Timed Writing

In Campbell’s hero’s journey, there are three main steps that include 5-6 main features. The first is the Departure, which incorporates the call to adventure, refusal of the call, supernatural aid, crossing of the first threshold, and the belly of the whale. The premise of this section is the initial leaving process of the journey. The second main step is the Initiation. The initiation incorporates the road of trials, meeting with the goddess, woman as temptress, atonement with the father, apotheosis, and the ultimate boon. The initiation represents the bulk of the journey, it contains the hardest tests the hero will go through and is usually the reason the journey was started. The final step is the return, which includes refusal of return, the magic flight, rescue from without, the crossing of the return threshold, master of the two worlds and freedom to life. This final step demonstrates the hero gaining a sense of peace about his journey. He is able to juggle both worlds and live in peace, learning in many ways about his journey and his decision to return to the normal world.

My favorite reading from this class was Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway, mostly just because I really enjoy reading Hemingway. This story incorporates all the elements of Campbell’s hero’s journey. The departure is the least evident section in this work, but can be identified with the refusal of the call. The refusal of the call in this piece is the reluctance to obtain the abortion. The initiation is identified with the road of trials mainly, which is all the conversation they’re having, specifically when the man says “It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig. It’s not really an operation at all,” which represents not only a path of decisions, but also the atonement with the father. The return is when they get back onto the train, and although the story ends without them doing so, it is implied that they do.

Another reading that exhibits Campbell’s hero’s journey is The Shadow of the Wind. The departure starts when the boy finds the book. The book represents the call to adventure, because it makes the boy want to read more of the author’s work and thus starts of his quest. The crossing of the first threshold is evident when the boy gets pretentious Barcelo to take him somewhat seriously and invites him to his bookstore. The road of trials represents the measures taken to achieve not only the invite to the bookstore, but the measures taken to attain respect from Barcelo. The meeting with the goddess is when the boy meets Clara, Barcelo’s blind niece. She represents the woman as temptress as well, since she has the information the boy wants. The atonement with the father takes place a few times in the first chapter, as the boy and the father are part of a team. The return is not clearly defined in the boy’s story, but rather in the story of Monsieur Roquefort. His return is the passing on of knowledge to Clara and her sister. His refusal is demonstrated in the way he refuses to give up searching for the writer and for other books written by Carax. He seemingly never fully achieves mastering both worlds or freedom.

My journey for Project 3 started off with the departure, which was leaving class and starting my paper. The call to adventure could be seen as the introduction of the assignment as it was then that I realized I would have to create this project. The crossing of the first threshold for my project would be when I found my sources that I would write letters to. As for the Initiation, I started with the road of trials, which was sending out letters to the various organizations. This was a trial because it was hard to find contact information. The Ultimate boon relates to this timed write, because it is the final aspect of my project that needs to be completed. The return has not yet occurred in this project, it will be the final grade. I see the refusal of return as my refusal to give up in this class. I’m trying to re-write anything I can for that A. In order to achieve that A, I need a rescue from without, from the professor. Only then will I have freedom to live, which in my life translates to freedom to transfer to USF.

Project 3

Issues/sources:
Federal Abortion Ban/Planned Parenthood - http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-action/abortion/case-14347.htm

Parental Consent Law/Texas Alliance for Life - http://www.texasallianceforlife.org/legislation_main.htm

Unequal Access to Abortion/National Abortion Federation - http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/access/index.html


Annotated Bibs:

"Unequal Access to Abortion." National Abortion Federation (2003) 01 MAY 2008 .

Summary: This article directly pertains to my research paper because it deals with access to abortion. It discusses how many women, even in the U.S., do not have access to abortions. Some of these women are held back because of location, but many are held back because of lack of information. In Canada, the main problem preventing women from getting abortions is the lack of providers. The National Abortion Federation is in the process of increasing availability to abortions across the U.S. and Canada through their Access Initiative Program. The National Abortion Federation is also working hard to prevent hospitals, such as the hospital at New Brusnwick, from terminating their abortion services by writing letters of protest.

Quotes:
1. "The most recent survey found that 87% of all U.S. counties have no identifiable abortion provider."
2. "State laws...make getting an abortion more complicated than is medically necessary, and fewer hospitals [are] providing abortion services."
3. "Women from diverse backgrounds face unique cultural and information barriers to obtaining information about pregnancy options and safe, high quality abortion care."


Pojman, Joe. "Statewide Pro-Life Organization to Push Adoption of Parental Consent for Abortion Bill." Texas Alliance for Life 16 DEC 2004 01 MAY 2008 .

Summary: This article is mainly about the laws in Texas that notify parents that their child is getting an abortion. Although these laws already exist, many conservatives in the state believe they are not enough. Currently, a parent is notified by phone and email, but the conservatives argue that this is not efficient enough. They are proposing a law that would require parents to submit a written affidavit of parental consent. This would require extensive time and also it would require the parents to visit a lawyer to obtain the document. Needless to say, I think this is absurd. My father is a lawyer so I understand the time that would go into obtaining an affidavit because I work for him during the summer.

Quotes:
1. "In Texas, parents have no right to intervene when a physician seeks to perform an abortion on their young daughter."
2. "Abortion is major surgery and parents are left in the dark. We want to restore parents’ rights to protect the health and well-being of their little girls."
3. "Texas law currently requires abortion providers to attempt to notifiy parents that their minor daughter seeks to have an abortion. However, the notification law is inadequate. Parental notifications by phone or mail may never reach a parent or guardian because messages can be left at the wrong phone number or wrong address."


"U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Federal Abortion Ban." Planned Parenthood 01 MAY 2008 .

Summary: This article is about the Federal Abortion Ban passed in 2003. It makes it a crime to obtain an abortion into and after the second trimester of pregnancy. Doctors say this is the healthiest time to get an abortion, not to mention it enables women to make educated, informed decisions on something that will greatly impact their life. Planned Parenthood is greatly opposed to this law, which attempts to take away from a woman's right to choose. The article is very against President Bush as he is a great pro-life supporter. It states that we have taken a step back since the time of roe v. wade, and that Planned Parenthood plans to do something about it.

Quotes:
1. "The ban criminalizes abortions in the second trimester of pregnancy that doctors say are often the safest and best to protect women's health."
2. "If President Bush were given a free hand to nominate ideological hardliners to the court, the U.S. Supreme Court would undermine protections for women's health and safety."
3. "The Supreme Court ruled that politicians now will be making medical decisions instead of women and doctors."

lesson plan project 3

title - making the right choices
Concept/Topic - Which choices are good choices
Standards - Phonics/Word Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Writing Process
General Goals - teach students they will be rewarded for good decisions and held back if they make bad choices.
specific objectives - they will know to go to class, to do homework, to not do drugs, to not eat bad food, to eat their vegetables, etc.
Required Materials - board, cards that go with it, one die, game pieces
Anticipatory set - talk about choices in life and how they can affect you negatively or positively.
Procedure:
1. Put students into groups (any size)
2. roll dice to see who goes first (highest)
3. roll to see how many spaces you go
4. whichever color the student lands on, they choose that color card and pick A B or C
5. a - move forward 2 spaces
b - move back 2 spaces
c - move forward 4 spaces
6. the first to reach the end wins.
Independent Practice - play the game on their own
Closure - ask a final set of choices
Assessment - whoever wins gets candy
Adaptations - none, its a simple game
Extensions - have to go around the board twice
Possible Connections - have to write out their answers to incorporate english and spelling

letter to planned parenthood

Alexa Battisti

4200 54th Avenue S.

Box 171

St. Petersburg, FL 33711

4/30/08

State Public Affairs Office: Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates

6623 Gateway Avenue, Unit A

Sarasota, FL 34231

To Whom It May Concern:

I’m at 19 year old student at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL.  I have been doing a paper on women’s health issues and my research constantly led me to your website.  I’m writing to you concerning your stance on the abortion debate.  Personally, I am pro-choice and support everything your organization is doing.  Do you believe that the abortion debate will ever be solved?  Or that it will ever be completely legal?  With as religious as America is as a whole right now, is there really a chance?  Is there any concrete evidence of when life begins?  I’m concerned about the future of America, I’m concerned that we won’t always have this freedom, and if we give the government the right to choose what to do with our bodies then what’s next?  

I’d really appreciate a reply to this.

Sincerely,

[going to mail]

letter to texas alliance for life

Alexa Battisti

4200 54th Avenue S.

Box 171

St. Petersburg, FL 33711

4/30/08

Texas Alliance for Life

Executive Director

Joe Pojman, Ph.D.

Joe@texasallianceforlife.com

Dear Joe,

I’m at 19 year old student at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL.  I have been doing a paper on women’s health issues and my research led me to your website.   I’m writing to you concerning your stance on the abortion debate.  

Why do you believe women do not have the right to choose what happens to our bodies?  How can you, as a man, relate to what we go through?  By having abortion illegal after the second trimester of pregnancy, the government is rushing women into decisions they don’t have time to be properly informed about.  If abortion were made illegal altogether, it would force women to visit less-developed countries to obtain them, where they would be put into great risks because the people giving abortions might not have the proper credentials.  Wouldn’t it be better to just allow them here, where we can insure the woman will be safe?

America is all about freedom.  If we give the government permission to control what goes on inside a woman’s body, that’s only the first step.  What’s next?  Do you honestly want the government to have that much control over your life?  That goes against the principles this country was founded on.

I’d appreciate it if you’d reply.

Sincerely,

Alexa Battisti

letter to national abortion federation

Alexa Battisti

4200 54th Avenue S.

Box 171

St. Petersburg, FL 33711

4/30/08

National Abortion Federation

Naf@prochoice.org

To Whom It May Concern:

I’m at 19 year old student at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL.  I have been doing a paper on women’s health issues and my research constantly led me to your website.   I’m writing to you concerning your stance on the abortion debate.  

First of all, let me start off by saying that I fully support your organization and truly believe the government should not have a say in our health issues.  What exactly is your organization doing to lobby against the government for legalized abortion?  What is your stance on the federal abortion ban that George Bush signed in 2003, making all abortions after the second trimester of pregnancy illegal?  Do you feel schools across the country should be doing more to educate the public on this issue, despite its controversy?

Personally, I feel that if abortion is made fully illegal, then that is only the first step in the government trying to control our lives.  If you agree with this stance, what do you feel will be next?

I’d really appreciate a reply, thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Alexa Battisti

[emailed]

3 selected organizations

Planned Parenthood - 

State Public Affairs Office: Florida Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates 
6623 Gateway Avenue, Unit A
Sarasota, FL 34231

Texas Alliance for Life -
Executive Director
Joe Pojman, Ph.D.
(512) 477-1244
joe@texasallianceforlife.org

National Abortion Federation 1660 L Street, NW, Suite 450 Washington, DC 20036
	Phone: Fax: Email:	202-667-5881 202-667-5890 naf@prochoice.org