PDF Portal 2012 Final - University of Connecticut

UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

PORTAL

SUMMER

2012

THANK YOU!

To the English Teachers -- Laura Wright, Christina Wilson, Emily Dolan, Lori Carriere, Michael Bartch, Sarah McIntyre, and Ivy Linton-Stabell. Your professionalism and commitment to student success are an inspiration. To our English Tutors -- Jennifer Dodwell, Greg Souza, George Moore, Jarred Wiehe, Matt Jones, Christiana Betts, and Christiana Salah. The students depend on your insight, encouragement, and willingness to listen. To the SSS Residential Staff and Counselors -- As always, we thank you for the kindness and support you provide throughout the summer. You are the pillars of this program. To Bidya Ranjeet and Leo Lachut, Co-Directors of Student Support Services, and Maria D. Martinez, Director of the Center for Academic Programs -- The passion you invest in this bears fruit each year in the success of each SSS student. To all of the CAP office staff -- Without your work behind-the-scenes, we'd surely all come undone. And a special thank you to the students whose well-wrought words you read in these pages, as well as to ALL of the SSS students who strove for excellence in their writing this summer. With the exception of font and spacing, all student essays appear exactly as they were submitted. My thanks to you all for your enthusiasm, for your exploratory thinking, and for your willingness to share your thoughts in print.

Amanda Smith, English Coordinator

Table of Contents

First Place: Kadijah McGehee Second Place: Schneider Jean-Baptiste Third Place: Andrea Roman Honorable Mention: Lucas De Castro Gabriel Bachinelo Trishana Bunsie Melisa Cardona Sade Cinicola Stephanie Condori Deborah Delianne Marissa Ferao Vanessa Harrison Manuela Higuita Jamol Lettman Lais Lima Angel Marrero Juliana Mendoza Isaiah Mohammed Chris Nguyen Emmanuel Omari Chris Pineda

1 6 11

16 24 28 32 36 40 44 46 50 55 59 62 67 74 81 88 96 100

Christopher Reyes Sasha Gail Richardson Tania Yvette Rivera Shantaye Taylor Paul Torres Luo Wang

103 106 112 117 121 128

Kadijah McGehee

~FIRST PLACE~

All We Need is a Microphone

When we think about the word "woman" what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me, it is the word strong. Women are involved in a constant battle with society's negative views of them. This means that, according to social standards, women are only good for their physical attributes and their ability to reproduce as opposed to being respected for their internal intellectual and moral qualities. The worst part of all of this is that these negative views are commonly portrayed throughout America; this is the social norm. William F. Buckley's essay "Why Don't We Complain?" reflects my views of American society because more people, including women, are starting to respond negatively when the topic of women arises and no one takes a stand. After reviewing the websites of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, I saw two different takes on the importance of women in this country. Obama displays a commitment to reversing this negative trend of unjust treatment towards women. However, Romney does not include the voices of American women. I identify myself as a woman demanding respect in this world and I am seeking the support of politicians to take this step of activism. Buckley suggests that Americans do not speak up against the issues because we fear the consequences of social and authoritative backlash. President Obama is not the kind of authority we should fear because his actions towards equality show his efforts to work with us rather than against us. As a voter and citizen, I used Buckley's essay to examine my view of American society because Buckley is saying that we do not speak up against the equality issues. However, as an individual, like President Obama, I too attempt to solve these problems. By using examples of Obama and myself, I am able to see the limitations of Buckley's arguments about American citizens and political actions. Unlike Buckley, I see American society as willing to speak out against the issues as long as they feel able to get their voice across.

In today's society women are seen as less competent than men in a lot of ways. When men verbally disrespect each other, many times the words they use are demeaning terms towards women. For example, when a man calls another man derogatory terms such as "bitch" or "pussy," it shows the upmost disrespect because it says that the accused man is not even a man, he is a woman and

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