Veni Vidi Vici

englishismyname:

Does anyone know if we are responsible for The Second Shepherd’s Play on the final?

Also, what about Paradise Lost? That was a catch-up week as well.

Good luck on your exams and everything else!! :)

Don’t forget that the last rumination assessment is due tonight at 10:00 P.M!

I tutored at a middle school this semester, and yesterday was my last day. The girls I worked with (8th graders) were so great. I loved it; it was a great experience. I ventured out to Five Below to see what I could find for them. If you met them, you would quickly realize that they love soda (what kid doesn’t?) and lip balm/lip gloss. Those were the two things I always saw them carry. I found these adorable little Pepsi and Mountain Dew lip balms, and I immediately bought 12 of them for the 12 girls I worked with. They really liked them.

They had written a thank you card as well, and I appreciated it a lot.

:)

I think SBB really hit home as a form of propaganda. I think the play was great and very educational and fulfilling for the inmates, but on a side note, think how easily our  feelings were manipulated and changed because of the emotional appeal? Because we saw the good in them, because we related to them at some point, because we saw emotion from them.

We forgot that they were murders, molesters, and robbers. Kind of crazy. I think it really shows the power of propaganda.

We watched this a few weeks ago in my education class, and if you liked SBB, I recommend you watch The Hobart Shakespearean, which is very similar, but set in an elementary school setting. It’s really inspiring to see how Shakespeare changes so many lives.

That’s why I referenced school in my rumination, but I didn’t have enough space to include THS.

More info on THS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hobart_Shakespeareans

Rumination 6

I’ve been inside many prisons in Delaware. Luckily, I’ve always been the visitor, rather than the inmate. Shakespeare Behind Bars shows a relatively lighter side of prison than what I recall, where prisoners experience a life-changing performance that strengthens their characters, inspires them to be better people when they are released (if they are), and allows them to gain a higher respect for both themselves and others through accomplishing a great task. The prisons I’ve been to do not show the same concern for the inmates. They show no sincere want to help these inmates achieve greatness.

I’m currently tutoring at a school where I see the same ideals being applied each day. The students perform well below standards on standardized tests, and the attitude that I hear every day is “they just don’t get it; they don’t want to work.” As a future educator, I stand in disbelief at these teachers, and wonder why society gives up so easily on both these students and inmates.

That is where Shakespeare proves to be one of the most inspirational, motivational, and emotional experiences in these people’s lives. The inmates find meaning in their own lives, collaborate with others, and most importantly, find that success can be achieved.

Rewatch the last few minutes of Shakespeare Behind Bars. Watch Big G’s excitement as he thinks about performing Julius Caesar the following year. You also hear someone saying, “I can’t wait until next season.” The last thing inmates or students need to hear is that they will never succeed or be able to overcome unfortunate circumstances. Shakespeare provides an outlet for these people.

I think being involved in a production allows the prisoners to make the role their own. They study, rehearse, and work towards a final project. At the final performance, they hear their family and friends congratulating them on their success. Think about how good it feels when you get on Dean’s list, receive an award, or acquire an internship. That’s what Shakespeare did for these inmates. It gave them hope for a future.

“I can’t help but think if I was a politician or something, I would be on the street right now.”

Truth.

I posted last week about Netflix having SBB available for streaming, which it does. BUT if you don’t have Netflix, you can sign up for a free month. Therefore, you don’t have to pay. :) Just remember to cancel if you decide not to keep the service.

Is the wildcard just watching the videos? Or do we have to do additional things like comment/blog/etc?