So we beat on, boats against the current..

Borne back ceaselessly into the past

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INTERVIEW REFLECTION:

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QUESTIONS

1. What was your most successful moment as an instructor?

2. What’s been your most challenging moment as an instructor?

3. What is the most difficult thing about being an instructor?

4. Is it hard to find qualified and consistent volunteers?

5. Is it difficult to find safe horses?

6. How often do you have students that do not respond well to riding a horse, or just don’t want to ride a horse?

7. What’s the best part about working at helping horse?

I interviewed an instructor, Toni, that I previously volunteered with at Helping Horse, a therapeutic riding organization in Raleigh, NC. We discussed questions one, four, five, and seven. I had hoped to get to all questions, but they just did not feel like they fit into the flow of the conversation. For question one, we discussed a student, who I actually had the pleasure of working with before, who said his first words on a horse. Toni recalled that he started as a kid, completely nonverbal, and as he grew older began talking. First just on the horse, but then it became a consistent thing on and off the horse. She said it was hard to measure the “greatest successes” of her life as an instructor, but that this was one of the bigger moments that had stuck with her.

We also discussed the difficulty of finding qualified instructors and safe horses. As far as volunteers, she said the issue was never if they were qualified or consistent, it was that it was hard to find enough. As classes sizes grow, she typically needed 3 volunteers per student. Even with just 5 kids per lesson, it was, and always is, hard to find that many volunteers. Finding safe horses is, actually, not as hard as I anticipated (according to Toni). She notes that many people will donate their older horses to the program, some will temporarily lend out their horse for the season, etc. Toni recalls that she’s never really had an issue with not having enough horses; the issue is usually pairing the student with the right horse, which just takes some time and effort to figure out.

And finally, Toni says that her favorite thing about helping horse is seeing the bond that forms between the students, the horses they ride, and the volunteers that work with them. The smile that is on the student and volunteer’s face is well worth any possible hardship for Toni.

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Final Reflection

Sophia Kenny

LANG 120.004 ~ Spring 2016

Reflection Letter

Throughout my time in LANG 120, I have learned to, not only become a more intellectual and competent writer, but have developed information literacy, engaged in critical inquiry, and have been able to communicate in rhetorically effective forms/ways. Our first major writing task was the Little Library assignment. This helped me with developing information literacy, because it called for me to investigate five different sources and discuss why they were important to me and how they could be important to someone else. It even invited me to discuss how the texts I chose relate to “the bigger picture.” As an example, in my summary of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I state that, “this would be a good book to put into a little library, because readers can see how race issues have been resolved, but also persisted. So not only is this an entertaining read, but it could potentially raise some sort of awareness for racial issues” (Kenny) This effectively illustrates my ability to develop information literacy within a text.

The Inquiry ARC writing also greatly improved my information literacy, because it called for me to read a single source and become an “expert” on it; see how the context affected the writing, see how the author’s background shaped the writing, and other aspects that influenced the given piece. This was a big help when researching for my presentation, because it allowed me to really understand the sources I chose and see how they fit into the bigger picture of my research. As an example, I discovered a narrative written by Alexandra Dingman (owner and operator of her own therapeutic riding program) that discussed horses behaving in miraculous ways around children with special needs. While this is just Dingman’s story, I realized that there were many similar stories, which made me realize that Dingman’s narrative really did contribute to the bigger picture.

Then my StoryCorps listening analysis really helped me to communicate in rhetorically effective ways. When I first wrote my analysis I really focused on a surface level. Then with some prompting, I started to dig deeper into both parties true feelings. My revisions allowed me to look into what the parties were feeling and how it could have triggered their actions. Overall, the assignment taught me that revisions are not just grammatical, but rhetorical in nature. This is why it was also helpful to be put into small groups and revise each other’s papers. It taught me to, not only revise my own work, but to communicate in a rhetorically effective way with my peers and give them feedback. For example, I commented on one of my peers Op Ed Pieces and said, “I really like your personal story, it draws the reader in and gives some perspective on why you chose this topic” (Kenny). This comment illustrates how I have, one, been able to communicate constructively with a classmate, and two, recognize something special and positive about their writing.

Finally, our rhetorical analysis essay and my final presentation taught me how to engage in critical inquiry and reflection. For my rhetorical analysis on The Spectacular Now, I drafted three thesis statements, then after it got narrowed down, I revised my chosen thesis multiple times. The essay itself prompted me to ask a critical question and then evaluate it with evidence and outside perspectives. At first, my essay was mainly plot summary, but after revision it is starting to be more of an investigation from different perspectives. I did not expect my essay to go in the direction it went; I started out just thinking about The Spectacular Now, as a flawed love story, but after awhile I came to the conclusion that, “The Spectacular Now appears to be a budding adolescent romance, but is more closely a cautionary tale against addictions and reckless behavior, as illustrated by the arc of the relationship between the main characters and the changes both characters undergo, all through the eyes of Sutter’s unreliable first person narrative” (Kenny). When I began my analysis, I really did not realize just how problematic this love story was; but through my critical inquiry, I came to this critical conclusion.

My final presentation is another example of how I have been able to engage in critical inquiry. I started my presentation thinking I would just be discussing the benefits of equine therapy, but as I did more research, I started to think critically about my topic. I realized that the field has flaws, the biggest of which is the amount of funding it gets. This lead me to do my research on why equine therapy programs are underfunded and what some possible solutions could be. All in all, LANG 120 has made me a better writer and has allowed me to grow as a college student and critical thinker.

                                          WORKS CITED

Kenny, Sophia. Equine Therapy; the good, the bad, and the why not?. UNC Asheville. 2016

Kenny, Sophia. Interview Reflection. UNC Asheville. 2016

Kenny, Sophia. Little Library. UNC Asheville. 2016

Kenny, Sophia. The Not So Spectacular Now. UNC Asheville. 2016

Kenny, Sophia. Presentation on Equine Therapy. UNC Asheville. 2016

Kenny, Sophia. StoryCorps Analysis. UNC Asheville. 2016.

Kenny, Sophia. Sources’ Script. UNC Asheville. 2016

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Source's Script:

TOPIC:

Equine therapy is a widely beneficial form of therapy that can help people suffering from PTSD, Autism, Down Syndrome, Eating Disorders, and many other mental and physical disorders. However, many organizations are nonprofit organizations that have barriers to keeping their programs afloat and running smoothly. For my research, I will be investigating the benefit of equine therapy, specifically nonprofit organizations; how they can be beneficial and what types of barriers they face.

SETTING THE STAGE:

The conversation about nonprofits and the lack of resources they have is taking place at a regional conference at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. A panel is being held in the Highsmith Student Union with a series of individuals who are involved in some sort of equine therapy. The purpose of this panel is to inform students of its benefit and to encourage them to volunteer and/or donate to nonprofit equine therapy organizations.

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UNC Asheville Commentator: Hello students, before we begin our first ever panel on equine therapy, the UNCA community would like to welcome our special guests, Alexandra Dingman, Toni Hofsheier, Barbara MacLean and Joyce E. DeZutti. We appreciate you taking the time out of your schedules to join us. Before we begin our discussion, we would like for each of you to introduce yourself, give us your own brief explanation of equine therapy and what you believe makes it special. Ms. Dingman would you care to start?

Dingman: Yes, and thank you to UNC Asheville for having me. I’m Alexandra Dingman. I graduated with a degree in special education and proceeded to open up my own organization Friend’s for Tomorrow. Equine therapy, as you might have guessed, involves horses. For many people, they can be seen as temperamental, and potentially dangerous, animals. But through my experience in equine therapy with my organization Friend’s for Tomorrow, I’ve found this to be totally false. That’s why I want to tell you a story about one of my students, Jonah, and my horse, Riley. Before one of his lessons, Jonah ducked into Riley’s stall. Riley, is typically very territorial, so I expected the worst for his encounter with Jonah. To my shock, when I finally caught up with Jonah, Riley was standing quietly alongside Jonah hanging his head, just watching as this child played in the hay (Dingman). Horses are instinctively kind and have a unique sense of understanding that continues to amaze me. That is the benefit of equine therapy to me; horses provide exactly what the individuals need to heal, both mentally and physically.

Hofsheier: Hello, I’m Toni Hofsheier and I am an instructor at Helping Horse, a therapeutic riding program in Raleigh, NC. First off, I would also like to thank UNCA for having me here, it’s a wonderful opportunity. Equine therapy, to me, is the assisted healing in individuals with mental and physical disabilities through horseback riding and interaction with horses. I think what’s so special for me is what I see at Helping Horse; the bonds that our volunteers form with students, the bond that forms between horse and rider, and the fun that everyone has while there. It’s truly a wonderful environment.

MacLean: Hi everyone, I’m Barbara MacLean. I’d like to thank UNCA and all the students who attended today’s panel; your interest in this topic are what keeps it moving forward. In 2011, I published an article in the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development about equine assisted therapy can benefit veterans suffering from PTSD. For me, equine therapy is just that; horses assisting individuals with any disabilities they may have. A lot of people think that horseback riding is a strictly physical form of therapy, but the fact of the matter is that it is almost more mentally beneficial than physically beneficial. That’s the magic of equine therapy, it’s scope is so wide and is proven to be effective on many different groups of people.

DeZutti: Hello UNCA faculty and students, I’m Joyce DeZutti. About three years ago, I published an article in the Journal of Psychological Nursing and Mental Health Services on how equine therapy can benefit people who suffer from eating disorders. Horses give people suffering from this disorder a sense of calm; they naturally have a soothing nature and it takes its course on these individuals. Equine therapy also gives these individuals suffering from eating disorders a sense of control; if they can ride a horse and accomplish the tasks laid out for them, then they begin to feel like they can take charge of their lives. To me, equine therapy is one of the most beneficial methods for mental healing; the progress that can be seen in individuals who have undergone equine therapy speaks for itself, in my opinion. It’s a form of therapy that we need to be further investing in.

UNC Asheville Commentator: Thank you for those introductions, now we can get into the heart of our discussion. First, we have questions for Toni and Alexandra. You both have had direct involvement in equine therapy and in running or assisting in a non profit organizations. How has this opened your eyes to some of the difficulties that come with nonprofits and running them?

Hofsheier: One of the biggest issues I’ve come across as an instructor has been having enough volunteers. Our setup is that we have an instructor, an assistant instructor, and for each student we have two side-walkers and a horse leader, essentially three people per student. We typically have 3-5 students in each lesson, we calls for anymore between nine to fifteen volunteers. While that may not sound difficult, it becomes an issue when you have too many side-walkers and not enough horse leaders or vice versa. Overall, finding enough volunteers is always difficult. Without enough volunteers, we can’t give lessons and continue our program.

UNC Asheville Commentator: What type of qualifications do your volunteers need to have to be a side-walker or horse leader?

Hofsheier: Our side-walkers will usually shadow our experienced volunteers for their first couple of classes, and then they are good to go other than occasional guidance from the instructors. We have two different types of horse leaders: level I and level II. Our level I leaders can only lead a handful of our horses, typically the most well behaved ones. Our level II leaders are equipped to lead all our horses, including the ones that are a little more advanced. We developed this system to ensure the safety of our volunteers and students.

UNC Asheville Commentator: Thanks Toni! Alexandra, what has your experience been like?

Dingman: Toni is very spot on in her answer; having enough volunteers is always difficult. Personally, I also have difficulty finding horses. The horses have to be very safe and forgiving to be a part of my program, so finding horses that are still ridable, healthy, etc. is always a hard task.

UNC Asheville Commentator: Toni, have you had any difficulties with this as well?

Hofsheier: Yes, I believe this is a universal issue for nonprofit programs like Helping Horse and Friend’s for Tomorrow. Our program owns a handful of horses and we also have a couple of horses that are “loaned” to us for the year. Most of the time we have enough safe horses, but it becomes an issue if one of the horses becomes sick or injured and is unrideable.

UNC Asheville Commentator: Thanks for your thoughtful answers. Barbara and Joyce, you have both written articles on the benefit of equine therapy on different mental disabilities. What is it about horses that helps these disabilities?

MacLean: I think that horse’s have a calming effect on individuals. For veterans suffering from PTSD, I believe it provides a safe and calming environment. Being successful with horses is all about body language and demeanor; if your body language is high strung or you have a nervous demeanor, horses can sense that. Being around horses calls for you to relax your body language and develop a calm exterior. I believe this can really help people suffering from mental disabilities like PTSD, because it gives them a sense of calm and purpose.

DeZutti: I agree completely with that. I also think riding a horse gives people a sense of accomplishment. You have to focus on the task at hand instead of whatever else is in your head. And when you accomplish something on a horse you feel a sense of mastery; if you can get a horse to do x, y, or z, you feel like you can do “anything.” I think for people who suffer from eating disorders, this allows them to feel like they have had a small victory and gives them confidence that they need to stop harmful behaviors.

UNC Asheville Commentator: Thank you for those insightful answers. Lastly we’d like to open up our panel for a couple of student questions, open for anyone of you to answer. Do any UNCA students have any questions?

Student #1: Do you have to have horse experience to volunteer in therapeutic riding?

Hofsheier: At Helping Horse experience with horses is not required for our side walkers. However, if you wish to be a horse leader, we require that you attend a training session on how to properly lead for classes, and tack-up and groom horses.

Student #2: What do you think makes a good volunteer?

DeZutti: I think that one of the most important qualities for a volunteer is perseverance. Sometimes it takes a lot of time for a student to fully grasp a concept, and I think it can potentially feel like they’re not getting it. A good volunteer will keep working at it and trust that

progress is happening, even if it’s slow.

Hofsheier: I agree that perseverance is very important. Along with that, I really like to see patient and optimistic volunteers. You have to be patient with students; if they’re not getting something it’s very important that our volunteers remain optimistic and don’t get frustrated. Maybe they try explaining it in a new way, change their tone of voice, etc. The most successful volunteers I’ve come across are patient and optimistic in every situation.

UNC Asheville Commentator: If there are no more questions, I would like to thank each of you for attending and discussing with us. Students, if you are interested in volunteering or discussing the special education field, our panelists will be staying afterwards to answer your questions. Also, any student wishing to donate to these nonprofits may drop it in our donation bucket on the way out. Thank you students for attending!

WORKS CITED

DeZutti, Joyce E. “Eating Disorders and Equine Therapy; A Nurse’s Perspective on Connecting Through the Recovery Process.” Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services 51.9 (2013): 24-31. Proquest Central. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

Dingman, Alexandra. “Hoof Prints; Equine Therapy for Autistic Children.” Encounter; education for meaning and social justice 21.4 (2008): n. pag. Print.

Hofsheier, Toni. Personal interview. 12 Mar. 2016.

MacLean, Barbara. “Equine-assisted therapy.” Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development 48.7 (2011): n. pag. Proquest Central. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

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(The continuation of my presentation slides)

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When I first began my research on equine therapy, I expected it to be much more centered on its benefits and the success stories that went along with it. It was not until I dug deeper that I realized equine therapy programs face a huge problem: funding. If you google “equine therapy program shutdowns” you will get hundreds of results. I found this truly shocking and concerning. These programs create so much benefit for their students and their families, it is truly sad that so many programs shut down.

While this was not the most cheerful subject and certainly not what I expected to be researching, I am happy that I came across this issue. It made me aware of how much these programs have to go through and it inspired me to be a more active volunteer. One day I would hope to make some sort of difference in this field and help non-profit programs with their day to day difficulties.

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LANG 120.004 ~ Spring 2016

Op-Ed Piece

                                             Cover Letter

In this piece, I will discuss the positive and negative effects of equine therapy, and the issues that nonprofits have with funding and sustaining a substantial amount of volunteers. If my audience can become aware of the benefits and the issues that nonprofits face, maybe awareness will grow and more people will become involved or donate to these programs. It would be a bonus if state governments even began to fund nonprofits so that they can stay afloat and continue to teach students with special needs. While there are still safety issues to consider, subsidizing equine therapy would be able to mitigate almost all of them, as programs would be able to afford safe equipment and horses instead of the bare minimum requirements. Regardless of that fact, most equine therapy experts or anyone who has experience in the field has had no issues with safety concerning their students. On the contrary, most would say that the benefit greatly outweighs the cost. My piece will hopefully bring awareness to these feelings and encourage funding and involvement in nonprofit programs. This would allow more students to benefit from the amese effects of equine assisted therapy.

      Equine Assisted Therapy; The Good, The Bad, and The Why Not?

When I was in high school, I decided to volunteer with Helping Horse, a therapeutic riding program for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. I was nervous when I first started; I had ridden horses since I was seven and I had always been taught to be cautious of them. One of the first things they teach you as a rider is to respect horses and never underestimate them -- even the nicest and safest horse could get scared and you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. My first day at Helping Horse changed my perspective completely. The horses I worked with were incredible to me; they were normal horses around the volunteers, but the second the students arrived for their lessons, they changed.

According to Equestrian Therapy, “Horses are the most popularly used animal for therapy -- this is because, horses have the ability to respond immediately and give feedback to the rider’s action or behavior. Horses are also able to mirror the rider’s emotion” (Equestrian Therapy). The benefit of working with horses is that they respond much like people do, thus teaching social skills and making it easy to establish a connection (Equestrian Therapy). But therapeutic riding is not just about developing social skills, it can create a large array of benefits for the students. According to Alexandra Dingman, a graduate with a degree in special education who now operates her own therapeutic riding program, “for children with disabilities, riding corrects abnormal muscle tone and improves coordination, balance, and posture and enhances sensory motor skills” (Dingman). Therapeutic riding offers a unique combination of physical and mental healing; it allows the students to do both simultaneously while enjoying their time on the horse. Equine therapy can immensely benefit each student and better the quality of their life. My personal experience has allowed me to see just how drastically equine therapy can benefit the student, and in many cases, even their families. The smiles on everyone’s face, whether it be the student, the volunteers, the instructors, or family members, is just a small shred of evidence of how beneficial equine therapy can be.

However, critics could say that horses are not exactly safe. In my years of riding, the one thing I can say with certainty is that horses will surprise you, whether it’s good or bad. I am not the only one that has come to this realization; Alexandra Dingman has a surprising narrative involving her student Jonah and her horse Riley. She recounts that Jonah arrived early for his lesson and, without warning, ducked into Riley’s stall. Dingman notes that Riley is typically very “hot natured” and territorial and she expected the worst for his encounter with Jonah. To her shock, she accounts that “When I finally caught up with Jonah, Riley was standing quietly alongside Jonah hanging his head, just watching as this child played in the hay” (Dingman). While there are numerous stories like Dingman’s narrative, I have yet to come across material that suggests a horse harmed a student in a therapeutic riding program. Having said that, horses are notoriously unpredictable and surprising, so even though it is extremely unlikely something will happen, it certainly is still somewhat possible. Despite this fact, I believe that any risk associated with equine therapy is outweighed by the benefit it would have for students. But if only it were that simple.

Sadly, the issues behind equine therapy are far more than a concern for safety, and more to do with dollar signs. While some equine therapy programs are well funded and subsidized (specifically, programs that are for profit), I am specifically talking about non-profit programs. Programs that are well funded are typically partnered with institutions, so they do not have the same financial difficulties that non-profit programs do. Non-profit programs are important because they help people that are not necessarily in need of an institution for the physically and mentally impaired, but that still need this beneficial form of therapy to better their lives. From my own experience working at Helping Horse, a program that has less financial problems than most, I realized that being a non-profit comes with a wide range of difficulties. Programs need to have the facilities to keep horses, food, water, hay, tack for students to ride in, riding facilities, safety gear, etc. And most importantly, you need to have horses. All of this, almost literally, can cost anyone an arm and a leg.

My time at Helping Horse opened my eyes to just how scarce resources can be.

But the cost is not the only problem -- finding volunteers that are consistent is also an issue. When organizations have no way to monitor or enforce volunteer attendance, they run the risk of inconsistency. My interview with Toni Hofsheier centered around this issue. She indicated that not having enough volunteers is always something that hinders Helping Horse running its lessons, whether volunteers get held up at work, stuck in traffic, are out of town, sick, etc., there is usually not “full” volunteer attendance (Hofsheier).Volunteers are an essential part of any program, but especially at Helping Horse; the volunteers are who interact with the students most and develop a bond with them (Hofsheier). From my experience, the students will connect with the volunteers and are able to communicate and progress with them. When volunteer turnout is low, programs lose this powerful and beneficial aspects.  When conducting a day of lessons at Helping Horse, we had to have an instructor, an assistant instructor, a horse for each student, and three volunteers per student. Helping Horse has a max of five students per each lesson. So, it logistically takes about seventeen volunteers per class.

This is one of the many reasons why non-profit therapeutic riding organizations often struggle to maintain their programs; many of them even have to shut down, whether it be from the cost of running the program or lack of reliable volunteers. Every time a program has to shut down, limit the size of their class, or not take on a student because they have no room, an opportunity is missed. Equine therapy is one of the most beneficial and successful forms of therapy; its lack of funding is a problem that needs to addressed. Whether it was state government awarding grants to nonprofit programs, state legislatures including non-profits in their budgets, or just flat out have the government subsidize these programs, I believe that this would create many positive implications for equine therapy programs and would allow them to thrive and better the lives of even more people.

                                               Works Cited

DeZutti, Joyce E. “Eating Disorders and Equine Therapy: A Nurse’s Perspective on Connecting Through the Recovery Process.” Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services 51.9 (2013): 24-31. Proquest Central. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

Dingman, Alexandra. “Hoof Prints: Equine Therapy for Autistic Children.” Encounter; education for meaning and social justice 21.4 (2008): n. pag. Print.

Equestrian Therapy, ed. “What is Equestrian Therapy?” Equestrian Therapy: Horse Therapy for Children & Adults with Special Needs. Ed. Raleigh Therapy Services. Raleigh Therapy Services, 2016. Web. 13 Apr. 2016. <http://www.equestriantherapy.com>.

Hawkins, Brent L. “Effects of Equine-Assisted Therapy on Gross Motor Skills of Two Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Single-Subject Research Study.” Therapeutic Recreation Journal 48.2 (2014): 135-49. ProQuest Central. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

Hofsheier, Toni. Personal interview. 12 Mar. 2016.

Kemp, Kathleen. “Equine Facilitated Therapy with Children and Adolescents Who Have Been Sexually Abused: A Program Evaluation Study.” Equine Facilitated Therapy with Children and Adolescents Who Have Been Sexually Abused: A Program Evaluation Study 23.3 (2014): n. pag. Proquest Central. Web. 16 Mar. 2016. Klontz, Bradley T., et al. “The Effectiveness of Equine-Assisted Experiential Therapy: Results of an Open Clinical Trial.” Society & Animals 15.3 (2007): 257-67. Print.

MacLean, Barbara. “Equine-assisted therapy.” Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development 48.7 (2011): n. pag. Proquest Central. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.

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Reflection Letter

Throughout my time in LANG 120, I have started to develop the writing processes of engaging in critical inquiry and reflection, developing information literacy, and communicating in rhetorically effective ways. Our first major writing assignment was the Little Library assignment. This really helped me with developing information literacy, because it called for me to investigate five different sources and discuss why they were important to me and how they could be important to someone else. It even invited me to discuss how the texts I chose relate to “the bigger picture.” As an example, in my summary of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I state that, “this would be a good book to put into a little library, because readers can see how race issues have been resolved, but also persisted. So not only is this an entertaining read, but it could potentially raise some sort of awareness for racial issues.” This effectively illustrates my ability to develop information literacy within a text. Then my StoryCorps listening analysis really helped me to communicate in rhetorically effective ways. When I first wrote my analysis I really focused it on a surface level. Then with some prompting, I started to dig deeper into both parties true feelings. My revisions allowed me to look into what the parties were feeling and how it could have triggered their actions. Overall, the assignment taught me that revisions are not just grammatical, but rhetorical in nature. Then finally, our rhetorical analysis essay taught me how to engage in critical inquiry and reflection. I drafted three thesis statements, then after it got narrowed down, I revised my chosen thesis multiple times. The essay itself prompted me to ask a critical question and then evaluate it with evidence and outside perspectives. At first, my essay was mainly plot summary, but after revision it is starting to be more of an investigation from different perspectives.

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To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. N.p.: Grand Central Publishing, 1988. Print.

To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of two children being exposed to the evils of racism when their father, a lawyer, decides to defend a falsely accused black man. The story blends together the nostalgic attitudes of childhood and overarching racism in the Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama. I chose this book because it is a timeless classic. Not only does the story send readers back to the simple days of childhood, but it presents one of the biggest social injustices that we faced as a society then, and even now to a degree. Race issues have become less severe, but are still very present in our current society. This would be a good book to put into a little library, because readers can see how race issues have been resolved, but also persisted. So not only is this an entertaining read, but it could potentially raise some sort of awareness for racial issues.

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THE, NOT SO, SPECTACULAR NOW

“To hell with tomorrow. To hell with all problems and barriers. Nothing matters but the Spectacular Now”  Sutter Keely narrates to readers (Tharp). The Spectacular Now is the story of Sutter Keely, a self proclaimed party-goer who believes in living in the beautiful moment. After a night of drunken angst over losing his girlfriend, Sutter wakes up on a lawn and meets Aimee, a total social disaster. Sutter takes it upon himself to teach Aimee his ways and give her a more fulfilling life. Dating Aimee was never part of the plan, but being the “go with the flow” kind of guy Sutter is, he allows their relationship to grow more than friendly. He hopes that Aimee will eventually get bored of him and come into her own rather than actually developing a “serious” relationship.

This relationship is not a typical teenage romance. The novel is deceptive in this way, because many parts of the story feel sweet and simple. On the surface, it appears that Sutter and Aimee could learn from each other, grow, and become better people. However, this is not just a romance between Sutter and Aimee, but between Sutter, Aimee, and alcohol. Sutter and Aimee’s actions are dictated by the third party in their relationship, and as many teenagers know, any third party being involved in a relationship rarely works out. The Spectacular Now appears to be a budding adolescent romance, but is more closely a cautionary tale against addictions and reckless behavior, as illustrated by the arc of the relationship between the main characters and the changes both characters undergo, all through the eyes of Sutter’s unreliable first person narrative.

The nature in which Sutter and Aimee meet is a perfect illustration of my theory. Sutter, after a night out in retaliation of his girlfriend dumping him, passes out on her front lawn and is found by Aimee early the next morning (Tharp). If it had not been for alcohol and reckless behavior, Sutter would have never met Aimee, despite the fact that they go to the same school. After their initial meeting, Sutter does not like Aimee in a romantic way, but takes pity on her. His goal with her is simply to make her less of a social disaster, as, according to Sutter, Aimee “might be the only girl I've ever met who still hasn't learned to sacrifice bodily comfort for fashion's sake” (Tharp).

As Sutter’s next move towards “fixing” Aimee, he invites her to a party in hopes of “hooking her up” with a guy. When this backfires, Sutter ends up kissing her out of pity. Sutter even says, “What else am I gonna do, let her go damned and dudeless for the rest of her life?” (Tharp). On top of that, he’s drunk and does not even remember kissing her the next day. Again, alcohol continues to be the third party between Sutter and Aimee’s relationship. The real question is, would Sutter have kissed her if he was sober, or not? When Sutter realizes what he’s committed himself to, he just goes with it. He figures that she’ll get bored of him and dump him (Tharp). Sutter’s attitudes show his youth and his inability to accept responsibility for his actions. Sutter assumes that everything will work itself out instead of blowing up in his face.

Sutter’s addiction not only makes him an unreliable partner, but it even takes form in Aimee. She begins drinking heavily, lashing out with compulsive behavior, and develops an unhealthy attachment to Sutter. Aimee’s change is best depicted by her and Sutter’s prom experience. While most boyfriends might give their girlfriend a cute necklace, flowers, or something to that effect for prom, Sutter gives Aimee a flask. The duo then proceeds to get drunk and go to prom (Tharp). Alcohol continually dictates the relationship between the two teens and appears to be the only real thing they have in common. And for the big finale, Aimee and Sutter go to an after party, still drunk, and Aimee gets in a serious fight with another girl on the false assumption that she’s interested in Sutter (Tharp). Not only is Sutter making poor decisions for himself, but he lets his reckless behavior take its course on Aimee throughout the novel.

On top of all this, there’s the issue of Sutter’s dishonesty as a narrator. Sutter never lies about his parents being divorced, but he flat out lies about his dad. He says he’s a successful businessman and that he works in this big building. He continues this story for most of the novel, until we find out differently through his dialogue with Aimee. We find out that he has no idea where his dad is or what he is like now. Aimee encourages him to find him, which Sutter does. Aimee and Sutter go to visit him, and Sutter has some huge realizations about himself.

Sutter’s dad is also an alcoholic and believes in “living in the now,” but it really appears that his dad is going nowhere with his life. After Sutter sees this, he realizes he is in the same direction. It is at this point that he realizes how wrong he is for Aimee and that he’s leading her down a bad path. Aimee, being the hopeless romantic that she is, does not accept this assertion and continues to have completely blind faith in Sutter.

Erika Michel asserts that, “Sutter introduces Aimee to living in the ‘spectacular now,’ only to cause a turn of events that will make readers consider and then reconsider whether Aimee's philosophy of unconditional love or Sutter's "now" is any better than the other” (Michel). This furthers my point that both teens are idealistic in one way or the other, and that a reader would have to question whether or not a healthy relationship is possible for the duo. Michel even says, “In what could easily turn into an after school special on the dangers of drinking, ‘The Spectacular Now’ trusts readers to decide what significance Sutter's addiction has in his relationship with Aimee and his future” (Michel). This illustrates how Sutter’s addiction has consequences on his relationship with Aimee, which in my opinion, are all extremely problematic and harmful.

Many could argue that, despite imperfect circumstances and problematic outcomes, Sutter and Aimee do ultimately help each other. Sutter helps Aimee be more confident in herself, or as he would say, less of a “social disaster.” Aimee helps Sutter open up and ultimately make a change to his reckless ways. However, I would argue that, despite some positive outcomes, the relationship is still harmful. Sutter makes Aimee irresponsible, at best, and is ultimately taking pity on her. Even if he does eventually fall in love with her, it is unstable. Sutter’s alcohol addiction dictates his actions, so I believe he would be unable to be a part of a “real” relationship.

In conclusion, while The Spectacular Now appears as a budding teen romance, it depicts the consequences and reality of addictions and reckless behavior. Alcohol is the driving force in their relationship and causes both teens to cruise down a destructive path.

        WORKS CITED

Tharp, Tim. The Spectacular Now. N.p.: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010. Print.

Michel, E. (2015, Dec 09). Book review: Tim tharp's 'spectacular now'. University Wire Retrieved from http://wncln.wncln.org/docview/1747823715?accountid=8388

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Scott & Andy Goodling

The Regret of Missing the Moment

A lost love, but a new found understanding between father and son. Andy Goodling is interviewed by his father, Scott, about the day that his boyfriend of four years, Bryan, suddenly passed away. Andy neglected to tell his father about Bryan until it was too late. He was afraid of disappointing him and all the expectations he may have had for Andy. However, after his father found out, he said that if Bryan was that important to Andy, then he was also that important to him. In short, the importance of this interview comes from father and son reconnecting and rebuilding after a horrible tragedy. Because of the rather somber subject, the tone of this interview is consoling and solemn. You can feel Scott trying to soothe Andy, in a sense, but there is still this overarching feeling of regret within him for not being able to share the person he loved with his father. In short, both parties are seeking a form of comfort.

The important thing to take away from this interview is that life is too short to have regrets. Things happen suddenly, and we do not have time to always worry about the repercussions of our decisions. Sometimes we need to take risks and put ourselves out there, before it is too late to do it. In the case of Andy, he lost the opportunity to share the person he loved with his father. His shameful feelings towards his relationship also denied him the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to Bryan. He was so worried about what other people would think instead of just being content with his love for Bryan.

I initially chose this interview, because I believe that life is very short. I never miss the opportunity to tell someone I love them or how important they are to me, because they could be gone in the blink of an eye one day. It is so important for all of us to realize that no one is invincible. I learned this the hard way. My grandmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year, and in a matter of months she passed away. Because she lived in England and I in Raleigh, I never got to say a proper goodbye to her. I remembered the last time she visited my family, and how I had been so busy with school and not spent as much time with her as I should have or wanted to. No matter what I do, I will never get that time back. That is why it is so important for people to hear interviews like these.

Everyone benefits from hearing this conversation. We all need a reality check, and the interview gives it to us. Stories like Andy and Scott’s teach us that we should put ourselves out there and take risks before we lose the chance. Andy feared being rejected, judged, or disappointing his father, however, the regret he feels for not coming forward sooner ended up being far worse than any of those things. All the fears he had were perfectly good reasons to keep that part of him from his father, but if given the opportunity, Andy would have changed things. That’s what we all need to realize; things can be scary, even terrifying, but honesty is always the best policy.

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Say Anything. Dir. Cameron Crowe. Gracie Films, 1989. Film.

Say Anything is the typical love story of an underachieving high school boy, and the valedictorian of the school falling in love the summer before college starts. While this film is mostly predictable, I think it has a certain charm. The charm comes from its simplicity and sweetness, which is why I decided to choose it. I believe this film would be a good addition because it shows that sometimes what we see is not what we get. Both characters are stereotypical in nature, but as the film goes on you really see them become more dynamic characters. I think this a valuable lesson for younger teenagers, because our society tends to promote judging people before we get to know them. This film really illustrates that sometimes our judgements can be dead wrong.

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Miss Representation. Dir. Jennifer  Sibel Newsom and Kimberlee Acquaro. Girls’ Club Entertainment, 2011. Film.

Miss Representation focuses on the portrayal of women in the media and how it carries over into the reality of our society. The film illustrates how women are underrepresented in positions of power, not only in the media, but in real life. I chose this film because when I first saw it, my views on women and feminism completely changed for the better. It also inspired me to be a better person and to be an advocate for women’s rights in the world. I think it is extremely important that adolescents, especially women, see this film. Young women can then see the way women are shown in the media, and be able to understand why it is a incorrect and harmful interpretation. If more young adolescents watch this film, I believe they will be able to understand the way media has shaped their lives, and, hopefully, be able to be informed consumers of the media.

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Tharp, Tim. The Spectacular Now. N.p.: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010. Print.

Sutter Keely is the guy that can get everyone at your party up dancing and having a great time. He believes in living in the now, and nowhere else. The way he sees it, it doesn’t matter if he’s not a shining academic star or doesn’t have any college plans, because he’s caught up with the now. So, when Sutter meets Aimee, a complete social disaster, he takes it upon himself to teach her to live in the spectacular now. I chose this book because I think it hits close to home for any adolescent, and it really makes you evaluate the decisions you make, and how they can impact you, especially after you see the way they play out for Sutter. As such, I think any adolescent who chooses to read this book will be able to relate to it on a personal level, and would potentially be able to see how it relates to their personal lives. The Spectacular Now, in my opinion, perfectly illustrates the blurry line between adolescence and adulthood.

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Fevers & Mirrors. Composed by Bright Eyes. Saddle Creek, 2000. CD.

Fevers & Mirrors is an album by the band Bright Eyes. The album explores the struggles we face and how we see ourselves during these struggles, hence the title, where fevers represents our struggles and mirrors represents self reflection. I chose this album because one of the first concerts I went to was a Bright Eyes concert (that actually took place in Asheville). It got me really into their music and I was especially attracted to this album, just because it feels so human. The album’s humanity, in my opinion, comes from the combination of simple musical structure, but complexities in the lyrics. It is as if the simple melodies represent the problems that we all face generally, and the complex lyrics are our own unique experiences with these struggles. I think this would be a good addition to a little library because it promotes self reflection in our times of struggling, and that is a very relatable thing for anyone and everyone. We have all gone through our own personal battles that are unique to our lives, and I think this album helps us look back to those times and even establish some closure from them.