Writing In & For Digital Environments

Continued from Part I

There was a great deal of backlash from prestigious academic institutions in Britain, notably Oxford and Cambridge, toward the adoption of the study of English in the years leading up to the First World War. Most universities considered a subject worthy of academic study only if it could be examined, and because most members of the academic community considered English to be “idle gossip about literary taste,” it was all but impossible for it to gain foothold in academic circles without latching itself on to the study of Classics, something which classicists found abhorrent.

World War I turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the study of English, as philology, a type of historical and comparative linguistics and one of its most “strenuous antagonists”, was tossed out of British academia as a result of its Germanic influence. This, combined with a renewed sense of national pride and the rise of a “spiritual hungering” rocketed English to the top tiers of academic discussion. As Eagleton puts it, “It is a chastening thought that we owe the University study of English, in part at least, to a meaningless massacre.”

But who led this valiant charge of English into the ranks of academia?  A new generation of writers and critics arose who were not from the upper crust of British society but from the working class and were not be held responsible for England’s involvement in the Great War. They were former soldiers, children of shopkeepers, and many of them too young to remember the war in detail. These were people who had no long lineage of ancestors who attended Cambridge or Oxford and had no concern for and tore down the presumptions and constructs of the pre-war ruling class. Through their hard work and dedication, they changed they helped shape the modern academic environment based around English that we see today. Eagleton sums it up best when he writes, “In the early 1920s it was desperately unclear why English was worth studying at all; by the 1930s it had become a question of it was worth wasting your time on anything else. English was not only a subject worth studying, but the supremely civilizing pursuit, the spiritual essence of the social formation.”

1. Eagleton, Terry. “The Rise of English.” Literary Theory: An Introduction. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1983. 17-53. Print.

Let’s face it, growing up in a Russian family and household is a great time; but there are some challenges that go along with good. Here’s a list of some of the challenges I’ve faced growing up Russian in America

1. Learning English for the first time in kindergarten

The first day of kindergarten will always be a vivid memory of mine. I remember opening the door with my mom by my side and hearing a language that I never heard before. Not really sure how I made it without getting an accent while learning English but I did it. I had a translator come with me to class and help me with communicating with my teachers and my friends. Fortunately, I learned quickly and was no longer scared of the English language. Also, I am still to this day best friends with my best friend from kindergarten who accepted me for who I was and helped me adjust and make friends during recess and lunch. This was definitely a hard stage in my life but I appreciate that my parents allowed me to grow up speaking Russian at home because now I still remember the language and am able to use it rather than forgetting it.

2. Always being the kid with a questionable meal at the lunch table

It’s stressful enough finding a group of kids who you can sit with in middle/elementary school during lunch. Try adding the pressure of knowing that your lunch will most likely stir up a couple of looks and strange faces when they see or smell whats in your lunch box. My typical lunch would be a sandwich with lots of Russian cold-cuts, sometimes potatoes, a couple Russian pastries, and some days I would have a can of borsht. (ew)

3. Having friends over (translating everything)

It would always be a big step in a friendship for me to bring over friends to have play dates at my house. This was because I’d be embarrassed of having them feel awkward or uncomfortable not understanding my parents when they spoke to me in Russian. I was always worried they would think we would be talking about them. I would always translate for them to make them feel more comfortable if there was any Russian being spoken in the house. But still, this was super stressful and made me feel really self conscious and anxious to bring home friends. (Shout out to my friends who survived their visits at the Balonik residence .

4. Always reminded of my families immigration hardships

To this day, whenever I complain about something being too hard or me being stressed about work or anything really, I am always reminded of my families immigration hardships and am compared to the struggles they faced. OK, I get it. I understand and appreciate greatly how much they sacrificed and the struggles they faced starting a life in a new country; but come on, I can be stressed and overwhelmed sometimes too! Give me a break! I hope after reading this post, I can get a pat on the back instead of a response like “Come on Alexa, when I came here I had to … ”

5. Having to balance two cultures

Last but not least, a struggle that I face daily is having to balance my two cultures. This is something that I am still learning how to do, but am appreciating every second of it.

This post is dedicated to one of my inspirations for this blog, “Garik Suharik,” you may know him from his well known “Baba Fira” youtube videos. Follow along with the English subtitles as you’ll learn some typical Russian Grandma phrases that I, and all Russian kids growing up in America hear on a daily basis.

sources:

ww.youtube.com/watch?v=gg2im185s4E

http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/image/serverpage/image-id/11389iBA8B4415528A5218/image-size/original?v=mpbl-1&px=-1

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=lunchbox+&view=detailv2&&id=BD16955CBC928B16277823F102AF91AA9BD2CCA5&selectedIndex=9&ccid=pfCo7Y7H&simid=608002129594354501&thid=OIP.Ma5f0a8ed8ec7fc93e925025fc162aa4bo0&ajaxhist=0

http://www.buzzfeed.com/juliapugachevsky/struggles-only-first-generation-kids-really-know?utm_term=.gtQ04Lv8y&sub=3493991_4129033

As you now know, my grandpa Bernie is a massive womanizer. He goes dancing throughout the week and volunteers at a senior citizen home to meet women. My grandfather is a living legend in the Baltimore metropolitan area. He is the talk of women’s book clubs, scrapbooking clubs, bridge clubs, and of course the water aerobics class taught at the local YMCA. Old women want to be with him and old men want to be him.

Hugh Hefner and Bernie would be good pals.

This blog post, however, is about one of his prior relationships with Marian the Librarian, or Marian for short. A few years ago my grandfather told me he wanted to settle down and that he was “only” seeing three women. He stated that one particular old lady had become more serious, and he may even become exclusive with her.

Big step for Bernie.

I don’t think Marian ever became my grandfathers only girlfriend, but she definitely lasted the longest. Marian would attend family events and my grandfather really seemed to enjoy her company. My family thought that the old bachelor may have finally settled down.

We were wrong.

Not long after I met Marian, my grandfather called and it was a very normal conversation. How’s school going? How’s lacrosse? How are the girls treating you? It was the typical grandparent conversation. I then asked him how Marian was doing and he casually answered, “Oh she actually passed away a few days ago”.

WHAT????

I was in shock. I offered my condolences and asked how he was doing. I asked if I could do anything to help, or if he wanted my family to come to the funeral and support him. Grandpa Bernie simply replied that he was doing great and that he was planning to breakup with Marian anyway.

The man was single again. I obviously felt horrible for Marian and her family, they were in my thoughts and prayers, but all my family could do was laugh about my grandfathers antics.

His first wife (my grandmother) passed away before I was born and his second wife passed away when I was 13. He is at the stage in his life where he wants nothing serious and just wants to have fun. Grandpa Bernie is the typical college student.

We are at the point where we know that my grandfather has many girlfriends and we are simply happy that he seems happy. I just don’t need to meet any more of the women in his life.

My name is Ashley, and I run for Dickinson Cross Country. This past weekend was a very special weekend for Dickinson Cross Country, for we traveled to Geneseo, New York to run at the Mike Woods Invitational. For me personally, this meet was especially meaningful, because it was the first time I was able to travel overnight with the team.

We decided to travel part of the way up to Geneseo, and stay at a small hotel in Hornell, New York. (No… we did not stay in Cornell) It was quite humorous because we practically occupied the entire hotel! I don’t think that they have had that many guests in a long time.

Finally, the next morning, my team got up early, and boarded the bus for the final leg of our trip to Geneseo, New York. When we got to the meet, we were quite skeptical because it was freezing cold and raining. We all knew it was going to be a long and chilly day! Despite the cold and rain, we were really excited because we got to race teams outside of our region, which is something that we don’t get to do often mid season. Too add to the excitement, there were nearly 500 runners on the starting line. It made the first couple hundred meters pretty hectic! Luckily, Geneseo’s course is pretty flat. It made it a lot easier to really pick up the pace and pass people. I am so proud of my team, because we all ran our hardest and supported each other the whole way through. 

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December 2013: OK, this is great, this is huge, this is my dream written in a piece of paper.

But, what about now? What about tomorrow? The next months? Next year? What about my life from now on?

I have always been excessively structured. I have always thought that we should follow paths, we just have to follow what it is established. Kindergarten, primary school, high school, university. And then? What a question. Where is the next step? Where is the following institution?

Just you, your life, your decisions, you making your own path.

What if I try to take a deep breath and just be relaxed? My biggest goal is accomplished. I am an English <> Spanish translator. Am I? Well, that is what the degree says, but… Is the degree enough?

I should be relaxed.

I am not.

Maybe I need more than a piece of paper that says that I am an English<>Spanish translator. What if I try not only to learn English, but also to be immersed in the language, the culture, the place? Learning a language vs. acquiring a language. I have studied this, now I want to experience this.

Sounds good.

But how? When? Where? I made a quick search on the Internet but nothing seemed interesting enough.

Maybe I just have to start working, earn my money, be financially independent.

However, I would like to study abroad. It would be fun, challenging, huge.

One of my best friends told me that there was an informal meeting in our university about some scholarships. We went there, I did not pay much attention, the girl who explained everything was not engaging.

I should continue studying. I mean, I am a translator but I also love teaching. I can work and study. Next year will be busy, but challenging.

March 2014: I am working and studying my second course of studies. Tired, moody, anxious. I am not sure if I want this for me. Did I choose right? Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life?

There is another meeting, similar to the one that I went last year. I’ll go.

Yes, it was much better. There is such a long list of requisites to apply for this University on the United States. It is called Dickinson College, and it is located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Yes, this is what I want. I have a really awesome opportunity. This would be great! I think that if we translate or teach a second language we should study abroad to improve our language skills. Yes, I definitely will apply for Dickinson College.

I spent a month and a half looking for certificates, documents, or any piece of paper that stated everything that I have done so far. Contests, good degrees, sports, languages, social engagement, my transcript, recommendation letters, language proficiency certificates, documents, more documents, passport, and so many others papers that I have already forgotten.

I applied and I started to feel excited about the idea of going to the States for a semester. This would be so good for my CV. After a couple of interviews and steps, I got the scholarship and the opportunity of working there as a Spanish Teaching Assistant. I am going to the States next semester. Wow! Now that I have accomplished another goal, it feels good. But bigger,

challenging

and scary.

I should be relaxed.

I am not.

I am not a hundred percent sure about this. What if I do not get well with the culture? What if I am not able to communicate? What if I miss my friends, my family, my guy? What if something goes wrong?

I have read so many articles about the “comfort zone”, I have watched so many videos about “go and follow your dreams”. I have to do this, I have to go for a while, I have to learn, I have to grow. I have to pack my things, I am leaving in a week and I have not thought about the clothes!

August 2015: After a surprise going away party, here I am, at the airport, saying goodbye to my family and my friends. I thought it would be easier, but there were some hugs that made me ask to myself if I was doing the right thing. Anyway, everything will be alright. This experience will give just good moments and valuable things to learn. I turned around and I did not see my family anymore. It was just me and my baggage.

And my anxieties,

my fears,

my expectations….

Dickinson College: I am coming!