HISTORICAL DOCUMENT ANALYSIS by Nick Edwards

The first document I found on the Moakley Library archive, is a thank you letter from former Congressman and Suffolk University staple Joe Moakley. This letter was produced by Moakley himself, and this letter was prompted following his 1976 Election victory. Moakley wrote this thank you letter to show his gratitude for a campaign volunteer. I firmly believe that although Congressman Moakley wrote this letter for a particular campaign volunteer, it was designed to thank all that support him; especially those who have volunteered their time for him and his campaign. In addition to this, through this letter Moakley appears to be attempting to recruit and inspire additional volunteers going forward. Within the letter, Moakley offers apology to this particular volunteer for not omitting thanks earlier, but continued with some of his important accomplishments in the latest legislative session. This document directly relates to my topic, it yet again proves that volunteering on a political campaign does not go unnoticed, and it reiterates the importance of volunteering within politics as a whole. I think this document adds a inspiring twist to my analysis due to the fact somebody is recognized for their efforts.
The next archival document that I chose, brings us back to Suffolk University’s commencement ceremony of 1978. The document is a photograph of a Suffolk graduate holding a coat hanger in the air, back facing the graduation stage. I found this document within the Moakley online archive. David Rogers captured this historic photograph that was a pivotal moment in Suffolk history. Especially because this was at the height of the Roe v Wade debate of whether a woman should have the right to choose. Again, the social and political issue of women not having the right to seek an abortion during this time period resulted in this demonstration. This demonstration was meant to bring attention to the important and controversial issue of a women’s ‘right to choose’ within the United States. This archival photograph certainly contains a bias, which I think is easily interpreted from first sight. To continue my analysis, I would have to conduct more research on this particular document. I would like to know some of the basics such as what made this student decide graduation was the key time for this demonstration. [After spending some time with the archive librarian, he indicated from personal knowledge that this young woman stood for nearly three hours during this demonstration]. Again, I would say that this photograph certainly relates to my topic of political activism as a whole. In several instances within political activism, it requires activists to be bold, empowered and outspoken. This would certainly meet the criteria for bold, and I believe I could also make a connection to other Suffolk students as some may find this photograph inspiring and consider this woman a key advocate for women rights.
Finally, the last artifact I will discuss is a banner that Suffolk University students made for a protest. This banner was made in 1969 for a Vietnam War Protest that took place on the Boston Common. Throughout this time period, there was extreme controversy regarding the on going Vietnam War. This was a sincere social and political issue at the time, as many in the United States particularly in Boston were opposed to this war. I chose this document in lieu of choosing a photograph of students protesting on the Boston Common. This banner is particularly unique as it was one of the first demonstrations that occurred regarding the war at Suffolk. The Moakley Archive has a great deal of information from this time period, but I found this was a unique perspective for my analysis as a whole. I would have to continue research into the protest overall, but as the banner portrays; it was clear involved Suffolk students were whole heartedly opposed to this act of ongoing war. This relates to my topic of political activism because protests and activism go hand in hand. Especially when it is a issue of such magnitude. Personally as an activist, I have attended several rallies/protests and it was renewing to see Suffolk students doing the same dating back nearly 50 years. Protests on the Boston Common are extremely common for Suffolk students to attend and I think this shows the advocacy of Suffolk students entirely. Overall, this is another archival historical document that I could use to promote and inspire advocacy within the Suffolk community especially in regards to political activism.

1. https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/items/show/8717
Citation: Moakley, John Joseph, 1927-2001, “Draft letter to campaign volunteer from John Joseph Moakley thanking him for support,” Moakley Archive & Institute, accessed November 3, 2019, https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/items/show/8717
2. https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/items/show/5094
Rogers, David, “A graduate raises a coat hanger in protest of anti-abortion efforts at the 1978 Suffolk University commencement,” Moakley Archive & Institute, accessed November 4, 2019, https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/items/show/5094
3. https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/items/show/5783
“Suffolk students holding banner “Suffolk University Mourns” and coffin during at student protest of the Vietnam War, 1969,” Moakley Archive & Institute, accessed November 4, 2019, https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/items/show/5783.

NARRATIVE ANALYSIS by Giovanni Laurina

A narrator that I have selected that articulates and manifests a cultural identity which complements the one that I have been vastly working on for several weeks now is from Sebastian Maniscalco who is widely known for his stand- up comedy acts. A narration that I found that perceives Labov’s model comes from the qualitative unstructured interview on the talk show “CBS This Morning” that illustrates his approach. This six- minute segment occurred on September 26, 2018 where Sebastian depicts growing up with an Italian- American family which I found relatable in many ways. The following components of abstract, orientation, complicating action, result, evaluation and coda are demonstrated broadly throughout the interview. However, you can still pick up on when each of these applicants play its role effectively.

To begin, one of the interviewers does a brief introduction on who Sebastian Maniscalco is referring to him as “the comedians, comedian” and brings up subject matter that he delivers in his acts such as his own Italian – American family and the absurdity of modern technology. The abstract is provided when the interviewer establishes the first question when indulging in the fact that she comes from an immigrant family and wants to know more about why he resonates with so many individuals. Sebastian points out it’s the “shared experience, the family, I think sometimes in comedy family is underserved and I kind of bring the family to the focal point of my acts especially my dad.”

Following up his explanation he leads to a quick flashback which is the orientation. He clarifies, “Growing up in this kind of old home world, some of the stuff that I heard growing up was like what do you want me to do.” He provides us with a setting reflecting on how his past experiences with his family is used as a stepping stone for his gags. There is no complicating action or result that is clear enough due to how spontaneous and sporadic the questions are. If these factors were included Sebastian could have got more in-depth with the story that followed a ‘then and then’ structure or tell the listeners how the story ends. This follows up with a different interviewer reiterating something Sebastian said about “Every Italian thinks he’s gorgeous because his mom tells him so every day.” This leads to the evaluation where he channels in his past experience with his mother explaining, “Especially when I did my first head shot, it was a beautiful eight by an eleven and my mother is like you got to send this out this is beautiful, so hearing that your thinking wow I’m a star.” Finally, the coda is indicated because he returns to the present time restating that, “Yeah I grew up with really really big characters for parents and its part of my comedy.”
Some parts of the narration that are significant but not applicable to the components is when the same interviewer changes topics and brings up his wife who are complete opposites and gets easily annoyed by people. I am also someone who has no business interacting with new people because I get irritated easily but I can put the effort in if I get a good vibe from them. He is also someone who likes to be around his family more than anything and that is something that echo’s back at me in many ways where he explains, “When I come home I like to kind of just be with my family. I don’t like to have a lot of people around me. I don’t know, I’ve always been a shy guy growing up, reserved and just observe around me.”
Even though we both come from different Italian- American backgrounds there are many things I find relatable when he talks about his family experiences and the way he acts towards people. Knowing that there are billions of people in this world it’s great to know that cultural identify can resonate through other individual like it does for me.

PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS by Ilknur Koc

Document 1:

From which database did you find this document? What keywords did you use? Please provide a link to both documents or attach them on your website.

I found this on document on ProQuest Congressional, using the keywords Muslim students.

https://congressional.proquest.com/congressional/search/basic/basicsearch 

https://congressional.proquest.com/congressional/result/congressional/congdocumentview?accountid=28735&groupid=83762&parmId=16D446309C3&rsId=16D44617903 

Who wrote the document?

The document was published by ProQuest Copyright © 2016 All Rights Reserved.

When was the document written?

March 29, 2011

What prompted the document written? (optional) Were there social, political, economic or historical reasons that may have influenced the writer and the contents?

The document was written in response to the hearing before the Subcom on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights to examine instances of anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination in U.S., and to review efforts to protect civil rights of U.S. Muslims.

What audience was this written for? Does this document set a particular agenda?

The audience consists of individuals who are Anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination in US and US Muslim civil rights protection efforts.

What are the contents, the language and terms used and the key message(s)? What is the ideological position of the author? 

This congressional document of the Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims hearing reviews the rising of anti-Muslim sentiment in U.S., including hate crimes, bullying of children, and employment discrimination. Need to protect civil rights and religious freedom for all religious groups in U.S., including Muslims.

What are the omissions? Was this deliberate? How do you know?

No, the hearing is a public case.

What other public policy documents do you need to locate in order to further your analysis?

A document on any schools denying the entrance or admission of muslim students. This will allow me to see if the presence of students at school was accepted by adminitration aside from students/families anti-muslim themselves. 

How does this document relate to your revised topic? How may it answer your research question?

My new research question topic is focused on my religious identity getting in the way of expressing my true self. 

What does this document add to your personal document analysis?

Further understanding if the adminitration of the schools Muslim childern attended felt safe, wanted or accepted. This will allow me to analyze if the islamophobia in my community was in my head or if other town/cities faced similar issues.

Document 2:

From which database did you find this document? What keywords did you use? Please provide a link to both documents or attach them on your website.

I found this on document on HeinOnline, using the keywords Muslim students.

https://heinonline.org/HOL/Welcome

https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?public=true&handle=hein.journals/dukef9&div=6&start_page=81&collection=journals&set_as_cursor=1&men_tab=srchresults 

Who wrote the document?

This Law Journal, Understanding the Legal Landscape of Discrimination Against Muslim Students in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: A Guide for Lawyers, was written by Shajuti Hossian

When was the document written?

This Law Journal was written in 2017.

What prompted the document written? (optional) Were there social, political, economic or historical reasons that may have influenced the writer and the contents?

This document was written due to the rising polarized political climate. Anti-muslim behavirors have been rising since 9/11/2001, This paper seeks to assist Muslim students and their attorneys obtain legal redress for anti-Muslim bias and discrimination in public elementary andsecondary schools across the country. There is a constant growing American Muslim population that happens to be  relatively young and therefore the percentage of Muslims in public schools is likely to continue expanding. When the population continues to increase, safety and security should be ensured for these children. 

What audience was this written for? Does this document set a particular agenda?

This document seems to engulf the attention of faculty, administration and staff of schools, parents of childern in schools, both Muslim and not. This document is brought to the attention of any one that is invested in the wellbeing of children in elementary/secondary schools.

What are the contents, the language and terms used and the key message(s)? What is the ideological position of the author?

The author outlines how teachers may single-out students of religious minorities in front of the class, grade them against different standards despite the absence of religious content in their assignments, prescribe harsher punishments than to other students, fail to punish students for discriminatory bullying and harassment, or engage in several other forms of discriminatory treatment. The author’s position is to support the children being bullied in these environments, and how they can receive help by knowing their rights.

(optional) What are the omissions? Was this deliberate? How do you know?

No, the journal is public in efforts to inform a wider audience on the issue and end the discrimination attacking childern. 

What other public policy documents do you need to locate in order to further your analysis?

The paper does not discuss every available protection or every obstacle to such protections, but it focuses on several informative and contrasting the safety amongst different states. So reaching to find more protection plans in states like New Jersey would be more beneficial for me, as I was raised there.

How does this document relate to your revised topic? How may it answer your research question?

This document relates to my revised topic as it reviews the discrimination against Muslims in public elementary and secondary schools and analyzes the legal landscape andchallenges across the United States.

What does this document add to your personal document analysis?

This journal gives insight and affirmation that my experience in elementary/secondary school was not gone unnoticed. 

Interview Plan by Annabelle White

How will an in-depth interview fill in the gap of your current knowledge about the topic?

An in-depth interview will help me look at my topic through a new lens. After spending about one month exploring my topic, I feel very aware of the problem my topic explores. Even though my view on the topic is not strictly personal, but also backed up with public documents, I feel like the opinion of someone else would allow an even deeper analysis of the problem. My feelings were created through personal experiences. Hearing the personal experiences of another individual would fill in the gaps that public and personal analysis were not able to fill.

What are the purposes of your in-depth interview?

The purpose of an in-depth interview is more important than simply gaining knowledge and experience of the art of interviewing. On pages 246-247 in “Interviewing” the author relates being an interviewer to being a researcher. It is important to remain open and accepting of new discoveries. Although it may be tempting to construct our interview in a way that has our interviewee agreeing with our thought process, but it is crucial to let the interviewee speak their mind. In-depth interviews are ways to gather important information from another prospective. It is not a way to “back up” an argument or cause controversy. It is simply using someone else’s views and words to gain additional insight on a topic or problem.

Five topics I want to focus on are:

1. The definition of “freedom of speech”— I want the interviewee to define “freedom of speech” in their own words. I want to start with this topic because it is an important piece of the interview, but it is not overwhelmingly personal. It breaks the ice of the interview while also gaining necessary insight of my topic.
2. Religious upbringing— I want the interviewee to discuss whether religion was prevalent as a child. I want them to talk about how the presence or absence or religion affected their upbringing. Also have them define “freedom of religion” in their own words.
3. Freedom of speech vs. Freedom of religion— I want to get the interviewee’s opinion on freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Ask if there are any areas where the 2 areas clash with one another or cause controversy.
4. Education and religion— I want to ask the individual if they ever witnessed or personally experienced any situations where education and religion conflicted. I also want to hear their perspective on whether freedom of religion should be allowed to be expressed in a public education setting or if they believe this would only create conflict.Higher education and religion— colleges and universities have to create a safe haven for people from all ethnic backgrounds. I want the individual to talk about their higher education experience and if their campus felt welcoming to all cultures, religions, and beliefs. I want to know if there were any areas where it could have improved.

Who is your interviewee? Why is this person able to fulfill the purposes?

The person I am interviewing is Glenn Medeiros, he fulfills the purpose because he had a very different childhood than me. He went to a Christian school for many years before transferring to public school later in life. His parents are both heavily involved in the church and he was raised with strong christian values and beliefs. He felt like an outsider when he got to public school since most kids already had their friend groups made. His lens is unique because he went from a school where religion united him with his classmates to a school where it set him apart. He attended UMASS Amherst so I am curious if there were any conflicts regarding religion and education during his time here.

When, where, how (in person, telephone, skype) do you plan to do the interview? How may these decisions impact the interview?

I plan to conduct the interview in person. The interviewee lives on Cape Cod which is also where I live and commute to school from. I am willing to do the interview wherever the interviewee feels most at-ease. I plan to do the interview in the next week or so when the interviewee has time. I am hoping my decision to conduct the interview based on the preferences of my interviewee will allow him to feel more comfortable and act more natural during the interview.

How do you see the roles of you and your interviewee?

I see my role as a “researcher” and him as the subject of my research. I know my interviewee on a personal level so I feel like it is necessary to keep our roles as straight forward as possible so the interview does not go off track.

What may be some unexpected events that prevent you from fulfilling all the goals of the interview? If they happen, what is your Plan B?

If an unexpected event takes place which prevents my interviewee and I from being able to complete our interview, I have another subject who already agreed to be interviewed. Her name is Deena Despault and she is a speaker at a small church on Cape Cod. She is currently studying to get her masters degree in psychology. She wants to become a Christian therapist. I think her perspective would be very interesting and add a unique point of view. I would keep my five areas of focus for the discussion the same.

Interview Essay by Givanni Laurina

Over the course of this semester we have learned how to communicate effectively and determine critical aspects to gathering essential knowledge for our cultural identity topic. As I continue to research and dig up archives, learning more about my cultural roots and heritage will help me recognize myself more as an individual. The purpose of my topic is to cultivate a better understanding of my Italian-American culture and learn more about past experiences from my family and their recognition of life in Sicily.

This unstructured in-depth interview will help me acknowledge my background as an Italian-American citizen who wants to better educate myself with my family’s culture that I am proud to be a part of. I will be interviewing my Nonna who is from Pietraperzia, a very beautiful small town on the island of Sicily. The reason why I chose my Nonna for my qualitative interview is because she is very retentive to detail in her story telling using hand gestures to keep us intrigued the whole time. Even though she speaks broken English I still feel like I can pick up on what she is trying to say most of the time.

In addition, it is very important that I construct and formulate questions based on the way she can comprehend because there is a slight disconnect with a language barrier. When doing the interview, I want to rapport everything smoothly as possible so she doesn’t get confused on what I’m trying to say. Our social interaction will consist of questions like,

“Can you tell me about your life in Sicily?

“Is Italian food in Italy, quite similar to Italian food in America? 

“Growing up, was it hard to get a good education in Italy?”

“What was the government like in Italy?”

“What do you miss most about living in Sicily?”

Moreover, the interview will be taking place at my Nonna’s house, preferably in the kitchen where we will sit across from each other. My family has dinner at her house typically on Sunday afternoons so I will do it then (of course without the pressure). During our in-depth interview I will observe my surroundings and record the audio on my smart phone so that I can guarantee not to miss any important details that she explains to me.  It is also important that I transcribe certain phrases that stand out so I can use later on in the interview to back myself up if I get stuck on asking her something.

Lastly, if some unexpected event occurred and prevented me from fulfilling the in-depth interview with my Nonna, my Plan B would be to interview my Nonno who unfortunately speaks less English than my Nonna. It would be a little bit more difficult to inculcate questions that he will collaterally understand and begin to answer freely. If I cannot reach out to both my grandparents than my last resort would be to interview my father who already told me I could interview him if they fall short to do so. Either way, there will be a purpose behind the direction I take in this hour long interview and I will make sure I get enough research as possible to benefit me while gaining the knowledge about my family’s background.

Interview Analysis by Ilknur Koc

 Abstract: Before I went into asking any questions, Senem said she was aware of the general idea of the interview so she gave a quick synopsis of what kinds of things she would try to address in the interview. Senem addresses that she is a Muslim Turk that lived through 9/11 and the impact it had on her and her family. She explains how living in New Jersey made her impacted by the attacks more personal. 

Orientation: She states her name, Senem Ekiz, 31 years old and how she was born and raised in Bridgewater, NJ. 45 miles away from NYC. She knew the distance from her home to the city because it was a commute her father made 5 out of the 7 days a week for work. 

Complicating Action: Senem states how she was in the 7th grade when the attacks underwent. How students got pulled out of their classes to call families and speak to councillors. She states, “My father wasn’t going into the city that day, but wanted to visit a friend to drop off a magazine he had borrowed from him, but later decided not to make a single trip for that. That friend worked on the 76th floor of tower 1.” 

Result: Her father was devastated from the loss of his friend. His friend was also a Muslim Turk, that had a two year old child. Senem explains how she was shook by the attacks especially because so many of her friends families were impacted. Senem’s mother was covered and explained how she still choose to stay covered though her community seemed uneasy of their presence. Senem said her religious practices were not obvious when simply looking at her, as she is not a covered Muslim girl, rather she looks quite American. Nothing and no one was directly impacting her, more so her mother and her covered friends.

Evaluation: Senem shares how she was taken back from the attacks and never once hated or blamed her religion about the attacks. She and most Muslims believe the inner peace and balance that comes with Islam, so her loyalty to her relgion remained, rather she grew hatred toward extremeist that dirted the name of Islam. She said how her covered friends would get ridiculed and yelled at in public about deporting the country and how horrible they were for just living. 

Coda: Senem returns to the present when I ask her to reflect on how she feels about the attacks 18 years after. She says how all of the conspiracies that arose about government involvement makes more sense than her religion being the core cause of this hate crime. How she never could wrap her mind completely about a branch of her religion could be capable of such destruction. 

2. According to Patterson and De Fina, narrative’ to refer to both the entire response to an interview if it contained sequential, thematic and structural integrity and the smaller Labovian narrative segments.  This allowed her to: “come close to seeing into the narrator’s subjective experience – what ‘life’ means to her at the moment of telling” and identify tensions between “the real and wished for, the story and the dream”. In my interview, Senem was not sequential at all, rather she discussed the attack day in sequence, but because my questions were making her jump between past, present and future there was no direct sequence. As for subjects, she was always relating events to her feelings and what related to how she was feeling. For example, when I asked her “Do you blame our relgion for the attacks” she answered, “No, all my life, Islam has been a representation of peace and serenity, i could never correlate such a hate crime with what I stand for.” She thematically related the attacks by relating her feelings and interpretation to her religion to what had taken place 9/11/2001. 

3. I directly asked Senem, “What do you culturally identify as?” and her answer was “If you asked me before I got married, I would say a Turkish Muslim, but now that I’ve married a man straight out of Turkey, I would say an American Muslim.” She went in depth about how she was so culturally invested with her Turkish roots, but hwen comparing her and her huusbands upbringings, she said she could clearly differeniate a Turkish Muslim and an American Muslim. Turkish Muslims didn’t have to worry about showing their religion because everyone was aware of their religious identity, while in America Senem had to be more filtered with who she surrounded herself with as her religion prohibited relationships with guys, frinking, and modesty in attire. She told me she never really thought in depth into her cultural identity until i asked to interview her about it. She told me I allowed her to come to a consensu off who she was and how she wanted her children to portray her. As an American Muslim, proud to teach her religion to her childern , and allow them a comfortable and open space to practice their religon if they chose to do so. 

4. According to Senem’s responses to the interview questions, I’d categorize her answers as “Self Indulgence” as she simply reflects her responses to the attacks and how it has impacted her life. Though there was not a lot of anger or negativity, she explains how others were negative and angry to her religion. Two strategies Senem used to tell her story would be through reflexivity and coherence. Reflexivity because she responded to the attacks by denial, it was an emotional reflex. She didn’t believe all of that was real because of how close to home it hit her emotionally and culturally. Coherence because she had internal debates on expressing her religious identity as a Muslim. She was looking to the facts of what her religion practiced, peace and prosperity not destruction and anger. She had to put aside what she assumed after the attacks, the rage that could derive from her religion, to the facts of what her religion truly embodied, inner and outer peace.

5. Senem’s interview gave me insight on a person from my community old enough to recollect and adjust post attacks. I’m too young to understand the times fresh from the attacks so hearing someone that knew the times before and after gave me an understanding on shift of lifestyle one faced because of the shame embodied in the American culture toward Muslims. Giving me reassurance to why I was timid in expressing my religion, Senem told me she, herself never wore her religion on her sleeve due to fear of being verbally or physically assaulted at school or in her community. Islamophobia was definitely a much real thing in New Jersey, though it holds liberal open and accepting views in the political climate. Fear still navigates opinions of many that search for someone to blame outside of a group they can identify with i.e the government possibly being the brains behind the 9/11 attacks. My research question could attain the concept of fear being instilled in not only the Muslim community, but in every other community towards Muslims.

Interview Analysis by Nick Edwards

I recently had the chance to sit down with my mentor and biggest confidant State Representative Carol Hagan McEntee for an extensive interview regarding politics and cultural identity. Representative McEntee is one of the sole reasons I got involved in politics in the first place which lead to shaping my cultural identity as a whole. Throughout our time together, we covered a vast array of topics from the current political landscape, to the Rep’s advice to Suffolk University students. I tried to structure the interview in some what of a chronological order to mimic and open up areas of discussion as studied within class. Within every interview, regardless of what the content area is there will always be an orientation, complicating action etc and Carol’s story certainly exhibited those traits.

For starters, I asked Carol when her passion for politics started and she conveyed a similar story to mine. “Well, I was a freshman in college at the University of Rhode Island and this is where I got involved in Student Government, this immediately shined a light on how important it was to become involved within the political spectrum, at any capacity” she said. Interestingly enough, Rep. McEntee and my connection and involvement in politics started at a relatively young age, which was particularly useful when it came to conducting this interview. According to Patterson and De Fina’s limitations of Labovian narrative analysis, I would say two specific instances compare to my interview strategy as a whole. I tried my best to identify and understand the event narratives, and I also compared Rep. McEntee’s event narratives to my own personal narrative. Making connections between our stories was valuable, this lead to follow up questions on both accounts. It was difficult to narrow it down when it came to the topic of cultural identity with the Representative. “Well Nick, as you know I am a mother, a lawyer, a democratic lawmaker, a passionate community member, and I think all of those speak volumes about my cultural identity, all of those mean something to me in a unique way and combined, they make me who I am” After discussing cultural identity shaping Rep. McEntee, we got into how cultural identity plays a significant role throughout her career in the courtroom and making the laws in the House of Representatives. “Every day I enter the State House, I make it a point to remember my personal core values when it comes to making important decisions, often times lawmakers succumb to pressure but I believe it is important to stick my own values that I share with the majority of my constituents” she said. Working with Rep. McEntee for some time now, it is interesting to see (especially when campaigning) how responsive members in the community are to Carol sticking to her “Core Values”. So when it comes to identity construction, I firmly believe that Rep McEntee has dedicated her entire life to public service which has built her identity to what it is today.

Relating the interview to Muncey’s responses made two particular areas stand out, for starters reactions. I mentioned this to Rep. McEntee during the interview and she stated, “being an elected official, you almost expect an immediate reaction from somebody, whether its the press, a constituent, or even a staff member. It is important to keep in mind that actions warrant a reaction.” Another area discussed by Muncey, was the topic area of legitimacy, this is extremely relevant to this interview especially when talking too a long time lawyer and elected official.

It is safe to say the narrative analysis of my interview with Rep. McEntee has directly related to my topic as a whole. Throughout this experience, I am trying to answer a question and am committed to getting more college students involved within the political spectrum. This interview in general was eye opening and Rep. McEntee had some inspiring advice for college students looking to get involved in politics. “This is your future, and getting involved in politics is a step into the real world… you as youth have the ability to make a difference”. McEntee went on and referenced 16 year old Greta Thunberg who has lead a coalition for climate change in the past months, “look at at Greta Thunberg, she is passionate about climate change, she is out there making a difference and changing the world for the better every day… there is no reason why you as college students cannot follow on a similar path”. Representative McEntee even joked “If I could do this 40 years ago, you kids can do this today, with several more resources”. According to Representative McEntee, inspiring and keeping students interested in politics will encourage them to become more involved. “Talk to your peers, remind them and encourage them how easy it is to get involved in local politics…. even if you start volunteering this all can lead to deepened involvement in the political landscape in your community”. Representative Carol Hagan McEntee was extremely useful to my analysis but specifically to my assignment as a whole, she is truly admirable and it is my pleasure to watch her make a difference on the front lines of my community.  As youth, we should set goals to follow the advice and continue to get involved in local politics. Activism and involvement in the community goes hand and hand and it truly makes an immense difference.

Personal Document Analysis by Ilknur Koc

Necklace

My mother gifted me a necklace when I was 14. This necklace has a moon and star pendant on it that symbolizes our religion, Islam and is the symbol on the Turkish flag. IT is sacred to my cultural identity as it is an obvious recognition of my ethnicity and religion. There is also sentimental value from it as it once belonged to my grandmother, and she passed it down to my mother and then down to me. One day I hope to pass it down to my daughter. I still remember the day my mother gave me this necklace, I had come home from my first day of eighth grade. After being bullied about my name being so different, I cried to my mother and yelled at her for naming me such a difficult name. She told me the beauty behind the meaning of my name: first star/first light. How they had picked the name because I was the first born child and grandchild into my family and the hope I instilled into my mother as a teen mom. 

Performance at Turkish Olympiad

When I had begun boarding school in NYC, it was difficult to make friends on my own so I decided to join school clubs and afterschool activities. I loved to sing and be bold as a freshman in an environment I comfortably culturally identified with: Turkish Americans. So I joined a choir group that performed annually at the Turkish Olympiads held in Clifton, NJ. Joining this club, I was free to express the raw and passionate side of my Turkish identity. I invested 20 hours a week into practicing my performances with my friends, this made me comfortable in my own skin for the first time in my life. Though I knew I wasn’t good at singing and performing, it made me feel like I belonged to something.

Certificates from Weekend School

Every weekend from ages 6 to 18 I attended religious school. Learning morals, Arabic, and the way of Muslim life became the central goal of these classes. My parents did everything they possibly could to engage us with a community they wish they could have grown up in. Learning my religion was a drag as a child. Having to tell all my friends from my actual American school that I couldn’t attend their birthdays, parties or class trips on the weekends, because I had an obligation to go to weekend school, made me sad. I felt like my parents didn’t want me to have any American friends. I had to surround myself with Turks or Muslim kids for my parents to feel comfortable. Never did I once miss my weekend classes, never was I once allowed to hang out with my American friends after school, due the mass amounts of work I had to finish for both schools. With all this time invested in both schools, I became fluent in Turkish and learned how to speak in Arabic. I never understood my mothers pressuring me to do and learn more until I looked back on to my accomplishments. I had graduated weekend school when I successfully finished reading and understanding the Quran, written and interpreted in Arabic. 

Journal Entries

Being raised by young parents that was very religious, no one believed in mental heath issues. My mother believed there was a hard day, not a hard life. So she gifted me my first journal at the age of eleven when I was going through a rough adjustment period through puberty. Mood swings and constant anger made my mom angst. She did not think I was having anxiety or could be facing issues, instead she told me to write. All my issues, all my thoughts, all my feelings that made me lose sleep and cry. She told me she would never meddle or ask about what I wrote, as long as I would feel a bit lighter after writing an entry. I would constantly be expressing my lack of ability to be understood. Some entries in turkish, some inenglish, other times I’d mix the languages, creating words that hybrided both languages. It was my way of sorting through my thoughts and becoming sane. I had created a safe space to be myself. 

Photos at Turkish Events

While in high school, one of the clubs I was apart of, Model United Nations, would take us to many events that involved embracing the Turkish in us students. One of my favorite field trips was when the turkish community raised a Turkish flag in Wall Street right beside the bull. It was in celebration of Turkish independence day so our teachers wanted us to dress in fold clothing women traditionally wore during the Ottoman Empire era. Learning about the different types of clothing women wore and how it had evolved overtime truly made me understand the beauty of fashion. I wore a traditional head piece and top as the day was filled with folk music and Turkish language in the heart of NYC. It felt surreal and beautiful to be apart of.

Personal Document Analysis by Annabelle White

Portuguese/English Bible: When I was 20, I felt like I was falling apart. From the outside, most people thought I had it all together. I wanted to believe that too, but at the end of the day, I always fell asleep feeling empty. After some soul searching, I realized I was missing God. After I was confirmed when I was 14, I stopped going to church. I grew up Catholic, but when I was 20 and feeling lost I began going to a Baptist church. My new journey with God began when I met my boyfriend, Glenn. His parents speak on Sundays at a Portuguese-speaking Presbyterian church on Cape Cod. They were both born in Brazil and moved to Cape Cod when they were young. They prayed for me when I was going through hard times. His Mom would often pray with me. She was with me when I accepted Jesus into my life and became what they call a reborn Christian. His parents were the ones who got me back on my feet and I feel so thankful for them. They gave me a gift one night when I was having dinner with them. It was a Portuguese/English Bible. It was special because they did not go and buy it, but they were so excited for me to begin my walk with Christ that they gave it to me right off their table. It was really special and marked the beginning of my journey.

Picture from confirmation: Confirmation is a ceremony where you begin your own journey with God. This is a Catholic tradition. Most of my friends (including me at the time) considered this a “graduation” form Church and most of us stopped going after. I think this was because it was never “cool” to go to Church. It was just always something we had to do growing up. I used to dread going to Church every Sunday and I think that is when I began to develop a bad relationship with my religion. But I did not feel comfortable talking to anyone about the part of me that felt like God was calling me. My brother Liam, who is with me in the photo, was my Confirmation sponsor. When I see this picture, I am reminded of how young and naive I was. I did not realize what an important day Confirmation was. Instead of seeing it as the beginning of my own religious journey, I thought it was a graduation from church.

Personal Journal: I am still learning all of the stories of the Bible and each time I come across a story that is very unique, I write it down in a special journal. Now I have a compilation of stories and readings that are important to me and at the end of each journal entry is a prayer. This journal is important because it reminds me of all the efforts I have made to become a more loyal and faithful Christian. And when I am looking for motivation, I often flip through my journal and find passages I had wrote down from times I was feeling unmotivated.

Elevation Worship Song: One of my favorite songs from Elevation Worship is the song “Love Won’t Give up”. It is a powerful song which talks about God’s refusal to give up on his children. Even if you become lost, you can always seek God and you will never be alone. This song has the most powerful lyrics. God is always faithful to us and he knows we will never betray him and so he never betrays us. It is a beautiful concept. This song reminds me of the time I felt lost and how my religion saved me. He never leaves us.

Steven Furtick Sermon: When I first began my new journey with God, I felt confused on some of the oldest stories in the Bible. I asked myself how I would ever learn everything in the Bible. I discovered a Pastor Steven Furtick who was so relatable and so good at explaining Biblical stories in a way that felt modern and real. He preaches at a Church called Elevation in North Carolina. I discovered him on the internet. I began watching the videos of his sermons on my phone and laptop whenever I had free time. Since I commute to school, I have a lot of time on the bus so I spend a lot of time listening to Furtick. His words pick me up on some of my worst days. One of my favorite sermons of his is called “TRIGGERED: Taking Back Your Mind in the Age of Anxiety”. This sermon spoke to me during a time I really needed to hear it. It reminds me that for the most part, we create our own anxieties. Our minds create an overwhelming fear of what is going to happen next. Furtick teaches us ways to avoid letting these thoughts control our lives. Often times when I am alone or sad or in need of some inspiration, I listen to his podcasts or watch his youtube videos.