Our discussions in class on Tuesday and Thursday have had me thinking all week about whether or not an unstructured school setting employing the use of queer time could succeed in the heteronormative time frame that mainstream society functions on. A lot of the thoughts that have in response to this question have been drawn from experiences of my own. I have decided to share my story with with the hopes that it might help some of you when forming an opinion of your own.

Anne said in class today that Zadie Smith stated she intended this book to have existentialist facets to it. She wanted it to be a testimony to the agency within us to make something of lives, as well as the lack of it in some individuals (like Leah). I am so curious as to the extent to which we choose our own paths. Because things like biology, societal/cultural pressures, expectations of your family, and where you grew up might have a hand in the direction your path takes. In NW, societal/cultural pressures and the geography of your childhood did play a role in the main character's futures. For instance, Leah slacked off and became a pot-smoking hippie in her days. She didn't work hard and didn't want to work hard. Society viewed her as the pot-smoking hippie she was and expected her life to not amount to much. And it did, according to Leah herself. It did not help, I think, that the poverty of her upbringing layered in her subconscious and made her think that she was destined to stay in this class? 

I found this film to be fascinating! True to life, and really seemed to hit close to home. I think it portrays how dramatically techonology and social media has already changed the way we are communicating and interacting. 

You can't really fight it. 

Warning: Some segments contain explicit male nudity  

http://www.fastcocreate.com/3017108/you-need-to-see-this-17-minute-film-set-entirely-on-a-teens-computer-screen

A book that presents an extremely critical and negative view of technology that I partially read before I started this course. I have yet to finish it because I think the book is a little repetitive. Nonetheless it is still a different perspective. It is written by Mark Bauerlein an English Professor from Emory University. The book was reccommended reading by an influential English teacher from my High School.

Connecting to our discussion today:

If young kids are spending alot more time being online and playing video games, are they spending less time reading?? 

http://educationnext.org/audio-excerpt-the-dumbest-generation-by-mark-bauerlein/

Link to Midcourse Feedback https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sh64VzzH7DNVZp7eO_yxvQj4GlIuzAN2fHycAqDRY9c/edit?usp=sharing  

I’ve lived in Hangzhou, a city that is clean, beautiful and cozy, like a paradise to live in. I’ve also lived in Shanghai, a city that is exciting, intense and ideal for ambitious youths. Now I’m in a new city. Upon my arrival, I was unarmed, and given a pair of glasses and a scribble board.

Since I’m unarmed, I submit myself to all the possibilities. When facing different people, things, and ideas, I don’t attack them with my gun—the helpless human nature of opposing things different from us, the malicious criticism that bursts out as fast as a bullet and hurts much. On the contrary, I’m open to challenges. I let the homeless guy I met challenged my perception of my role in the city. During The Quiet Volume, I like how the artist seems to read my mind and control my emotions. I’m not ashamed of letting others into my head because I don’t consider it a weakness of determination, but just my way of appreciating and understanding an artwork—to let myself be immersed and savor my feelings.