reading.

In description of the eclipse throughout the piece, her pictures were quite intense. She left nothing to the imagination, which allowed me as I read to picture every detail perfectly. One of my favorites was "Long winter-killed grass covered it, as high as our knees" along with "The sky snapped over the sun like a lens cover". Small but active statements such as these kept me engaged, even if I didn't fully understand what message Annie was trying to relay all of the time.

Within the conclusion of Dillard's story, she shines light upon some strong ideas she holds such as the ability to wake up and actually appreciate life's beauty and everything it has to offer. People are in constant need of a reminder of this nowadays, and she did it in a beautiful way, tying it into the end of her trip and description of the beautiful eclipse she experienced. There's no doubt that Dillard is a phenomenal writer, and she makes that very evident throughout each 'painting' in this piece.

"Talk of the Town" by Updike and Sontag

After reading these two vividly written pieces of writing, a lot of different emotions and pictures were swimming in my head. John Updike wrote more about his experience and how New York changed completely from beginning to end, both physically and emotionally. Susan Sontag, on the other hand, wrote more about the media and how it responded to the attack on 9/11 as well as how even the media couldn't 100% comfort the American people after such a heartbreaking affair.


John Updike drew me in from the beginning with his pristine word choice and ability to paint a picture. He described his experience beautifully, even though it saddened me and made me anxious for him and his family. I connected with him when he said it felt unreal, like it could be fixed. As a young child, it was hard for me to think of something like this permanent and like they could just build new ones, no big deal. When he calls flying an American freedom and pride that had taken a hit, I'd never thought of flying being such a privilege that would never be the same. One of my favorite sentences within this piece was "We have only mundane duties of survivors-to pick up the pieces, to bury the dead, to take more precautions, to go on living". This was truly all that we could do, even though many had a burning sensation of hatred and the want for revenge on the Middle Eastern civilization. Even to this day it's still hard to believe we were the victims of such a violent doing, but as always, "this is a country worth fighting for", and that's what we planned to do.


Susan Sontag's writing style was unlike that of Updike's. Her essay focused more on her opinion and how she felt the media covered the tragedy. In my perspective, her piece was very strong in provoking questions amongst her audience while utilizing uncanny word choice. While I was reading I felt a sense of disappointment and rage in her voice, like our country hadn't done enough and that we had failed. Any country that can pick up the pieces, re-gain trust within itself, and move forward toward a better tomorrow is far from failure. It actually makes us brave. She also states that the perpetrators shouldn't be considered cowards. I partially agree because anyone who is willing to give their life for the good of their country is far from cowardly, but in opposition, they killed themselves in hope of harming others, which isn't how the conflict should've been dealt with. An outstanding statement in this piece is "Politics, the politics of a democracy-which entails disagreement, which promotes candor-", because I feel a lot of people forget that we fought for this type of government and disagreements would always happen. In my eyes, that's one of the most forgotten things within our country. One sign of an argument and everyone runs for the hills; it's quite frustrating.


These pieces were both written with a lot of heart, and the tragedy of September 11th will never be forgotten. Those who lost loved ones may never be the same again, but it's safe to say that our country, beautiful America, continues to grow and move onward as we continue to set our sights on a stronger and brighter tomorrow.

Introductions, Introductions!

Hello everyone! My name is Allison Blaser and being a senior next year will definitely be bitter-sweet for me. It'll be hard to say goodbye to the end of the era where we were considered 'just kids' and had minimal responsibilities, where it was acceptable to make mistakes and then hopefully learn from them. As always however, we're on the clock and our time is now limited. As a senior next year I feel lucky going in because for the most part, I know where I'd like to attend college. I also know that I want to be a Chiropractor so I'll major in one of the sciences for an undergrad before going on to chiropractic school.  For now though, I'd like to focus on the present instead of the future!


One of the biggest pieces of my life is music. It could very well be considered my best friend. Whenever I'm having a bad day or need to get energized before a game, there's always a certain song or genre that never fails me. Any genre is perfectly fine with me and I love discovering new bands. One of the best places to do this is Summerfest in Milwaukee, and like clockwork, yesterday I traveled there and the first band we saw I completely fell in love with. Whether it's a calming melody or a frenetic track, I will always have a special place for music.


Anyone who knows me knows that I'm big into sports. At the high school I play volleyball as well as softball and then play club volleyball from November until the beginning of July. Through both of these sports I've met some astounding people that have definitely impacted my life for the better. When fall rolls around however and the NFL beings to air on t.v., it's impossible to un-glue my eyes from the set and anyone is lucky to see me out of my pajamas and off the couch on Sundays. Of course I love my athletic side, but I'm commonly spending a full day shopping at the mall or getting my nails done. Another fun fact about me is in the summer number one and two on my list is tanning and working out, as they both relieve a lot of stress. Who doesn't like being tan, lean, and mean?!


These are just few key parts of my life, but I hope you have a good idea of who I am! I look forward to getting to know everyone a little bit more and also look forward to seeing everyone in class. Happy Summer!