ENG1121 D477 SPRING 2017

As you were all hopefully informed, all of CUNY (including City Tech) is closed today due to the storm. Thus, class is canceled for today.

For Tuesday, please complete the assignments for today AND for Tuesday.

This means that for Tuesday you should bring with you to class:

1. Your reader response assignment #2 on Danticat & Baldwin
2. Sarah Schulman, Selected Readings. Please print these out from the OpenLab site (they are listed under ‘Readings’ tab.
3. One fact about Sarah Schulman.
4. In addition, you should have read Chapter One of The Cosmopolitans, which is included in the Selected Readings.

If you have any questions about any of these assignments, please feel free to email me at mbehrent@citytech.cuny.edu.

Please stay safe and warm!

Alejandro. Commonly used in the Latino community.  In Spanish it’s another way of saying  Alexander. In Greek it means defender of mankind. In America, it’s the name of a Lady Gaga song. My dad is named Alejandro, which is where I got my name from, nothing too amazing about it, I like to believe that I was given that name after a Mexican singer . People pronounce my name in 3 different ways, most people would pronounce it A-leh-jan-dro with and sometimes without a spanish accent. Some, including me at times, pronounce it A-li-jan-dro. However, most my spanish speaking family calls me Alej (pronounced A-leh). When people think about an older latino man, like my father, it causes them to attempt to pronounce the name in Spanish with the idea that he only knows Spanish. Rather with me, a person of this generation, people tend to pronounce it in various ways including with a English accent due to the fact that they expect me to know English. The Greek meaning of my name defines who I want be, a lawyer, someone who makes a lasting impact for generations to come. When I first thought my know, I didn’t think much about it. I just knew it was a Spanish name. When the Lady Gaga song came out, it annoyed, angered and it started to create some resentment towards my name. Today after defining my name and doing this assignment, it brought me at ease to see how my name defines who I am. Even though to others my name will always be known as the song Lady Gaga wrote, to me it means greatness.

Hello my name is Alondra, I was named alondra by Spanish soap opera that my mom used to watch. It’s so basic almost every girl in my elementary was named alondra..seriously. My nickname is (Alo) or (Ona) that’s what my dad mostly calls me. The meaning of my name is helper and defender of mankind. My name is also a type of bird which is a lark. i never knew what my name meant until searched the meaning of it. I like my name because it simple but i hate it when they call me Alandra with an (a) or like when they miscall it for Alejandra its really not even that hard. Soo yeah that’s what my name mean.

I was named Jason because one of my uncle’s name was Jason. Another reason that I was named Jason is that each letter in my name represents the months in a year. (July, August, September, October, November.) I used to think that I was given the name Jason thinking I was not unique. In the bible, Jason is known as the “cure” to things. In Greek mythology, Jason was the leader of the Argonauts and fought to take the throne. Jason means strong and brave in Greek Mythology. Jason is an easy name to pronounce and is short. I believe that my name does not mean brave. I am actually the opposite when I am in unfamiliar circumstances. After doing some research for my name, I have a better understanding to why my parents named me after my uncle.

I was named Jessica because my uncle is name Jessie. There is not much of a reason why i was named Jessica but my name does mean a lot to me. I once hated my name but when many spoke about me I felt special because it wasn’t to just any Jessica but to me. I’m an unique kind of Jessica because everyone is different! Jessica means rich or God beholds and this is accurate. I love money but to me it means rich in joy and life. Also, I make a great friend and getting to know me might be inspiring.  I am an amazing person who can go through anything and still work hard with a smile!

My name is Mahamadou Diallo. When i was younger i  always disliked my name. I would always get laughed at because my name was different and very difficult to pronounce. As time passed i learned more about my name and why i received it, and in no time i soon started appreciating my unique name more and more. I was named after my grandfather, he had recently passed away right before i was born. My parents hoped by naming me after him that i would inherit his determination and strong will to do whatever he set his mind too. Their wishes came true as i inherited my grandfathers strong traits. My parents told me he was the type of person who believed that the sky is the limit and you can do what ever you set your mind too, just like me. This research into my name impacted me greatly. It opened my eyes and made me realize how important a name can be and how even a simple name or difficult name can hold so much hopes, dreams and aspirations behind it.

　　My name is Yanfei Wu.

　　Yanfei is my first name. I do not have a middle name. Chinese characters are totally different from English, not alphabets. “Yan” is a multi-stroked pictographic character that is easily recognized. The widely known meaning is the bird– swallow. This Chinese character gives us a vivid picture of a swallow spreading its wings and extending its feathers. Swallows return to Northern China every spring, as a result, the bird becomes a symbol of spring that represents hope and the future. The swallow is extolled as an ambassador of spring in paintings, songs and poems throughout all ages in China. In ancient China, folks took delight in accommodating swallows nesting and bearing offspring in their houses and regarded it as good fortune and a blessing. Actually, it is the surficial meaning of “Yan” in my name. Not only does it signify a very firm conviction and passes a good wish, my grandfather gave the name to me, but expresses strong feelings of homesickness. When the pronunciation changes from first tone to fourth tone, it sounds more similar to the Anglicized pronunciation of my name. My name is a deeply significant. My grandfather hoped I would remember my whole family emigrated from Jiangsu Province. It used to be a fiefdom of a prince. His title was “Prince Yan” and he became the Yong Le Emperor, one of the most distinguished dominators in history in China. He moved the capital of China to Beijing, which is known as “Yanjing.” In addition, my grandfather hoped I would be a person with great ambition, even I am a female.

　　There are several characters that have the same pronunciations as “Fei”, with different forms and different meanings. The character, in my name is an adjective, describing a scene of a rain shower mixed with snow. It comes from famous sentences in the only realistic poem in the Book of Songs, which is the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems and songs (the 10th to the 7th centuries BC). “At first, when we set out, The willows were fresh and green; Now, when we shall be returning, the snow will be falling clouds.”(Tr. by James Legge) The first part of the sentence is the view of spring; the last part is describes the scene of winter. The background of the poem is soldiers coming home after year-long expeditions. They experienced the dangers of war, the pains of torture, and the pangs of starvation. Also, we can feel the sad and tired feeling between the lines not only because a whole year fighting, but the feeling of missing their families. Furthermore, it express a vital idea — family play a significant role in the lives of Chinese people. They go home, no matter what kind of troubles are in front of them.

People often incorrectly write my name in two common ways. The main reason is that they interpret two different images. First is, “the swallow flies”; the other is Spring is a vibrant season of blooming flowers and grass turning green, and the swallow is coming.” Because there are two “Fei” characters that express “flying ” and “blooming season”, they are more commonly preceded by “Yan”.

　　This is my name, which is meaningful and influential on my mind and behavior. Sometimes when I am confronted with difficulties, I should, like a soldier, be strong and confident and I can conquer them. Besides, I always know that my family will be there for me. I love them. Although my grandfather passed away two decades ago, I can still feel him somewhere: his beliefs and expectations accompany with me forever.

Hi, my name is Sergio I. Morales I don’t really know the story of my first name, however I do know what my middle name represents. My middle name is “Israel” and it’s self-explanatory, I’m named after the country “Israel” but the true reason for my name was because that’s where “The Jesus Trail” occurred. The Jesus Trail is known as the route that Jesus may have walked from Nazareth. I guess that there is more to it but that’s my summary over all.

My name is Mutiat Soyemi. The name was given to me by my dad from the Holy book of Quran which means ‘’Obedient’’. My dad told me I was named Mutiat because according to him When God say something nobody can change it or disobey whatever he says. My name defines me since I was born because I always obey and respect everything my family and friends tells me to do and  I’ve grown with the name since then. I feel like my name is very unique because I am yet to meet anybody name Mutiat.

 

Comment below if you know anymore named Mutiat lol……