After being given a pregnancy leave for several months, with a promise from California Federal Savings and Loans for her job back, Lillian Garland was finally ready to return to work. But after being denied her job, Garland took her case to court.
Garland sued under the California law that requires employers to grant up to 4 months’ paid disability leave for pregnant works and to guarantee their job for when they return. Five years of giving birth to her child, Garland finally won her case winning 6 – 2 in the U.S. Supreme court.
This is a common issue as there are 55 million employed women in the U.S., (109 words).
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Coffee Shop Blog- REVISION
New to the estranged campus, 3 freshman girls crowd around a small coffee table. The trendy trio, Kelly, Jaime and Christina, sit and chat in between classes as busy San Jose State student’s crowd them with lattes and laptops. Their Abercrombie sweaters and vans keep them comfortably warm in the cool cafeteria. Conversing over salads and energy drinks the girls are frustrated with having to choose their majors’, choose colleges’ and choosing housing.
“You’re still living at home?” Jaime asks while playing with her iphone.
“Well ya, I wanted to move away but since I’m here my parents’ are making me live at home.” Christina, obviously upset with her position, keeps her head down as she finishes the rest of her turkey salad.
Kelly, the outspoken leader of the group chimes in stating that, “San Jose State was a way better choice then moving down to San Diego. It’s way too big of a party school and there would be way too many distractions.”
After they all agreed that San Jose State was their best choice, they began to discuss how conflicted they were with having to choose they’re major. As Jaime and Kelly sit confidently with their major’s in business, Christina is still unsure about what she wants to do.
“Well, what do you want to do Christina?” Jaime says in between sips of red bull.
“I don’t know. I want to be a housewife when I grow up!” Christina mutters as they all begin to laugh.
“You should choose business. It’s the most basic degree and you can do anything with it. Any job you have is obviously going to be a business. You can also minor in whatever you want. That’s what Jaime and I are doing,” Kelly explains.
After the girls finish discussing college, they make plans to go out for the night. The pressures of college are no match for the close bond between these girls. (322)
“You’re still living at home?” Jaime asks while playing with her iphone.
“Well ya, I wanted to move away but since I’m here my parents’ are making me live at home.” Christina, obviously upset with her position, keeps her head down as she finishes the rest of her turkey salad.
Kelly, the outspoken leader of the group chimes in stating that, “San Jose State was a way better choice then moving down to San Diego. It’s way too big of a party school and there would be way too many distractions.”
After they all agreed that San Jose State was their best choice, they began to discuss how conflicted they were with having to choose they’re major. As Jaime and Kelly sit confidently with their major’s in business, Christina is still unsure about what she wants to do.
“Well, what do you want to do Christina?” Jaime says in between sips of red bull.
“I don’t know. I want to be a housewife when I grow up!” Christina mutters as they all begin to laugh.
“You should choose business. It’s the most basic degree and you can do anything with it. Any job you have is obviously going to be a business. You can also minor in whatever you want. That’s what Jaime and I are doing,” Kelly explains.
After the girls finish discussing college, they make plans to go out for the night. The pressures of college are no match for the close bond between these girls. (322)
Japanese Internment Memorial
Not long ago, our nation was turned upside down with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Approximately 110,000 Japanese American’s were ordered, (through Franklin Roosevelt’s Executive order 9066) to be housed in “War Relocation Camps” in various Western States. Although the U.S. has apologized to the Japanese Americans, it is not a proud moment for the American people. A memorial sculpted by Ruth Asawa was revealed on March 5, 1994 in downtown San Jose.
Interned at age 16, Ruth Asawa, Japanese American, was taken with her family to the Santa Ana Race Track internment camp. This captive, turned artist displays the hardships of Japanese Americans through her intricate sculpture/storyboard.
Her memorial begins with images of the struggles of the Japanese arriving to America and becoming citizens. Trying to become established was hard at first, but through hard work, many Japanese Americans became successful. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the executive order, many Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes, and get rid of all of their belongings. Asawa’s father was arrested by the F.B.I. and she shows this in her sculpture along with the accounts of other Japanese Americans stories.
The other side raps around and continues with images of the hysteria of the camps. Images of Japanese American citizens being held in horse stables, families crying over the loss of loved ones and the pain of living in such horrible conditions are hard to look at. Mon are clustered around the sides of the memorial and are family crests that Asawa has collected of the Japanese Americans that were held to help signify their unity. Asawa ends her story with redress, the governments apology and a picture of 3 significant Japanese flowers that have important meaning to her Japanese culture. The Matsu is the Japanese pine that represents endurance, the bamboo which signifies strength and the cherry blossom which represents friendship. These 3 flowers are somewhat of a story in themselves in that it represents the Japanese Americans fall and rise of the past half a century.
Asawa creates amazing imagery that touches deep into your soul. Her intricate work and seamless flow of art makes this memorial an amazing piece of art that we are blessed to have in our own downtown San Jose. (379 words).
Interned at age 16, Ruth Asawa, Japanese American, was taken with her family to the Santa Ana Race Track internment camp. This captive, turned artist displays the hardships of Japanese Americans through her intricate sculpture/storyboard.
Her memorial begins with images of the struggles of the Japanese arriving to America and becoming citizens. Trying to become established was hard at first, but through hard work, many Japanese Americans became successful. But after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the executive order, many Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes, and get rid of all of their belongings. Asawa’s father was arrested by the F.B.I. and she shows this in her sculpture along with the accounts of other Japanese Americans stories.
The other side raps around and continues with images of the hysteria of the camps. Images of Japanese American citizens being held in horse stables, families crying over the loss of loved ones and the pain of living in such horrible conditions are hard to look at. Mon are clustered around the sides of the memorial and are family crests that Asawa has collected of the Japanese Americans that were held to help signify their unity. Asawa ends her story with redress, the governments apology and a picture of 3 significant Japanese flowers that have important meaning to her Japanese culture. The Matsu is the Japanese pine that represents endurance, the bamboo which signifies strength and the cherry blossom which represents friendship. These 3 flowers are somewhat of a story in themselves in that it represents the Japanese Americans fall and rise of the past half a century.
Asawa creates amazing imagery that touches deep into your soul. Her intricate work and seamless flow of art makes this memorial an amazing piece of art that we are blessed to have in our own downtown San Jose. (379 words).
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Coffee Shop Blog
New to the estranged campus, 3 freshman girls crowd around a small coffee table. The fashionable trio, Kelly, Jaime and Christina, sit and chat in between classes as busy San Jose State student’s crowd them with lattes and laptops. Conversing over salads and energy drinks the girls are frustrated with having to choose their majors, choose colleges and choosing housing.
“You’re still living at home?” Jaime says while playing with her iphone.
“Well ya. I wanted to move away but since I’m here my parents are making me live at home.” Christina, obviously upset with her position, keeps her head down as she finishes the rest of her turkey salad.
Kelly, the outspoken leader of the groups chimes in stating that, “San Jose State was a way better choice then moving down to San Diego. It’s way too big of a party school and there would be way to many distractions.”
After they all agreed that San Jose State was their best choice, they began to discuss how conflicted they were with having to choose they’re major. As Jaime and Kelly sit confidently with their majors in business, Christina is still unsure about what she wants to do.
“Well, what do you want to do Christina?” Jaime says in between sips of red bull.
“I don’t know. I want to be a housewife when I grow up!” Christina states as they all begin to laugh.
“You should choose business. It’s the most basic degree and you can do anything with it. Any job you have is obviously going to be a business. You can also minor in whatever you want. That’s what Jaime and I are doing.” Kelly explains.
After the girls finish discussing college, they make plans to go out for the night. The pressures of college are no match for the close bond between these girls. (307)
“You’re still living at home?” Jaime says while playing with her iphone.
“Well ya. I wanted to move away but since I’m here my parents are making me live at home.” Christina, obviously upset with her position, keeps her head down as she finishes the rest of her turkey salad.
Kelly, the outspoken leader of the groups chimes in stating that, “San Jose State was a way better choice then moving down to San Diego. It’s way too big of a party school and there would be way to many distractions.”
After they all agreed that San Jose State was their best choice, they began to discuss how conflicted they were with having to choose they’re major. As Jaime and Kelly sit confidently with their majors in business, Christina is still unsure about what she wants to do.
“Well, what do you want to do Christina?” Jaime says in between sips of red bull.
“I don’t know. I want to be a housewife when I grow up!” Christina states as they all begin to laugh.
“You should choose business. It’s the most basic degree and you can do anything with it. Any job you have is obviously going to be a business. You can also minor in whatever you want. That’s what Jaime and I are doing.” Kelly explains.
After the girls finish discussing college, they make plans to go out for the night. The pressures of college are no match for the close bond between these girls. (307)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Extra Credit- (copy edit)
Legalized is spelled wrong. 
There should be a period after 'same' and 'just' should be capitalized!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere
In Z.Z. Packer’s book “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”, I read the short excerpt titled “Brownies”. This section of the book talks about a young troop’s journey on a Brownie field trip in the wilderness. The girls come from middle class families and seem to be particularly annoyed by the “Caucasian Chihuahua’s” exiting from the next bus over.
“Troop 909 was doomed from the first day of camp; they were white girls, their complexions a blend of ice cream: strawberry, vanilla. They turtled out from their bus in pairs, their rolled-up sleeping bags chromatized with Disney characters: Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Mickey Mouse; or the generic ones cheap parents bought: washed-out rainbows, unicorns, curly-eyelashed frogs. Some clutched Igloo coolers and still others held on to stuffed toys like pacifiers, looking all around them like tourists determined to be dazzled.”
Packer beautifully illustrates the ideas of the girls with meticulous detail. I feel as if I am there with the girls watching the girls arrive at camp. She paints an amazing picture with symbolism, ideas, emotions and pictures.
Another quote I enjoyed was from one of the campers talking about their teacher.
“She wore enormous belts that looked like that kind weightlifters wear, except hers would be cheap metallic gold, or rabbit fur or covered with gigantic fake sunflowers, and often these belts would become mature lessons in and of themelves.”
Again the author uses specific detail through imagery so that the reader can relate to her story. And since her descriptions are so vivid, it makes you not want to stop reading. (260 words).
“Troop 909 was doomed from the first day of camp; they were white girls, their complexions a blend of ice cream: strawberry, vanilla. They turtled out from their bus in pairs, their rolled-up sleeping bags chromatized with Disney characters: Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Mickey Mouse; or the generic ones cheap parents bought: washed-out rainbows, unicorns, curly-eyelashed frogs. Some clutched Igloo coolers and still others held on to stuffed toys like pacifiers, looking all around them like tourists determined to be dazzled.”
Packer beautifully illustrates the ideas of the girls with meticulous detail. I feel as if I am there with the girls watching the girls arrive at camp. She paints an amazing picture with symbolism, ideas, emotions and pictures.
Another quote I enjoyed was from one of the campers talking about their teacher.
“She wore enormous belts that looked like that kind weightlifters wear, except hers would be cheap metallic gold, or rabbit fur or covered with gigantic fake sunflowers, and often these belts would become mature lessons in and of themelves.”
Again the author uses specific detail through imagery so that the reader can relate to her story. And since her descriptions are so vivid, it makes you not want to stop reading. (260 words).
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
NPR Assignment
NPR assignment
For my NPR assignment, I listened to the April 2nd broadcast with Fresh Air host Terry Gross. She was interviewing journalist Eric Lictblau about the warrantless government wireless taps set up by the government to look into Americans emails and listen to their phone calls. This program came into play after 9-11 by the Bush administration. Terry Gross does an amazing interview with Eric, who broke the story to the New York Times.
In her interview, Terry was more than well prepared. She started the interview with a great introduction of her guest and gave us listeners a good sense of what was going on and what has been happening with the Bush administrations wireless tap and the article Eric published in the New York Times. It seems as if Terry and Eric had met at least once before the interview and gone over exactly what had been going pre and post the release of the newspaper article.
Terry seemed to be all about the details, knowing exactly what questions to ask Eric to lead him to reveal the issue in even more depth. Terry also seemed to be educated about Bush’s administration as well. She talked about how Bush didn’t want the story leaked to the press, and how Bush had a meeting with the New York Times to stop the publication as well.
Listening to this interview, I realize that being prepared in key to a successful interview. Terry asked all of the right questions as well as already knowing the information to keep the conversation moving.
For my NPR assignment, I listened to the April 2nd broadcast with Fresh Air host Terry Gross. She was interviewing journalist Eric Lictblau about the warrantless government wireless taps set up by the government to look into Americans emails and listen to their phone calls. This program came into play after 9-11 by the Bush administration. Terry Gross does an amazing interview with Eric, who broke the story to the New York Times.
In her interview, Terry was more than well prepared. She started the interview with a great introduction of her guest and gave us listeners a good sense of what was going on and what has been happening with the Bush administrations wireless tap and the article Eric published in the New York Times. It seems as if Terry and Eric had met at least once before the interview and gone over exactly what had been going pre and post the release of the newspaper article.
Terry seemed to be all about the details, knowing exactly what questions to ask Eric to lead him to reveal the issue in even more depth. Terry also seemed to be educated about Bush’s administration as well. She talked about how Bush didn’t want the story leaked to the press, and how Bush had a meeting with the New York Times to stop the publication as well.
Listening to this interview, I realize that being prepared in key to a successful interview. Terry asked all of the right questions as well as already knowing the information to keep the conversation moving.
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