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Volume III, Issue 1 October 2006 |
Quinsigamond
Community College |
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Staff
Development
Staff
Development
Staff
Development Erica Merrill
Staff Development Room
114 Ahlfors Hall
Upcoming
Events:
In accordance with the college's strategic initiative to optimize the use of technology for improved and cost-effective communication, this newsletter is being distributed via email as the best means for information-sharing with faculty and staff. |
Editor: Erica Merrill "National Writers Workshop" by Beth Anish "Veterans Administration Certifying Officials School" by Dan Daly and Holly Kularski
"Anything for Holden (and Harry)"* “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” These words never rang so true as during Banned Books Week, which this year fell during the week of September 23-30. Only a few days ago, the significance of this week really hit home when I heard inklings of reports that the Harry Potter series (my all-time favorites) are currently number one on the list of the top 10 most challenged books. My first thoughts were, “You gotta be kidding me! They’re banning my boy with glasses!” I wanted more proof that this was true, so I looked it up on a nice little site known as www.ala.org (American Library Association), and lo and behold, it’s true!* Harry Potter is right up there with The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. I was stunned, to say the least, especially upon seeing the two titles (The Chocolate War and Of Mice and Men) that I recognized simply because I had read them in 8th grade and 10th grade, respectively. I started to wonder: of the many books I read and studied about in school years ago, which ones are on that banned list? My curiosity piqued, I went to my local Borders (on my day off, no less!), to buy a reference book on this subject, and I happened to find one called 120 Banned Books: Censorship Histories of World Literature by Nicholas J. Karolides, Margaret Bald, and Dawn B. Sova. Needless to say, a quick perusal through the list made my jaw drop and hit the floor – All Quiet on the Western Front; Animal Farm; Doctor Zhivago; The Grapes of Wrath; 1984; Slaughterhouse-Five; Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Oliver Twist; The Bluest Eye; Candide; Lolita; Moll Flanders; Snow Falling on Cedars; Ulysses; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl; The Bell Jar; Brave New World; The Canterbury Tales; Catch-22; The Catcher in the Rye; Cujo; Fahrenheit 451; Go Ask Alice; Leaves of Grass; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; The Scarlet Letter; To Kill A Mockingbird – all banned, challenged or suppressed for various reasons. Reading this list made me realize that I was quite fortunate during my high school heydays to have been able to read many of these books. To this day, I still remember the impact The Catcher in the Rye had on me in 10th grade. I can remember one of the boys in my class saying, “So … it’s not a book about baseball?” I recall my favorite scene near the end of the book, when Holden Caulfield takes his little sister Phoebe to Central Park and watches her ride the carousel; he watches her as she goes round and round, never getting anywhere, never getting any older, just going around in a circle, and he wishes that she could just stay that way forever, stay a child, stay innocent, stay protected from the world. However, it is at this moment that Holden comes to the realization that no matter how hard he tries, he can’t protect her from the world, he can’t stop her from having to take the bad with the good – he can’t catch her before she wanders away from the field of rye and falls off the edge of that cliff. To my knowledge, my old high school omitted The Catcher in the Rye from the curriculum a few years after my 10th grade class read it. I seriously doubt poor Holden has been given a reprieve. As it is, I’m starting to seriously doubt that most high school English courses or Summer Reading Programs still include any of the above mentioned titles as part of their curriculum. If I could rewind the clock and be back in high school, I would give anything to be reading and studying and discussing these books freely once again with my fellow students. I’d even give up my weekends and my summers to be writing 8-10 page papers and notebook-filling essays on character development, theme and symbolism again. Anything for the knowledge. Anything for the experience. Anything for Holden.
* “Most Challenged Books of 21st Century (2000-2005).” American Library Association. 2006. http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/topten2000to2005.htm (Accessed 04 Oct, 2006).
National
Writers Workshop I had the good fortune of using professional development funds to attend the National Writers Workshop in Hartford, Connecticut. This outstanding workshop is sponsored annually in April by the Hartford Courant. I chose to attend this workshop thinking that it would help me both as a writer working on my first novel, and as a teacher of English composition. I was correct in both of those assumptions, but I was also pleasantly surprised to find I’ll be able to use insights gained from some of the speakers in my literature and critical thinking classes as well. All of the speakers I heard at the workshop were accomplished writers, many of whom were journalists who had gone on to publish successful nonfiction books. Most notable among these were Nuala O’Faolain, a columnist for The Irish Times who has gone on to publish two groundbreaking memoirs, as well as a novel and a nonfiction book; and David Halberstam, former New York Times journalist and author of 21 books ranging in topic from the war in Vietnam to Coach Bill Belichick. These and other speakers talked about the state of journalism today, as well as the process of writing and publishing books. In addition to journalists and other nonfiction writers, the workshop also had plenty to offer for those of us interested in creative writing, specifically short story and novel writing. There were several published authors who spoke about these genres, mainly sharing with workshop attendees the writing process they used, including narrative techniques and character development. Because this type of writing is where my interest lies, I attended these sessions whenever they were offered. I was quite satisfied with the selection of speakers. There was only one time slot all weekend when there did not seem to be a speaker to match my interest. I will say that for anyone strictly interested in writing poetry, there was only one session on this topic all weekend. For all other writers, though, there were plenty of offerings. From a teaching standpoint, much of what I heard at the conference reinforced things I teach my students in composition classes. More than one speaker emphasized that writing takes practice, and that we should be writing every day. We were encouraged to keep journals, and to find a clear narrative voice. We were advised to step back from our work for a few days before trying to revise and edit it. We were also encouraged to write from our senses, and from our unconscious. We were told that writing is not something that can be willed or forced from the mind, but that it should spill out of us, and this takes practice, and a willingness to listen to what is inside of us. These are all ideas and techniques that I will try to share with my students. Perhaps one of the most enlightening moments of the workshop came when fiction writer and creative writing professor Robert Olen Butler discussed how we mislead students in literature classes to always look for meaning in works they are reading, instead of just responding to the work aesthetically. He said that this took away from students’ ability to enjoy literature and to write literature. We’ve taught students to see literature as an affair of the mind instead of one of the senses. He conceded that teaching students to ask, “What does it mean?” in literature classes is necessary, but that the last assignment in those courses should always be for the students to forget everything that they’ve learned thus far, so they can go back to enjoying literature instead of tearing it apart. Though I’m not interested in journalism for my own writing, even the speakers from this field gave me insights I know I will share with students in my critical thinking classes. Journalist Mark Kramer spoke about the journalist’s role in challenging authorities, and how journalists these days seem to have “bought in” to authority instead. His wife, journalist and nonfiction author Susan Eaton, presented her fascinating research on urban education and immigration, as she talked about writing on social issues. Finally, I noticed at the workshop that there were student groups from both Middlesex Community College and Cape Cod Community College in attendance. They were escorted by faculty members. It hadn’t occurred to me until I saw them what a valuable experience this would be for any student interested in a career in any type of writing. I suggest that we at Quinsigamond publicize information about the workshop for our students and faculty members next year. I’ll be glad to get the information out to the campus as soon as I have it. I highly recommend that anyone interested in journalism or creative writing attend this workshop in the future; I know that I will be going back, every year, if possible.
Veterans Administration Certifying Officials School Since 9/11/01, we are a nation at war. “Thank you, Captain Obvious,” you say. But it is not so obvious. The battles are far from our home, young men and women are not being conscripted, and food and gas are not being rationed. Unless you are a soldier, sailor, Reservist, Guardsman, or related to one, this is a war easily ignored. Currently about 150 of our students are drawing veterans’ educational benefits. As more vets return home and more reservists and guardsmen are called to active duty and eventually discharged, we will see this number increase. If we choose, we can ignore the war. We cannot ignore the returning warriors. Quinsigamond has two designated Veterans Administration Certifying Officials. Holly Kularski and Dan Daly traveled to the VA Regional Office in Buffalo to undergo training. Holly, a seasoned professional, attended the more advanced sessions. Dan, a rookie, spent his time in the more elementary sessions. Unlike many academic conferences which start late and have lots of time for networking, Uncle Sam’s training school begins promptly at 8:00 am and runs through 4:30 pm. Breaks are short and sessions fast paced. Sessions included: Hands on training with VA-ONCE: This is a web based means of certifying and managing student enrollments. This new reporting method is making the old paper based methods obsolete and speeding up processing. Certifying Official 101 and 102: There were two levels of sessions addressing the role of the Certifying Official, forms, benefit programs, factors affecting benefit rates and more. REAP 1607: This is a brand new benefit for Reservists who were recently called to active duty to support the war effort. As with all government programs, the rules are complicated and exceptions abound. Contacting the VA: If you think getting a straight answer from the telephone company without spending hours on hold is impossible, try contacting the VA. There are times and methods of contact that can avoid some of the delays. SAA approval: Did you know that when QCC changes the number of credits required in a program, that program is no longer approved for Veterans Benefits? There is a required process for getting a new approval from the State Approving Agency. This session addressed the role of the state in the process. Voc Rehab: Some of our Veterans and their dependents are receiving benefits due to service-related disabilities. Service to these students is the oldest mandate of the VA, dating to President Lincoln’s second inaugural address: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan.” The Chapter 31 Voc Rehab regulations are significantly different than the other benefit programs. Financial Aid: Are Veterans also eligible for financial aid? Do their benefits result in lower eligibility? This session addressed some of the misconceptions and misinformation concerning financial aid. As with all sessions concerning FA, only the surface was scratched. But again, the enormous complexity of federal financial aid programs was apparent. Compliance Surveys: Whenever money is involved, auditors are not far behind. What do inspectors look for in their visits? What records must be kept? Accelerated Payment and Tuition Assistance: Two additional complex programs provide unusual assistance, if you qualify. Facilities Tour: We had a tour of the VA Regional Processing Center, identifying the stages of claim processing and potential bottlenecks. Helping our students avoid the bottlenecks results in faster, more accurate payments.
© Staff Development, Quinsigamond Community College 2006. |