Habibi Discussion

In my group's discussion last week, we talked a lot about the differences between the book Habibi and the documentary we watched in class a couple weeks ago. Because the experiences of the characters in the book (Liyana and Omer) were vastly different from the kids in the documentary, we first wondered if the author of Habibi was an insider and a credible source. After realizing that she is both of these things, it was hard for me to grasp the discrepancies between Liyana and Omer's friendship and the friendships of the children in the documentary. It seemed a lot easier for Liyana and Omer to become friends; they didn't grow up hating one another because of their race, religion, ethnicity, as the children in the documentary did. I wonder: Are these just very different experiences? Or were circumstances in Israel vastly different in the setting of Habibi than they were in the time of the documentary?

Norms for the Classroom

I'm really glad that we took time in class on Monday to talk about the norms that we wanted for our classroom. I think it is really important to put things out in the open from the beginning so that everyone can feel comfortable and secure sharing personal thoughts/feelings/ideas, etc. It can be difficult in a class focused on power and diversity to all agree on issues and have the same opinions. I appreciated that we were able to come up with some rules/norms for our class individually and then collectively create a list. I have been in classes before where people are rude, ignorant, or indifferent to other's feelings, backgrounds, etc. and it doesn't create a very happy and comforting classroom environment. It is important to listen to each other, have powerful and meaningful discussions and debates, and take other people's different backgrounds/feelings/opinions/personal experiences into accounts when making judgements. I extend that courtesy to others and I expect that in return!

Autobiographical Poem

I am Leigh Ann
Daughter of Diane
Who needs sleep, peace, and acceptance
Who loves her family, friends, and music
Who sees lost loved ones in her dreams
Who hates liars, Mondays, and celery
Who fears death and the real world
Who dreams of the future and the past
Who has found poems of love to be hopeful and exciting
Resident of East Lansing, Dearborn, and Michigan
Myrold-Arseneau