Reading and All That Jazz: Tuning Up Your Reading, Thinking, and Study Skills, 2/e

Peter Mather, Glendale Community College
Rita McCarthy, Glendale Community College

Your First Week In Class

Journal

Your First Week in Class

Reading Selection:

An excerpt from My American Journey, by Colin Powell


1		In your college experience so far, have you noticed any opportunities to become a member of a small community within the college? These could include extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, study groups or other organized activities. How might involvement in such a group help you make the most of your college experience?



2		Powell in this excerpt describes his early days on the CCNY campus when he was still struggling to find his place in college. Write a few paragraphs about your first days in college and the adjustments you had to make.

Reading Selection:

Ode to the Present, by Pablo Neruda


3		What do you think this poem means? Explain your interpretation of the poem in your own words.



4		If you found yourself in exile from your homeland, where would you go?



5		Have you ever considered your destiny? What do you think it is? If you could create your own destiny, what would it be?

Reading Selection:

Crickets, by Robert Olen Butler


6		Write about your name; are there any anecdotes, or stories, about how your name was chosen? If you have a nickname, write about how you acquired it. How do you feel about your name?

In Your Own Words


7		Why are the two types of crickets of such importance to Thieu? What do the two types of crickets represent in terms of human beings?



8		What is the significance of the son's concern over his soiled Reeboks?



9		What is the father acknowledging when he excuses the son from searching for more crickets?



10		What does the father hope to gain by continuing the search alone?



11		How do we know that the father has come to terms with his son's allegiance to another culture?

Written Exercises:

Choose one of the following activities to complete.


12		Do you ever wish that you had a different name? Choose a new name for yourself and explain in a paragraph the reasons behind your choice. For instance, you might choose the name "Dawn" because that is your favorite part of the day.



13		When George W. Bush was running for president, it was reported that he had a habit of giving nicknames to those individuals he had close contact with on a daily basis. What are your feelings about nicknames? Do you like or dislike them? Did you have any nicknames while you were growing up? Did they affect you in anyway? If you could choose your own nickname, what would it be and why? Write a paragraph on this issue.



14		In September, 2000, long-time Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight was fired after allegedly failing to live up to a "zero-tolerance" policy that the President of the University had imposed on him. Knight was accused of grabbing a student's arm in an attempt to teach him some manners after the student called him "Knight" instead of "Mr. Knight" or "Coach Knight." In your culture, how do you address people in order to show respect? How do you address people who are older than you? People in positions of authority? When do you address people with their first name only? Their last name? Using personal examples as illustrations, write a paragraph in which you discuss these issues.

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