Reflective Essay

Shelby Hendrix - English 102 - Final Essay

Holocaust Overview

Shelby Hendrix 102 117 - Holocaust Essay by Shelby Hendrix

Free write 13

Its been a while since we've had a free write. So, the Great Gatsby is coming out tonight and I cannot wait for it. There is something to love about the 1920's time period. I'm hoping to see the movie tomorrow night but most likely will have to wait until next weekend at the soonest. Also, I don't know if its just the fact summer is almost here but I'm growing more tired of school. At this point it would probably make more sense for me to join the armed forces or something than continue going right now. I'm not focused, my current job is 'pool cashier' and and armed forces job could open up opportunities for me later on down the line just as much as going to school to become a teacher. Either way I go with this I won't be entirely satisfied since I'll most likely have to move since I'll probably choose the Navy if I do quit. I'm just not ready to leave Springfield. Fortunately I'm thinking of this now and have all summer to make a decision. Moving on, the NBA playoffs are here and going great. I was pleased to see the Chicago Bulls open the second round by beating the feared Miami Heat. right now the Pacers and Knicks are playing and I have the winner of that series beating the Heat who are predicted to win it all again.

Shelby Hendrix - Movie project

Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt - A duel in Springfield, Missouri

Free write 12

Well Tuesday I was hired by the parkboard and consequently I am in a much better mood about things today. Basically now I feel as if I just need to pass my classes this semester to finish strong and "enjoy" working at the pool this summer. This summer is going to be great now that I have a job and am playing basketball. While last summer all of my friends were kind of from the basketball/track team I'll be able to diversify and have friends from work as well. To someone like me thats important because I can get tired of some people quickly. Another thing I can't wait for this summer is the NBA draft. My favorite team is doing poorly again so they should have a good pick in the draft. I'm really hoping for Nerlens Noel or Otto Porter, but i guess the team could settle for a player like Shabazz Muhammad. All in all school is stressful for me and this summer is going to be great.

Free Write 12

Today is stupid. I ended up sleeping in an extra hour this morning which screwed everything up. I had to get ready in ten minutes this morning and ask my ride to wait that extra ten minutes. I'm glad my job interview is in the afternoon and not this morning because I would have been late to it AND been a bear. Normally I here early for class which some teachers never seem to truely appreciate. I keep having this dream too about people/a person from middle school that I never really talked to and am now kind of wishing I did. I won't get into that too much considering I just mentioned it because I needed something to write. I honsestly don't have much to say right now other than I'm tired and cranky and have unimportant things on my mind.

Free Write 11

My goodness the last few days have been worrysome. Its started on friday when I was waken up by a call from school saying I should drop one of my classes or risk failing it. This especially frustrates me because all I did is not study for one of two tests and now I'm risking my GPA. I've done the math since and have learned that if I do okay on the next three tests I can squeak by with a C.... I'll try for the B from now on. After that this one girl who I barely know took a liking to me on saturday and texted my phone into oblivion. To sum it up there; she's weird. Things were starting to get a lot smoother though when I went to pizza inn with my parents on sunday night and I saw my church friends there. We talked for a short time then I went back to my parents table and was ready to devoure out pizza. I didn't get very far when a old friend who I'd had a falling out with messaged me and appolgized. I don't know what sparked that but I can't complain though it did take away my appetite at the time. Since then I've been reunited with another friend and am also playing basketball on a team this summer. All in all I had a lot to think about this weekend. It may have been little things, but to a freshmen they're not that little. Now all I have to do is worry about my grades... Oh goodness my grades.

The Ghetto Response

The Ghetto

                The Ghetto was a chilling narrative of what life was like in the Warsaw ghetto during the Holocaust. The film included testimonies from survivors, film taken by the Germans for propaganda, and even an interview with one of the German photographers. The main source of the film is a film reel found deep in a chamber with other films. Its purpose is believed to have been to distort the ghetto life for people on the outside and show that the Jewish people had it good and were not being mistreated. The Germans were still in the editing process when the film was last edited and they left many scenes of the horrible treatment and conditions the Jewish people lived in. This film is a prime example of how the Germans documented almost everything during this time very well through video. One thing that is documented very well in this one is the street conditions. Left on the reel were dozens of scenes of people walking past dead bodies. These dead bodies generally appeared to be a result of starvation or some other illness due to lack of food. Also there were lots of people on the verge of death in the streets. Men, women, elderly, and children all were starving and on the verge of death in the Warsaw ghetto. The food situation was difficult to say the least for the Jewish people. There wasn’t enough food inside the ghetto walls for its inhabitants and people smuggling food in were often shot after the food was confiscated. It was out of the ordinary for children to try to smuggle food into the ghetto, which makes it even more gruesome when you think about the punishment for smuggling, death. Sickness and death truly seemed to be the only theme of this film and of the ghetto.

Edith Coliver Testimony 1

Holocaust Testimony

Edith Coliver

                Edith Coliver at the time of the interview was a 77 year old, Jewish, and German native. The interview was conducted in her home in San Francisco, California. Her European experiences during the 1930s and 1940s were actually a lot easier than they could have been. Both of her parents were several generation Germans and good, strong Jewish followers. Her father was a banker and had enough to live a good life. She lived in a kosher house in Karshuhe, Germany. They even had a cook that had served them for three generations. Edith partook in sports such as track and field. She was a part of a club called The League of German Jews. While at a track meet she once apologized to the Jewish men with beard for not being properly dressed. She says one of the men replied "it’s aright as long as you have good legs." As comical as that might sound it reminds me just how silly the anti-Semitism was at this time. The Jewish people were treated as though they were different when really they were just like you and I and even gave silly responses such as that one. She was about eighth or ninth grade when the anti-Semitism really set in. In school she had a Racial Science class where they learned about the idea of a perfect Arian. She said there was also a terrible joke going around her part. After a man would be taken away by the SS an officer would show up a few days later and call out to the wife and say "widow so-and-so!..." implying that her husband was now dead. Her accounts of this doesn't go much farther as she switches gears to her family moving to America and eventually ending up in San Francisco where she had family. Upon arrival at port 35 the immigration agent saw her with her accordion and prompted her to play it. "So I play God Bless America and the customs agent cried and all the people down the pier, our relatives, cried" she says. This story again reminds me how as people we aren't so different. Even this German girl just arriving in the country can share a moment with the Americans that have never been to Germany or even Europe. Here in America she attends Berkeley and stays in an international house. She loves it there but it is taken away during her tenure there. She the moves east and tries to find work in Washington DC. There she works for a senator. Eventually she finds herself in Europe at the trials. This is where the allies convicted the axis forces of war crimes. There were also war crimes that were also convicted by the allies. Apparently the axis could not be prosecuted for crimes that the allies committed too. Edith Coliver died on December 27, 2002 of pancreatic cancer. She was 79. That is just two years after this interview took place.

"it’s aright as long as you have good legs." Example of how light hearted and normal things were before the Holocaust.

"So I play God Bless America and the customs agent cried and all the people down the pier, our relatives, cried"

David Abrams Testimony 2

Holocaust Testimony

David Abrams

                David Abrams of Dej, Romania was born in 1928 on December 8^th. His original name before coming to America was Abraham. At the time of the interview he lived in Brooklyn, New York and was 69 years old. David had a very modest but good childhood in Dej. He had three or four sisters and three brothers. He was the oldest of the brothers and the youngest of the sisters. His father was a baker and was very religious. Anti-Semitism started in their tiny town around about 1941-42. Like everything else about the Holocaust it started out very gradually and didn’t always seem out of the ordinary compared to what had already happened. It went from just being picked on while on the way home to his father being beaten for not displaying a flag on a nation holiday. Soon they weren’t allowed to own the bakery that earned them their food and money. In about 1943 he and his family were taken away to live in a Jewish ghetto. The ghetto wasn’t like most of the “poster child” ghettos from the Holocaust; it was really just a forest where they were left. They stayed in this ghetto for about a month in the spring time. When they left the ghetto they were taken straight to Auschwitz by train. At Auschwitz he was separated from his family and wouldn’t be reunited with any of them until after the war. He was only at this camp for a short time until being moved on to Mauthausen and then to Gusen. While at these work camps his work mostly consisted of moving large rocks. He survived mostly by sheer luck and being only 15 or 16 years old. In one instance he was admitted to the hospital at the camp for a leg infection. During that time the kids his age were assigned to do extremely hard work where many of them died. Once the death marches started his guards were ordered to kill them but didn’t and just kept them walking. Once he was liberated he was taken to a hospital where he was nursed back to health. After that he was all on his own. He went into a DP camp and eventually found his way home where he was eventually reunited with his sisters.

“…there was a holocaust, I was there, I survived, and I’m here now to testify about it.”

“Zachor” –Always remember what happened

“Al tishkach” –Never forget

Free Write 10

I could no tbe anymore tired this morning. I should be in bed right now or at the very least out getting a job. To me this seems like the lame part of college. The grind of the "gen eds" where you come to school with one thing in mind (your major) but go to classes that have 4-5 different things in mind. It is a necessary yet stuoid part of college. Unfortunately I'm so tired I can't keep a simple thought going so we're switching gears! Yesterday I went to the gym to dominate some highschool kids at basketball. That never happened. Fronm the moment I took my first shot I was off and of course this lead to getting ignored when I stood in the paint waiting for the ball so I could turn and do a simple hook. Unfortunately all 6 of my points came off of rebounds and loose balls. I was pissed and frustrated beyond belief. Its needless to say after the pick up game I resorted to trick shots so it would at least be understandable if I missed. I feel that my lack of performance was due to just being tired and not displaying any energy. Next week I'll be bringing the pain when I go and play. I just can't stand getting showed up by people that aren't on my level. That sounds really cocky and bad but deep down its atrue in all of us.

Free Write 9

This last weekend was pretty fun.Saturday I went to the meyers center with my freind to play basketball. At first we were playing half court with these kids and we were getting destroyed. Once the older guys showed up though and got us playing full court I began to shine! I was wearing my Kyrie Irving jersey and I was representing well. I was a beast in the post, a sharpshooter from beyond the arc, and thanks to both of those qualities I was a monster in the mid range area. Never have I been able to drive in or step back and shoot so well in my life. And once the defense got wise I started to burn their double team with some well timed assists. All in all it gave me a big head and was super fun. After that we went to my freinds house where we played... Legos. Yes Legos. Then I went home And that freind and I got in the playstation network and played RDR until the cows came home.

Sunday...

Free Write 8

Yesterday was awesome! I woke up early and went back to bed until around ten. I did this because I know sleep is the fastest way to pass time when you're waiting for something. Right around the time I gave up in trying to sleep I heard the sound of a big truck pull up and stop out front. Like a dog hearing a snack wrapper open up I rushed into the family room and waited for the doorbell to ring. It did. It was my tablet! As you could guess that was where the rest of my day went... well not really. I still managed to maintain a social life interact with other people yesterday, it was just really hard. This tablet is by far the coolest thing I've ever owned. It even made doing homework fun and easy! I just opened up pandora, sat in a comfy chair, and read Herrison Bergeron out of the book. Then once I read it I typed the summary on it with relative ease. The only reason I didn't type this on it is because I don't want to be "that guy" that always does things on his tablet instead of the old fashoined way with at times can be easier and just as effective. Wow I just called computers old fashioned.

Free Write 7

I am really anxious today. I have a new tablet coming in today or tomorrow and I can hardly wait. I went to bestbuy on friday and they told me I would have to order my tablet since they don't carry it in stock. So feeling a little let down but still determined I went home and ordered it. I ordered it directly from Sony since they offered a better warantee on it. When I got the email thanking me for my purchase rage insued. it told me that I would have to wait until monday for it to ship out. I freaking ordered it friday morning and they can't get it out in time for the week end? I was ready to go out and buy an iPad instead. I would atleast have it that day. once the weekend had passed I resumed checking the tracking info online for it, after seeing that it hadn't shipped monday morning even I got restless and started digging around. Whille I dug around I notice that over the weekend the stupid thing went on sale and I could have saved $50 if I would have waited to buy it. So after debating and dredding the call to customer service I ended up getting a $50 credit back from Sony. As of right now it has still managed to not make it out of the Chicago area. I don't think I'll ever get it.

Free write 6

I'm super tired this morning. I didn't even try to hide it. I managed to not do any homework over the weekend mainly because I just forgot about it. You might say "how do you forget to do all of your homework?" Well I'll tell you, you just do things you enjoy. If you're already occupied with something fun then you won't want to find something productive to do. ironicly since it's morning, I have ADD, and this is boring me, we'll move on. Avoiding all things obvious, no matter how super they are... I was at my local elementary school on sunday just shooting some baskets when low and behold a challenger presents himself. He was about 5'8" and did not look athletic. I really didn't want to play him... since I'm being cut short here, i'll just tell you i destroyed him.

Free Write 5

As usual I'm tired this morning. I should really start doing this in the afternoon considering I always have to resist say this every morning. Today is a big day for me possibly, once I wake up. Today I have planned to do something that I usually never do. There are a lot of things I usually never do such as: go sky diving, skiing in the Alps, Talk to a girl that I like, play guitar live infront of millions of people... There are truely a lot of things I never do. You can probably pick out the main thing I'm writing this about though.That being said I've got something to do today between my second and third class as well as after my fourth and final class. Man that makes me feel like a creeper just saying that but oh well. Moving on, Lately I've had a spell of laziness come over me at school. In class I tell my self that I will just finish my work at home but then when I get home I just say screw it and go to bed.

Free write 4

Honestly today started off with out a problem. It was nice and warm outside so my friend and I drove to school with the windows down and music up. I was hoping a little bit that it would rain this morning. I'm kind of a strange person, I enjoy it when the weather makes it harder to do things. I feel that driving in the rain is fun because you can drive sompletely different without actually breaking the law. I might be the reason people get in crashes when it rains. Other than being wreckless when it rains I also have had new windsheild wipers on my car for the past month and havent really got to use them. You may say so what? But I like to use the things I spend money on and they're one of them.Switching from the weather, this weekend I found out I have all of this new music I didn't know I had. I can't explain where it came from but it's on my computer! I'm not going to lie, it's pretty awesome music. I've been listening to it for the past few days.

Free write 3

This morning is starting out slow. I woke up this morning and went straight into my daily usual. I figured since I'm carpooling with my friend that this morning would be just a little bit out of the ordinary considering this is only our thrid time doing it... but it wasn't. Right now I'm obviously sitting here in class doing this "free write" and just waiting for something worth while to do.

Last night I went to the MSU mens basketball game. sadly, like every other game this season, the lost big time. I went with my grandpa who I share season tickets with. Its seems as if when the Bears are down MSU really picks up the effort with giving away things for free to make your visit there more enjoyable. this season alone I've taken in two towels, many programs, and passed up many poster, a shirt, and a few other things. This season has been one to remember in a good way though. One night I was asked to take the Houlihans half court shot for a chance to win Houlihans free for a year. I stupidly passed that up for a chance to stay in my comfy seat in section P during halftime and watch some other guy completely blow the attempt. I now feel like I should have taken that shot. I could have the ultimate date kit for free!.. anyway, I also was "scouted" by some guy from arizona but i'll talk about that next time.

Free Write 2

Today started out very interesting. Late last night I texted my friend and started a carpool for getting to and from school. It was me T (the driver) and C (the other passenger). T came by and picked me up at six and we went about the morning by getting C and then stopping by the gas station for snacks. As we were leaving the gas station we were laughing about how small the back seat of T's Camaro is. We were about to turn left at an intersection when suddenly a car came racing out of nowhere and t-boned a mini van which vas adjacent from us. Seconds after see this my friend T proceeds to look in all directions around him, turns on his right turn signal and drives the other way. This is where my friend C starts telling T to stop but T is too embarrassed to admit he is wrong and keeps driving. So C does the right thing and calls in the accident and explains why he can't be there at the scene and leaves his contact information. Later T justified his lack of judgement by pointing out the fact the dome light in the van came on and we clearly saw both people in the van moving and talking. Hopefully they truely are ok.

Shelby Hendrix Intro

Hello! My name is Shelby and I in currently in my second semester here at OTC. I was born here in Springfield and attended Horace Mann Elementary, Carver Middle School, and Kickapoo High School. As of right here I'm one of those people who is here just to get their "Gen Eds" since I don't exactly know what I want to do. High school history teaching is something I've recently started to consider and I'll probably start taking classes geared more toward that next semester, assuming I don't change my mind.

Through Elementary school my biggest hobby was basketball. In my free time I would spend hours outside just shooting baskets. In Middle school my older brother tried to convince me to stop playing basketball and take up running. He had hopes of making me into Kickapoo track and field prodigy and I had a realistic view of how good I was at basketball so I started running in seventh grade. In middle school I was an A team sprinter but in high school I was kind of forced into distance all because it's what my brother did. The first three years I was terrible, but something happened and I went from being in the bottom five of the Junior Varsity team I rose up to become a key member of the Mid distance team and did everything (but not limited to) the 400 meter dash to the 1600 meter race. I wish I would have accomplished this a little sooner but I can't complain.

Enough about me running track, there are other things in my life other than running. I have a loving mother and father along with two older brothers. I will gladly point out that I have outgrown bother of my brothers. I also have two dogs, a Border Collie named Lola and a Dachshund named Barkley. Lola is one of the sweetest dogs you could ever meet and Barkley won't shut up. I'll just tell you know, Lola is my favorite. My family and I often go to the lake for camping and various water sports... mostly just tubing though. When we go to the lake EVERYBODY comes, even the dogs. When my family isn't doing things together I have a few hobbies of my own that I do. As you already know I run, but I also bike, play basketball (when I feel like it), and where would any high school/college student be with out a PlayStation? The answer is probably on the honor role but we won't go there.

Like I mentioned earlier I'm starting my second semester here and am looking forward to the day I move on to MSU and then graduate. Until then I am looking forward this class and the rest of the time I have here at OTC. I look forward to getting into more interesting classes, meeting new people, and many other things.