More stress letters (including mine) and some blog posts

Three letters: The first reflects on college pressures, junior year stress, and the need to for humanities-oriented students to value their choices as much as students who pursue STEM fields; the second contemplates the pressure students feel at Uni, and the ways that social tensions can also create stress; the third explores the challenges of balancing school, college process, extracurricular, and work stress.

One letter, an open letter to Uni students from "a strapping senior lad"

One letter that reflects on the limitations of our experiments in the Utopias-Dystopias class, particularly the way Uni's grade-conscious culture has (in this writer's opinion) stifled some of the more interesting possibilities a class like ours could open up. 

Several of you also touched on stress in your blogs this quarter. If you haven't yet, check out Minji's post about how the arbitrary measures of success we're often asked to strive for contribute to her stress (and probably others among us, as well). Betsy also wrote a blog post about how the pressures of Uni students' schedules can get in the way of engaging in the writing process (and other long-term project work) and getting enough sleep. And Kristine wrote about how stress affects her performance in academics, athletics, and other areas.

As I read your stress letters, I began to think about writing a stress letter of my own to share with you. Ironically, I've been too overwhelmed and busy (stressed?) to do that with the care and attention I would want to. But, in responding to one student's letter by email, I ended up writing a sort of stress letter of my own without really intending to. So I'm sharing that with you, if you're interested.

Also, if you care to revisit it, here's a file with the ideas for reducing stress I shared a couple weeks ago, with a few short additional messages added at the end.

Stress letters, second batch

A single letter from a graduating senior with a focus on prioritizing health

A single letter from a graduating senior touching on procrastination and the toxic combination of competitiveness and perfectionism

A single letter focusing on junior year stress

A single letter with a focus on self-imposed anxiety about the college process and grades

The first few stress letters

Here are a few of the letters that you and/or your classmates wrote about their stress. I'll be posting more Monday and Tuesday.

One file with three letters (The first focuses in part on the workload at Uni, the way competition between students exacerbates stress, and the added pressure of feeling the responsibility to help classmates with work when teachers move ahead and not everyone understands the material. The second also considers the tremendous workload this student has managed at Uni and the ways it has changed them as a person, wondering whether it was really worth it. The third writer offers advice to themselves on how to manage their own high expectations, stress arising from social relationships, and procrastination.)

Another file with two letters (The first is largely focused on time management and offering self-advice for dealing with procrastination and less-than-ideal time budgeting. The second writer offers a variety of supportive and realistic suggestions for reducing their own stress.)

Another file with one letter, which focuses largely on the need to ask for help and reach out for support.

Course evaluation

Please take the course evaluation poll. Your feedback really matters to me, and it will affect the way I plan and teach this class next time. Thank you!

Some projects from your classmates to check out

Matthew, Tim, Dante, Sam, and Alex S-L's 1984: The Musical.

Bridget's book cover designs:

Jack's book cover designs.

Quick write and small group discussion for Parable though ch. 23

1. In your journal, come up with one discussion question: What question about Parable of the Sower do you most want to talk about that we haven't touched on at this point?
2. Briefly answer this question: Would Lauren, Bankole, and company take anyone on at this point? What kind of person/people do you think they wouldn't take on (if any)?

Write for six minutes, and then discuss your discussion questions and question #2 in groups of 2, 3, or 4 for about ten minutes. 

Also, if you've seen The Matrix and have an idea for a question or issue to consider while we watch, note it in our working doc. 

Quick journal writing for Parable, chapters 19–22

Look through the chapters we read for today with the following questions in mind, and then answer the questions briefly but specifically:

• What aspect of or development in this chapter did you react most strongly to, either negatively or positively (or a mix)?
• The group takes on a total of four new people. Do they all make sense as travellers to join up with? Who makes sense, who doesn't, and why?
• What do Lauren and Bankole have in common? In what ways are they quite different?

Art Project for Parable, ch. 17–18

In groups of two, three, or four, you're going to find details in these chapters of Parable of the Sower to help you bring some aspects of the book to life visually. So, first, get into groups. 

In these chapters, Lauren, Harry, and Zahra meet and eventually join up with the Douglas family––Travis, Natividad, and their baby Dominick/Domingo. Having recently revealed some basic aspects of Earthseed to Harry, Lauren has the chance to share some of its ideas with the rest of her newly expanded crew. Today, you're going to look for details of the six characters who are now traveling together that may help you represent them visually. You're also going to look for elements of Earthseed that Lauren shares in these chapters and come up with a way to visually represent this newly-forming religion. 

Work as a group to comb through chapter 17 & 18 for any visual depictions you can find of the six characters that now make up this traveling group. Keep a list of these depictions as you pore over the chapters. At the same time, take notes on ways that Lauren describes Earthseed. Try to encapsulate the most important aspects and elements of her philosophy and ideas. Feel free to page back through earlier chapters (especially the Earthseed: Books of the Living "scripture" bits) in order to find more ideas, but focus especially on chapters 17 & 18.

Next, come up with a plan for representing Earthseed visually. Imagine that Lauren is designing a banner or a set of hangings to share her religious ideas with others, or to decorate a space where her followers might some day gather. What symbols and images might she want to incorporate? What words and phrases might be the most important to include? Is there an icon (or set of icons) you can imagine becoming associated with Earthseed? When you've come up with some ideas, work together to create a banner or hanging. Different members of your group can work on separate pieces and you can staple or tape them in an artful arrangement to the larger sheet of paper. Or you can all work together on one large piece of paper. 

If you want, you can incorporate simple visual representations of the six characters that currently make up Lauren's traveling group, but this is optional. Whatever you choose to do, your final product should be visually arresting, bold, and evocative of the Earthseed ideas that come through in the book. You can use markers to make it brightly colorful, colored pencils for more subtle color, or you can stick with black and white or a single color. Be sure all of your group members' names are on the finished product. 

Once your group is done with its banner/hanging, pass it on to Mr. Mitchell or Mr. Beesley. If there's time left in the period, you can get started on Thursday's reading assignment. 

Discussion prep for Monday

First, write two discussion questions for Chapters 14–16 in your journal. Choose the one you are most interested in talking about and share it in our working doc.

Once everyone has contributed a discussion question, think about which two or three questions you're most interested in discussing. We will talk about them in a large group discussion, or in a walking discussion outside, depending on the way the class vote goes.

Journal work from Monday, continued, and movie details

In your journal, finish noting/writing the following prompts from Monday:

• Look through the book and quickly note down all the information you can about space exploration, details regarding space programs, and character perspectives on space travel/colonization. When you're done with that, write a sentence or two summing up your perspective on the pro- or anti-space-exploration question in the context of the world of this book.
• What's your initial reaction to Lauren beginning to shape a new religion? Why do you think she's doing this? Is it necessary in the word she's living in? Do you see any value in it?

Also, please share your thoughts about a movie day the week after next.

May Day thoughts

Today is May Day, a celebration of workers, labor unions, and the working classes known in some countries as International Workers' Day or Labour Day.

The image above shows a slogan that was important during the early-twentieth-century labor movement's fight for the 8-hour work day and an image of work–life balance we might take inspiration from.

Question box Q for Monday and journal work to prepare for discussion

What do you think about the space program in P of the S? Is it a waste of money? Do you agree with Lauren or her father?

In your journal (or on a separate sheet of paper, if I still have your journal), note/write the following:

• Look through the book and quickly note down all the information you can about space exploration, details regarding space programs, and character perspectives on space travel/colonization. When you're done with that, write a sentence or two summing up your perspective on the pro- or anti-space-exploration question in the context of the world of this book.
• Consider the debate between Lauren's dad and her stepmom, Cory, about the neighborhood watch at the end of ch. 6. Who do you agree with more?
• What's your initial reaction to Lauren beginning to shape a new religion? Why do you think she's doing this? Is it necessary in the word she's living in? Do you see any value in it?

Also, please share your thoughts about a movie day the week after next.

A poll, cookie pictures, and your letter assignment

Please take this poll to decide what we'll focus on for our Post-1984 discussions.

For those of you who didn't get to see all four of Irina's 1984 cookie designs yesterday, here's a picture:

Today we have time to work on our fourth quarter projects, including the Letters Regarding Our Level of Stress. For those writing letters, here are the details of your assignment:

• Your letter should be in the neighborhood of two single-spaced pages, more than one but less than three pages.
• It should be well developed, with focused paragraphs and a clear evolution of ideas, arguments, and illustrations. 
• It should be carefully edited. While the tone can be somewhat casual, this is a serious piece of rhetoric written more in the form of a formal letter than a dashed-off rant or a wordy email. It should include the full date in the upper right hand corner, and should have a salutation (such as “dear”) and a leave-taking (such as “sincerely”), plus your “signature” (whatever anonymous way you choose to describe yourself).
• It should include specific examples, with some concrete details. 
• Its critique and/or concern-raising should not name names. Use your prose skills to illustrate situations vividly rather than calling out individual people. (In situations where you’re using friends’ or classmates’ experiences as examples, be sure to get their permission if you’re talking about their experience in a way that could be recognizable to anyone reading.)
• Consider examples from your peers as well as from your own experience, and think about how stress affects your social circles and friendships as well as how it affects you individually.
• Keep a balanced perspective and illustrate in one way or another that you understand the complexity of the situations and dynamics you’re talking about.
• I highly recommend taking your letters to the Writing Center tomorrow or the Mobile Writing Center some time in the next week.

The letters are due to me in hard copy on Tuesday, April 30. Do not include your name on the letter; I'll have post-it notes handy for you to attach your names (along with your anonymous “signature,” in case the post-it falls off).

Read Irina's post, background for Parable of the Sower, & group work for Mon

First, for reasons too complex to enter into here, I broke the most recent update of the Utopias-Dystopias Senoritas blog, and as a result there's not a real link to the most recent post, Irina's post comparing the main female character from Brave New World and 1984. But you should still read it, and comment! Thanks.

Second, you don't need a whole lot of background to begin Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, but it might be useful to read the parable in the Christian Bible that the title alludes too. Here it is, beginning with Jesus sharing the parable (or simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson), then offering some interpretation of the parable:

“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."


— Mark 4:3-20 (From the English Standard Version of the Bible)

Finally, if you haven't shared your plan for your fourth quarter project, please do so now at this link. Everyone who's writing a Letter Regarding Our Level of Stress should also return to that link and let me know who the target audience for your letter is (P for parent(s)/family, T for teacher(s), M for myself, and S for other student(s)). Get into groups according to the audience for your letter, if you're writing one. (If you're not, you'll be working on your individual project during this time.) In your letter groups, work out the following:

• Will you actually give your letters to a representative of your intended audience, and if so, how? ("Myself" group, this might take the form of exchanging letters and reflecting on reading another letter with a similar focus.) Consider all the options you can think of as a group.
• Share your progress on your letters so far. What has been illuminating about writing them? What do you feel you want to say but are having trouble saying? What has gone well so far in your planning/writing? What struggles are you having?

From the Question Box

A recipe:

And a double think example:

Guidelines for Stress Letters, & sharing project plans

Some guidelines for beginning to write your letters:
(A reminder: you're not required to write a letter. If you are proposing your own fourth quarter project, you can use this time to brainstorm, plan, take notes, etc. for that project. Share your project plan at the link at the bottom of this post.)

• Consider the goals you set out for yourself and the tone you're trying to strike as you craft your letter. Contemplate what structure, level of formality or casualness, and kinds of details will help you achieve both.
• Your aim should be to write a letter of about two single-spaced pages, so have that in mind as you begin to write. Your letter can be developed and expanded later on, or pared down, but you should have a sense of what kind of a letter you're going for. It should be in-depth but not exhaustive.
• Give concrete examples, but do not name names. You may have particular teachers or classmates in mind as you describe the things that contribute to your stress, but use your prose skills to illustrate the situation vividly rather than calling out individual people. Because Uni is a small school, this may mean speaking of things on one level of generality beyond what you have in mind (e.g. "my English class that semester" rather than "Nonfiction Writing"). At the same time, don't feel the need to be vague to shield individuals completely (for example, it's fine to say "we had four essays due that semester" even if some people will realize that this refers to a particular class).
• Consider examples from your peers as well as from your own experience, and think about how stress affects your social circles and friendships as well as how it affects you individually.
• Feel free to use humor to keep things light. But also be sure your letter acknowledges the weight and seriousness of this issue in your life. 
• Don't feel the need to overstate the seriousness of the issue. Tell it like it is in your own life and share your individual perspective.
• Remember to keep a balanced perspective and consider "other side" of whatever problems/issues you're illustrating. (E.g. Keep in mind that stress is part of life and there's such a thing as healthy stress, that people who increase your stress may have at least partly caring motives, etc.) You're not required to incorporate this kind of "it's complicated" perspective in your letter, but it may help you write a more nuanced and persuasive letter if you at least remain aware of it as you write.

We'll have more time in class to discuss and shape these letters. In the mean time, let me know whether you plan to make a Letter Regarding Stress your fourth quarter project or, if not, what your plan is for your project. Fourth period students can share their plans here, and fifth period can share here.

Letters Regarding Our Level of Stress

For today, I want everyone to get into groups and proceed as though you plan to write a letter. If you choose to do a project of your own devising, that's fine. This exercise will still be useful. To get into groups: Stand up, grab your journal and a pen/pencil, then go to one of the following areas, depending on who you want to address your letter to. If you're undecided, choose the group you think makes the most sense for now. You can switch later, if you want. 

• Family/Parent(s)/Guardian(s) in the northeast corner
• Teacher(s)/Mentor(s) in the northwest corner
• ME/Ourselves in the southeast corner
• Fellow student(s) in the southwest corner

If there are more than about six people in your corner, divide into smaller groups. Once you have groups of six (or maybe seven) or fewer, stake out an area of the room or hallway (don't disturb other classes going on!) and discuss the ideas below and write briefly in your journal after each short section of discussion, taking notes during the discussion as it makes sense to do so. (Everyone will be writing their own letter, if you choose to do a letter for your fourth quarter project––this is just brainstorming.)

• First, imagine who this letter will be addressed to. Discuss with your small group the possible ways you could envision this person or people. If you are in the “Parent group,” do you want to address your letter to a single parent or guardian? Both parents? Your parents, your grandparents, and the aunt who tutors you in Calculus? If you’re in the “Other students” group, do you want to speak to all of your classmates, a few in particular, a single peer who best exemplifies stress-inducing behavior and/or beliefs? Decide and write down who your letter will be addressed to.
• Next, discuss with your group what your goals will be in writing this letter. Imagine that the person/people it’s addressed to will see it. What do you want them to understand? What changes do you hope reading it might affect in their attitudes or behaviors? After you’ve talked this over with your group, write down some goals.
• Next, what do you want to say? What examples might you give? Is there one major example or anecdote you’d like to center the letter around? Brainstorm some ideas with your group and note down any that seem promising.
• Finally, consider what tone you’d like to strike. What are the possible advantages and disadvantages of various tonal options you have? Discuss this with your group, then describe in a brief paragraph the tone you think you’d like to strike. 

If you have time, get started, in your journal, on a very rough draft of your letter. If you don't get through all four areas above, you'll have time to finish at the start of class tomorrow.

Journal prompt for Monday, April 15

Part Two, ch. IX & X

Winston receives “the book” of the Brotherhood from O’Brien and, after an intense period of work, finally gets to take it to his private, secret room and read it. Look through the excerpts of The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism by Emmanuel Goldstein that Orwell reproduces in these chapters, and find the following:

·     One section that seems to you to sum up what you see as the most important fact about or description of the practices, strategies, and/or philosophies of this dystopian world (“IngSoc” or the other names it goes by in East Asia and Eurasia).

·     One section that seems to describe a truth that pertains in some striking and important way to our contemporary world, and/or to its history.

·     One section that puts you to mind of a piece of news or rhetoric you are aware of from the past year or two.

One you’ve identified these three sections, consider the moment where Winston stops reading:

Here we reach the central secret… Deeper than [doublethink] lies original motive, the never questioned instinct that first led to the seizure of power and brought doublethink, the Thought Police, continuous warfare, and all the other necessary paraphernalia into existence. This motive really consists…

If you had to guess what this motive is, what would you guess? How would you articulate it?

Five minutes in your journal

Write for five minutes:

Do you feel you have any insight into what the motives of the inner party might be in creating and maintaining this grim system of extreme surveillance, falsifying of history and news, endless war (or "war"), dehumanization of the outer party, and neglect of the proles? Speculate, and offer at least two specific passages that give you some insight or evidence for your speculations.

Reflective writing and discussion about your stressors at school

Today we're going to do some reflective writing and have small group walking discussion focused on things that create negative stress for you at Uni. These thoughts and writings will develop into some larger discussions about stress at Uni that we will address in an optional writing project that you could choose for your fourth quarter project (more on that later).

To begin with today, I'd like you to write for ten minutes about what stresses you out at school. When you think about negative stress––stress that gives you anxiety or physical pain, that makes it hard to sleep or concentrate, that inhibits your creativity, productivity, and/or your general sense of wellbeing––what sources and/or situations can you identify that create this stress? This is a free-write, so go ahead and pour your thoughts on the page, create a bullet list and then go back and add detail as it occurs to you, or use whatever other writing strategies make sense to you and allow you to get your thoughts on the page. 

Then we're going to go for a short walk and talk about the people in our lives that we associate most with our stress. In groups of two or three, share a summary of what stresses you out about school and then try to identify who creates this stress for you. It may be a number of people (including, possibly, yourself), but try to identify the top two or three. 

Small group work for Monday, April 8

In groups of three or four, find a scene, moment, or image that strikes you as particularly important in Part Two, chapters I & II. What seems significant about this scene? Does it seem to have a particular symbolic significance? Is it important for the plot? Does it develop a theme we've seen before, or introduce a new idea that seems important?

Then, consider the end of chapter II. Winston is excited at the thought that Julia has brought "scores" of men out to the countryside for amorous purposes and wishes it were more. He feels "their embrace had been a battle, their climax a victory... It was a political act." What do you make of this? Does it make sense to you, and why? Is it surprising in any way(s), and if so, how?

1984 the play on campus this weekend!

A few things to contemplate as we watch scenes from The Handmaid's Tale

As we watch scenes from the 1990 film version of The Handmaid's Tale, I'd like you to take a few notes in your notebook. Note anything that really strikes you, but a few things in particular to consider:

• In what ways is this movie of its time period, based on what you know of the late 1980's?
• Does the film have any striking resonance with our time period that it might not have had when it came out in 1990?
• What elements of the book do the filmmakers seem to particularly highlight? Thoughts on these choices?
• What elements do the filmmakers leave out that you notice? Any ideas about why?
• What do you notice about the costuming and other ways that the world of Gilead is portrayed?

Poll regarding plans for 4th quarter

Please take this poll. Thank you!

Third quarter projects, multimedia examples

Check out Magneto-Ball, Minji and Brandon's newly invented World State game, which would fit right in with Centrifugal Bumble Puppy or Obstacle Golf in the pages of Brave New World. You can also read more about the rules of this game and the ways it fits in with the hyper-consumerism and other ideological and cultural values of the World State. 

And here's a link in case you want to watch Dante, Matthew, Kevin G, Sam Li, Tim, and Alex's Brave New Rap again (as I'm sure you do).