Intelligence is everywhere!

Intellectualism is defined as exercise or application of the intellect. This definition allows room for one to see that intellectualism isn’t something that is meant to have restrictions. The mind is at work anytime one is applying themselves to a higher understanding. Be it catching up on world culture, studying literature, or even soaking up the latest edition of Sports Illustrated, all of these are a form of learning and challenging one’s intelligence. It appears that we have manually confined brainpower and turned it into something more difficult and misunderstood than it actually should be.
For far too long intellectualism has been stereotyped. The world views someone with “street smarts”, who may not have an appealing amount of “book smarts”, as dim-witted. An observation such as this is unfair and degrading to most people. This statement is unfair because it is a completely false assertion; just because a student may not be highly educated on famous documents from Shakespeare or others, does not make that person dumb. Today, educators frown upon those who are not up to date on their literacy or other key subjects. Here is where I agree with Gerald Graff, a professor of English and education at the University of Illinois, after reading his essay. In his writing he says, “…schools and colleges might be at fault for missing the opportunity to tap into such street smarts and channel them into good academic work” (142)
Who ever made “street smarts” bad? After all, street smarts are in fact more helpful to the modern, day by day process we go through, as opposed to being brainy on topics such as Chaucer and his Canterberry Tales. Now, by no means am I discriminating against the subjects we are taught. I think it is very important for one to be well-informed on English literature. However, I personally believe students should have the opportunity to work their way into deeper topics instead of being tossed out into a pool of subjects that do not peak their interest. This issue seems to be the leading factor in students being classified as unintelligent.
Graff admits in his piece that as a high school student he was constantly engaged in sports, and that if he ever did read, it was most always a sports magazine or an autobiography of sports stars. A student whose focus is not where the teaching is usually does poorly in school. Which leads one to wonder, who is to blame, the students for not applying themselves, or the instructors for not using methods that would slowly work into more essential studies and lead to a higher intelligence? Both are very reasonable theories. However, I agree with Graff and think that maybe the schools and colleges should challenge our street smarts and let that feed into higher academic knowledge.
Of course it is not too hard for a student to force him or herself into a memorized knowledge of a subject just to receive a good grade. However, this is not what it should boil down to. Learning should be fun and exciting, but it is not because there is so much more interest going into the criteria rather than the concern of keeping the learning community entertained by their studies. Students should have the opportunity to enjoy the subject they are
studying. It is not the material that creates the wisdom; it is the interest of focus that fuels the motivation for learning more.
Whoever the blame falls on, whatever the outcome may one day be, I stand firm in saying that it is okay for the system to ease up, chill out, and have fun with teaching. Inviting enjoyment into lessons will positively filter to other disturbed areas of the educational system. Teachers would be happier with their jobs and more open to schedule instead of being stuck in boring routines, students would have better grades, learn more, and be more attentive to studies and overall, the order of education would have a better stance if we tried something new.
Forever we have been stuck in this routine of “requirements” to beat brains into humans. I think it is time to throw tradition out the window and open up to a new way of teaching. Let students enjoy learning so that they may cherish the one thing that can never be taken away, their education.

Invisible Children

On Wednesday night a couple of my friends and I enjoyed some awesome music and a good message at Mem gym. A few bands were there and I absolutely loved their music. The night was set aside to help us everyday people living in a place were we are spoiled and blessed beyond measures see another side of the world that needs our help. The message relayed to the audience that night was very inspiring to reach out to children across this world who struggle with pain, health, and sadly the ease of getting abducted and kidnapped. Along with the slideshows and message there were three bands there. The first, Ocean is a Theory, were my absolute favorite. They were a christian band, i think.. and not only was their music phenominal but the hype they brought with them called for an excellent performance. I was extremely excited about see Starlume, but when they did play I wasn't as impressed by their music as Ocean is a Theory. Don't get me wrong, their music was also very good but i think because they followed such an excellent performance, it was harder to enjoy. Anyways, overall it was a great night, with an even better message!!

The Features

Last night my friends and I were one of a few groups that hung out at the annual Tennessee Tech concert. Waiting for The Features to perform, we were introduced to a couple other bands. The first one I wasn't crazy about, the second one I think I might like. However I couldn't hear it well enough to decide!! Anyhow, when The Features did perform they were really good! I liked their music, style, the way they played together, it was great! To watch a band play with so much energy but with so much harmony is remarkable. I really enjoyed last night's show and I know my friends and a lot of others who participated did as well. I'll be listening to that band more often.

Anti-Essay Reader Response

After reading and watching the assigned videos and readings I have no idea what i'll do for my project! Public entertainment/art is really cool but it could easily be hard for one to do well. It looks as if it takes a lot of thought, prepartation and work. The performer never knows whether or not they are as effective as they hope to be. My favorite of the videos that were required to watch was the one titled Street Performance.
I like seeing performances like this sometimes simply because they are entertaining and the performers of the art are excited and you can see that they enjoy the very thing they are doing. However, this goes back to me saying one never knows how effective the performance may be. Sometimes a leader in the production of art is to much or to little and can be annoying or boring. By reading the defined idea and watching videos of this art shows me that it is important to realize how difficult this can be. And just as one of the guys said in the Street Performance video, "The job is to make the difficult look easy, and the easy look beautiful." That's hard!!

Public Space

These readings were interesting. I think my favorite one was the one about Woodruff Park. I found this very true. This definitely is something I have never given much attention to, but is a huge deal. When it comes down to public space it is a matter of, "If it's not a home for some, it's likely that it is a home for none". The old park that this reading speaks of, Central City Park, has a very familiar story. It seems so often that, no matter the location, small town or big city, just when everyone is happy and comfortable with a place it is altered to something not so inviting. Just as Central City Park was jipped of the space and friendly enviornment it offered, I have also witnessed hang out spots being forbidden. Coming from a little town and having nothing to do my friends and I, along with the rest of the bored teenagers living in Livingston, always found some little place that felt wecoming and chill to hang out at. And of course just as soon as it would become known for the regular place to look for someone to hang out with, the county police would find all the silliest reasons possible to take it away. It is kind of sad to think that not only does it happen in small places and situations that do not matter a whole lot, but it also happens in big, well known parks and cities.
I also really liked reading the end of Woodruff Park and The Search For Common Ground. It talks about what could be done to make Woodruff Park a welcoming place for all. It says, "Woodruff Park could yet become a welcoming space for the women and men and boys and girls of the city. Can't you see the rich and poor, the Black and white, the homeless and well-housed, dancing and laughing and clappin their hands to the music of Bline Willie McTell, while the smell of smoked ribs wafts on the breeze, and children swing high enough to touch the sky, as the old forks play a hand of dominoes? Who knows? Such a party could inspire us to build a city with housing, justice, and care for all of its people". I love that, it is absolutley a beautiful vision and would be an even greater acomplishment for Atlanta. If everything with viewed with something so encouraging in site how much better things would be.

Response to Tatum and McIntosh

I am intrigued by the readings written by Tatum and McIntosh. I feel as if being a part of this generation has helped out on racial differences a lot. Tatum makes a few points that I have never actually considered. One being that White people receive systematic benefits from simply being white compared to those who are of a different color. Thinking about it, he is right. If I took a resume into an office for a job as a receptionist at the same time that someone of another race did, I would most likely get the job over them. Not being cocky, just stating the sad, but true facts. This is aggravating to think about. Why are people so nitpicky and judgmental when it comes down to black person or white person or Asian or American? It’s not fair to those who receive all kinds of disadvantages from because of their race.
Another thing that stuck out to me in Tatum’s writing was the part where the African American woman speaks. She says, “I can describe myself as light-skinned, well-educated, heterosexual, able bodied, Christian, African American woman.” Why should this person have problems receiving aid and other advantages? The world seems to be telling us it’s because she is black. Yes, anyone can admit to being a well rounded person but the color of their skin or their type of gender should never effect their chances of others trusting what they say. Sure there have been black people lie to make themselves look good on paper, but hey, white people do it every day. And yes, there are crime and other bad things that seem to relate back to one of another race. Is it too much to ask for the world to think harder about these situations? Could it be in fact that anger is apparent more so in people of color rather than whites because they are not trusted? Because the outside world is extremely anti-accepting of gender or race difference?
I say this in respect of white people as well. It doesn’t give others the right to be racist just because it’s how they have been treated. This world needs a matureness to feed off of. Until the day comes that the population as a whole can open their eyes and see that there is absolutely no internal differences between races this place will remain hot tempered on too many topics concerning racial difference and prejudices.

This reading over advertisement's way of making women what it wants them to be is SO true! It's crazy how the media has such an influence on nearly every being and we have a tough time realizing how much it actually does effect us. Today women and men are both scrutinized and then recreated into whatever the world demands of us. Women seem to be a super target for the media. According to the assigned reading, maybe this is so because we are in fact more intrigued by the advertisements than men are. Think about it, if men actually were half as influenced by advertisements and the pressure of the media, there would be more advertising directed towards a male audience. Now this is not to say that men are not a target audience, however, the advertisement for a man is usually a woman. Which is semi degrading to women, even though we have been taught and forced to think that this particular attention is great. Anytime a man views a woman as sexy, or women are portrayed as sexy, cute, glamorous, etc. we tend to be proud of that as females. Or seeing it advertised like this forces us to feel less that mediocre. In my own opinion I don't agree that any of these two beliefs are healthy for women. Number one, were is the self respect, the gentleness, the ladylike ways? And why does the world think that it is best we all conform to this way of thinking? Number two, what good is there in having no self esteem? Neither of these demands are good at all. I wish women AND the media (completely) would open up to a more positive, real, unique outlook. I can only imagine how much better everything would be if advertisements shifted to an encouragement rather than a beating and women began finding comfort in the uniqueness that they were created.
And speaking of advertisements, I found it very interesting to learn how the world of advertising actually works. Which might explain my attitude in this response. It's unfair!! Ugh, they try and think extremely hard to find ways of getting into minds and conforming them so that they can simply sell a silly product. Which is exactly where all the problems begin. How can men find an innocence in thinking, women find self respect and security, and this "beauty contest of life" find its way off of this never ending ornamental path with the creepers we call "media" prying their way into our minds?