Sebastian Rothwyn
Professor John Coppola
Art 11
April 09, 2011

Giotto and Duccio

Despite the heavy Christian themes of Western European art in the thirteenth century, the late thirteenth century saw both subtle and major influences from Roman antiquity in many of the arts, including writing and fine art. The fourteenth century saw the development of the humanist movement in Italy. Both of these happenings at the turn of the century found many artists developing the new style to become known as the Renaissance.

Giotto di Bondone was born in the late thirteenth century around 1267. His birthplace, in the Mugello Valley near Florence in Italy is regarded as the center of the new Renaissance culture. In addition to geographic serendipity, several writers that are important to art history have commented on Giotto’s influence on the period through his art. Boccaccio and Petrarch made remarks about Giotto’s work elevating the culture from dark times of the Middle Ages.

Sebastian Rothwyn
Professor Alex Alvarez
English 11
March 29, 2011

Invincible

“Invincible” was the first album of the twenty-first century by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, released in 2001. Unlike his other albums, “Invincible” was mostly written by Michael Jackson and directly inspired by actual events in his life. This was the tenth studio album of the most successful entertainer in history and the last time he released new material while he was alive.

The album opened with “Unbreakable”: a title which aptly described the underlying theme of the album as a whole. It was performed in a conversational style, addressing the media and others who questioned whether his music was too antiquated for the wildly successful boy bands, young solo artists and the dominating hip hop music of the new millennium.

Michael Jackson began the song “Unbreakable”, and the album, by speaking directly to negative critics who added controversy of criminal allegations to their reviews of his music. He challenged them to consider his life from a boy: growing up in the public eye, with an abusive parent; to the revelation of his innocence of criminal allegations, despite some people’s strong convictions to the contrary.

Jackson’s response to his critics was evidenced strongly in the attitude of his words when he said, “Seems like you'd know by now / when and how I get down, / and with all that I've been through, / I'm still around” (Unbreakable). This is an anthem for anyone who refuses to let outsiders tell them who they are or what they should be. In a reasonable way, I find this very inspiring.

Although some who hear Michael Jackson’s music may notice his occasional use of slang, they generally consider it to be absent of specific colloquialisms. The song “Unbreakable”, among others on the album, has a purposeful urban influence to the lyrics. This was done to show parallels in the harshness of the complicated lives, emotional torment, and struggles with contentment, in urban life, to his. He made it clear that he, and all of his listeners, could overcome challenges by resisting attacks on their character and exhibiting confidence.

The chorus of “Unbreakable” became the assurance that anyone who intended to see his decline would be sorely disappointed. More importantly, the bridge of the song, before the introduction of The Notorious B.I.G., Michael Jackson summed up this anthem with a concise but strong message, telling the media that he was truly unbreakable.

In part, this song was also about triumph. Michael Jackson overcame a severe drug addiction that he dealt with for many years and with the help of his family and friends, he was able to overcome it. A large portion of this album was dedicated to those family members and friends who were an inspiration to him and it is felt in the music and vocal delivery of the song that followed.

The distinct high energy sound that Michael Jackson was most famous for didn’t lose any of its potency. This was evident throughout the “Invincible” album in the up-tempo tracks, but he slowed it down after the title track, “Invincible”, to begin speaking about his relationships: the part of his life that few understood.

Jackson’s slower tracks were equally as impressive as they have ever been. As always they were about love, but that love was more than romance between him and his lovers. He also spoke about his love of his children, family and the world.

To set the mood and show his heart, Jackson narrated memories of his relationship with his former wife and lover, Lisa Marie Presley, who helped him through his drug addiction. He showed his true feelings for her, and how he felt about losing her to his addiction in these songs, especially in the song “Heaven Can Wait”. He avoided specifically mentioning names and used metaphors to describe his fear of losing her to the intoxication of his addiction and potential death from overdose.

The song that followed, “You Rock My World”, was his first single of the new century, released prior to the album. It was a very touching ballad, but the music video was a visually stunning spectacle for his dedicated fans that enjoyed the classic movie-styled videos he made famous. He ends the romantic segment of the album with “Butterflies”: a sweet serenade that anyone who has ever felt intoxicated with another person would understand. This song began the transition from romantic love to familial.

“Speechless”, the song following “Butterflies”, was inspired by the one concept few have understood about Michael Jackson; which always made him a target for those with malicious intentions: bliss.

Jackson believed that in children there was an innocence without which the most enjoyable moments in life could not truly be appreciated. He said, “Gone is the grace for expressions of passion” (Speechless), to show that it is easier for a child than for someone who has lived through the trials of adulthood to reconnect with that innocence. It was also a startling comment on how he felt the mentality of people had changed over the years.

When Michael Jackson had children of his own he believed that they were a blessing to him and a warning to avoid self-destructive behavior. He believed this so deeply that he wrote and dedicated a song to them called “You Are My Life”. He clearly illustrated their significance in his life throughout the entire song. Although I have never had children of my own, when I hear this song I remember the look in my mother’s eyes whenever something happened that could threaten one of her children; it was as if her whole world was unraveling.

Jackson followed this song with an appeal for his privacy, that of his family and other friends of his who were hunted by the media for the sake of selling their publications. The tone of this song, “Privacy”, was mostly combative so he brought back the guitarist Slash, who he previously collaborated with; and whose guitar riffs were strikingly powerful instrumental accents to Jackson’s combative lyrics.

Once again Jackson spoke directly to the media, about the great lengths to which they went to destroy his integrity. He also spoke about the death of his friend, Princess Diana, who he believed died at the hands of the media. It was a compelling song that showed he was not as aloof as the media made him seem.

“Don’t Walk Away”, the song following “Privacy”, was a song for those who have made mistakes in their relationships and caused their lovers pain, to find ways to reconnect by being truly honest with them or let them go and to stop causing them pain. After this he moved on to what mattered to him more than being understood: changing the world.

The song “Cry” was this albums anthem of his world healing crusade. Jackson always tried to communicate his feelings on everyone’s responsibility to help disadvantaged children and families, around the world, in every album made in his adult life. If he had a religion, healing the world would be it.

The complement to “Cry” was the next song, “The Lost Children”, which was the most emotionally compelling song on the album. After hearing this song, one cannot help but be moved to help those who are less fortunate.

He completed the theme of healing the world by speaking to couples who deal with a diverse range of problems. This song featured Carlos Santana, and his soulful acoustic guitar, which helped set the mood with Jackson’s soulful vocals. This song tied all of the album’s themes together in an unexpected way. It touched on love, pain, the world and the people we are inside.

Lastly, Jackson ended his album with a song that would be thought-provoking for those who refused to understand him because he was considered different. In this song Jackson connected to their xenophobia and used the voice of Rod Serling, narrator of the Twilight Zone, to say, “The major ingredient of any recipe for fear is the unknown” (Threatened).

The song Threatened was partially in jest and amusing to his fans who knew better. In part, to illustrate how ridiculous Jackson believed someone fearing him simply for being different was. Also in part, that if someone felt threatened by him, they should consider improving themselves instead of focusing on others.

“Invincible” was one of the most meaningful albums Michael Jackson ever made. Although it was met with speculation and moderate reviews in the USA, it was still considered by diehard fans to be his finest work to date. Internationally it was wholly recognized as his finest work. This consideration was based on the fact that he directly penned most of the songs from his true feelings, experiences and the feelings of his co-creators with whom he collaborated to convey his thoughts on each matter as emphatically as possible.

Michael Jackson met an untimely death in 2009 but his music is as alive, inspiring, thought-provoking and electrifying today as his performances were while he was still alive. In 2007, Jackson said, "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever" (Ebony Magazine).

Works Cited

Michael Jackson, perf. “Unbreakable.” Invincible. Epic Records, 2001. CD.
Michael Jackson, perf. “Speechless.” Invincible. Epic Records, 2001. CD.
Rod Serling, and Michael Jackson, perf. “Threatened.” Invincible. Epic Records, 2001. CD.
Monroe, Bryan. “A Q & A With Michael Jackson.” Ebony Special Tribute: Michael Jackson In His Own Words and Notes of Those Who Loved Him.” (2009) Print.

Sebastian Rothwyn
Communications 12
Doctor Joshua Halberstam
March 22, 2011

One Minute Commercial

(This commercial is for obtaining an entry level job at a film company in New York City)

My name is Sebastian Rothwyn. I am a proud soldier in the US Army National Guard in New York. I won the 2010-2011 Soldier of the Year competitions for both the 369th Special Troops Battalion and the 369th Sustainment Brigade here in New York City. I am a quick learner and have a diverse range of skills and talent.

I have always been attracted to learning new things and refining the knowledge I already possess. Consequently, I am currently studying Media Technology at Bronx Community College and plan to transition to the Broadcast in Television and Radio program for my four year degree at Brooklyn College. I have always been fascinated by media in film and audio.

When I was young, I was fortunate to be exposed to a wide range of media consoles and informal training from experts in the field of media in Barbados. The highlight of this experience was when I managed a major concert when I was 15 years of age.

I immigrated to America 14 years ago from Barbados, in the West Indies, which has the highest literacy rate in the Western Hemisphere; however, being a small nation, there was not that much room for advancement at the time. Fortunately I was able to pursue my dreams here in New York City. I had to start by studying on my own while I worked at a bookstore but as I became more proficient I was able to begin consulting in web technology as you can see highlighted on my resume.

It was at JPMorgan Chase where I developed as a technology professional, working with a diverse cross section of the investment bank and the retail side of the business as well. There I did most of the professional photography, in addition to developing their web sites and contributing to the graphic design of Chase Space, Presentation and Production Services and, for most of my time there, the Business Research Center.

When the company outsourced all of its technology to Bangalore and Mumbai in India, I used my skills to assist an emerging real estate firm with their mobile initiatives. Golden Eye Investments pegged me to do their vehicle wraps for their promotional campaigns, shoot their video commercials, and be a technical liaison between them and their vendors.

I have worked with many top celebrities in one capacity or another, on their media initiatives, such as: Empire Arcadia for MTV, Danity Kane for their comic book, and William Moore for MVP Gaming Magazine.

I always give 100% of myself to my tasks, which is why, when I joined the US Army as a heavy truck operator, I made sure to continue my new skills with civilian training and acquired my Class A CDL license. Additionally, I obtained my motorcycle license to ensure that I would be fully ready to take on any task that a transportation unit would demand of me.

With this CDL license I operated paratransit vehicles for the elderly and disabled, navigating my way through New York City and surrounding areas, always on time within my control.

Recently I have worked as a photographer for startup company Red Rune Studios LLC, which specializes in nature, wildlife, portraits and documenting movies for posterity.

It is my intention to work with a film company in New York City, and in five years, grow with them as a talent and asset; hopefully directing my own major feature film in one capacity or another.

Sebastian Rothwyn
Music 11
Professor Oliver Markson
March 13, 2011

The Valkyrie: Ride of the Valkyries

This piece of music has always been one of my favorite pieces. Whenever I hear it I think of something fantastic, awe-inspiring and beyond our world. As a lover of science fiction, fantasy and role playing video games that borrow many of their musical themes from pieces like this, it is not a stretch that I am drawn to it. The real question is which came first: the music informing my love for those things, or those things informing my love for this music.

The Valkyrie, chooser of the slain in Norse mythology, is a female figure that rides a horse through the sky and selects from those that die in battle who will join Odin in the halls of Valhalla.

When you hear the violins in the beginning you can almost envision the Valkyries taking to the sky, and envision the scene in this illustration.

The Ride of the Valkyries, Ritt der Walküren, is the beginning of the third act of an opera called Die Walküre, The Valkyrie, composed by Wilhelm Richard Wagner. It is indisputably the most popular part of his opera and perhaps all of his work.

The strings open with a quick crescendo followed by a quick decrescendo, poco a poco, but when the English horn is introduced to produce a counterpoint, it gives the sense that something big is about to take place.

The trumpets become the new melody of the first theme of the exposition and the strings (violins, double bass and cello) do a counterpoint dance beneath the melody. There is a dense texture to this which makes it feel, not only enormous but important, that it has to happen or there will be consequences. This really sets the tone for visualizing a fantasy scene of every great epic play or movie based on Olympian or Norse mythology.

The counterpoint continues in the form of a sonata, where the trombones, flute and violins chase one another through development as if the Valkyries have decided to dive through the clouds. It provides a sense of falling, making adjustments left and right all the way down until the violins and our Valkyries finally drop below the clouds and we are recapitulated to the first theme.

The trombones replace the trumpets in this aspect of melody for a heavier texture while the rest of the counterpoint is maintained. This time one can visualize the view of a battlefield over a large field that goes on for miles as the drums are introduced loudly beneath. Out of seemingly nowhere, the music drops with a mezzo piano dynamic then the violins crescendo and at the apex the cymbals crash and it feels like the Valkyries plucked their first candidate from the battlefield with a lightning bolt. Another crash happens and another before they continue to fly.

Again the music dips, but there is an accompaniment that is reminiscent of flapping wings as the flutes undulate between a gentle crescendo and decrescendo. Again they crescendo, with the cymbals and drums, louder and louder, poco a poco, and one can feel there are harsh and violent things occurring whether it is a killing blow from battle, or the harshness of being ripped away from the earth by the Valkyries on their winged beasts.

There is a brief period where only the flutes play and this is a sign that the Valkyries have searched and have made no other selections. You can feel them moving and looking but there are no more candidates.

We are brought back to the main theme but this time the flutes rise and fall but mostly rise then after some repetition, the cymbals crash and it is as if the Valkyries begin to move skyward in one swoop. They rise with the accompaniment and a new theme emerges with all of the instruments in harmony, except for the percussion which still accompanies the new melody.

Then everything seems to change as the horns, trumpet and flute continue together almost, one after the other then they join with drums as the melody descends almost the same as the Valkyries descend upon the halls of Valhalla, quickly and powerfully, as if triumphant, they land powerfully but evenly as all of the instruments come together for one final splash and their job is done. One can almost see the wings of the horses flap for the last time before their hooves hit the ground and with one stroke, it is done.

Sebastian Rothwyn
English 11
Professor Alex Alvarez
March 15, 2011

Oh, the Horror!

            When I was in my early twenties I didn't take care of my body as well as I should have. I was addicted to cherry vanilla ice-cream, played video games for absurdly long periods of time, didn't exercise, drank alcohol more than anyone should, and I didn't care what I looked like or what people thought about it.

When I moved into my mid-twenties, some of my friends started taking care of themselves while others did not. Those of us who stopped abusing our bodies felt a lot healthier; travelled more and even fell in love. Love, after all, is what everyone searches for. This is one of the many reasons why we attempt to improve ourselves, in the hope that we will make a suitable partner for someone who cares about themselves as much as we hope they do.

All of this happens every day without the media. Although the media is often blamed for their exploitation of people's low self-esteem and insecurities, it is their job to inform and exploit. This is why shows are categorized as fiction or reality.

            Fiction may be based on reality but it is definitely unreal. They may or may not devalue human life, but they are still fiction and therefore only a comment on our views on the subject. A reality show is the series of events as they actually occur. These shows, when they devalue human life, are an unfortunate statement on the people involved.

            If my life was a reality show I would be deeply grateful that my friends wanted me to be healthier because it provided me with a more fulfilling life. My knees didn’t hurt anymore because I was no longer heavy. I was no longer ashamed of my weight and would go outside more often and discover the beautiful city of New York, where I lived.

My friends didn’t help me because they wanted to beautify me to reach some commercial standard for aesthetic reasons. They helped those of us who didn't take care of themselves begin to make the change, through inspiration and direct intervention. This was how I became healthier: slowly, using my friends for guidance until I found my own way and my own will.

            The real concerns for the individuals on reality makeover shows are their friends who submit them to the process. A friend's job is to support and assist in making meaningful decisions. One may argue that they cared about their friend's appearance and wanted them to become improved versions of themselves, by submitting them to extreme makeovers. However, it is a startling statement of their friend's view of them as objects that must be restructured and reconfigured to be made into an object that is more appealing on the outside, without any work on the inside.

            Artificial improvement is no substitute for the effort associated with a real life change. Less people would hate their bodies if they made an effort to care about it. Before we begin to see the flaws that we need to correct, we should all examine the reason we need to make any changes at all.

            Health is a major concern and so is a blemish resulting from an accident such as burns from a fire. However, if we considered that the reason we want to lose weight is to be less prone to heart disease, as opposed to looking good enough to fit into a tight dress, then we can see the process as a benefit and not a horror.

            Through self examination and help from our friends, we can improve ourselves based on the amount of care we place on health, friendships, and love. When we do this, there is no room for the true horror of superficiality, only beauty.

Sebastian Rothwyn
English 11
Professor Alex Alvarez
March 8, 2011

Too Much Tech: The More the Better

Technology, like most things in life, will be harmful in excess because any excessive measure of dependence creates vulnerabilities. However, it is not technological progress that we need to be wary of, but our attitude to progress itself.

People use the Internet to acquire information faster in the same way people drive cars to reach destinations faster. This is the purpose of technology: quicker access to solutions. A person must learn to operate a car and abide by the rules of the road in order to reach their destinations while avoiding potential dangers. When using the Internet for learning, a person must still learn to properly acquire information, absorb it and understand it. Having quick access to facts on the Internet does not bypass the road to understanding. It does, however, allow for deeper inquiry into a subject by providing access to information from multiple reference points, in a timely manner.

One of the most famous tools for reference is Google: the name of a search engine based on the rarely used noun which refers to a number followed by one hundred zeroes. This search engine allows a person to find information generated through the indexing of multiple web sites which may contain information relevant to the terms entered. However, the reference is not the search engine itself but the sources that it provides. Many of which are reputable and traditional sources of information simply translated for viewing over the Internet.

The ability to find information from multiple sources has made the richly diverse world more accessible. Not only is it quickly available, but the interested researcher can delve into a subject without spending hours or days wading through physical sources which may be miles away from them; physically inaccessible in some instances.

Multiple levels of access do not, however, change the attitude of a person towards the subject matter. A person must still have the desire to want to know, ask probing questions and properly compile the information to understand a subject in order to move beyond simple fact finding. Using Internet technology in this way, a person can potentially have a greater understanding of a subject; short of experiencing the subject in person.

Over the years, this movement of acquiring information easily mixed with mankind's need to communicate has also led to a movement commonly referred to as social networking. This occurs in a variety of ways, including instant messaging and the creation of Internet-based journals: colloquially referred to as blogs. These methods of communication are similar to the telephone, allowing direct communication between people separated by distance.

However, social networking goes another step and allows the other party to see and track the activity of the first party, through controlled access to photographic and video galleries. Additionally, a greater amount of information can be added to assist viewers in understanding what people felt through the addition of commentary. This can be the gateway to a more comprehensive understanding of the occurrences the viewer was not physically able to experience. Can such involvement really push people apart or bring them together?

People trade the cost of Internet access for the cost of physical interaction with a subject. Naturally this can be seen as disconnection from a physical experience but, for many people, it is too costly to directly experience a subject that may be too far away. However, experiencing a subject virtually is the beginning of the learning process. This can be the beginning of a fulfilling learning experience in which a person, once they are finally able to physically interact with subject matter, can experience it beyond the facts and achieve a deeper understanding.

Many people still utilize a measure of formal writing on the Internet, and there is no drawback from doing this since larger messages are delivered faster, in recent years. Technology does not make this determination. People do. Their attitude towards the subject they are communicating dictates how formal, informal or colloquial their message will be. Sometimes it is more important to be concise and, in other instances, it is more important to be verbose.

There as a protestor in a war ravaged country who was arrested by the corrupt government there. With the pattern of protestors disappearing from prisons and being found dead shortly afterwards, he was certain that he would meet a similar fate. He used the few seconds he believed he had left to send a message with the word arrested, through a text based journal service called Twitter. Over the next four hours, everyone he knew who followed his protest efforts on this service coordinated to have him freed. At the end of those four hours he sent a message with one word: freed; as a symbolic gesture of the effect his one word message had on his incarceration and subsequent freedom.

This situation clearly illustrates that people who may have been alone in their exploits in the past, can communicate with technology and exercise a power over their situation that they may not have had before. The attitude of those who viewed this information was to utilize it as a way to begin to understand what happened to him, not as a fact to be seen and dismissed.

Technology allows us to communicate and make progress in our lives if we have the right attitude to learning. The true purpose of learning is to make progress beyond our understanding. Isn’t it?

Sebastian Rothwyn
Art 11
Professor John Coppola
March 12, 2011                                                                                        

Pantheon in the Library

The Pantheon located in Rome, Italy in the 9th region or "Regione IX Circus Flaminius" was originally commissioned by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, son-in-law of the first emperor of Rome, Emperor Augustus, as a temple to all of the gods of Ancient Rome. However, because of the periodic destruction and damage it endured for almost 100 years, it was rebuilt in 126 C.E. by Emperor Hadrian. This is the form of the structure that now stands.

The majority of the structure is circular. It has incredibly tall granite Corinthian columns at the entrance, or portico, underneath a triangular-styled top. Inside is a rotunda, covered by a dome in the center of which is an oculus which provides the second only natural source of light to the rotunda; the other being the entrance.

It is significant because its dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced dome made of concrete and has endured for almost two thousand years. It is also significant because of its conversion into a church with the addition of high altars and apses commissioned by Pope Clement XI in the early eighteenth century. Several works of art were added to the building to provide for a more Christian appeal. To this day it is still used for its original purpose of worship, except that the gods have changed.

On the Bronx Community College campus, the Gould Memorial Library resembles the architecture of the Pantheon in its present form, in a strong way. It has incredibly tall arches at the portico as well, in the Corinthian style, but the addition of stained glass windows echoes style of a Christian movement similar to Catholic churches.

It is named after Helen Gould Miller, a prime donor for the construction of the library. The interior has a dome with relief that resembles the relief in the dome of the original Pantheon. There is an oculus in the roof of the dome which also lets in light. Inside the rotunda in the upper gallery are female figures, considered Greek Muses, statues holding scrolls and other educational tools. This may be significant because Helen Gould Miller and 47 other women attended the N.Y.U. Law School in April 1895 in a law program separate from that for male students. It is almost as if they are inspiring the young minds who walk through the building.

The Gould Memorial Library is also significant because of the large amount of detail that went into its creation and the fact that it has been given landmark status. Additionally it is surrounded by the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, a series of statues of great Americans who made significant contributions in areas of learning and American progress.

Sebastian Rothwyn
Art 11
Professor John Coppola
March 12, 2011

Philip the Arab

The Emperor Marcus Julius Phillippus, or Philip I, was born in the Huaran region in the same location as Shahba in Arabia, as a Roman citizen. The portrait commonly associated with the emperor, was found in 1778. Consequently, it is referred to as the portrait of Philip the Arab, as a result of his Syrian heritage. He had the unique privilege of presiding over the Roman Empire’s one thousandth anniversary, since its founding.

The facial expression of the sculpture is best described by the period in which it was made known as the Crisis of the Third Century. Although the artist is unknown, he or she has captured what is believed to be the most profound expression of the face of the emperor: summing up his rise to power, financial mistakes which caused the empire a great deal of problems and his murderous activities, all in this facial expression and tightly wound toga. The artist used a realistic technique; however, the clothing lacks texture and there are no historical records to determine whether this was accurately smooth.

The style is considered the Caracallan style, named after the emperor Caracalla, because that emperor was the first main figure to utilize the military style showcasing close-cropped hair, stubble beard and a complicated but menacing expression. This was a deviation from the previous styles where flowing and attractively styled hair and clean faces were sculpted.

The composition appears as homage to the militaristic value of the emperor, more than his statehood. My eyes were drawn to the large wrap of the toga as his face’s very intense expression rises out of his shoulders. A lot of time can be spent on his face searching it for many meanings but there is no singular expression. Emotions such as pride, indifference, fear and disgust, among others, can be found. The entire body sits atop a shortened Ionic column.

There is no concrete information as to how the work was regarded in the past. After it was allegedly excavated in Porcigliano, Italy, it was displayed in Musei Vaticani, Braccio Nuovo in Rome, Italy about fifty years later because of the significance of Philip the Arab as a friend to Christianity. Although Philip the Arab was interested in and sympathetic to Christians, he was not regarded as Christian because of his secular practices in recorded history.

Sebastian Rothwyn
English 11
Professor Alex Alvarez
March 01, 2011

Technophile

            My earliest memory was of playing a game on a personal computer. I can still remember the sensation of breathing rapidly as I guided a mouse through a maze while avoiding cats who intended to stop me reaching the cheese at the end. It was a simple game but it was exciting, and I recall it being the most fun I had in the earliest years of my childhood.

            My parents used the computer for accounting but, like most children, I found a way to play with it. Unlike many games today, each one had to be programmed and compiled immediately before it could be used. My older brother would do the programming then and achieving this feat without parental guidance was incredibly gratifying. This involvement in computing was a haven from the parental conflict that existed in my early years. Consequently, this computer and many other technological devices would become thrilling methods of escape.

            After my parents divorced, my mother, my siblings and I, move to a new neighborhood. Despite the loss of one parent, the element I missed the most in my life was the computer. I missed the ability to click away at the keyboard and see my efforts come to fruition. The loss fueled my fascination with technology and the yearning to fill this void in my life. School did not fill it and because my father had taken the computer with him I resented him for it.

            I was satiated by tinkering with consumer electronics such as radio controlled toys, radios and sound systems. Although I lacked formal training, I learned to see the mechanisms that operated these devices using the same methods I saw my brother use to make games when I was younger. It was within my control and it could be manipulated to suit my needs which I enjoyed immensely. My childlike desire was to find new avenues for this new experimentation. For this I would have to venture into the outside world which was a place where a child like me would experience nose bleeds and itchy skin. I met new friends who shared their devices with me and if those devices stopped working I fixed them. If we played outside I was miserable but every time I worked on one of those devices I could feel that same sensation I felt the first time. It was not long before we would have to move again.

            For the next few years we lived with my aunt who lived far away from other families in an area that smelled like farmland and lacked electronics except for one radio which I was not allowed to touch. We walked to a water pipe, about a half of a mile away, to collect water in buckets. The toilet was an outhouse at the end of the backyard. It was during this period of my life that I developed the ability to draw while I stayed indoors. Pencils and paper were relatively inexpensive which made them readily available to us. There was not a day that passed without the thought of some measure of tinkering. These thoughts became the subject of my artwork and I began to enjoy drawing. However, the sensation I felt would come and go.

My mother also provided many books for us so we spent a great deal of our time filling our days with a variety of truly entertaining stories. I blended these stories, my passion for technology, and my imagination, into my artwork. As a result, my family assumed I would be a fine artist and although I was adept at drawing, fine art was not my passion. I didn't have the courage to tell them otherwise since it made my mother proud; and it was good to see her happy.

            When my mother bought a house in another parish, everything felt new. The quality of the air smelled less like farmland. There were other houses that could be seen from our window. Additionally, there was running water in the sink and the toilet flushed. The world made significant advances in technology over the years when I felt my life stood still. I couldn’t wait to catch up to what I missed. I was obsessed with acquiring that knowledge and becoming involved but we were poor so my mother did what little she could. Needs were still more important than desires and I couldn’t tell the difference at that age. Slowly she reintroduced technology back into our lives. For me it wasn't enough but I felt it would be unfair to burden her with my desires; so I remained content with what she provided.

            When my mother moved overseas to become an international exchange teacher, around the same time I moved to high school, my siblings and I remained in Barbados with our extended family. Fortunately for me, my new high school was outfitted with a new computer room in that same year. Naturally, I gravitated towards them and the teachers encouraged my passion. I felt deeply satisfied when there and deeply saddened when I was not, until one of my aunts began to take us to church.

On the first day of church I saw the most beautiful mixing console I had ever seen. It was the latest model available at the time so it was completely new to me. I immediately found myself drawn to all of the audio equipment in the church and the adults who operated them would encourage my interests. They wanted to be nearer to the sermons and I yearned to be nearer to the equipment. No one could understand how much connecting wireless microphones to singers and providing them with just the right equalization for the perfect pitch filled my heart with joy. One of my aunts bought a personal computer shortly after and I spent more time on it than she did. To encourage my interests she would have me install all of her applications. I learned the most that I ever would about technology in those years and then I was gone.

It was my father with whom we immigrated to the USA and although I still resented him even after all of those years for leaving with the computer, he gave me an old one that he had before he sent me to live with my mother. An old computer for him, however, was far more advanced than those we had back in Barbados. I felt it was his loss because he didn’t appreciate it as much as I did. For several months, I spent virtually all of my time learning everything that was happening with technology. The internet was incredibly fast compared with what I contended with before. My learning increased equally as fast as the information could be downloaded. Finally I felt that technology and I were in sync.

I blended my knowledge of technology and art, to produce a multimedia portfolio on compact disc that I used as a rarely considered addition to my resume when searching for jobs. After many short projects, I finally found a full time job in consulting with a major financial institution that was working on web technology: new to the industry at the time which focused mostly on desktop applications. This was the most exciting thing I could never dream of. I found a place to do what I loved doing and I earned a good living doing so.

We were able to move to a better home. Technology was my safety net. When I needed something, I felt like I could always turn to it and it wouldn’t disappoint me. My obsession grew and I felt it could not be interrupted. However, it was interrupted in the worst way.

The company I worked with for almost a decade, told me that I would have to train my replacements because they needed to save money. I didn’t have a degree in technology and it became impossible to find technological work without it. The hunger came back. I fell into a depression and I felt like I had become complacent and didn’t care for technology as much as it cared for me for all of those years. If I truly loved it I would have to show it. So I was determined to earn a degree that would allow me to reenter the world which I devoted my life to, but was now separated from.

ADDED:

This has brought me to where I am now. I am a student in the Media Technology and Filmmaking at CUNY Bronx Community College. It is my plan to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the many aspects of media technology to begin my advanced career in media. See my resume, updated regularly, for details.

Sebastian Rothwyn
English 11
Professor Alex Alvarez
February 17, 2011

No Child Left Bilingual

The Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary School Act, expired in January 2002. Shortly after, President George H.W. Bush signed the abolishment of most bilingual efforts into law through No Child Left Behind. This step backward may have opened the door for bilingual education to move forward again, despite its contrary purpose.

The largest immigrant population of the U.S.A is of German ancestry. Since the early years of the seventeenth century, Germans wanted to escape the war and poverty that ravaged their country throughout the century. Shortly after American independence, many German immigrants anglicized their last names to blend with new American culture. They focused heavily on teaching their children English to avoid the many problems associated with being bilingual. Many publications were translated into German to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of the country. In 1790 when the first American census was taken, and the nation realized that almost ten percent of its population was German, the government debated what should be done with the German language in an official capacity. One vote defeated the bilingual movement for German-Americans in 1795.

With the influx of northern European immigrants in the nineteenth century, bilingual education became a common practice without any governmental support. Immigrants lived in ethnic clusters to assist each other in making the transition to the American culture and the English language. War in Europe continued to push Europeans from their region to America; but their numbers had become so great that legal restrictions were placed on European immigration after the First World War.

In the early 1960s when the highest offices of power in American government were held by the Kennedy’s, an Irish family, restrictions on national origin quotas were lifted. The ethnic makeup of the country changed dramatically shortly thereafter. To provide students with the ability to pursue their studies in their first language and partially in English, bilingual education programs were mandated. An emphasis on the language of origin drew criticism as the country entered into war and the diversity of the American population became more complex. Critics of bilingual education found creative ways to reverse what little public support of bilingual education was left, by directing their attention to the immigrant population. They corrupted the bilingual education system by using a number of devious methods, chiefly: forcing students with Spanish last names, and students with parents who did not speak English, to take language proficiency exams which placed them into English instruction classes whether they required them or not.

By the 1990s those who opposed bilingual education had done sufficient damage to the educational system to plead their case. Although there was plenty of evidence supporting the benefits of bilingual education, through independent studies, the population was convinced that it was unsuccessful because of their own experiences. After the turn of the twentieth century, fueled by concerns of national security, lawmakers ignored the expiration of the Bilingual Education Act. The population, which was already dissatisfied with bilingual education reforms, was easily convinced that No Child should be Left Behind.

A Commission formed to investigate the Act showed areas that required improvement in the American educational system which were not previously considered. Bilingual education, although it is not one of the considered areas, is as old as America itself; and improving the overall educational system will inevitably lead to fulfilling the purpose of bilingual education: to enrich the lives of immigrants who come to America for a better future.