[Jennifer Sears]

Use the instructions on the Session 3 To-Do List and complete the Participation Activity before our next class session at 4 pm on Thursday:
https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/sears-eng-1141-ol07-sp-2021/2021/02/09/to-do-list-session-3-tuesday-february-9/

[Kyle Holston]

In yesterday’s course events some events were getting in a car to be driven to Mount Sinai so I can be given a shot, walking to a court room for jury duty and walking to dunking doughnuts. The scene in the court room for Jury Duty is huge. When I walked to the building I had to go to the far left because that is the north side while the section on the right is the south side. When I walked in the building I had to get my temperature taken so the protocol for Covid-19 is met, then asked a couple of questions if I left the U.S. these last few weeks, and then had to take off my phone, my wallet, my keys, my pens out of my pocket, my book bag and my coat off before entering the metal detector. When going through the metal detector there was three officers there speaking to each other about their day. Saying “you remember this place?” And the other officer answering “No I never heard of it.” After all of that I went to the elevator to be taken up to the fifteenth floor where the court room is., since I got there early I waited in the grand jury room where no one was in and had rows of chairs lined up all over the room. I took a seat in a chair in the corner and waited for the time to reach nine o’clock A.M. Finally when nine o’clock was two minutes away I walked to the court room and before I entered the door officers were there to ask “Can I see your proof of service?” And I showed them the proof of service.

I finally entered the courtroom, there were about five long benches with their own separate row in the courtroom. The long benches were facing where the warden was with his and her seats with one seat having a computer there and the other seat having papers and notebooks there. The long benches were facing the seat where there were three seats where one seat was higher than the other two seats connected closely to the third seat that was higher than both seats, and that highest seat was with a microphone for the witness to speak into. The second seat close to the third seat on the right was for the reporter who records everything being said when the case begins for the grand jury. The third seat close the to the highest seat on the left was for if there is a person that speaks another language and not english and needs a translator to translate what the witness is saying. The people there were in suits and ties, very well dressed, when the females walked most of them had on high heels that clacked when they walked in the quiet court room. The feeling I had when experiencing this event was involved, I felt involved in the multiple cases that were brought for us the grand jury. The colors in the courtroom were brown, pale and maroon, the walls were pale, the benches were brown and the seats for the witnesses and wardens were maroon.

Some of the dialog I can vaguely remember was from the district attorney asking the witnesses questions “What is this photo of?” And the witness would answer “the photo of suspect John Shmoe.” The district attorney asking “and is this a cleat depiction of John Shmoe?” And the witness answering “yes”. District attorney asking “and who took the photo?” And the witness answering “I did.” And the district attorney saying “I now take grand jury exhibit 1A into evidence for the grand jury.” This perspective was particular to my experience because I was just telling what I remember and what stood out to me. Maybe the elevator when getting to the court room stood out for someone, and they wrote about the elevator the whole time. Or maybe the witnesses stood out to someone else and they wrote about the witnesses the whole time. For my particular experience the court room stood out because that was where I was in for the majority of time. And this relates to the implacable I Joan Didion writes about because I was using I to describe an event I remembered being in in the day of my life.

[ifsa]

In yesterday’s course events we went to Maimonides Medical center due to my daughter not feeling well constantly having fever. So we want to get a COVID test done just to make sure that there aren’t any signs on COVID-19. While we entered the hospital there was a long line with people waiting to be checked-in so I waited in line to get my temperature checked and get my daughter checked in for a long time. After about 15 min our turn finally came and the nurse asked me a couple of personal questions like if we traveled about of US or is my daughter currently going to school or has been in contact with anyone that has been diagnosed COVID-19. After answer the question she put a name bad on my daughters wrist and let us in so that the doctor can check her. And get a COVID test done. But when we enter the emergency room it was filled with kids no place to sit, my daughter kept on crying because of being so sick but no doctor was available to check her as soon as possible. Finally the doctor came and check her and gave order for doing a blood test to see any signs of COVID also put an IV on her so that she gets some fluids. After some time her reports came back and she was tested negative “thankfully” but the fever wasn’t going down and constantly going up so she got admitted. My perspective doesn’t not relate with any of the writing that’s was the only event that had taken place I wish I had some interesting even going.But nothing was more important than my daughter.

[Jessica]

In yesterday’s course of events it consisted of me waking up early for my first class on a Monday morning. Opening my laptop and getting started on the day. After a couple of hours and getting my classes done, I went to visit to grandmother who is quite old. During this pandemic communicating and visiting my grandma have been tough. Visiting her have made me realize to cherish every moment and memory with her and I did not realize how old she was until she told me her age. My grandmother has dementia and does not really remember much. Which made me felt sad. After eating dinner and catching up with her I made my way back home, I completed some homework and ended the day watching a Netflix show.

[Lauriann Frederick]

Lauriann Frederick
NYCCT Spring 2021
Creative Writing ENG1141-OL07
Activity #3

I remembered my two classes yesterday, and so I will tell you about both individually, first I will tell you about my “Health Psychology Class,” It is a class of great interest to me. I will tell you how I was amazed by the kind of knowledge I was able to garner during our class discussions. The topics we discussed were not completely new to me, but upon hearing it from the array of people that were present, opened me up to a whole new way of thinking and understanding the topics we were discussing. During that class meeting, I was able to evaluate my understanding of the effects of the topic on me as an immigrant, as well as that of other immigrants who came to the United States, and of those who were born in the United States of America.

My second class was the most interesting of the two because it was filled with fun and games. I would like to invite you into my class so you can be part of it today as I was yesterday. My class was all about hosting group activities. How to keep a group energetic and fun-filled and so on our teacher’s guidance we had to come up with a few activities to keep our groups engaged. We decided to do a game whereby each student can participate. Although everyone did not show their faces on the Zoom Meet, yet we were all able to unmute ourselves to participate. The class chose “Jeopardy” as our activity using four major categories. Music, Movies, Vacation Spots, and Quotes. Participants would use the reactions button to lift their hands when they wanted the chance to be Alex Trebek, I was the Scorekeeper.

For the first hour of the class, students will take turns asking questions while others answered by writing in their answers in the chatbox. Most answers were coming in fast and furious, while at other times the host had to give the answers because no one was able to guess them. Even though we were virtual there was such camaraderie among classmates. People were laughing, some were sending virtual hi-fives and thumbs up and we were all just jovial during the entire episode. During the event, I had several different feelings, times of jubilant, relaxation, and even a little anxiety when my classmates were writing or blurting the answers faster than I can keep good scores. I remembered having to unmute myself and asked who answered first, on several occasions. The colors that go with the feelings I was experiencing during that class meet were that Sunset Yellow, Sky Blue, and Blush Pink if one can feel these colors. It was such a euphoric moment that had me feeling calm, peaceful, energetic and, focused for the rest of the evening.

The “Implacable I” in the events of yesterday allows me to express to my readers how I felt during those experiences. The “Implacable I,” allow me to share my views on what I thought of yesterday. It allows for my perspectives to have a voice on their own without me being judgmental or critical. This perspective helps me to be myself and write as I visualize or imagine.

[Lauriann Frederick]

Lauriann Frederick
NYCCT Spring 2021
Creative Writing ENG1141-OL07
Activity #3

I remembered my two classes yesterday, and so I will tell you about both individually, first I will tell you about my “Health Psychology Class,” It is a class of great interest to me. I will tell you how I was amazed by the kind of knowledge I was able to garner during our class discussions. The topics we discussed were not completely new to me, but upon hearing it from the array of people that were present, opened me up to a whole new way of thinking and understanding the topics we were discussing. During that class meeting, I was able to evaluate my understanding of the effects of the topic on me as an immigrant, as well as that of other immigrants who came to the United States, and of those who were born in the United States of America.

My second class was the most interesting of the two because it was filled with fun and games. I would like to invite you into my class so you can be part of it today as I was yesterday. My class was all about hosting group activities. How to keep a group energetic and fun-filled and so on our teacher’s guidance we had to come up with a few activities to keep our groups engaged. We decided to do a game whereby each student can participate. Although everyone did not show their faces on the Zoom Meet, yet we were all able to unmute ourselves to participate. The class chose “Jeopardy” as our activity using four major categories. Music, Movies, Vacation Spots, and Quotes. Participants would use the reactions button to lift their hands when they wanted the chance to be Alex Trebek, I was the Scorekeeper.

For the first hour of the class, students will take turns asking questions while others answered by writing in their answers in the chatbox. Most answers were coming in fast and furious, while at other times the host had to give the answers because no one was able to guess them. Even though we were virtual there was such camaraderie among classmates. People were laughing, some were sending virtual hi-fives and thumbs up and we were all just jovial during the entire episode. During the event, I had several different feelings, times of jubilant, relaxation, and even a little anxiety when my classmates were writing or blurting the answers faster than I can keep good scores. I remembered having to unmute myself and asked who answered first, on several occasions. The colors that go with the feelings I was experiencing during that class meet were that Sunset Yellow, Sky Blue, and Blush Pink if one can feel these colors. It was such a euphoric moment that had me feeling calm, peaceful, energetic and, focused for the rest of the evening.

The “Implacable I” in the events of yesterday allows me to express to my readers how I felt during those experiences. The “Implacable I,” allow me to share my views on what I thought of yesterday. It allows for my perspectives to have a voice on their own without me being judgmental or critical. This perspective helps me to be myself and write as I visualize or imagine.

[Pratima Roy]

In yesterday’s course of events I woke up and started to get ready for Monday. I have brushed my teeth and did my prayers in the morning, which is called aarti. I am American/Bengali Hindu and religious/spiritual so I always pray and do aarti in the morning and evening. I started to get my work laptop ready that was provided from an agency government that I work for. I had to connect with their VPN and checked my emails and other stuff. I then ate breakfast and did some exercise to keep me energized. I love how when I work, I have my family members with me instead of going to an actual office working. I love my family’s presence. As the time passed, the weather was sunny and beautiful. My mood was very good yesterday because I went to my meeting and I learned and asked questions. I was able to get my work done and attended a focus group for another program. When I was doing my work or being part of a group I felt that I was not alone and we are all connected somehow through same strengths, struggles, and experiences as a College/working student. My day was productive and I was able to relax later by watching Bollywood movies and playing games to keep my mind out of reality.

[Pratima Roy]

In yesterday’s course of events, I woke up and started to get ready for Monday. I have brushed my teeth and did my prayers in the morning, which is called aarti. I am American/Bengali Hindu and religious/spiritual so I always pray and do aarti in the morning and evening. I started to get my work laptop ready that was provided by an agency government that I work for. I had to connect with their VPN and checked my emails and other stuff. I then ate breakfast and did some exercise to keep myself energized. I love how when I work, I have my family members with me instead of going to an actual office working. I love my family’s presence. As time passed, the weather was sunny and beautiful. My mood was very good yesterday because I went to my meeting and I learned and asked questions. I was able to get my work done and attended a focus group for another program. When I was doing my work or being part of a group I felt that I was not alone and we are all connected somehow through the same strengths, struggles, and experiences as a College/working student. My day was productive and I was able to relax later by watching Bollywood movies and playing games to keep my mind out of reality.

[Zeneida Hernandez]

In yesterday’s events some were like a normal day, the new normal anyways, the day feels more like a routine. In fact, it feels like everything has changed. I used to get up early, go to work, go to school, and do errands during the day. That doesn’t happen anymore. I don’t even go out that much these days. I find myself going to sleep every night late and waking up late as well. Yesterday was not the exception; I got up late, had my morning coffee to recover the energy after sleeping too late, while looking on my phone to see what is going on, finding nothing more than what social media is trying to sell us; a perfect world.
I saw myself standing in my living room looking through the window and for a moment it felt like nothing had changed; my view is still the same as a year ago. It seems to me like the clock has stopped. I am in the same place, with the same people, and looking through the same window. My hear aches. There is nothing i can do to change the situation we are going through. I have always worked hard to build the life i want to have, but i finally realized that no matter how much you worry about the future you will never know what is going to happen tomorrow. A year has past since the pandemic first hit us and everything had to be closed, and i feel like if i went to sleep and woke up the next morning it would still be the same. Time goes fast, and when i look through the window it’s still grey, cloudy, and cold.

[Asalah Alhababi]

Yesterday, I got up at six on the morning I prayed Fajr. I did some exercise. Then, I ate my breakfast which is some boiling eggs and Hummus with cucumber. I did my math and Biology assignments, until nine fifty-five where I grabbed my laptop and prepare for Bio 1121 that started at ten o’clock. The professor discussed with us Viruses topic and it was interesting because she talked a little about how Covid 19 spread easily through the air and entered our body’s. After that, I assisted my youngest brother who’s eight years old with his assignments. I always try my best to help him and stay beside him most of my time since that my mother is not here, and she is in another country almost five years ago to present because of the ban law that prevented six countries from entering the United States. Even though, I try to give and show my brother love I still know from inside that he missed my mom a lot and it’s not enough for him like my mom used to do things to him. It’s painful and a huge responsibility, but hopefully things will get better soon. After Bio 1121 I took an hour as a break checking my phone. Then, the rest of the day was studying as usual because I just have one class on Monday. From my prospective I think that my writing is related to the “implacable I” Joan Didion writers about in “Why I Write” because of using descriptive to my writing and talking about motivation which I meant that we all human and we are having some sort of circumstances and bad situations, but at the end we fight all of that and become more stronger than before.

[Jennifer Sears]

Pratima,
This is a beautiful post. I like what you mention about how being part of a group makes us feel connected and how important that is to our particular time. I’m closing this thread because I want the replies to be on one thread instead of multiple threads.

[Anthony L]

Yesterday, I was helping babysit the daughter of a family friend. Ever since the daughter labeled me as her best friend, she stays by my side at almost every moment, meaning that I’m responsible for keeping her out of trouble. She can be a real handful at times, but she isn’t so bad to be around. At some point during the day, she was really sad and I, being the best friend, knew exactly how to cheer her up. I hoisted her up on my shoulder and sat her there, then I began to parade her around the living room as if I was a giant that she was riding on. She immediately changed her mood and I asked if she was happy. She answered “ye”, and when I asked if she was having fun, she said “no!” trying to be stubborn. Regardless she kept smiling after I put her down, sort of like she was radiating this pink “feel good” energy.

To be honest, the whole thing about the “Implacable I” thing wasn’t something I really thought about when writing this piece. I always considered writing to be about expressing your feelings and experiences even though you yourself are not supposed to be apart of what you are writing. In every assignment, the one constant in them is “you”. Every written piece is a reflection of your experience and perception of any topic and information between each line. From how I view it, there is always a place for “I” in every form of literature, even if that concept isn’t supposed to be used. The concept of your experience and interpretation with a topic, plays a big role in how you convey it to the reader. Every piece is just sharing your own point of view with someone else, it allows them to see what you have seen, and despite the type of experience, it is always wonderful to share.

[Mosqan Naseem]

Yesterday, I woke up at 8:00 am to take my chemistry lab class. I was sleepy and tired as I am not a morning person but the motivation to take this class is that this is the only class I have in the morning for the rest of the week. After I finished with my class, I got ready to go to my appointment for passport renewal and I went to the post office with my brother. As I was going there, the roads were filled with dusty snow and water. The traffic and the noise annoyed me as I was feeling sleepy and tired. As I reached there and entered the post office, it was crowded, and being in the situation of Covid 19, I felt that they shouldn’t have allowed too many people inside the post office. While I was looking around, I was thinking how everyone has a different reason to come to the post office. I was feeling responsible and confident that I am renewing my passport on my own as I used to come with my parents to renew my passport before I turned 18. I could see the color blue all around the post office and I feel that it represented positive effects on my mind. After finishing my work in the post office, I came home and I had another class. I took that class and after that, I did my homework and watched Netflix for some time, and went to sleep after that.
From my perspective, I think that my writing is related to the “Impacble I” Joan Didion writes about in “Why I Write” because I used descriptive writing and talked about a lesson of how everyone goes through different phases of their life. They are responsible for their own work and have to finish their work alone as they grow up.

[Michael Vanunu]

I started my morning like most people do, waking up, brushing my teeth, and washing my face. Soon after I decided to go eat breakfast, and then I saw it, without realizing it at first. There were these things falling from the sky, a view I have not seen in a while. I was in a feeling of awe at the sight of it, it was something some people may not like but it was something I loved seeing, the sight of snow falling down from the sky. The color white, a beautiful color, a color that feels so pure and looks so pretty, it was a sight to see and seeing it after not for so long it gave me a sense of joy.
“Why I Write” had a sense of everything that was going on, it felt really descriptive and precise to everything that was happening and going on and it showed a lot of the emotion coming out of her words.

[sagar]

Yesterday, I woke up early for my class which started at 8:00 am . I was feeling sleepy and tired because I was doing my assignments late night. Having half opened and half closed eyes, I washed my face and prepared my breakfast tea and some bread to stay awake during class time. I sat on my chair in front of my computer table where I put on my headphones. I never liked wearing headphones in my life but because of online classes I have to use it. I suddenly looked out the window and saw a sunny and bright day, with no energy because Sun’s light was not helping at all in this cold weather.
I started my class where all of my friends had video and audio turned off. I could only see professor teaching in my computer. Then I realized this virtual machine is controlling us is our new classroom without board, desk and bench. I am kind of old school guy who loves to go to college and sit on the front row of class. This feeling remind me of 2019 fall semester which was my last in person semester. I remembered waking up in the morning, rushing for crowded train with coffee on hand. Travelling in a crowded train is like suffering because you don’t even have your personal space. You have to divide you body parts according to space available and assemble it before getting off the train. I remembered Nam building where I had most of my classes and the elevator which was always full and you need to be lucky to get in for the most of the time.
I remembered those blue, yellow and green color chairs where I used to sit long hours and make notes. My thought took me back to reality where I had keyboard and mouse as my pen and paper. After I finished my class I went out for shopping where my boots were making noise on the snow. Hands were feeling cold but it was nice view because I was out after a week. After that I came back and waited until my next class started.
I have common reason as the writer has to write because I can draw my life experience into words with my own colors. I can create my own words and feeling without any obstacles and with no person to question me.