MLB American Indians

I learned today there are three active American Indian Major League baseball players. The three baseball players are, Jacoby Ellsbury (32), Joba Chamberlain (30), and Kyle Lohse. Jacoby (36) is part of the Navajo tribe, Joba is part of the Winnebago tribe, and Kyle is part of the Nomlaki Wintun tribe. Both Joba and Jacoby have been in the Major Leagues since 2007 and Kyle has been in the Major's since 2001. Throughout the many years of Major League baseball there has only been 49 American Indian baseball players. 

Jacoby Ellsbury


 Joba Chamberlain

Kyle Lohse

Carson Hall - Film Essay

I have moved away from Randolph and have had to go to a different school. My new US History teacher does not think I can improve my thinking skills or learn anything of value from watching movies. But I a, going to prove her wrong by showing that it is possible to develop great analytical skills and explore real events, circumstances, attitudes by watching movies in a critical way, and doing some research.

Being an analytical thinker means, to be able to break down something and being able to look at it in a different way. By watching the movie Glory, I was able to analyze the movie and do some research to come to the conclusion that, it is one of the most historically accurate and the most moving movie ever made about the war. I thought that in the movie 12 Years a Slave, that it was extraordinary and daring to make a movie about a man who was free but is kidnapped into slavery. I have never seen nor heard a movie about this kind of format until we watched it in class. According to Steven Rea from Philadelphia Inquirer, “the subject of slavery, from the perspective of the enslaved, has never really been addressed on-screen before. McQueen, the black British director, remedies this failing fearlessly.” Being a filmmaker who wants to depict historical events in a way that will still draw a paying audience into the theater, and having to condense events that took years to occur in a two-hour timeframe is a challenge. Even though it may be a challenge, if the filmmakers care about their reason to make the movie and get it out to the public, then it should not be impossible. Just like in the movie 12 Years a Slave the filmmaker McQueen said, “This film for me is about love,” and also referring to the movie as “discussion about human dignity...It’s a fight for soul, it’s a war for his spirit.” He wanted to make a movie of a type that has never really been made before so that we, the free people can empathize with it because we can imagine being free like we are but horrifyingly being kidnapped and becoming a slave. Because of McQueen’s passion for 12 Years a Slave it should not be impossible to condense events that took years to occur into a two-hour time frame. Films can convey “truths” about history, or can provide inspiration, or even insight specific historical facts are changed. The movie Glory conveyed ‘truths” about history. All of the most important events in the film happened just as they are shown, like the outcome of Zwick, and the key characters did exist. However sometimes like in the movie 12 Years a Slave some things are not as accurate as they seem. According to History vs. Hollywood, “The real Edwin Epps was crueler than the actor…” Edwin was a very cruel man in the movie, if they did portray him as he really was than it would be much harder for viewers to keep watching. They needed to do what is best for the viewers. Also, according to History vs. Hollywood, “Patsy never did beg Solomon to take her life.” I believe they added this to add drama and interested to show how much pain Patsy had gone through. Sometimes, filmmakers will add things that may not have actually occurred in history just to add some drama and show how the character is feeling.

In conclusion, I am analytical in my thinking and can develop an argument and use evidence to support it. I can also show challenges that a filmmaker may face and understand how a film can convey “truths” about history, or insight specific historical facts that are changed. As you can see, it is possible to develop great analytical skills and explore real events, circumstances, and attitudes just by watching movies in a critical way, and doing some research.

 Solomon

12 Years a Slave (2013)

According to History vs. Hollywood “Like in the movie, the real Solomon Northup was tricked and sold into slavery in 1841 and did not regain his freedom until January 3, 1853.”

Glory

According to Chicago Reader, “But this is still a pretty watchable and always interesting period…”

'12 Years a Slave': An essential story, well told at last

According to Philly .com “the subject of slavery, from the perspective of the enslaved, has never really been addressed on-screen before. McQueen, the black British director, remedies this failing, fearlessly”

Glory

According to IMDb, it cost 18 Million Dollars to make the movie Glory.

12 Years a Slave

According to IMDb, it cost 20 Million Dollars to make the movie 12 Years a Slave.

Glory’s Non-Issue

According to Reel American History, “ the most powerful and historically accurate movie about that war ever made.”

Practice Incorporating a Quotation

Glory is a movie about war and death. As one film critic says in an article "It is through defeat and death in the regiment that the nation experiences a new birth of freedom."  This quote shows that even though the men are not coming home to their families they have won for the freedom of other family and our country.


Today I have learned how to paraphrase and quote. Paraphrasing is a very important key 
 to US History because you need to know how to say what an article means without using 
the exact words and plagiarizing. I need to use quoting when a quote is important and must give credit to the author. These two things will help me be a better history student.

This is what Mrs. Lawson wanted me to learn today:

• Only use a quote when it adds power and style to my writing.
• Always make it clear, from context, that I understand the full meaning of the quote.
• Whether I quote or paraphrase, always be transparent about the source and how I'm using it.
• If I use another author's exact words or phrases, to any extent, I have to use quotation marks to give credit.
• If I use another's author's presentation of facts or ideas, but put their ideas in my own words, I better have a good reason for doing that, and I must give credit.
• Hyperlinking is so easy, there is no excuse for not being transparent about my sources. 

         I understand how to do this.

Paraphrase

This is from an article on the Civil War movie "Glory", "The decision to end the movie with the failed assault at Wagner solidifies this progressive theme, which links the men to one another and, supposedly, the goal of the United States by the middle of the war. The final scenes depict the grim reality of the battlefield, including shoe-less dead black soldiers, and a mass grave in which both Shaw and his men are buried. As the movie ends the viewer is told that the performance of the 54th Massachusetts led to the recruitment of upwards of 180,000 men and that President Lincoln credited these men with turning the tide of war."

In other words, the when the failed assault at Wagner made all of the soldiers stronger and come together as a unit. They all had one goal and that was to win the battle for the United States of America. Throughout the final scenes, it showed accurate and grossing images of the reality of the war, and a huge grave which Shaw and all of his men were all buried together which showed a bond even in death between the men. Because of the brave men heroic acts and performance in the 54th Massachusetts led to 180,000 more men joining the war and President Lincoln honored the men for changing the war for the best.

Sympathy vs. Empathy

     I learned that sympathy and empathy differ very much from each other. Sympathy is feeling sorry or pity of someone's misfortune and empathy is to be able to understand how someone feels or that you have been in their situation before. An example of empathy is slavery, even know we have not been in their situation of being a slave, we can imagine and use your mind to put yourself in their shoes. I can also sympathize because I feel bad for slaves and what they had to go through. Empathy plays a big party in studying history, because it helps you understand better of what decisions people made and what people had to go through. Therefore, empathy and sympathy are two keys aspects in studying history.