Mid-Session Check In

Dear Laura Cline:

Here we are at the middle of the semester and so far class seems to be going okay. I have been finding myself writing almost all of my assignments at the last minute. Lucky for me, I seem to do some of my better work under pressure. However, I would like to change that. During the first week of class I was actually really stressed out because I am not a strong writer. As class goes by it seems to get a little better but when the writing assignments come up I start freaking out all over agin. Lucky for me this is the last English class that I have to take for my course of study.

The biggest challenge for me so far in the semester had by far been the writing assignments. I am not a great writer to begin with so each assignment come with its sets of challenges. To be specific, the first long essay was by far the hardest thing for me to start. I have still not yet finished it but hope to be turning it in soon. My biggest success is just simply attending this class. I am doing it to better my education and to get on the right track for a better career for me and my family.

The readings in this class have been closer to home for me since I have family in the military. However, the readings have helped me pay better attention to detail. I enjoy reading so this part of the class has been a joy to me. Each of the readings have made me grateful for what I have, including the readings from the "Poetry of Witness" tab. I believe that these reading have made me fell an emotional connection making them easier to read. Analyzing literature is much different from other writings that I have had to do because I am looking deeper into the context of what I am reading. I am not reading just to read. I am reading to find a hidden meaning and figure out what is truly going on.

My goals for the rest of the semester are to keep up with my assignments and get some extra credit turned in. I would like to apply myself better to this course so that I can have a better outcome. I hope to improve my overall grade and finish my work in a more timely manner. I don’t want to be finishing assignments at the last minute. I want the peace of mind of knowing my assignments are complete and turned in at least the morning they are due. The biggest accomplishment however would be passing this class so that I do not have to take it again!

Sincerely,
Alicia M. Brainard

Sean Huze’s play "The Sand Storm" was very truthful and unedited. There are so many things that are going on with the was in Iraq that we have absolutely no idea about. The only thing that we know for certain is that our soldiers are over there fighting a war that keeps them away from their family and friends. In the play Huze tells us about all the destruction that is going on and how there is still some compassion from the people who live there. At one point he was telling us about how there were these three days that were so amazing because they were able to have some human interaction with others and remember how that feels. They were able to share with the people in Iraq and regain that sense of self. In the same sense though they were still soldiers away from home and held some hostilities against the war. There was a large amount of time that the characters felt like machines just doing what they were trained to do and not deviating from the plan. When they zoned out it was as if the were walking around lifeless, no heart and no morals. The play definitely brought some realization with it. This war has been going on since 2001 and soldiers have been doing numerous tours to Iraq for our freedom. There may be other underlying issues with politics but the soldiers are still human being doing what they are told for not only their job but for a sense of accomplishment. The war stories that we will never hear are personal ones that soldiers are keeping to themselves and they have every right to do so. The play "The Sand Storm" shows how soldiers really talk to one another and how they go about their days as close to normal as they can while living so far away from what they are used to in hundred degree plus heat with food that doesn’t taste the greatest but helps them survive. Although the play itself is not as descriptive it still shows what the soldiers go through on a daily basis and how they attempt to cope with the different trials life over in Iraq brings them.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/