Author: Amberly Wegele

Amberly Wegele

Amberly Wegele
ENG 1101
Prof. Jewell
November 2019

Muslims in China are experiencing life threatening treatment and are being tortured as a form of stripping their beliefs. This isn’t exactly new, and as Americans, we need to do what we can to shine a light on this issue for a resolution. This is a violation of human rights and it’s inhumane. The muslim community in China has been placed in detentions and are being forced to abandon their religion. They are tortured and raped on a daily basis, constantly interrogated and they’re forced to do things against their religion. This is a violation of religious rights and as Muslims, it’s necessary for them to take a stand to stop the way their brethren are being treated. And as humans, we have to stand up for everyone everywhere, what’s happening to them isn’t right and it isn’t humane, it’s a concentration camp in the making.

Muslims are being tortured in Xinjiang and no one seems to be talking about it. Muslims are being forced to abandon their religion or die in these camps. As many as one million Muslims have been detained and put into these camps that they call, “re-education camps” to forcefully get Muslims to abandon Islam. One reporter writes, “ ‘The kinds of behavior that’s now being monitored — you know, which language do you speak at home, whether you’re talking to your relatives in other countries, how often you pray 
 used to decide whether people should be subjected to political reeducation in these camps,’ Sophie Richardson
 China’s government is using new technologies to help carry out mass punishment of an ethnic group
 reports of tortue and death inside of them..” ( Taddonio, Patrice. “How China’s Government Is Using AIon Its Uighur Muslim Population”, PBS, November 21, 2019). This shows just a small dose of how Muslims are being violated in China as their privacy is being invaded and used against them. This is just the beginning, another article says, “Human rights experts estimate that 1.5 million Uighur Muslims and members of other ethnic minority groups
have been detained in Xinjiang since 2016
 they were forced to memorize Chinese communist propaganda 
 learn Mandarin 
 occasionally violently interrogated or beaten.” (Feng, Emily. “ ‘Illegal Superstition’: China Jails Muslims For Practicing Islam, Relatives Say”, NPR, October 8, 2019). This shows the violence that Muslims have been faced with by the Chinnese government, they are forced to do things against their will and were beaten while detained. Another source says, “ ‘They’re really about crushing, to some degree, the Muslim culture, the Uighur culture – getting people to feel much more bonded to the Communist Party than to their own religious beliefs,’ said Wilder”. ( Simmons, Keir. “Inside Chinese camps thought to be detaining a million Muslim Uighurs”. NBC NEWS, October 4, 2019). Muslims are being tortured and detained and are being stripped of their religion in these camps and forced to join the Communist Party in China. As humans, we must stand together and stop this violation of human rights. What’s happening in these camps are inhumane and must be stopped, we need to bring awareness to this issue and put a stop to it as soon as possible. Too many lives have been lost. Now that you know about this, spread the word, help save the people in these camps.

Muslims must stand together and save one another. China is abusing Muslims and forcing them to do things against their religion and are violently forcing them to abandon Islam at all costs. One source uses a witness’ description of the punishments and says, “Punishments could be anything from being deprived of food to having one’s fingernails ripped out, or worse
 Muslims were forced to eat pork
she was repeatedly raped by Chinese guards; she twice found herself pregnant and had the pregnancies forcibly terminated” (Loanes, Ellen. “medical experiments, and forced abortions: One woman describes horrors of Xinjiang concentration camps”, Business Insider, October 22, 2019). This eye-witness explains to the reporter how these muslims would be tortured and forced to do things against their religion. The women held in the camp were rapeed constantly and had unsafe abortions. This is a violation of Islam as they’re forced to eat pork, a meat that is forbiddin for Muslims to eat. These Muslims are being broken down and beaten. As Muslims, it should be your duty to protect your Muslim brothers and sisters and put an end to the vicious actions inflicted upon the Muslims in China. These types of acts shouldn’t be performed on Mulims, let alone anyone at all. Another source describes the situation these people are in and says, “There was constant screaming from there at night,’ says Sauytbay, 43. ‘Sometimes people were dumped back in class badly beaten, or with their nails torn out or blood all over their bottoms and thighs. Others never came back, so I guess they died
Human rights groups have compiled reports detailing torture, and this month activists published a map of nearly 500 camps and prisons used for detentions. US government officials allege they hold between a million and three million people
 and confess ‘crimes’. ‘They would write anything that fitted the suspicions of the government. So if they were religious, for instance, they might say they had talked to their family about Allah.’ ” (Birrell, Ian. “Inside China’s concentration camps holding up to three million Muslim prisoners subjected to a regime of modernsurveillance and old-fashioned torture – as one survivor recounts how you can be executed for laughing”. Daily Mail, November 23, 2019). This evidence shows how the Chinese government has countlessly forced these Muslims that have done nothing wrong to repent for simply following their religion. This is a violation of writes and this causes Muslims to cease the spread of Islam and their belief in Allah. This goes against Islam, as it’s main focus is the belief in Allah and the spread of Islam. Muslims all over need to be prepared to put an end to this at all costs, these camps are killing off innocent people and need to be stopped for the sake of humanity.

How China’s Government Is Using AI on Its Uighur Muslim Population


https://www.npr.org/2019/10/08/764153179/china-has-begun-moving-xinjiang-muslim-detainees-to-formal-prisons-relatives-say
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/inside-chinese-camps-thought-detain-million-muslim-uighurs-n1062321
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7718987/Inside-Chinas-concentration-camps-holding-three-million-Muslim-prisoners.html

Personal Narrative Updated

Amberly Wegele
B. Jewell
ENG 1101
September 2019

My grandmother sends a gentle smile my way as she proceeds to try and enroll me into the school as kids my age talk at me in a language I don’t understand, “what?” is all I can say. The lady shakes her head at my grandmother and quickly steals a glance at me, I hear my grandmother let out a heavy sigh as she walks to me and grabs my hand. We walk out the door, leaving my confusion behind. Soon enough, Spanish became the only language I spoke while I stayed in Santo Domingo with my grandmother.
I get back to NYC after a year of living in Dominican Republic. Confused yet again as people around me speak words that mean nothing to me. My mother embraces me in the airport and speaks at me in words I can’t make out. “Que?” I say, my mother looks at me in utter confusion and then realizes that I can’t understand English. I remember thinking, “porque mamĂĄ se ves asustada?” as I spoke to her in fluent Spanish. She accepted that I needed time and spoke to me in Spanish until it was time to enroll me in school. Once I got into school, I was thrown into a classroom where no one but my soon to be friend, Yessica, knew Spanish. She was my age, and she struggled to translate what was being said. I mean, she was just a kid, how much could she do for me? She tried her best and still had trouble. No doubt I was struggling to firmly grasp the material that was being shoved down my first-grader throat. I couldn’t properly understand Englsih yet but the school system didn’t seem to care. All they wanted to do was force the Spanish out of me as soon as they could, no matter how hard I struggled. Sooner or later English made itself my first language again and Spanish became a thing of the past.
Being thrown into a classroom with no one but a little girl to help me understand what was going on sure wasn’t easy. Understanding a language I forgot without help at my age was hard to say the least. It was a mission getting me to understand the books that were read to us during reading time, and it was a mission getting me to participate when my friend was the one translating what the teacher was saying to me. I couldn’t read what was on the board, I couldn’t answer the questions that were thrown at me. It was like I was a foreigner in my own city. It’s unbelievable how the school placed me into that classroom—knowing I only knew Spanish. While other Hispanic kids were placed in classes with Spanish teachers that helped them learn Englsih, I was struggling to learn in an all English class because I “didn’t look Hispanic enough” to need the help. Instead of helping me improve on my Spanish reading and writing while helping me learn English clearly wasn’t the school’s priority when it came to me. Other kids got the opportunity to expand on both their English and Spanish, I was stuck in a classroom that only had room for the English language. Forcing out my Spanish was harsh and cruel for a first grader, they only cared about making English the only language I spoke as they knowingly placed me in a classroom where no teacher spoke Spanish. But it worked. Soon enough I spoke less and less Spanish, since there was no need for me to speak it in an all English classroom.
Later on in middle school, I was placed into French class when I had asked for Spanish class. Their excuse was, “you already speak Spanish, it wouldn’t be fair to those who didn’t speak it. It’s better if you take French.”. This startled me, so what if I knew Spanish? I only knew how to speak it. I couldn’t properly read it or write it. This went on for the rest of my middle school years; same problem different school year. Each year they found a way to word their excuse differently. Highschool came and I gave up asking for Spanish class when I was French class on my schedule again. What was the point of asking if I knew their response? It got tiring, by then I had already used common sense to teach myself Spanish reading and writing. I was so fed up with the school’s excuses and I was tired of using their excuse not to better myself, I began to read my friends’ Spanish class work to not only help them, but to help myself. I used their work to learn and to help them learn as well. I taught while being taught. It was an extravagant experience to learn and help teach, it was so astounding. Now here I am in college, with the Spanish reading and writing skills I managed to teach myself through common sense and friends’ Spanish work. I may not be perfect in reading and writing, but I am confident with my skills.

Amberly Wegele- Reflection

Amberly Wegele

Prof. Jewell

ENG 1101

14 October 2019

 

1.All music has a purpose and country music’s purpose is to lay the singers’ deep and melancholic feelings onto the listeners. Country music revolves around sad feelings and emotions. A country song without sad and or angry lyrics is a song that doesn’t deserve to be called a country song. The very essence of country songs are the strong raging emotions of the singer that touch the listeners’ emotions. Country songs that don’t include a broken heart, a lover leaving, a partner cheating, or missing one’s hometown, often don’t become hits.  Each of the songs annotated had an upbeat melody laced with melancholic lyrics. The songs included a feeling of longing and despair as they described their situations through their lyrics. Country singers and songwriters reach their audience through strong emotions, they aim for everyone who have feelings. I learned that many of these artists used upbeat melodies to disguise their sad emotions, helping them lure listeners with the melody and then tying them to their melancholic lyrics so they can feel and understand their emotions. They sing about the sad parts of their life and the sad events of their lives. They sing about broken hearts, cheaters, loved ones leaving, longingness for their loved ones or hometowns. Each of these songs became hits because of the feelings attached to the lyrics. They’ve become famous enough to reach tons of people, including myself, I don’t even like country music because of the same stereotypical sad and angry music country singers produced but these songs have wiggled their way into my daily playlist. I still want to learn how they match upbeat music with sad lyrics and make it a hit. I want to learn about the ways the singers contribute to the songwriters and if they put their feelings into words they sing. I also want to learn why the only building blocks of country music are mainly sadness and anger over belongingness and broken hearts and along with this I want to learn why songs that stray from these guidelines don’t blow up like others when they have so much potential to blow up and become famous hits, just like Jolene, Achy Breaky Heart, The Climb, ect. blew up.

  1. I learned that I can analyze not only words but melodies along with lyrics. I learned that I’m open to analyzing different types of genres and not just poems and books.

I believe that my strength as a writer is that I can write and analyze deeply when needed to and strongly relate it to a quote, explaining their relevance and relation. I’m good at using proper evidence to explain in detail. I’m good at expanding to make the writing deep and lengthful. I would like to be able to analyze the little things like english teachers do. My past english teachers analyzed things I never even thought of in books and movies. To do so I could read a piece of writing and read between the lines and look farther into the words of the writer and not overlook the small details that have potential to hold deeper meanings.

 

Amberly Wegele

Amberly Wegele

Prof. Jewell

ENG 1101

26 October 2019

Country Music 

  1. Jolene – Dolly Parton 

In this piece, Dolly sings about a woman who is capable of taking her “man” from her and begs her not to take him. She compares herself to Jolene and exclaims how she herself could never find anyone else to love, whereas Jolene, who is more beautiful than herself, could find anyone at any time and begs her to do so. Dolly claims a bank worker who flirted with her husband Carl Dean inspired her to write Jolene and wrote the song while her husband began spending time with the bank worker. The song gave of a lighthearted tone while the lyrics were laced with a melancholic tone. Dolly uses pathos as she pleads and repeats Jolene’s name throughout the song. She says, “there’s nothing I can do to keep from crying when he calls your name Jolene
 You could have your choice of men but I could never love again he’s the only one for me Jolene ” (Parton, Dolly. “Jolene.” Jolene, 1974. Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/track/2SpEHTbUuebeLkgs9QB7Ue?si=yXkyEbgdSjW_tnKzuc1wVw). As she sings this, she triggers a feeling of sadness in her listeners as she mentions that she cries because her husband calls out another woman’s name in his sleep. Listeners also feel pity as she compares her love life with Jolene’s as she says that Jolene could get any man she wants because of her beautiful looks, meanwhile she can’t and isn’t beautiful enough to capture another man’s love. Dolly begs Jolene to leave her “man” alone and by doing so she gets her listeners to side with her while she makes them feel bad about her situation— she’s being cheated on with a woman way more beautiful than her and she’s going to lose her one and only love, her listeners can feel bad and even relate as they enjoy the sad lyrics mixed with the upbeat instrumentals. 

https://www.smoothradio.com/features/dolly-parton-jolene-lyrics-meaning/

  1. Before He Cheats – Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear (performed by Carrie Underwood)

The song is about a woman catching her partner cheating on her and getting revenge. She sings about how he’s cheating and sings about keying his truck, making him think again before cheating. The song’s tone is aggressive as Carrie sings, “I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped-up four-wheel drive, carved my name into his leather seats” (Underwood, Carrie. “Before He Cheats.” Some Hearts, 2006. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZUo4YjG4saFnEJhdWp9Bt?si=USmfmx6IQJqDuu6G3BHF4w). The song contains pathos as the singer rages on about her cheating boyfriend. She wants her audience to know that cheating has consequences as she says, “I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights, I slashed a hole in all four tires, maybe next time he’ll think before he cheats” (Underwood, Carrie. “Before He Cheats.” Some Hearts, 2006. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZUo4YjG4saFnEJhdWp9Bt?si=USmfmx6IQJqDuu6G3BHF4w). This shows the anger the singer portrays as she vandalizes the cheater’s car and then implies that he should think twice before cheating ever again. She wants everyone to know that cheating will lead to terrible consequences. 

  1. Ready, Set, Don’t Go – Billy Ray Cyrus

This song sends out parental feelings as Billy sings about his daughter moving and leaving him. He’s a father who raised his daughter with love and she’s moving away, any parent would be sad and heartbroken. Billy wrote this with Casey Beathard and sang this to his daughter who was moving away, he wrote it to touch other parents’ hearts and to let children and his daughter know how much they mean to their parents. He uses pathos to convey his message as he says, “She says things are fallen into place Feels like they’re fallen apart I painted this big old smile on my face To hide my broken heart” (Cyrus, Billy Ray. “Ready, Set, Don’t Go.” Home At Last, 2007. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4SSUj4OC7giqpMNCqSQSCf?si=zFRrPTnLSvmgXYM5_6HekQ). Billy sets the tone of sadness and longing as he implies that his heart is broken but he puts on a smile for his daughter who’s moving away because it’s what’s best for her. This can trigger sadness in the listeners, especially his daughter. Parents who listen will be able to relate and think about how it’s for the best that they move away and the children will be able to understand their parents will miss them.

  1. Achy Breaky Heart – Don Von Tress (performed by Billy Ray Cryus)

This song was about a man singing about a breakup and begging her to not make it official. Billy sings about how she could let everyone know they were over, but once she tells him and his heart that they’re over, he’ll be broken into pieces. Billy uses pathos as he sings, You can tell the world you never was my girl, You can burn my clothes up when I’m gone
 if you tell my heart, My achy breaky heart, He might blow up and kill this man” (Tress, Don Von. “Achy Breaky Heart.” Some Gave All 1992. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/2EoIt9vdgFRNW03u5IvFsQ?si=X37VQsLzRJ2gs0x6zTetgw ). This shows his use of pathos as he mentions that once his heart knows it’s over, then his heart will break and he’ll be broken up. He wants to relate to his audience that have experienced breakups and heartbreaks and have them know that they’re not alone and to have others know how a breakup might affect the other person.

  1. 9 To 5 – Dolly Parton

In Dolly’s song “9 To 5”, Dolly sings about inequality in the workplace that women face. She makes the song and lyrics upbeat to have it attract listeners while also making the lyrics inform those who listen as she says “Tumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen…It’s a rich man’s game
 And you spend your life puttin’ money in his wallet ” (Parton, Dolly. “9 To 5.” 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs, 1980. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4w3tQBXhn5345eUXDGBWZG?si=veLBWqX2Ru-WkmXXI85kIg ). Showing how she goes from upbeat lyrics to serious relatable lyrics to draw listeners in. She sings about how she works hard, from 9 to 5, trying her best, with potential to surpass the males in her job, but in the end the men dismiss her or take her ideas. She uses pathos as she says, “They just use your mind
 never give you credit
 They let you dream just to watch ’em shatter, You’re just a step on the boss-man’s ladder
” (Parton, Dolly. “9 To 5.” 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs, 1980. Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/4w3tQBXhn5345eUXDGBWZG?si=veLBWqX2Ru-WkmXXI85kIg ). This shows how she’s broadcasting the issues women face in the workplace, using phrases that women can strongly relate to, forming an emotional bond with the listeners to the song. This song is a way of relating to struggling women in the workplace and letting people know that women struggle no matter how hard they work. 

  1. Take Me Home, Country Roads – Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, John Denver (performed by John Denver)

The song is about someone being home sick and reminiscing his old home. He sings about how great it is and how he wants to go back. The tone is very reminiscent and soothing. As John sings, “take me home To the place I belong, West Virginia
 All my memories gather round her
” ( Denver, John. “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” Poems, Prayers, and Promises 1971 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/1YYhDizHx7PnDhAhko6cDS?si=S-4pVQQLQ5OnzCTNYUOs6g) . This demonstrates the writer and singer’s use of pathos as they combine their feelings with West Virginia and call it a home with memories. Many people relate to this because many move out of their childhood homes and feel sad when they look back at their memories because of the sentimental value their old home. The song triggers memories of the listeners’ old homes and makes them reminisce just as the song writer and singer wants.  

 

Spoken Poetry- Amberly Wegele

Amberly Wegele

ENG1101

Jewell

10 October 2019

Spoken Poetry

                    Poetry is a piece of literature that includes a series of devices that help shape a deeper meaning into a short amount of words. All types of poetry are fascinating, but my favorite type of spoken word poetry. It gives the audience a better view of the poet’s words as they are able to see and hear and feel what the poet is presenting.  In Olivia Gatwood’s “ Ode to the Women on Long Island”, she describes her gratitude towards the women on Long Island and makes the audience feel the same. Gatwood is a writer, a poet, and a feminist.  She uses a heavy accent to emphasize her lines when she speaks as the people in her poem. This to me was mesmerizing because she’s so forward with her words and accent and it made me think I was in Long Island. She wrote this for all females, trying to inspire them to be kind to one another and listen to others’ stories and to be like women she describes in her poem. She speaks about how the women are vicious toward each other but have so many beautiful priceless stories and love in them. She describes how the women are exactly that, women. They stick together and give advice along with their stories. They stand up for women when faced with danger and never show fear, they don’t let a man make them feel any less than they are, no matter who the man is. I love this poem because of her strong words and her strong voice, this is thanks to Gatwood’s use of pathos. Her words and voice and accents trigger an emotional reaction to the audience as she constantly mentions the women on Long Island. This poem is one of the two poems that made me want to listen to more spoken poetry.

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