Ryan McLoed
The presentation which impacted me the most was Megan's poem. The reason is because within her poem she covers the individual sadness, sacrifices, nd struggles a black women had to endure during the time of slavery. The individual events which Megan describes in her poem, makes me realize how lucky I am, as a women to have the freedom women now enjoy. I also realized women back in the slavery days were women who had a lot of courage in order to survive the hardships they confronted.
Jenae Cardoza
[Jodi Cheri Geno
Nicole Carter
I was very impressed with all of the presentations given on Wednesday. They all touched on different subjects and delivered very different messages. It was quite a variety show! ALL of the autobiographies were touching and beautifully executed. I was especially impressed with Michael's Storytelling presentation. Wow! I'm sure it took a long time to put together, but it sure paid off. He reflected on the inner struggles of John in "Go Tell It On The Mountain," and shared one of his own inner struggles. I appreciate that he shared his mistake to the class so that we may learn from it. Everyone has low moments in their lives when they wish they could just die. These are tests that we all must go through. The point is that we need to learn from these mistakes. If we learn from them, they can actually make us stronger people. It sounds as though Michael learned from his mistake and is a better person for it.
Kristin Gerhard
Neiel Norheim
I really enjoyed Steve's autobiography about him and his father. In the novel Go Tell It On The Mountain, John felt pressured to follow in his father's footsteps. Steve drew from his own experiences with his dad, and described the pressures that he felt while growing up. He incorporated humor in his essay which made it even more enjoyable. Unlike John's, Steve's experience was a positive one. Although I am a girl, I know what it's like to be pressured to grow up in your father's footsteps. My father was the first person in his family to go to a university. Although I am the youngest, I was expected to follow in his footsteps. As my older siblings refused to go to college, my father placed more pressure on me. I can relate to Steve's experiences and like Steve, I had a positive experience from this parental pressure.
Erika Soriano
The presentations were all very well done. I was impressed with how personal everybody's presentation was. Some talked about violence in their own homes and the relationship they had with their fathers. I could tell that they could probably relate with the characters in the book, because of their similar experiences. It took a lot of guts to get in front of the class and open up like they did. Michael's DUI experience and how he related it to the story was very interesting. Richard played the saxophone very well, and Megan's poem was powerful. The poem related to the story and how devastating violence can be and how many people it affects.
Matt Yzuel
All the presentations were great. I thought Richard played the sax awesome. LindaÕs autobiography was very touching and honest. She made some very touching points that were parallel to the book. There was another autobiography but I didnÕt hear the girls name. It was about her brother and it related to the sibling rivalry. I thought it was an excellent story. Megan read an outstanding poem. I think it was titled Tears for Fears. It was so strong and inspiring. She really spoke from the heart. I thought the topic was very penetrating and genuine. MichaelÕs related topic with his DUI experience was very honest and sincere. Without sounding condescending, I was very proud of Michael for taking responsibility for his actions and sharing them with the class. He showed the class how wrong it is drink and drive and that there are consequences to pay for our actions. An excellent report. SteveÕs autobiography was very touching with him and his father. The pressures that can be put on a child are hard to accept sometimes. Other times they can bring others closer together as in SteveÕs case. A wonderful report. I did not hear the name of the girl who shared her church experience with the class. I thought she shared some funny moments with the class when she mentioned the beer can sound and her mother telling her that the beer was the work of the devil. I thought all the class reports were well done. Great work class.
Robert Jimenez
I really enjoyed all the presentations and the personal touch that each one had. The one that I could relate to the most, however was Steve Newman's autobiography on "Father's Love." The reason for this is that my parents had a similar mentality in raising me, where they did not want me to make the same mistakes that they did. They both worked very hard raising my sisters and I. Other than the lectures that we received everyday about education being our number one priority, one of my younger sisters and I had the opportunity to learn how to play the piano for 8 long years. As a child, my mom was never given the opportunity to play the piano because of financial reasons, but she also had the dream of being able to play someday. The dream came true when she and my dad began to invest a lot of time and money in my younger sister and I to be given the opportunity to fulfill her long lost dream. For many years, my sister and I performed at many recitals and international competitions with my mom always in the audience, giving us a standing ovation and a smile filled with joy and pride if we performed outstandingly; there were also the times when I made mistakes and would look out to the audience to see if my mom was upset and she would just stare at me with disappointment. I would always try my very best to please my parents, trying to achieve the best grades possible while keeping up my mother's dream. That meant practicing many hours a day, which later became stressful. At a certain point, I even disliked the piano. It was a struggle for us to always please our parents because of their high expectations and long lost dreams. But, like Steve, I did not really appreciate the everything that my parents did for me until I came to college.
Melanie J. Salvador
Although many of the autobiographical essays were touching, I thought Steve NewmanÕs story of his fatherÕs involvement in his academic and athletic career was the most meaningful. I couldnÕt relate to SteveÕs situation personally, but I did have a few friends who went through the same type of regimen. During high school I practiced and trained with friends who were always under the gun from both parents and coaches. The pressure quite often got hold of them, and drained their love of the sport. Football and ski team were the two most demanding sports in terms of commitment to training. Sometimes the dads became part-time coaches since they were always around and all the athletes knew them. Most of the dads found a way to purchase the best equipment for their sons and attended the worst practices, much like SteveÕs dad. There were always a few dads who found considerable joy in pushing their children to be the best. I donÕt believe any father had malicious intent, but they saw high school as a small window of opportunity and they didnÕt want their kid to blow their only opportunity. Lesley Simon and Mike Mellor. They excelled in high school football and wrestling. However, they had what I considered an advantage; both were nurtured by fathers who had an intense love affair with competitive sports. I dreamt that if my parents had only pushed me a little harder I could have broken some boundaries. So I was quite jealous of my teammates who always got a lot of attention from their parents. As an outsider, I saw boys who grew up like Steve as having the upper hand. Since I wasnÕt in SteveÕs position, I could clearly see the emotions of each side; parents who struggled to make their kids stronger and teenagers who wanted to shape their own futures.
Chris Williams
The presentations given on Wednesday all touched my heart in some way. The jazz preformace kept my toes tapping while the autobiographies made me realize how we can relate our own lives to what we read. One presentation which was very powerful was Megan's poem. Her poem was filled with information about how women were treated as slaves, which reminded me of what Florence's mother must have been through. Her poem enabled me to see an overview of how a family used to be shuffled around on a plantation. Also, the way Megan read her poem, with such expression, made me feel like she had been through the experience herself! I thought it was a very creative way to explain how women were treated during slavery. I also enjoyed everyone who did an autobiography. One in particular that got my attention was the presentation that Steve gave about his relationship to his father. I think all men have difficulties not only discovering what their father means to them, but expressing it also a challenge. I found it interesting how Steve compared the pressures he felt following his father's footsteps and John's pressure to follow Gabriel. I found a similarity in Steve's story about how as he grows, he is able to see things through his father's eyes and how is he more likely to forgive his father for things he has done to upset Steve in the past. I felt that John also has a similar experience through his moment of being "saved". Towards the end of the novel, John also forgives Gabriel for the way he is. I was glad that Steve shared his story with the class because it was an excellent presentation! --
Lauren Herrmann
The presentation by Mike was kind of a wake up call for me. It made me realize that I know people that are at the point of rock bottom. But, they are still there and have not been "saved" yet. I started thinking that maybe it is time to step in and help them get salvation before it's too late. It was a really moving presentation and I am sure it took a lot of courage to stand up and talk about it. Most people could not do it. The fact that he had friends there to support him makes dealing with being on the bottom easier. This is similar to John having Elisha with him when he is being saved and later on as they are walking home. Having the support network around you makes life's problems a little more tolerable. We should all be so lucky to have these kind of people as friends.
Wes Horner
I thought this past weeks presentations were great. Everyone that presented had their own style. I liked Richard's piece of music, very inspiring to me to start playing the piano again. I agree with him on using an assignment or something to make you get back in to what you used to do. Lynda, Noemi, Michael, and Steve's autobiagraphy was interesting. For all of them to bring something so personal and heartfelt, to share with the class I think is an honor. To be let into a person's life like that, to know their past and understand where they came from, in relation to the book, is wonderful. And of course there was Meagan unforgettable poem...astounding! I loved her poem. Just listening to the words, trying to think back to the times of slavery, I got quite a few visuals. The fact that her poem seemed to be open and free, I liked the style very much. Well overall the presentations were great, and I can't wait to hear and see the next ones.
Arlana Estes
Revealing a part of one's inner self before a group of strangers can be a difficult and daunting task. I was very moved by the willingness to share painful memories by several of the presenters. In particular, I found Linda, Michael and Alana to be honest and insightful in regard to their experiences. These presenters were able to take themes from James Baldwin's book and use them as tools to reflect on their own lives. This in turn allowed me to look at some of the characters in the book with a different perspective.
Jocelyn Knowlton
I really enjoyed Richards jazz song. I thought the mood of the song went well with the mood of the book. I felt the sadness of Elizabeth being left alone to care for her baby when Richard kills himself. Music sends images to the mind. Even when there is no words in a song, you can see the story in your mind. The title gives you the setting of the story. The notes of the music are the words and feelings of the characters. Another presentation I enjoyed was Steve's on his father's love. The struggles of Gabriel in the book to keep his son's on the good path related to Steve's story of his own experience. Gabriel may not have shown the outward love that Steve's father did, but he felt he was doing what he needed to do for his children. Gabriel had hopes for Roy but it was John who saw the light. Steve also had a semi-forgotten brother. Even though John was living with Gabriel, he was treated as the forgotten child by his dad. Steve was very lucky to have such a caring dad.
Lynda Zahn
Presentation #1 - This presentation was a breath of fresh air. It was original and very pleasing to the ear. Presentation #2 - This autobiography was touching and explicit. The feelings really came through during this presentation. Thoughts and feelings were successfully shared with the audience. Presentation #3 - This presentation sited a link to the novel. There was good analysis with supporting examples. Presentation #4 - This was a great expository. The pieces was written with great power that was conveyed easily to the audience. Presentation #5 - The format of this presentation was original and refreshing. Differnt forms of media were integrated quite nicely here. The deep emotions that came through during the presention added to the overall effect. Presentation #6 - This autobiography drew a clear connection between the novel and the presenter's personal life. There was a good description of the father-son relationship. Presentation #7 - This presentation touched a core theme of the novel - religion. Again a good connection was drawn here between a the novel and the presenter's personal experiences.
Bobby Kennedy
About the presentations given on Oct. 20, I would have to say I enjoyed them all. Yet I found that Steve's presentation was my favorite. His presentation "Father's Love" was inspirational and gave you a sense of Steve and his fathers relationship. He not only wrote an excellent autobiography yet was entertaining and very creative. The story also relates directly to what John felt about his father in "Go Tell it on the Mountain." His essays was able to allow me to see a diffeerent aspect of the story I previously didn't see. I could relate to what Steve was saying, and understood exactly his what he was feeling. The presentation was able to let me sympathize more with the character John, and revealed some of the conflicts John was facing. The presentation was long yet was entertaining all the way through. I enjoyed hearing about Steve's problems and how he overcame them. Therefore I liked his presentation the best.
BRYAN BUSCH
All of the projects were great, but there were a couple that I felt were exceptional. Linda, Steve and Arlana all wrote autobiographical essays that I felt, literally felt. Linda conveyed her feelings about Roy standing up for his mother. She gave her own personal story about how she stood up to her father, and that must have been hard. Steve actually brought tears to my eyes with the account of his relationship with his father, I was glad to hear that his response, when I asked his if he was going to share that with his father, was a "Yes." Arlana told us about her father staying home and, "rejoicing wiht a beer." That struck me personally, because when I was young my father not only rejoiced with a beer, but did everything with a beer. He always had a beer in his hand, but my father never got angry or upset, and I never remember him being drunk. I was surprised when I grew up and found out that not all dad's always had a beer in their hand.
Amanda Ruth
The presentations were very intense this round. The music number by Rich was fun to hear and conveyed well the feelings of desperation carried in the heritage of that music. The personal nature of the other presentaions was compelling. It brought many aspects of the book into reality. I was at once horrified at the tramatic past experiences, and filled with admiration at those who had persevered. I was very moved by these pieces and felt honored that these people would share these things with the class. I was impressed by the bravery Linda showed with her father and moved by her testimony. Steve combined some appropriate and entertaining humor, while really sharing deep insight into his relationship with his father; I admire the perspective he's gained. Megan's poem was very well done. It was not only cleverly written and organized, but was powerful as well. Naomi's was more uplifting, she brough a sence of hope to the set, pleased with the opportunity to be a big sister. The presentation by Michael, sharing his experience with a DUI was tied in well to the story, and tragic for him. The multimedia aspect was interesting but a little distracting while he was talking. However, I was very impressed by all these presentations. I felt they were thoughtfully and passionately done.
Jennifer Barnett
I must commend the presenters on their willingness to share personal experiences and relate them to our reading of "Go Tell It On The Mountain." Not all the presentations went off without a hitch, but the content made up for any perceived difficulties during delivery to the class. Each presentation gave me insight into the personalities and past experiences of the presenter. Richard: I'm glad you were able to play some music for the class. Linda, Naomi, Mike, and Steven: Thanks for the autobiography information. Megan: Insightful poem. I hope I did not forget anyone! Anyway, I think the last round of student presentations really set a standard for future presenters. Great job everyone.
Mike Leahy
Wow, the presentations this time around were so great! it was really difficult to choose one that meant the most to me in relation to this book and myself. What it came down to was a tie between Steve and Arlana. They both wrote autobiographical essays that were personal--but not so personal as to make the audience uncomfortable--poignant and funny. Both essays made great parallels of GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN. The father wanting so badly for his son to not only follow in his footsteps, but to do well out in the world is the first parallel, and it is found, obviously, in Steve's essay. This was a great parallel to draw, and Steve's essay was excellent. I really think he could have in published in a sporting magazine. His essay reminded me of my own father and brother, who would pour over and re-enact every step of Jarod's baseball games. Drawing this parallel gave me a greater understanding of the characters in the book, as i could actually look to my own experience. Arlana's essay focused on the father who teaches one thing but practices quite another. While her father was not as intense and severe as Gabriel in many ways, the struggle to raise a child to match the image one is trying to project, while constantly undermining it with personal actions is quite clearly a theme in the work. This also reminded me of my own father's struggle during the fifteen years he didn't attend church, yet still insisted my brothers and i attend with our mother. As I mentioned, all of the presentations this round were fantastic. These two, however, were most effective for me, as they called to mind personal experiences. Relating personal experience to the book gives greater understanding.
christy radonich
The presentation that most affected me was Steve's. I could relate to him entirely. I think that the content was awesome and also the relevance toward the novel was great. THe presentation was awesome as well. It kept me interested the entire time and I wanted to hear more.Good job I entirely enjoyed the story.
Chris Cho