Talking Points ; Richard Rodriguez

1. “Supporters of bilingual education today imply that students like me miss a great deal by not being taught in their family‘s language. ”
- I guess my feelings toward this line is sort of bitter sweet. I mean, I was once and still am, a student who wasn’t taught in their family’s native language, and yet I still made out alright in school. By not being taught in my native language, it gave me a chance and opportunity to not only expand my vocabulary, but to also fight the challenge and balance two completely languages out. At Lima Elementary school, I heard that they’re teaching changes weekly.. One week in English, the next in Spanish. Personal, while they might think that they are trying to help the children with their bilingual skills, in reality they’re not. It’s a challenge, but it’s also a huge distraction. There really isn’t a huge deal that the students are missing out on by this. They aren’t being taught in their family’s language, but they are still going home to it though.


2.  “The belief, the calming assurance that I belonged in public, had at last taken hold.”
- To be honest, I feel like there’s something wrong about this sentence. Children, the world’s most innocent development, shouldn’t have to feel the insecurity of not being able to belong in public. It shouldn’t have been after all this time that the speaker feels like they finally belong..

3. “Today I hear bilingual educators say that children lose a degree of ‘individuality‘ by becoming assimilated into public society.”
-I AGREE COMPLETELY! I have seen people, mainly teenagers, try and act like a culture that they are not, trying to speak a language they normally don’t. I’ve noticed that most of this is pertaining to the Hispanic culture and languages. At first, I could never understand why, but now that Rodriguez mentioned it, it’s probably because not only is it our country’s most common foreign language, but also because that’s what they are learning in school.

Talking Points #1 : MacIntosh

1. "White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, code books, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks."
• I think that this quote is very true. Its trying to say that white privilege comes along with all the greatest necessities. however what I don't agree with is that. I do feel as though the whites, especially men, think that they have the power to overrule anything.
2. "Whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, andaverage, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work which will allow“them“ to be more like “us.”
• What stuck my mind the most when I first read this was the high level of gangs that we have in this state, let alone this country. I also thought about the school, and how there are different cliques for different types of people. I hate when I hear the race card being pulled because of something stupid. I feel as though this quotes does pertain a lot to children in school because although segregation is over, it's still around,
3. "It seems to me that obliviousness about white advantage, like obliviousness about male
   advantage, is kept strongly inculturated in the United States"
• Shortly before the Presidential Elections of 2008, when President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton were running up against each other, society was already pointing out the flaws in the future president at the time. The main flaws were that Clinton was a woman, and Obama was of color. When Obama won the election, many people swore that he was going to be assassinated very shortly after he was sworn in as the nation's new president. This quote made me think about all the prejudge that's out there in the real world , and how "the future of tomorrow" isn't going to be able to fix this corruption if the people they're looking up to keep judging.

Introduction

My name is Kayla, and although I have many other nicknames, most people just usually call me Kay. I am a freshman, and I live here on campus. I graduated in the top 3 student of my class last year, and recieved a full scholarship to attend RIC. For the 4 years that I spent in high school, I was the eitor in chief of the school newspaper, I was head leade of Student Ambassadors, I was an active member in SADD and yearbook, a softball player, an actress in the drama department, and vice-president of the class of 2010. Surprisingly enough, I never gave up on the Student Government. Here at RIC, I am also the Secretary of the Class of 2014. I am a Secondary Ed major, with a concertration in Math. In my free time, well actually I don't have free time... I am a full time student, and I am also a FULL time worker at Domino's Pizza. Whie my job is tiring and I do work alot, I love it. I can honestly say that I love what I do. My family and friends are what keep me sane. I am Cape Verdean, and I have been to the Cape Verde Islands more than I can even count. I love SHOPPING!, hanging out with friends, the beach, listening to music, and partying it up, and of course spending time with my family. I come across as a very shy person, but I can be very outgoing once you get a chance to get to know me :)