Interpretting Cover Songs

The song I chose was "Heartless" by Kanye West. The other version is by The Fray. Kanye West's version is a lot more upbeat while The Fray's version is a lot more mellow and softer and shows different emotions.

Interpretting Cover Songs

 Flashdance..."What a Feeling" by Irene Cara

"What a Feeling" by Drew Ryniewicz on The X Factor

These two versions of "What a Feeling" are completely different. Irene Cara's version from Flashdance is more up-beat and fun, while Drew slowed the song down and made it her own.

Reaction to Oral History Essay

What most surprised me was that it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I thought finding someone to interview was going to be hard. But then i thought of my grandpa, and it was quite easy from there. I enjoyed getting together with my grandfather and interviewing him.
I learned that you have to have the right questions ready to ask for them to give you the answers that you are looking for. I learned that you really have to listen to what they are saying and try to put together more questions along the way. I also learned so many things about my grandfather that I never knew before. This assignment has allowed me to see who my grandpa really is and everything that he has accomplished in his life.
I learned that research helped with thinking of more questions to ask before interviewing my grandpa.

meal-story "interview" with Mark Kildow

On Easter, I went to my uncle's restaurant called Warehouse, which is typically an Italian restaurant. Pretty much all of the people on my dad's side of the family is there besides one of my uncles, who does not believe much in holidays. On Easter, the restaurant has a special buffet. There was a salad bar, salmon, ham, turkey, vegetables and many other things. My Uncle's restaurant is always very crowded, especially on Easter, so we usually go to a private room to celebrate. Whenever my family gets together, most of the adults usually talk about business, while my grandmother and uncle's wife always seem to talk about shopping. (I can relate to this because my mother, aunt, and grandmother always look at adds during the holidays and talk about shopping.) I try to entertain my little sister while I'm there. Afterwards, I go to celebrate Easter with my mom's side of the family. (I can also relate to this because on holidays, my family and I spends the first half of the day with my mother's side and the second half of the day with my father's side).

I feel like these exercises helped me to think about writing in other tones and other voices instead of just mine personally.

Academic to Casual

What happened? I don't believe this. Why didn't I make it? I got all A's, and on top of that I was third or fourth in the class. I studied everyday and on Saturday's I even went to special classes to prepare for the entrance exam to the college prep high school. I couldn't stop asking myself "Why didn't I make it?" My momma says the Bishop's Fund but that seams inconsistent with a dollar tuition. I believe I didn't make it because of cultural bias in standardized tests.

Villanueva's Essay

One day, we were at a party. There was a bloody knife hanging from the man’s hanging arm and my mother and father were by the hand, running. I was maybe about three years old. I remember it being in Brooklyn. Forty years later, the picture still remains in my head.

Another memory I had was sitting behind a pegboard desk, centered in a living room with no furniture. It was in 41 Bartlett Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Nearby was Mrs. Ashell and my father walking in carrying linoleum. I thought to myself, “Why this memory?”

I was then four years old. I remember walking alone from Bartlett to John Lee’s hand laundry. From Bartlett to Myrtle Avenue, I was the shortest person walking along the streets, which were frightening to me at the time. I was the only person waiting for lights to turn green. I have no memory of anyone ever asking me where my mother was or if I was okay.